Northwestern University Staff Advisory Council (NUSAC) | White Paper Staff Engagement Surveys

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PRESENTED TO:

DATE:

NUSAC 2023

Northwestern Leadership

October 31, 2023

Staff Engagement Survey White Paper Research presented in this paper shows that consistent staff engagement surveys are an integral step to informing ways that can improve employee culture, communication, and satisfaction. Giving employees a voice, hearing their opinions and concerns, and addressing those concerned increases employee retention, decreases employee turnover, and should yield a higher level of excitement and desire for career growth and advancement. NUSAC continues to advocate for this initiative every year and will continue to do so until our collective voices are heard, and most importantly meaningful action is taken. We welcome the opportunity

to partner with you.

NUSAC Strategic Pillars

Introduction In 2021, there were 68.9 million job separations; of those, 47.4 million people willingly left their jobs and over 50.5 million willingly left their jobs in 2022 (USBLS JOLTS Report, 2023). As the “Great Resignation” in the COVID-19 era continues, many professional staff in higher education are reexamining their relationship with work (McClure, 2021). Psychological engagement (meaningfulness and belonging, feelings of having the skills and training they need/desire, having support and resources) and staff engagement (cognitive and behavioral) are key predictors in staff satisfaction and retention (Owens, 2022).

Human capital (employees) is vital to organizations in the private and public sectors – even more so in this period of disruption. While assets such as land, equipment, and buildings are seen as capital assets and valued within organizations, the human capital element is often overlooked and undervalued. “Higher education professional staff, often feeling undervalued and unappreciated, are less likely to engage and more likely to intend to turnover; leaving institutions to bear the costs of lost productivity and staff replacement” (Owens, 2022, p. xv).

It is imperative for the success of an organization that the human capital asset is not seen as an expense but as a necessary element of capital that works to increase revenues and add to productivity (Lee, J. Y., et al., 2020). Psychological and staff engagement measurements and data should be gleaned from staff engagement surveys and workplace climate surveys to accurately assess and value and experience(s) the human capital element within a business or organization (Deming, 2022). To date, Northwestern University has administered one such staff engagement measurement in this century and as such, it is years behind the standard recommendation, our peerinstitutions who are now able to recruit with remote work, and local industry competing for talent.

Founded in 1973, the Northwestern University Staff Advisory Council (NUSAC) serves as an advisory voice and change-agent for the over 7,500 Northwestern staff members in matters relating to community engagement, professional opportunities, and workplace concerns. This is accomplished through active engagement with staff, the University President, the Office of Human Resources, and various senior administrators. Beginning in 2014, NUSAC advocated for a staff engagement survey to senior leadership as a means to understand and enhance the staff experience. After the survey was conducted and schools and units were engaged in the process of action planning, the work remains at a standstill. Due to the complex and siloed nature of Northwestern’s environment, NUSAC proposes the implementation of a consistent staff engagement survey as a solution to the problem of finding ways to continually improve and respond to concerns of positive engagement, satisfaction, morale, and climate. This paper provides a historical and business perspective supporting the implementation of a staff engagement survey.

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Northwestern University Context and Rationale The staff survey is mission driven.

Northwestern’s mission (Northwestern Mission, Values, Priorities, 2023) statement focuses on its enduring commitment “to excellent teaching, innovative research, and the personal and intellectual growth of its students in a diverse academic community.” Fulfilling this mission is dependent on the meaningful investment of thousands of staff members on the Evanston, Chicago and Qatar campuses and at satellite locations across the United States. Anecdotally and in many speeches by senior leadership, staff are touted as critical to the mission and essential to the work, research, and service of the university yet formal mechanisms such as engagement surveys, 360 feedback reviews of supervisors, and/or any means for collecting staff feedback do not currently exist. Northwestern leadership note that “strengthening the enabling support for our ambitions” is central to fulfilling our objectives, and we aim specifically to “foster leadership talent, enhance staff engagement, and become an employer of choice.” Given the significance of this goal – one of five public priorities related to the University’s mission (Northwestern Mission, Values, Priorities, 2023) Northwestern should regularly survey its staff and use timely, relevant data to inform engagement opportunities, retain existing talent, and strengthen its status as an employer for new talent in the future.

The 2017 staff survey showed great promise, but impact fell short in the implementation phase.

