All aboard the complain train
T, MassDOT managers rail against hiring, promotion policies
Senior managers at MassDOT and the MBTA say union-placating moves, an “unfair” selection process and favoritism are hindering their ability to keep, and promote, the agencies’ top employees, according to an internal survey obtained by the Herald.
“We are forced to take unqualified, un-trainable, no experience, incompatible individuals for the position based upon an agreed upon contract arrangement,” one anonymous Department of Transportation leader fumed in the report. That manager cited the example of being “forced to take former Toll Collectors who don’t even know how to turn on a computer.”
Only half of the 208 senior managers polled reported that talented employees are staying, and even fewer — roughly 30 percent — believe the T and MassDOT are giving employees enough opportunities to advance, according to the survey, which presented its findings on a bar graph without citing specific numbers.
The poll, conducted by an internal MassDOT office over 2 1⁄2 weeks this past spring, could shape how the agencies handle human relations going forward.
Transportation officials today are expected to present an “HR strategic plan” at a joint meeting between MassDOT board members and the T’s Fiscal and Management Control Board, based in part on the survey results.
State officials have earlier referenced the survey, framing some of its findings at a Sept. 25 MBTA board meeting to generate support for its fledgling Recruitment, Retention and Training Fund.
The new program is designed to use private sector donations, including up to $500,000 initially, to help pay for recruiting costs at the T.
But the full 62-page report — obtained by the Herald through a public records request — provides a far more detailed account of how some senior leaders view the agency’s shortcomings, notably in attracting and keeping top talent.
“The ability to recruit external qualified staff appears to be overridden by the need to placate the unions,” one unnamed manager said.
Another anonymous leader, highlighted in a section listing the most frequent complaints, said the selection process for some positions is “unfair” and not based on a candidate’s qualifications.
“The hiring process is not fair or consistent,” added another manager. “Positions are awarded through favoritism rather than based on skill or interviewing skills.”
Echoing a message the T’s top leaders have repeatedly hammered publicly, others complained that the T and the state aren’t paying people enough.
“Pay is by far the number 1 issue,” one manager wrote.
Jessie Saintcyr, MassDOT’s chief administrative officer and an assistant secretary overseeing human relations for both the agency and the T, said officials are working with business and “enterprisewise” leaders to address some of the concerns.
“We have partnered with the organization to improve our business processes and practices around talent acquisition and talent management,” Saintcyr said in a statement to the Herald. “These efforts will allow us to better compete for and attract talent while continuing to invest in our current workforce.”
T spokesman Joe Pesaturo described the survey’s findings as “baseline data” for the agency. It was the first management-level survey of its kind that MassDOT’s Office of Performance Management and Innovation has conducted for the HR department.