Corporate Plan Update: People Objective

Dear Colleagues,

Many of you attended the employee town halls last winter and spring in which I briefed you on the TTC’s vision of A transit system that makes Toronto proud and the seven strategic objectives within our Five-Year Corporate Plan that will make that vision a reality.

One of the seven objectives relates to People: you, our valued employees. So, while customer service is why we all work for the TTC, I want to see us put as much focus on developing, motivating and enabling good employees as we place on improving customer service. After all, it is the efforts and attitude of TTC staff that ultimately affects and influences our customers.

We are launching a number of employee-focused initiatives to make the TTC a truly great place to work, one in which good people can succeed, one where there is a supportive management and supervisory style, and one where everyone is motivated to achieve their very best.

We have already announced a refreshed Reward and Recognition Program to acknowledge values that are critical to the TTC’s future success: leadership, safety, teamwork, customer service and innovation. The awards structure will ultimately identify the TTC’s first-ever Employee of the Year Award.

But there’s much more to come. We are looking to introduce additional apprenticeship and management development programs.

We will also shortly introduce an Employee Charter. Similar to our existing Customer Charter, it will set out what you can expect from your manager or supervisor in terms of the way you are treated and what we need from you in return. Over time, the charter will set out employee-focused improvements that my Executive Team will deliver based on feedback from you.

And that brings me to the second initiative now underway. An employee survey will tell us how engaged you are and what you would like or like to see improved on the important aspects of your job. The survey is confidential and your answers are completely anonymous. It will give us a clear snapshot of where we need to improve to deliver on our People Objective and to enable everyone to achieve their very best.

But we need to hear from you so we can act. For example, you told me some time ago that you were unhappy with the conditions of your washrooms, so I committed that every washroom would be renovated over two years. That is now happening. By completing the survey, my commitment to you is we will share and act on its findings and improve things, like washrooms.

I regard your engagement with the TTC and the development of our employees as a top priority, and a key enabler in creating A transit system that makes Toronto proud.

Please keep up the great work.

Regards,

Andy Byford
Chief Executive Officer
October 20, 2014