After the 2017 Staff Survey concluded, responses and follow-through on recommendations derived from survey data varied across units and divisions. Human Resources managed a public staff survey website that referenced four cross-University action teams and shared information about related action items (Northwestern Human Resources, Newsletter, 2019, March; newsletters are available upon request). Initial communication about survey results suggested that it revealed useful and actionable insight that University leadership took seriously. The survey was well received among staff and successfully helped instill a sense of community and value in the staff experience.

After this initial success, in 2019, updates about the Staff Survey tapered and at some point, the University removed any information about the status of actions informed by the survey from the HR website. All links to the survey results and action items now point to the general talent development website (Northwestern Human Resources, 2023). University leadership did not share any comprehensive updates or final remarks on the status of the survey results, and NUSAC has heard from many staff members who feel that action items went unfulfilled and/or that the response to the survey data was insufficient.

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Northwestern has an opportunity to lift staff voices, recruit and retain top talent, and improve morale by committing to a new (and regular) staff survey, and this process should begin immediately.

Northwestern staff have navigated several significant changes between 2017 and 2023, including a multi-year period of financial challenge and budget restrictions, layoffs, volunteer separation, the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery – including subpar infrastructure of buildings and ventilation, the shift for many to a hybrid, remote, or otherwise modified working environment, temporary salary, hiring and retirement contribution freezes, salary freezes and merit increases that were outpaced by the cost of living, the Great Resignation and resulting understaffing in many departments, the ever increasing of parking and childcare costs, numerous staff transitions at the Vice Presidential and senior leadership level, and the start of President Schill’s tenure. These changes have occurred without a formal university mechanism for staff to be heard.

The data show that 58% of the current staff population began at Northwestern after 2018 (see Table 1). Therefore, nearly 3/5 of current Northwestern staff have not been given an opportunity to participate in a university-wide staff engagement survey and there is limited data on their experiences to make informed decisions related to positive engagement, satisfaction, morale, and climate.

Table 1: Staff Hiring Data

Northwestern University HR Data Report, September 2023

An organization’s commitment to engagement and continuous improvement sends a message about their culture and can enhance recruitment efforts. The University of Chicago launched an engagement survey for faculty, staff, and students in 2023. Considering that Northwestern competes for local talent with the University of Chicago, a staff engagement survey could assist us in realizing a competitive advantage not just with the completion of a survey, but the execution of thoughtful plans to address the concerns raised in the survey.

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While NUSAC recognizes that a staff survey is a significant, multi-step commitment, we strongly recommend that these opportunities to strengthen the work experience at Northwestern should compel University leadership to prioritize this assessment. Surveying staff now will provide invaluable insight to President Schill and other new University leaders as they set long-term strategic goals. Devoting the necessary financial and human resources to ethically and anonymously survey staff and identify areas of improvement will inform the continued development of a healthy, diverse, talented, and mission-driven staff community. With data in-hand, priorities around improving staff culture and experiences can be developed and operationalized.

Business Rationale Businesses and organizations, such as higher education institutions, tend to overlook employees' value in the workplace. When organizations fail to measure staff engagement/satisfaction and culture-climate turnover rates increase (Explorance, 2020). Over time, employee retention and training costs will also increase, impacting organization revenues. Employee turnover rates can also affect the level of customer service that the organization aspires to give their stakeholders. Within higher education organizations, when employee morale and satisfaction are at low levels, student outcomes suffer, and graduation rates could decrease, thus decreasing the public persona of the educational institution (McClure, 2022). When an institution's public persona falters, future attendees' desire also falls, affecting future revenues, organizational objectives, and education goals (Deming, 2022).

Studies have shown that employee satisfaction and morale increase when employees, faculty, or administrative staff are engaged and involved, decreasing employee retention costs and the employee turnover rate (Explorance, 2020). An often-overlooked determinant that impacts personnel engagement refers to the idea of staff holistic wellness and sense of belonging (Owens, 2022). Organizations that invest in collecting data through screening and monitoring programs can help leaders identify the complex physical and mental health and culture-climate needs that affect their stakeholders (Jones et al., 2019). Programs that rely on data generated through these assessments can then contribute to the implementation of initiatives that support staff members with their personal needs and enhance their dimensions of engagement within an organization (Pongton & Suntrayuth, 2019); this type of data can also be used to develop responsive support-based systems in an organization’s operational model (Saeed et al., 2022).

