Employee Experiences Survey to examine organizational culture

Employee Experiences Survey to examine organizational culture

Queen鈥檚 employees will have an opportunity to share their views on their workplace experiences.

By Dave Rideout

April 20, 2022

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The Employee Experiences Survey period is scheduled to run from April 25 to May 13, 2022.

Beginning next week, Queen鈥檚 faculty and staff will have a chance to provide their views on workplace organizational culture at the university. Scheduled to be delivered via email to all employees on Monday, April 25, the Employee Experiences Survey is designed to provide the university with a deeper understanding of employees鈥 current opinions on and experiences in their workplace. 

Survey results will help establish benchmarks to assist the university with building responsive and supportive programming to address employees鈥 needs. The results will also provide a benchmark to measure progress with respect to strengthening organizational culture, employee wellbeing, and a shared sense of belonging. This work aligns with one of the six primary institutional goals set out in the new Queen鈥檚 Strategy.

鈥淎mong our institution鈥檚 core values are truth, responsibility, respect, freedom, and wellbeing,鈥 says Patrick Deane, Principal and Vice-Chancellor. 鈥淓ffectively realizing these values is dependent upon opportunities for us to live these values day-to-day in our workplace. This survey marks the first of many steps Queen鈥檚 will make toward understanding and strengthening our university鈥檚 organizational culture鈥攁 core component of Queen鈥檚 future success.鈥

Divided into three subject areas, the survey will seek feedback from employees on their individual workplace role and wellbeing, team performance, and the organization at large. Respondents will have opportunities to share insights on several topics, including job clarity, work/life balance, team communication, resources and supports, career advancement, diversity and inclusivity, and more.

鈥淨ueen鈥檚 employees are critical to us achieving the important priorities laid out in our university鈥檚 strategy,鈥 says Steven Millan, Associate Vice-Principal (Human Resources). 鈥淚t is more important than ever for us to look at key aspects of the employee experiences at Queen鈥檚 including wellbeing, workplace culture, and feelings of belonging. We hope the insights gained through this work will help us collectively move forward.鈥

The confidential survey is being administered by external provider Metrics@Work, a leading human resources firm experienced in organizational measurement and employee engagement, that worked directly with a university advisory board with diverse representation from across the Queen's community to develop the survey.

鈥淚n assessing organizational culture, we need to ensure that everyone鈥檚 experiences, including those who face systemic exclusion, are reflected,鈥 says Stephanie Simpson, Associate Vice-Principal (Human Rights, Equity, and Inclusion), who is co-leading efforts to operationalize the Organizational Culture pillar of the Strategy alongside AVP Millan. 鈥淭his survey represents just one more step in carefully assessing what 'being in community' actually requires of us and the work to be done to get us there.鈥

The confidential survey will be open from April 25 鈥 May 13. It should take less than 30 minutes to complete and should be filled out during work hours. To encourage high levels of participation, Queen鈥檚 will offer random prize draws for respondents and will arrange for a summer celebration event should the response rate exceed 50 per cent. Faculty and staff can learn more about the survey, frequently asked questions, and more on the Employee Experiences Survey webpage. University-wide results for the survey will be shared in Fall 2022.