Tieguy - I don't think the third party issue is relevant. We have certain questions we want to ask each time to measure our progress. You don't need a third party administering the ERI to accomplish that task. If you don't have questions consistently asked a certain way then you can't measure your improvement or tell if things got worse.
The adavantage of a professional third party is that is all they do; objectively and professionally cultivate results for organizations who are looking for real answers to hard questions. It is their core competency, just like ours is to move packages. The feedback results are very impressive, and they are able to deliver feedback data in very finite and specific areas. I think we all agree that the ERI in its present state is a lot of things, but it is definitely not consistent. It is not administered consistently. It is not prepared for consistently, participation is not consistent, and most of all the results are inconsistent.
We never see tangible feedback results from the ERI - the scores are posted and / or talked about, That's it.
A third party vendor can deliver a comprehensive packet with charts, graphs, goals, percentages, all broken down specifically to a pre-determined set of prameters administered by UPS. The questions on the ERI are also determined by UPS the third party has no other interest other than mining and delivering the data.
Make no mistake Tie, these companies abilities to cultivate relavent data is completely dependent upon their ablity to "ask the questions consistently in a certain way to measure improvement or decline" that is their only business, and they have it down to a science. Setting goals, tracking results, using the data to help achieve improvements are exactly what they do day in and day out.
Tieguy - A third party might actually sway the results higher. You are interviewed by the third party. You respond negatively. Third party then says Ok I understand what you're saying now here is what management said. Did they do these things this year. You respond oh you're right they did do those things this year and I guess I have to admit those things did make a difference. People tend to forget what you did for them 9 months ago but they remember you losing your temper and going off on them forever. Thats why you have the sit downs. Some management may use the sit down to try to sell a score they don't deserve, many want the chance to remind you of the things they did do in the past year to try to make things better.
Providing a comprehensive workplace assesment for a company the breadth and scope of UPS could not be administered through a series of interviews, It would be administered electronically, just like the ERI is now. The collection of the data needs to be objectified if it is to be effective, the inherent worth of these organizations is that they are consistent in how they approach it. they charge big, big bucks, but they get results - they have impressive track records with respect to full employee participation, quick turnaround, easy to follow, tangible feedback information.
Companies who contract with vendors who offer these services are loathe to spend that kind of money and not have participation, so believe you me-it gets top priority. The other aspect of a third party is the objectivity. They go out of their way to make everyone aware of how objective and removed UPS is from the process, people are far less inclined to be swayed one way or another when they know that it is not UPS who is adminitering the employee relation index. No sitdowns, no coercion, no - "who answered this negatively, just accountabilty.
a lot of companies who use these types of servies are able to achieve very impressive results in only a few years. Having real world, truthful information about how your employees feel about their management team, their jobs, and their work environment is crucial to success. A revamped ERI would instill confidence and respect in employees to see that UPS would be committed to finally taking a hard look at what I am sure we all agree would be some very tough information to digest.
The worst thing about the ERI right now is how it makes us feel; not the results mind you, most of us don't trust those, but the whole process is so insulting and demeaning to the employees, it is just such a joke how inconsistent and unprofessional it is in its present state.
Remember the old saying Tie, the numbers don't lie.
. Then ask them if their boss's boss is and 