Staff engagement surveys are an excellent way for employers and businesses to measure the connection employees, faculty, and staff have to their job, their teaching/research/support role, the teams they are members of, and the organization they are affiliated with (Song, 2022).

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Engagement Rationale Employees who feel attached to and authentically included in their work environment are often more likely to support organizational goals and objectives. They support their work through dedication, advocacy, using their talents, willingness/desire to upskill, and commitment to the mission and vision of the institution and their local work environment (Saeed et al., 2022). Staff engagement consistently benefits the organization and is given freely by employees when there is a feeling of involvement, value, and attachment to their work. Engaged employees are likely to experience periods of longevity with organizations and perform their job approximately 20% better than their colleagues (IES, 2023). They advocate for the organization and enhance revenue, improve efficiency, and lead the way to drive change initiatives.

Staff who are fully engaged in their work positively impact the organization's overall well-being, increasing support for the organization (IES, 2023). There can be levels of staff engagement that could be influenced by outside factors such as environmental location, social viewpoints, and personality traits. There could be organizational factors that influence the level of staff engagement as well. An employee's length of service to an organization, or seniority, seems to indicate that the longevity of organizational attachment lends to a more engaged employee. Senior officers, managers, and presidents are more likely to be involved than their younger counterparts yet need to understand the experience(s) of being new or with less power and authority (IES, 2023). Recent studies (Azmy, 2019; Owens, 2022; Saeed et al., 2022; Song et al., 2021) have shown that existing drivers of engagement influence employee attachment, attitudes, and morals. These drivers are: Nature of the work being done Transparent meaning and purpose of the work Developmental opportunities Timely recognition and rewards Development of assertive and respectful interpersonal relationships Open communication channels between management and the labor pool Balanced life and work relationship with flexibility and autonomy (e.g., remote and hybrid work arrangements, embraced PTO, etc.)

Leadership that inspires

Staff who are excited about their job roles, see a real need for advocacy of those roles, and have higher career aspirations within the organization will benefit the educational institution more positively. Inspiring leadership is imperative to staff engagement in any organization because inspirational leaders tend to empower and motivate employees to achieve goals, they may not have set for themselves throughout their careers. Therefore, measuring employee satisfaction, climate, and morale is vital to the organization’s success (Song et al., 2021).

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Staff engagement can also be understood from a complex dynamic perspective. At one level, the phenomenon can be attributed to the personal factors and motivational drivers exhibited by individual stakeholders (Azmy, 2019). Since individual perceptions, motivations, and related factors impact organizational processes, leaders need to understand the complex factors that positively contribute to optimized forms of staff engagement and be equipped to manage the situations (Owens, 2022). While broader variables, including leadership efficacy and job-design-related factors, contribute to workforce engagement, assessments that evaluate stakeholder holistic well-being represent an equally critical factor (Saeed et al., 2022). To account for time and resource needs of professional staff, senior administrators could show additional respect and appreciation of professional staff time through some professional flexibility and autonomy; this could mean offering paid stretch projects, encouraged time off, and investing in employees through upskilling/training (McClure, 2021). Other meaningful examples include hybrid work arrangements (variable schedules or remote work), consideration of staff workloads (prioritize projects or reduction of busy work), and evaluation of professional meetings (are there alternative communication routes, when holding meetings have clearly articulated meeting goals and objectives, etc.).

One way to address professional staff engagement in a more holistic manner that addresses both psychological and staff engagement is through an intentional institutional focus on a campus culture that values and supports professional staff and makes an investment in staff as talent. The continued challenges with staff engagement and morale, along with this research show us that institutions need to go beyond institutionally branded tokens of appreciation in addressing staff turnover intentions (McClure, 2021; 2022; Owens, 2023). A deeper understanding of the candid experience of staff is needed and regularly fielding a staff engagement survey is a proven measure of staff expressions and organizational culture (Carmeli et al., 2009; May et al., 2004; Olivier & Rothmann, 2007).

Organizational culture includes, “an employee’s initiative and personality, direction and goals, an employee’s integration into the company, management support, varying levels of control, organizational identity, reward systems, conflict tolerance and an organizations communication pattern” (Shuck et al., 2011, p. 316). Research shows that such a culture should include consideration of psychological engagement elements (meaningfulness, safety, and availability) and the subcomponents of staff engagement (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement) (McClure, 2021; Owens, 2023; Shuck et al., 2011).

