ASAE salaries are low. Whoever you are, reader, know that you’re worth more than ASAE will offer you (or is currently paying you).
ASAE relies on staff to quit after a couple of years. Keeping salaries low is their bread and butter. The rationale is that because staff get access to such amazing professional development benefits, they’re expected to take those skills to other jobs. This is what the organization imagines is happening. It’s the bargain it strikes with new employees, but the employees don’t know it. The PD budget has been all but eliminated this year, so what does the organization have to offer now?
There’s a serious lack of documentation and transparency in other areas of HR. There’s no staff handbook that explicitly lays out position/salary ranges or grades. There’s no rhyme nor reason regarding promotions. Extremely talented and valuable staff are denied promotions by HR against the wishes of supervisors. Again--the organization seems happy to lose good people.
While high turnover is expected, it is now so high (and morale so low) that staff are demanding that leadership do something to address it. The organization seems willing to discuss issues, but I personally don’t expect any change that might impact the bottom line. There's little concern with how high turnover impacts day-to-day operations. I’ve witnessed very little interdepartmental sympathy/understanding for understaffed departments. Expectations are not adjusted.
This leads me to other issues related to organizational culture.
Staff only respond to titles. I’ve never worked anywhere were staff felt so free to ignore emails, requests, or questions. This is the first job I’ve had where I’ve asked for help only to be told immediately (and to my face) “I’m too busy”. ( I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t your job to help me. But you’re ignoring me so now i have to spend time trying to get you to pay attention and to help me. Do I go to my boss? Your boss? Both?) One of the main sources of stress in my job is dealing with staff in other departments.
Also, I’m constantly being tasked with work outside of my position description. This causes additional stress and feels like being set up for failure.
Lower level staff aren’t really empowered with the authority to make decisions/get things done while being expected to get things done.
Long-timers often discount experience that others bring to the organization. ASAE is in dire need of fresh perspectives, but with entrenched long-timers and a structure designed to create turnover, it’s almost impossible to be new and bring positive change to the organization.
Of course, everything I’ve written so far doesn’t even touch on how ASAE performs as an association. We are often chastised about providing better member service, but with morale so low I’m not sure what leadership expect. Also, member service shouldn’t mean constantly selling to members, but instead should be about providing value to the membership they’ve already paid for. If a frustrated member finds me and needs help, it shouldn’t be my job to sell them something.
