Clara Wells began her career at the University of Iowa nearly two decades ago not knowing where that decision would lead. Since then, she has risen through the ranks from a custodian at the hospital to a custodial supervisor in Facilities Management. Her story is one of the tens of thousands made possible by the UI and its commitment to fostering an environment where employees can grow personally and professionally.

In support of the University of Iowa Strategic Plan 2022-2027, University Human Resources (UHR), is working to improve the experience of Merit staff so they, too—like Wells—can grow in their careers here.

In February 2023, UHR facilitated an Employee Journey Mapping workshop with 16 participants, including 11 Merit employees with an average tenure of 12.5 years at the UI. The goal of the Employee Journey Mapping project is to view the UI experience from employees' perspective, consider what they're thinking, feeling, and doing at each step of their employment, and identify key touchpoints to implement improvements.

The lifecycle project considers the experience of a UI Merit employee beginning at "Job Acceptance" and ending at "Former Employee," with a focus on the first three years of employment.

Wells is just one example of a Merit employee who seized an opportunity to learn, grow, and advance her career and not only join a new unit, but also become a leader there. When the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center opened in 2010, Wells decided to try her hand at custodial work in one of the busiest facilities on campus.

"There's so much more to learn here than just the one job you're doing," Wells said.

"I've liked this job ever since I got it because it gives me a chance to help my staff grow as people and maybe transfer somewhere else or get a promotion—just to grow within themselves. In the end, we're all working toward a common goal."

During the Merit workshop, several themes emerged:

• Connection: Employees crave connection to their purpose at the university and with their teams.
• Communication and Clarity: Employees need more consistent, direct communication with supervisors and clarity on important things like retirement planning and growth opportunities.
• Trust and Reassurance: There are questions among employees regarding matters of compensation, roles and responsibilities, and leadership.

For Wells, having done the job of the employees she now supervises has helped her cultivate trust among her staff, in addition to regular one-on-one conversations and daily team meetings.

"I try every day to talk to everybody one-on-one and at the end of the day as a team," she said. "I think it's my job to try to inspire them and make sure they're having a good day."

Next steps in the Employee Journey Mapping project include the Merit staff retention initiative—funded in part by a public-private partnership (P3 grant); prioritizing areas of focus, including onboarding, career development and supervisor training; and mapping the employment lifecycle of other employees like Professional & Scientific (P&S) and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).