Measuring Staff Engagement Staff engagement surveys are the most transparent and involved way of measuring staff engagement. Although staff engagement surveys will vary from organization to organization, the data gathered, and information gleaned are imperative to retaining administrative staff and senior officers and educating present and future leaders. Through staff engagement surveys, a measurement of holistic wellness can be ascertained, the drivers of engagement can be assessed and adapted, and a clear voice is given to employees to have their say. It is essential that employees feel like their needs and opinions are being heard and met when appropriate. Once employees feel 6

like their viewpoints and voices have been heard, organizational growth will increase. Leadership within the organization can be assessed; training can be implemented if needed, and open communication channels can be developed to improve communication between management and employees. Once communication channels are implemented, the barrier of ineffective communication decreases, and open-door discussions can begin.

During staff engagement surveys, employee satisfaction, morale, and climate are measured, but data gathered can be benchmarked and used for future comparison purposes, as well as accountability measures (Explorance, 2020). Two critical elements relate to staff engagement survey quality and relevance within an organizational change management plan. First, these instruments provide opportunities for comprehensive benchmarking. Brown (2020) noted that the data generated through staff engagement surveys tend to be paradoxical in nature. The application of engagement-related survey data can also contribute to the process of identifying the organization’s current gaps and the methods that could address these challenges. As part of this same process, university leaders accept accountability by acknowledging their organization’s role in negatively impacting employee health and wellness (Owens, 2022).

The Need for Staff Engagement Surveys Higher education institutions and nonprofits are encountering more intense competition for talented staff; US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports show trends that private industry is now drawing talent from values-driven employees (USBLS JOLTS Report, 2023). The uncertainty of the economy has led to unprecedented changes in the workplace environment, and employees have become more agile and adaptable in the past couple of years. Now more than ever, it is imperative that organizations utilize the tools available and begin to measure staff engagement within the organization. Through the adoption of workforce agility (Saeed et al., 2022), the information is needed to calculate the most effective way to improve employee satisfaction and climate and respond to any deterrents that can hinder organizational goals and objectives. Higher education institutions need to know how their staff is doing, how they are feeling, and if they feel supported in their work (IES, 2023).

Integration of staff member holistic wellness analysis will contribute to these same outcomes. These applications will support the university leadership’s ability to identify the wellness issues impacting its staff members and to design effective response

Proposed Solution A precise and consistent measurement of the employee engagement and their perspectives of the culture-climate is vital to keeping employee turnover rates low, avoiding equity claims, and developing a workplace environment that is inclusive to all (Deming, 2022). NUSAC proposes the implementation of a consistent staff engagement survey as a solution to the lack of data on the way staff feel about Northwestern University; the collective perception and attitude of employees towards their work environment, culture, and goals is unknown at best and ignored at worst. This affects how they perform, collaborate, and innovate. A positive organizational climate can foster creativity, productivity, and engagement, while a negative one can lead to stress, turnover, and stagnation (Deming, 2022). It is important to remember that the levels of diversity, perspectives, and 7

the world have changed over the since 2018 and so has our staff body (see table 1). Senior leaders and staff alike can glean information imperative to employee culture, climate, and satisfaction through these surveys. Data can be gathered to discuss, compare, and implement solutions, and enact change within the units, schools, and broader organization. Even more critical, consistent data will allow for community accountability.

Grounded in this research and through this proposal, NUSAC recommends that staff engagement surveys be done at a minimum every two years.

Annually, a variation of surveys could be used to gain knowledge from the staff in alternating years (e.g., a climate specific survey). In year one, a staff engagement survey could be fielded. This would be the first attempt in over five years of measuring engagement and gathering data regarding any issues that may be indicated. In year two, a more focused psychological engagement or culturalclimate survey could be fielded. This survey would provide data needed to measure the organization's climate and how the organizational goal of diversity and inclusion is being received and recognized. This process should not vary yearly to allow data to be consistently collected for benchmarking and accountability (Deming, 2022).

Northwestern vetted purveyors of software and services to field engagement surveys. The HR Well Team purchased a license for a tool to facilitate a staff engagement survey amongst other survey needs. The contract is for three years permitting access to support from the vendor. The tool features a number of confidentiality safeguards that will add credibility to survey processes. Considering that Northwestern already has a critical resource for a staff engagement survey, it is imperative to capitalize on the investment. While survey pilots are underway, the one-off approach raises concerns about inequities across the staff experience.

