Employees adjust to Trammell Crow

Penn's outsourcing deal with the company went into effect last week. Physical Plant employees have marched down the hallway leading into their offices countless times before. But as they filed into their department last Wednesday, the corridor's T-shaped curves represented more than just an architectural oversight -- they seemed to also symbolize the first letter of the name of their new employer, Trammell Crow Co. "It was just strange," Assistant Controller Flo Griffin said. "I walked out on Tuesday as a Penn employee and I walked in on Wednesday under Trammell Crow." But this was no April Fool's Day prank -- the new "Facilities Services" sign adorning the doorway, coupled with a week-long orientation period, were designed to help employees acclimate to the facilities management take-over. Covering her ears to block out the roar of sanding machines and dodging half-empty paint cans, Griffin met her new supervisors, added the company name to her title and prepared for what she feared would be an awkward transition period. About 115 other Penn employees went through similar motions. One was Controller Bruce Craig, who said his loyalties lie with both Penn and the company. "I still feel as if I'm working at Penn," said Craig, a 1975 College graduate. "I'm just working for another company. I haven't felt as though my legs have been cut out." But Griffin, who befriended five employees who did not receive offers to work for the company, explained it is difficult to "re-create bonds so unique to Penn [management]." "You come to Penn and find a family at Penn and all of a sudden something comes along and threatens that family tie," she said. Craig said the interim period was an emotionally draining experience. "I went through the whole gamut of emotions," he said. "When it was time to say goodbye, it was like saying goodbye to your parents as a freshman -- you try to make it quick and painless." Several other employees declined to comment on the transition, citing fears of being fired for talking. Marred by controversy, the October 8 agreement to outsource management of most Penn facilities to Dallas-based Trammell Crow affected about 160 employees in the Physical Plant and Residential Maintenance departments, along with those in non-managerial positions at University City Associates, Penn's for-profit real estate arm. Trammell Crow has managed University City Associates since August 1996. Abiding by a Penn requirement to hire at least 70 percent of the 151 employees interviewed, Trammell Crow initially made offers to 122 people, or 80 percent of its applicants. Only 116 of those employees accepted the offers. . Trammell Crow also retained 21 non-Penn employees to assume various managerial positions. Several were Trammell Crow employees who were lured away from other projects, Penn Vice President for Facilities Services and Contract Management Omar Blaik said. That brings the total number of the company's on-campus employees to 137, according to Ty Chilcote, Trammell Crow general manager for facilities services. But former Physical Plant administrative assistant Linda Belton, who did not receive an offer from Trammell Crow last semester, said "it's not fair" for the company to recruit its own people to fill positions previously occupied by Penn employees. "[Trammell Crow] messed up my whole world," said Belton, who has since accepted a position as an administrative assistant in the Biology Department after spending 13 years as a Physical Plant employee. Chilcote said the company searched outside of the University community for senior project managers, facilities managers and facilities directors because there were no available Penn employees that had the necessary "skill sets" for the jobs. One of these new hires, Senior Facility Manager Pam Casey -- who previously handled Trammell Crow's management of PNC Bank Corp. buildings in New Jersey -- described the combination of employees as "a real good mix," adding that "morale doesn't seem to be an issue." Griffin said morale has improved from last semester's climate of "anger, mistrust and confusion." She also said employees must adjust to several policy and procedural changes during the transition period. For example, Trammell Crow adheres to an eight-hour work day, whereas Penn caps the number of hours at seven per day. In addition, the company abides by a different reporting structure, asking employees to travel through alternate chains of command, Griffin said. In an effort to promote employee cohesiveness and enhance communication among departments, Penn is renovating the second floor of the Franklin Building so that it will eventually house all three subsidiaries of Trammell Crow Higher Education Services: Residential Maintenance, Physical Plant and UCA. Construction should be completed by the end of the month, Chilcote said. He added that, in the interim, the company will focus on matching up employees with schools across the University so they can communicate on upcoming projects. And employees who are dissatisfied under Trammell Crow management have 90 days to claim severance packages, Griffin said. Nevertheless, she added that"everyone here has made an individual commitment to make it work."

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