St. Joseph’s Care Group’s Employee & Physician Experience Survey Toolkit
1 BEFORE THE SURVEY
Why Your Voice Matters
Understanding the Survey
Why do we survey our employees and physicians?
St. Joseph’s Care Group (SJCG) conducts Employee & Physician Experience Surveys every two years to meet the requirements of the Excellent Care for All Act and Accreditation Canada standards. These surveys provide valuable insights into the workplace experience of staff and physicians, highlighting organizational strengths and areas for improvement. The Employee & Physician Experience Surveys provide a snapshot of key work -life factors, helping SJCG identify opportunities for quality improvement.
The results support action planning and help integrate work life considerations into broader quality improvement efforts. There is growing evidence that a positive work environment and high-quality work-life for employees and physicians are key enablers of high-quality care. In short, how we care for our people directly impacts quality of care for others.
How were the questions in this survey created?
Our core survey questions remain consistent across survey cycles to ensure comparability of results over time. Prior to each survey launch, collaborators (Leadership Team, Centre for Applied Health Research (CAHR), Human Resources, etc.) review the questions to confirm relevance, clarity, and alignment with organizational priorities. This review process allows for minor adjustments to language or emphasis if needed, while preserving the integrity of trend data.
2 COMPLETING THE SURVEY
How to Complete the Survey
Taking the Survey
How do I access and complete the Employee & Physician Experience Survey?
Sharing your voice is one of the most valuable ways you can help shape the workplace at SJCG. Taking just a few minutes to complete the Employee & Physician Experience Survey has a meaningful impact.
To drive change at SJCG, complete your survey in 5 easy steps!
Log into a SJCG computer and open Outlook by clicking the icon in your ZENworks window.
Step 1
Step 2
If you're unsure of your SJCG computer or email login, contact IT at 807-6846411. Email addresses are typically in the format firstname.lastname@tbh.net.
In the Outlook search bar, type “es2025” to filter and find your survey invitation email.
Step 3
Step 4
Open the email and click the survey link to begin. If you’d prefer to complete it from home, you can forward the email to your personal email address.
Complete the survey in one sitting if possible, and then click ‘Submit’ when you're done.
If you need more time, select ‘Save & Return Later’. You’ll receive an email titled ‘Survey partially completed’ with a link to continue.
Your survey link is unique to you, so please do not share it with others. Unique links allow the survey platform to track responses and send reminders, while keeping your data confidential and secure.
When
completing the survey online, what will happen if I cannot complete it at one time?
While we recommend completing the survey in one sitting (it should only take about 10 minutes or so), we understand that sometimes this is not possible. After you've started the survey you can stop and exit at any time using the 'Save & Return' feature.
When you return to the survey, you will be able to continue where you left off, even go back, and review the responses already entered. It is only once you hit 'submit survey' that you will no longer have access to add or change your survey responses.
Can
I complete my survey at home rather than at work?
Absolutely! You can forward your survey invitation to your home email address and have the option of completing the survey using a PC, Mac, iPad, or iPhone.
Is there a prize draw associated with survey completion? If so, is it optional, and how do I enter?
Yes. Prizes include a $200 gift card every week through the survey period, and then a $1000 grand prize draw on the last week. Upon completing the survey, you will be redirected to a new prize draw screen, which is separate from the Employee Experience Survey. Entering the prize draw is optional. If you choose to enter the prize draw, you will be asked for your name and email address. We do this to contact the prize draw winners. By entering the prize draw, you consent to your email and name being entered into the draw and possibly used for promotional purposes (e.g., congratulating winner on SJCG’s iNtranet and iNsider News).
If every survey link is unique, how are anonymity and confidentiality assured?
Unique links allow the CAHR to track survey completion status, ensuring weekly reminders only go out to those who have yet to complete their survey. These unique links also enable the CAHR to tie responses back to larger groupings, such as site or division. However, responses are not linked back to personal information (e.g., name or email address). As such, the CAHR cannot provide individual feedback or disclose who wrote what. The CAHR will apply the same anonymity and confidentiality safeguarding standards that are applied to research and evaluation activities.
If I choose to enter the prize draw at the end of the survey, do my survey responses remain confidential?
