SAHA's Excellent Adventure
By Henry A. Alvarez III
SAHA President and CEO
Where did the time go! When I walked into the San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) a year ago, I wondered if I was in the right place. No one knew who I was. No one was ready to meet or greet me. No one knew where I was supposed to go.
More importantly, no one seemed to know where we as an organization were going.
Things have changed since then.
We are well on our way to being a world-class organization. We have goals. We have a definition of who we are and whom we serve. We have clear guidelines by which to steer ourselves. We have a set of core values that extend beyond the words on the back of our identification badges.
Those values – along with the wise counsel and leadership of the senior team – drive the way we do business. Our third core value says it all: Strive for excellence in all operations.
Excellence is no accident. It can’t happen on its own. Excellence is created by the synergy of bright, dedicated people collaborating to create an atmosphere that will not tolerate anything less than excellence. Excellence is what we are and what we do.
We’ve endured a lot this past year: Organizational upheavals, personnel changes, public scrutiny and the lingering effect of poor decisions made years ago.
Nonetheless, all of you --- the men and women who do the lion’s share of the work in this agency --- have embraced the vision of SAHA as a world-class public housing agency, and have overcome the challenges of the past year with dedication, teamwork and a commitment to strive for excellence.
All of the improvements we have achieved have come as a result of our desire for excellence. Ask anyone who attended the employee breakfast or the SAHA Foundation’s Rising Star dinner, or anyone who has been out to our properties and seen the work we’re doing, or anyone who knows what we’re planning with the Big 6 plus 1. They will tell you --- SAHA is becoming excellent every day.
Excellence is a worthy goal. More importantly, by striving for excellence, we improve the way we do business. Each day, we get a little closer and a little better.
All in all, I have to say, it’s been an excellent year. And I look forward to working with each and every one of you to create many, many more. Thanks a bunch for all your help.
The reputation of this organization comes from the people who work here. If we do our best and strive to live by this core value, others will admire us for all we do and the way we work.
Back to School...for Adults
SAHA’s tuition assistance program makes it easier for adults to go back to school.
This is the season for going back to school, and SAHA employees can take advantage of tuition reimbursement to get a degree or to simply take classes to improve professionally.
Eligible SAHA employees can receive up to $300 per semester to work on an associate’s degree, $500 toward a bachelor’s degree and $700 for a master’s degree program. SAHA is also considering changes to provide tuition assistance to those enrolled in colleges utilizing non-traditional scheduling, such as overlapping semesters. Employees taking continuing education courses can receive $200 per class (up to $800 per year).
To be eligible for tuition reimbursement, employees must:
- Be full-time regular employees with at least one year continuous employment with SAHA;
- Have a degree audit or degree plan on file with Human Resources prior to submitting a tuition reimbursement request;
- Complete a Tuition Reimbursement Request Form with supervisor’s signature;
- If taking a continuing education course, it must be related to your current job duties or a position you are aspiring to move to. If you aren’t sure, check with Human Resources.
Tuition reimbursement covers only course costs. Books, parking, incidental fees or insurances are not eligible for reimbursement. Scholarship or grant eligible students cannot request tuition reimbursement.
Performance Appraisal FAQ
SAHA’s new process brings lots of questions. Here are some answers.
SAHA’s new performance appraisal system went into effect in July, and many supervisors have questions. To make the transition process smoother, Human Resources offers answers to some frequently asked questions about the appraisal system.
Q. Does the entire performance appraisal form have to be typed?
A. Only employee signature and remarks can be handwritten. Supervisors must type the rest of the form. We require typewritten forms for a couple of reasons: First, we want employees to be able to read what you wrote, and second, we don’t want someone to suggest you may have “slipped something in” after the review session.
Q. How do you check the boxes?
A. Just click. Click once, if it’s an attached PDF, or twice if it’s a Word Document. Make sure you check the appropriate evaluation type box.
Q. Do I have to complete every comment section?
A. Yes. Although it’s great news that your employee may be meeting expectations, you owe it to them to identify examples of how they can improve, how they already meet expectations, and to offer guidance on how to exceed expectations. “Good job” isn’t good enough for the appraisal system.
Q. What is Violence in The Workplace training?
A. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not a How-To video. It’s training we are planning for the future, and you’ll need to make sure employees know when it becomes available. For now, employees won’t have achieved the training.
Q. How do I find out what training my employee had attended?
A. Two ways. That information can be found in J.D. Edwards or by asking any member of the team of Dena Wilson, Sandra Ramsey, Danelle Evans, Rebecca Ponce or Judge Hamilton. To access the information on JDE, log into the system, click employee self-service, then employee supplemental database inquiry, then “Find,” then “File,” then “Print Screen,” then “Ok.”
Q. Do Goals and Action Plans need to be completed on every evaluation for every employee?
A. Yes. These plans encourage employees to improve skills, knowledge and abilities. Think of an action plan as a professional roadmap. You’re giving directions. Without direction, the employee has to either ask others for directions, or drive around aimlessly until they run out of gas.
