Thank you to all of you who responded to the People and Culture Survey 2023. The results have given valuable insight into the experiences and thoughts of colleagues across the university.  

Across our UK campuses, 63% of colleagues responded to the survey. There are strong positive themes to highlight, particularly around work expectations and contribution, and connection to the broader institution.

Most respondents:  

• are clear about what is expected of them at work (81% of respondents agreed) 
• have some say over the way they work (85%) 
• care about the reputation and standing of the university (89%) 
• are treated fairly and with respect by their line manager (87%) 
• are clear about how their work contributes to the success of the university (82%) 

However, there are also clear areas for improvement – particularly around the way that we manage change at the university, and in the way that we communicate with each other.

Respondents were least positive about the following areas:  

• Good communication and collaboration between different parts of the university (20% of respondents agreed) 
• Our university manages change effectively (24%) 
• I believe our university will take action to make changes as a result of this survey (36%) 
• Considering the duties and responsibilities of my post, I feel my pay is fair (40%) 
• Senior leaders are open and honest in their communications with staff (43%) 

The survey was carried out by an external company, People Insight. All data provided to the university is anonymised.  

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shearer West said: “I am grateful for colleagues’ time, energy and honesty in completing the survey.

“The detail and insight provided by the People and Culture Survey will be hugely valuable at all levels of the university.

“There are areas of concern that we will address centrally – with meaningful and sustainable actions. I am also looking forward to the local activity, responding to team-specific themes and issues.”

The results have been presented to the University Executive Board, who have noted the themes and are reflecting on the institutional actions that will be developed to address these results, to ensure we’re able to meet the objectives of the People and Culture Strategy.   

Managers across all faculties and departments now have access to the results dashboard and action tracker. They can access their local data alongside institution-level results. All staff will be given the opportunity to discuss local themes and issues over the coming weeks, feeding into their local action plan.

Teams will have agreed their actions by the end of August – ask your line manager how you can contribute to your local plan. For the first time these will be reported and tracked through a central dashboard, and we will communicate progress regularly. 

We can all monitor progress against institutional and local actions through quarterly reporting. Targeted pulse surveys addressing identified issues will take place from autumn 2023, with the first exploring work-related stress.

The next institution-wide People and Culture Survey is planned for spring 2025.