Staff Survey Results and Recommendations ORC International Helen Shaw | Insight Consultant April 2016 Classification: Private

Introduction to the session Headlines Employee Engagement at SGUL The SGUL employee experience and key themes Where we go from here

Survey metrics at a glance 476 employees took part in the survey (65% of the population) 344 open comments were received (72% of respondents left a comment) Response rate by organisational unit Employee engagement at SGUL Overview of comparison to Universities Benchmark 41 questions were comparable (61 questions in total) *Variance to benchmark highlighted by 5ppts variance or more

Key findings and observations I think the process for regrading/promotions are fair and transparent 46% I believe our students are inspired to maximised their potential 43% I believe that Senior Managers lead by example 43% I believe the senior management team has a clear vision for the future of this organisation 43% Senior managers are open and honest in their communications with staff 41% Communication between different departments of the University works well 52% This organisation manages change effectively 43% I think there are sufficient opportunities for career progression at the University 41% I can meet the requirements of my job without regularly working excessive hours 40% I have the opportunity to contribute my views before changes are made which affect my job 38% Respondents are most positive about their work, contribution, and feeling respected Respondents are most ‘on the fence’ about the promotion process, student potential and senior management Respondents were most negative about cross-dept communication, managing change, career opportunities and workload In the last year, whilst working for this organisation I have not experienced bullying or harassment 88% My line manager treats me with respect 84% I understand how my work contributes to the success of the University 81% I understand how my work contributes to the objectives of the Institute/department 80% As long as I get the job done, I have the freedom to work in a way that suits me 80% Top 5 positive scores Top 5 neutral scores Top 5 negative scores

Employee engagement at SGUL Employee Engagement – a deep emotional connection to the organisation ‘Say’ refers to the pride and advocacy employees have for the company ‘Stay’ refers to the emotional commitment and attachment an individual feels towards their organisation ‘Strive’ is about how motivated and inspired employees are to help SFT achieve

Employee engagement at SGUL 60%54% 50%60% 73% 59%75% Engagement by organisational unit Engagement through Length of Service Engagement by main Staff Groups

Key themes and findings

Our Our future direction Managing change Leadership and Strategy Student experience SGUL commitment Sharing student feedback Working together Collaboration Sharing our achievements Communication Senior manager comms Employee voice The employee experience at SGUL Wellbeing and work-life balance Workload and wellbeing Feeling valued My future at SGUL Career development Fair and transparent promotions

Building an engaging vision for SGUL Our Our future direction Research staff are the most positive about senior management vision (+12) Q. 33 I believe the senior management team has a clear vision for the future of this organisation “Clearer strategy from senior management on SGUL's future and direction. There's a sense of doom and gloom…which does little to inspire confidence in the overall strategy for SGUL's future as an independent HEI.” “To understand what Senior Management are doing and their vision for the university.” “Clear direction and leadership from the top, clear ownership (by individuals and teams) of responsibility for areas of work underneath” “Clear, visible and accountable leadership from inspiring individuals.”

Managing change as we evolve Our Our future direction Females feel less supported by their manager during change (-9 vs males) Q.34 This organisation manages change effectively 41 % of employees do not feel there are career progression opportunities 40 % of employees do not feel they can get their job done without working excessive hours Considering the impact of organisational change on employees:

Shaping the student experience Student experience Creating a strategy for the Student experience As SGUL reshapes it’s strategy and objectives, it is a good opportunity to consider how we deliver our vision for the student experience. Many organisations are looking at ways they can encourage all employees to consider their impact on the student experience. Sharing feedback from students with all employees and communicating the importance of this feedback could be a quick win for SGUL. Q.51 Where I work we get feedback on how satisfied student are

Communication across SGUL Communication “Better communication between Senior Members and other members of staff” “Far more interaction is required between research groups and young scientists should have a better platform to meet and discuss their positive/negative experiences and science in general.” “Improve communications within the university, especially the portal and announcement s, and ensure someone is responsible and resourced for delivering this project.” Senior manager/ manager communications Channels Collaboration 31% believe senior management communications are open and honest 64% believe their line manager communicates effectively 48% feel informed about what is going on in the University 55% feel informed about what is going on in their Institute/department 14% feel cross-department communication works well Communication is a pain point for many SGUL employees, with 20% of the open comments received focussing on this issue (67 comments). A further 37 comments mentioned communication as something they would like to change to make SGUL a better place to work.

Employee voice and involvement Communication Females feel less able to speak up and challenge than males (-7) MacLeod and colleagues identified 4 enablers of engagement, including employee voice. It is key to enable and encourage employees to share their feedback and ideas, and to act on this wherever possible. MacLeod’s Enablers of Engagement: Employee Voice “To feel like our concerns were really listened to by mid-level and senior management.” “Listen to staff on the coal face, especially when developing strategies.” “Better communication and consultation between institutional leaders and the staff (poor under previous Principal)” Research and Administrative support feel less able to speak up and challenge (-5)

Improving collaboration and sharing our achievements Working together Q.6 There is good co-operation between the teams I work with Technical feel there is less co- operation with teams they work with (-11) Females feel there is less co- operation between teams (-7) and cross-dept comms are less effective (-5), compared to males “Clear communication of achievements, no matter how small, as part of a greater awareness that 'SG does good things programme'.” “I think communication is key - There is a lot of great work being done at SGUL however not everyone hears about it all or can get involved.” “Perhaps more team or inter- team meetings just so that news can be shared and new people can be introduced etc.”

