Guest Commentator: Dan Amspacher, Director, Strategic Initiatives – Human Resources, SEPTA @SEPTA
How can support from leadership amplify company culture and realize talent retention goals?
SEPTA’s General Manager, Jeffrey D. Knueppel, is intentional about developing a strong company culture through workforce initiatives that foster employee engagement. “Show Jeff Your Work Day” was created by Knueppel — designed for an employee to formally pick the General Manager to follow him/her during the course of one day in order to educate him on their daily contribution to the organization. The initiative is a BIG hit throughout SEPTA.
Knueppel says, “The times when employees invite me into their world and allow me to see all they do to contribute to our business and our customers are some of the best and strongest experiences that define my 30-year career at SEPTA.”
If this concept sounds familiar — truth be told – Knueppel is a huge fan of “Undercover Boss” – the wildly successful CBS reality show where a CEO or other high-ranking corporate officer dons a disguise and works alongside several employees in an effort to get a raw look at how people really work. Knueppel, who does not want all the fanfare, opts to be just himself, insisting that he does not do it for the accolades; he just wants the real employee interactions and maybe a little opportunity to promote the Authority’s — Never Too Busy For Safety — initiative.
The early part of Knueppel’s career at SEPTA was spent as a Field Engineer, working along-side the front line maintenance and transportation employees. Knueppel became a Chief Engineer at the young age of 36. As Deputy General Manager, comprehending what the transportation employees did became his priority. Now, as General Manager, Knueppel is still focusing his attention on the details of what his employees do every day through his “Show Jeff Your Work Day” program. He says it is helpful in making better decisions.
Within SEPTA’s 9,500 member workforce, Knueppel has shadowed more than 28 employees on his own. In other words, Knueppel picks the job that he finds most intriguing; he later follows or shadows the employee throughout the day, familiarizing himself on their particular job function. The employees who are selected educate Knueppel on how their job relates to the organization, even offering ideas as to how to make it better. Knueppel says, “It’s a win-win.”
However, the creatively titled, “Show Jeff Your Work Day,” which is specifically designed to be documented and publicized for employee and job recognition, is where an employee gets to pick the General Manager to shadow them. SEPTA’s Public Information Manager writes the narrative and posts it on the company’s website.
SEPTA’s General Manager Jeff Knueppel shadows Patricia Harvey, a City Cleaner.
The initiative currently resides within the Authority’s Building a SEPTA Culture of Service and Creativity (BASCSC) program. So far, Knueppel has shadowed six employees under that initiative. Those jobs include: Vehicle Readiness Coordinator, Maintenance Custodian, Maintenance Manager, Relief Cashier, Customer Service Representative and Rail Conductor.
Knueppel says, “Being in the field energizes me because I become acutely aware of some of the challenges associated with an employee’s daily duties and more importantly I get to address them.”
Improvements made as a result of Knueppel’s shadowing:
- Employee parking – 41 spaces added
- Exterior lighting around an entire facility
- Exterior cameras added for security
- Added bathrooms
- More convenient locations for phones
- New platform step-up
And there are plenty more improvements to share which affirms the importance of what the employees are talking about while Knueppel is on-site.
“Creating an employee engaged workforce is simply getting out from behind the desk, which is not always easy to do,” Knueppel says. “If employees know that they are respected and appreciated by management, it can make a big difference as to how the employees relay that feeling to our customers – and those rewards are even greater,” he added.
SEPTA is a member of the Chamber’s Education & Talent Action Team (ETAT), a group of 100+ Chamber members focused on creating clear pathways for the alignment between individuals and employers, while also ensuring that we are training and engaging the region’s future leaders.