After pressing the “Submit” button on the final page of the Employee Experience Survey, you will be redirected to an optional prize draw screen. The prize draw screen is entirely separate from the Employee Experience Survey and is where you’ll be asked if you would like to take part in a prize draw. Supplying your name and contact information for the draw is entirely separate from the survey, and your Employee Experience Survey responses remain confidential. A reminder that prizes include a $200 gift card every week through the survey period, and then a $1000 grand prize draw on the last week.
Will the comments I include in the “Comments” section be reported ‘word for word’?
No, verbatim (i.e., ‘word for word’) responses will not be released. Open-ended feedback provided in the comments section will be analyzed by the CAHR, and the results tallied based on themes.
Accessing Information and Assistance
Need Help or More Information?
Visit the Employee & Physician Experience Survey page on SJCG’s iNtranet for more details, FAQs, and past results.
Contact
3 AFTER THE SURVEY
Turning Feedback Into Action
Making Your Feedback Matter
How are survey responses analyzed and shared with staff?
CAHR analyzes responses to identify trends across divisions, departments, roles, and the organization. Aggregate data and themes from free-text comments are compiled into a corporate report accessible to all staff, with division-level breakdowns. Portfolio reports are also created for managers and directors to share with their teams. After each survey, a summary of results is prepared and shared transparently with the broader staff population.
Click here for prior survey results for an example of how this has been prepared in the past. Data informs ongoing employee and physician experience improvements.
How has feedback from past surveys led to improvements at SJCG?
“You Asked, We Listened”: Improving Experience Through Your Feedback
Feedback from past surveys has directly shaped improvements in areas such as communication, staffing, support programs, and wellness initiatives.
Follow our iNtranet News articles, including this one, to explore how input from employees and physicians has shaped meaningful change at SJCG over the years.
How can we build a culture where feedback leads to visible change?
The Action Planning phase is where survey results move from insights to tangible improvements.
It involves analyzing feedback to identify key areas for development, prioritizing these based on impact and feasibility, and then designing targeted initiatives to address them.
Action planning includes:
Collaborative Review: Engaging managers and employees to discuss results and brainstorm solutions.
Setting Priorities & Goals: Focusing on the most critical issues identified in the survey with measurable objectives.
Ownership: Assigning specific individuals or teams responsible for driving the actions forward.
Timelines & Follow-Up: Setting realistic deadlines and regularly tracking process to ensure results.
Transparent Communication: Sharing survey findings, planned actions, and ongoing updates to maintain motivation.
Continuous Cycle: Using survey feedback as a starting point for ongoing dialogue and improvement, reinforcing a culture of engagement.
3 AFTER THE SURVEY
Listening Beyond the Survey
Additional Experience Feedback Channels
What other ways can I share feedback with SJCG beyond the Employee & Physician Experience Survey?
We’re Listening, Even Beyond the Survey
In addition to the Employee & Physician Experience Survey, SJCG has other ongoing corporate feedback channels, such as those initiated through the Employee Experience division of Human Resources, as well as the Quality department and other divisional and departmental initiatives.
Employee Experience Warm Programs
Warm Start Focusing on the experiences of staff within their first 18 months of hire
Warm Transfer Highlighting the experiences of staff who are transferring departments
Warm Farewell Noting the experiences of staff who are leaving the organization for other opportunities
Warm Return Focusing on the experiences of staff who are returning from leaves of absence
Your Voice, More Often – Real-Time Pulse Surveys Coming Soon
As part of our 2024-2028 Strategic Plan priority to Nurture our People, and in support of our objective to foster an inclusive, supportive, and healthy culture where people want to work, volunteer, and grow, we are developing and implementing a real-time "pulse" survey program.
Coming in 2026, this initiative will allow us to regularly collect and measure staff feedback through short, frequent surveys. These frequent, short surveys will provide a more accurate
and timely picture of staff sentiment, helping us better understand their experiences and needs. In addition to tracking trends over time, the pulse survey program will enable us to evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken in response to previous feedback. This continuous feedback loop will support more responsive decision-making and contribute to a culture where staff feel heard, valued, and engaged.