Conclusion The research shows that consistent staff engagement surveys are the first step in improving employee culture, communication, and satisfaction; by giving employees a voice, hearing their opinions and concerns, and addressing those concerns, the institution will increase employee retention, decrease employee turnover, and should yield a higher level of excitement and desire for advancement (Song et al., 2022). We understand the concern of receiving feedback and the potential time and budgetary constraints that may prevent acting on that feedback. These potential challenges should not deter us from hearing from staff. The feedback can reveal pockets of excellence that we can build on and can inform how leaders shape their strategic priorities to align with the needs of their constituencies. The survey process and feedback mechanisms can also serve as a diagnostic or preventive maintenance tool in which we learn of practices contrary to our values that we can proactively address.

The economic, political, and health climate of the day are challenging and will continue to be challenging. At Northwestern, surveys for students and faculty have continued to be conducted 8

despite the challenges we have faced. Staff are living and working through the same challenges and, now more than ever, need their experiences and voices to be heard and understood by university decision-makers. Staff are regularly asked to shoulder the burden in times of hiring freezes, workforce reductions, and stagnating wages (McClure, 2022) and Northwestern is no different with regard to this issue. Global, national, local, and institutional crises have occurred since 2017 leading to seismic changes in Higher Education (Deming, 2022) and at Northwestern without any front-line staff “insider” representation at the table (Collins, 1990; Smith, 1990). The experiences and perceptions of senior level administrators – often in central units and offices – are not indicative of front-line and junior staff experiences. NUSAC would like to partner with you on this initiative from inception to operationalization, from outreach/marketing to follow up/progress updates.

We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with you.

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Deming, D. (2022). Four facts about human capital. Journal of Economic Perspectives. 36(3): 75-102. https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257%2Fjep.36.3.75 Explorance. (2020). 5 key reasons to conduct staff engagement surveys. https://explorance.com/blog/5-key-reasons-to-conduct-employee-engagement-surveys-2/ IES. (2023). Staff engagement in the higher education sector: An evidence review. https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/hallamleaders/files/2018/01/employee_engagement_in_the_he_sector__evidence_review.pdf Jones, D., Molitor, D., & Reif, J. (2019). What do workplace wellness programs do? Evidence from the Illinois workplace wellness study. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 134(4), 1747-1791. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjz023 Lee, J. Y., Rocco, T. S., & Shuck, B. (2020). What is a resource: Toward a taxonomy of resources for staff engagement. Human Resource Development Review, 19(1), 5–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484319853100.

McClure, K.R. (2022). EdSurge. Educators are disengaged and distracted. Better workplace culture could win them back. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2022-02-21-educators-are-disengaged-anddistracted-better-workplace-culture-could-win-them-back.

McClure, K.R. (2021). EdSurge. Higher Ed, We’ve Got a Morale Problem — And a Free T-Shirt Won’t Fix It. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2021-09-27-higher-ed-we-ve-got-a-morale-problem-and-a-freet-shirt-won-t-fix-it.

Northwestern Missions, Values, Priorities. (Retrieved July 2023). https://www.northwestern.edu/about/mission-vision-goals.html 10

Northwestern Human Resources. (2019, March). HR Newsletter. (Retrieved July 2023). https://hr.northwestern.edu/about/news/newsletter-pdfs/2019-03-hr-newsletter.pdf Northwestern Human Resources. (2023). Talent Development: Develop Your Potential, Engage your Team. (Retrieved July 2023). https://hr.northwestern.edu/talent-development/ Owens, S. (2022). Higher education professional staff engagement: Looking in and beyond the great resignation. University of North Dakota. 4365 Pongton, P., & Suntrayuth, S. (2019). Communication satisfaction, staff engagement, job satisfaction, and job performance in higher education institutions. ABAC Journal, 39(3), 90-110. 2730-3543 Saeed, I., Khan, J., Zada, M., Ullah, R., Vega-Munoz, A., Contreras-Barraza, N. (2022).

Towards examining the link between workplace spirituality and workforce agility: Exploring higher educational institutions. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 15, 31-49. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.2147/PRBM.S344651 Smith, D. E. (1990). Conceptual practices of power. Boston: Northeastern University. Press.

Song, Y., Tian, Q., Kwan, H.K. (2021). Servant leadership and employee voice: moderated mediation. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 37(1). https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JMP-0

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