Title
a. Approve and authorize the Contracts/Purchasing Officer or her designee to execute Amendment #1 to Agreement No. A-15433 between the County of Monterey and BetterUp, Inc. extending the term of the Agreement through August 31, 2023, or until the last annual subscription expires, and increasing the not-to-exceed amount to $720,000; and
b. Authorize the Contracts/Purchasing Officer or her designee to sign the initial and any subsequent Order Forms where the Order Forms do not significantly change the scope of work or cause an increase in the not-to-exceed amount
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Approve and authorize the Contracts/Purchasing Officer or her designee to execute Amendment #1 to Agreement No. A-15433 between the County of Monterey and BetterUp, Inc. extending the term of the Agreement through August 31, 2023, or until the last annual subscription expires, and increasing the not-to-exceed amount to $720,000; and
b. Authorize the Contracts/Purchasing Officer or her designee to sign the initial and any subsequent Order Forms where the Order Forms do not significantly change the scope of work or cause an increase in the not-to-exceed amount.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Board of Supervisors approved an agreement between the County of Monterey and BetterUp, Inc. on July 13, 2021. Under the agreement, BetterUp continues to provide an online platform and mobile application with unlimited access to scheduled and on-demand leadership coaching, as well as specialty coaching on topics such as communication, diversity and inclusion, resilience, and microlearning services.
It is essential that the County remain competitive in attracting, growing, and retaining top talent, especially during this time known as the “great resignation” and the “great retirement”. Leadership development and employee engagement/retention go hand-in-hand. The workplace behaviors of those serving in leadership roles impact employee engagement and retention.
The BetterUp Pilot Program was launched on September 1, 2021 and includes participants who serve in various roles/positions such as supervisors, front-line employees, doctors, nurse leaders, directors, assistant directors, bureau chiefs, and program managers.
Participant feedback indicates that BetterUp coaching has proven valuable in further developing their skills. By way of background, some Department Heads purchased additional subscriptions as a result of observing, first-hand, positive changes in their employees who received BetterUp coaching, resulting in an increase from 36 to 49 subscriptions purchased since the pilot program launched.
BetterUp outcomes obtained from participants’ self-assessment/evaluations at various intervals of their coaching program show the following progress, thus far:
• 23% increase in problem solving
• 21% in cognitive ability
• 23% in the ability to manage stress
• 22% increase in leveraging coaching skills
• 16% increase in the ability to guide others
• 16% increase in emotional regulation
• 9% increase in ability to recognize employees
• 10% in demonstrating empathy (research shows that employees who report to a leader whom they deem as empathetic are more engaged than employees who work for a leader they deem as lacking empathy)
Anonymous participant testimonials can be found in Attachment A.
Also, according to recent Human Resources Department hiring and turn over data, the majority of County employees are millennials and research shows that the millennial generation is interested in leadership development, mentoring and leadership coaching, along with engaging in meaningful work. In addition, both the 2022 and 2019 employee engagement survey results indicate the need and desire for leadership development.
Continuing to partner with BetterUp for leadership coaching services will further promote the development of the county’s executives, managers, and supervisors, and support them in demonstrating leadership competencies and behaviors that drive employee engagement and retention. Therefore, it is recommended the Board of Supervisors approve the recommended actions.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The County Administrative Office and County Counsel Office have reviewed and concur with the recommendations. The offices of the County Counsel and Auditor-Controller have reviewed and approved the Agreement as to form and legality and fiscal provisions, respectively.
FINANCING:
Costs associated with this Amendment #1 will be covered by participating departments; each department will pay for its subscriptions. Departments will fund the cost of their subscriptions from appropriations in their FY 2022-23 budgets.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
__Economic Development
X Administration
__Health & Human Services
__Infrastructure
__Public Safety
Prepared by: Jose Tapia, Finance Manager x5268
Approved by: Irma Ramirez-Bough, Director of Human Resources, x5043
Attachments:
Board Report
Agreement between County and BetterUp, Inc.
Amendment #1
Attachment A