Q. Ok, I’m sold on the Goals and Action Plans. How do I develop a plan?
A. Consider the employee and the company. SAHA has goals, and our employees help us achieve those goals. Employees have strengths and weaknesses. As a supervisor, you must be able to evaluate the strengths of your employees and see how those strengths can be used to achieve company goals. You also have to understand how to improve weaknesses until they become strengths. With those ideas in mind, you can craft a plan. For example, if the company wants to expand reliance on technology and become a “paperless” office, your employee may need computer training to function in such an environment.
Q. Does Human Resources have to review the performance evaluation form?
A. No, but your direct supervisor must review it with you. We will gladly help at any point in the review process.
Q. Why would Human Resources reject a performance evaluation?
A. If it’s not typed, if the comment section is not completed for every competency, if the goals and action plan are not completed or if signatures are missing, it’s going back to you.
Q. Why do I want to complete the review before the employee’s anniversary date?
A. If an employee is eligible for a pay increase, it happens on the anniversary date. Your evaluation tells us if the employee is eligible, so it has to be done before the date.
Q. How far in advance can I complete an appraisal?
A. We suggest starting the process a month in advance. Then hold the review session with the employee a week before their anniversary date and send the paperwork to HR that same day.
Q. Do employees have to type or write comments in the employee comment section?
A. They don’t have to, but they should be encouraged to use the space to create an official record of their concerns, ideas and thoughts about the appraisal.
Q. I have more questions. Who do I talk to?
A. As always, HR’s specialists are always ready to answer questions. Contact us at 477-6114.
Video on Demand
Human Resources has a library of videotapes to help you learn how to do your job better.
If you’ve had any experience with the new evaluation process, you know SAHA wants to ensure all employees get the training they need to do their jobs. Human Resources has a library of training videos designed to improve employee skills in minimum time.
They include such topics as: sexual harassment, customer service, back injury prevention, maintenance safety, fire safety for residents, ergonomics, safety orientation in offices and workplace violence. Each is worth one credit.
To schedule a viewing time in Human Resources, please contact Judge Hamilton at ext. 6114.
Making Changes
Personnel Action Forms are the keys to keeping employee information up to date.
Personnel Action Forms are the key to making adjustments to an employee’s personnel file. From changes in address, changes in title, salary increases and even promotions, the form must be correct and submitted properly.
These tips should make the process easier:
Pension Plan Advisory Committee Nominations
The SAHA Pension Plan Advisory Committee seeks membership nominations.
SAHA’s Pension Trust Advisory Committee is looking for two people to fill roles on the 13-member committee charged with overseeing the pension plan’s performance and investment managers.
Under the pension plan bylaws, the SAHA Board of Commissioners appoints nine of the committee members to four-year terms to represent plan participants and make recommendations to the Pension Committee. Appointees can serve no more than two consecutive terms, and the appointments are staggered in sets of two every two years to ensure membership continuity.
The President and CEO, the Chief Financial Officer, the Human Resources Director and the Payroll Accountant fill the remaining four seats.
Please email nominations to Gerry Avila in Human Resources by Sept. 16.
Playaz Play Big in Softball Win
The Notorious Playaz survived a brutal marathon of games to win the SAHA softball title.
The Notorious Playaz are the champs of the SAHA sports world after a marathon softball tournament Sunday that saw the team sweep all en route to the SAHA Softball Championship.
The Playaz went undefeated in the tournament, with a monster offense that delivered an average of 15 runs per game. They beat the Cyclones in the final game 17-5. The Cyclones battled back from the loser’s bracket after losing to the Playaz in early action, 16-6.
The Cyclones’ 3-2 record secured second place for the team, while the SAHA Toros finished in third place with a 2-1 record after posting back-to-back wins in a late charge for a shot at the title game. The Big Dogz split two games, to post a .500 record, and the Sheriff’s Posse and the Titans finished with identical 0-2 records.
The Notorious Playaz are: Ernest Cano, John Hernandez, Claudia Hernandez, Scott Glover, Patricia Glover, Patricia Ruiz, Mireya Esquivel, George Guerra, Linnie Spice, Jason Haney, David Eng, Gino Padilla, Veronica Sanchez, Ramiro Maldonado, Victor Maldonado, Joey Goree and Esther Lucero.
Congratulations to the Employee Association on a very successful event!
Q&A
This Month: Direct deposit answers.
Q. I heard SAHA wasn’t going to issue paper checks anymore. How do I get paid?
A. As you correctly noted, you won’t get a paper check anymore. We use direct deposit and your pay is deposited directly to your bank account. If you haven’t signed up, please stop by Human Resources and we will assist you with completing the process.
Q. What’s this about San Antonio Credit Union setting up free accounts?
A. It’s true. Employees can open a savings or checking account at SACU, and your pay will be deposited automatically to that account. Bonus: if you open an account at SACU, the credit union provides a personal automatic teller machine card.
