Employee engagement | Our new approach to seeking your opinions
Rachel Brealey, Chief Operating Officer, outlines why we’re launching a new University-wide employee engagement survey, how we plan to use your feedback and why it’s crucial you have your say.
Every year, thousands of students pass through our doors. As a community, we work hard to ensure that when they leave us, as graduates, they’re better equipped to build a bright future, not only for themselves but for the world around them as well.
You, our colleagues and postgraduate researchers in every faculty, school, department and service, are dedicated to making this happen – to training the next generation of global citizens and leaders, educating the problem solvers, innovators and critical thinkers.
Your expertise also ensures our world-leading research helps shape a better future for humanity, working collaboratively to tackle inequalities, benefit society and drive change.
As enshrined in our 10-year strategy, however, we can only make a positive difference in the world if our University community is strong. We want to ensure the values we hold dear at Leeds – collaboration, compassion, inclusivity and integrity – are at the heart of your experiences, so that your work is fulfilling and rewarding.
We’re committed to improving your working lives and supporting you in your roles.
Have your say
To better understand what matters most to you, we plan to launch a new employee engagement approach across the University later this month using a platform called Culture Amp. It should only take about 10 minutes to compete and it’s your opportunity to tell us more about your experiences – what’s working for you and what isn’t.
We know these are difficult times for many in our community and fully understand that we can continue to make improvements. There are things that need focus and attention but, equally, there’s brilliant work happening across the University and a great sense of community.
The parts of our culture and work that matter most to you should be preserved, which is why we hope as many of you as possible will take some time to respond.
Our pledge to you is that we will listen and act on what you tell us. Once we’ve analysed the survey results, we expect meaningful conversations and action plans to emerge in every area of the University, directly addressing the key issues you raise.
The survey will also allow us to benchmark results from some questions to provide more dynamic reporting, making it easier for us to listen to your opinions, learn and act upon each set of responses.
Making a difference
Topics covered in the survey will range from questions about vision and leadership management and wellbeing, your role and development, your work/life balance and more.
You will be asked for some personal details, but the survey is anonymous and secure. Any information provided will only be collected to demonstrate the diversity of voices taking part and won’t be used for any other purpose.
As long as you have a University login, or an email address registered with the University, you will automatically receive an invitation to take part. For those without an email address and/or access to a computer, facilities will be made available in your place of work so you can complete the survey.
Learning support will also be made available to managers to help them evaluate the survey results and develop impactful action plans alongside their teams.
How to take part
The survey will launch on Monday 20 February. It will remain open for four weeks and should only take about 10 minutes to complete. In the meantime, you can find out more by visiting the employee engagement survey online hub, which features lots of useful information, including video messages explaining why it’s so important to take part and some handy FAQs.
Please do take a few minutes to complete the survey and help make a difference. Only through your feedback can we truly focus on where our priorities should lie and improve the working lives of everyone in our community.