Developing our people and their skills My future at SGUL Population Health are notably more positive about career development and feedback from their manager Administrative Staff are less likely to feel there are opportunities to progress (- 10), particularly Student and Support Services (only 15% positive) Respondents with 1-2 years service are less positive about opportunities for career progression (-10) Conversations with my line manager about my development Opportunities at SGUL to develop my skills and career “Making staff aware of all of the opportunities available to them within the University in order to progress. For example I was unaware that coaching was available or mentorship”

Transparent and fair promotions My future at SGUL Females are less positive than males about SGUL being an equal opportunities employer (-9) “Making staff aware of all of the opportunities available to them within the University in order to progress. For example I was unaware that coaching was available or mentorship” ““Clear/Documented structure for career progression, rather then it being left to strong personalities and rewards to cultural friendships.” Q.46 I know how to access information about regrading/promotions

Creating a culture that supports wellbeing Wellbeing and work-life balance Academic staff are the least positive group about wellbeing. They are 22% less likely to feel able to do their work without working excessive hours. Females are 16% less positive than males about their workload SGUL Administrative/ Support Staff (209) Academic (116) Research (79) I believe I am valued for what I can offer the University50%-9%8%12% I am treated with fairness and respect in this organisation65%-4%-2%17% Feeling valued and respected An important element of employee wellbeing is to feel valued. Administrative and support staff at SGUL feel notably less valued than other staff groups.

Where can we go from here?

Employees expectations of next steps “I think there is also hope in our new Principal, that she will be able to help bring about some positive changes to allow people to have their voices heard and feel they do have something important to contribute.” “A principal who believes in SGUL” The assignment of new Principal is already having an impact Comments suggested that employees feel more confident that the new Principal will gather their feedback and ideas, and involve them in future strategies and decisions. Less than half (46%) of respondents believe action will be taken on the results of the survey “Its been done. We have a new Principal.”

Employee engagement across SGUL Our Administrative employees are the least engaged What can we learn from our most engaged Depts? Engagement ‘brightspots’ Population Health are notably more positive than the SGUL average around;  Feeling informed about what’s happening in my dept (+39)  My line manager motives/inspire me (+29)  My pay is fair (+27)  Work-life balance (+27) and workload (+26)  Enough resources to do our job (+26) Engagement ‘hotspots’ Student and Support Services are notably less positive than the SGUL average around;  Physical working environment (-16)  Information about promotions (-16) and transparency of promotions (-11)  Opportunities for career progression (-15)  Enough resources to do our job (-13)  My personal review considered my development needs (-12)

Some foundations for creating the SGUL Strategy and Values Utilising employee feedback to kick-start the development of a new Strategy and set of Values With the appointment of a new Principal, SGUL are keen to utilise this Staff Survey to form the foundations of wider discussions and consultations with employees to shape a set of Values that can be used to drive a people focussed culture at the University. ORC have summarised some key sentiments and themes from the survey feedback which could form a starting point for these conversations. Striving for excellence  A clear set of aims and objectives for all employees  Students that are inspired and reaching their full potential  Leaders as role models for the behaviours and standards we are striving for Recognising and celebrating our success  Sharing updates, learnings and ideas across Institutes and Administrative teams  Celebrating the great work we do  Recognition at all levels to reward the behaviours and standards we expect Working together/ collaboration  Sharing updates, learnings and ideas across Institutes and Administrative teams  Celebrating the great work we do  Recognition at all levels to reward the behaviours and standards we are striving for Learning and innovating through feedback  Involving employees and students in shaping the future of SGUL  Gathering regular feedback from employees and students  Communicating feedback and acting on it to help us grow and evolve

Recommendations for action There are some great things to celebrate…. …and some key areas for focus Almost two thirds of employees took part in the survey, and a large proportion took the time to leave an open comment Employees are engaged with their work, and are positive about their Line Manager Communication: senior management transparency and visibility, and cross-dept communication should be a key area for action Managing change: involving employees in decisions and changes will make them feel more engaged with the changes Career progression: Increasing communications and awareness of promotion and progression opportunities, to bust the myths about unfair promotions A large majority of employees feel respected working for SGUL Workload and wellbeing: Increasing support for employees to avoid burnout

Key principles for turning feedback into action  The most effective action plans are simple, focussed and aligned with our wider business objectives  Outline 3 themes/areas for improvement at corporate level and assign an owner and timescales for completion  Communicate the corporate action plan as soon as possible to encourage action throughout the organisation  Keep engagement and our action plan on the agenda and provide regular updates to employees, even if tangible progress hasn’t yet been made