In April this year, colleagues completed the Staff Engagement Survey. The survey results highlight that there is much work to be done to achieve the positive working environment that will ensure all our staff can thrive. While there are areas where we are doing well, the results clearly show that there are areas where we need to do better in supporting colleagues.

The results show that we feel our colleagues do work of a high quality, and that we have the opportunity to discuss progress with our managers, however much needs to be done to improve staff engagement at the institution.

Colleagues answered less positively on questions around understanding the institution’s mission and purpose; how their roles link to the strategy; whether staff felt they had the opportunity to do their best every day; and whether they fully understand what’s expected of them in their roles.

Currently, every department in the University is discussing the results within teams. The outcomes of these discussions are being used to create action plans which build on strengths and address weaknesses identified at a local level. Please contribute to these discussions with your department and share your thoughts and ideas.

A number of initiatives have already been introduced in response to the survey results in order to begin to address the concerns raised. These include:

• The creation of a network of engagement champions to support action planning and culture change at a departmental level
• New e-learning resources around change management. These resources are being developed by the Leadership and Management Academy
• A review, currently underway, of the University’s internal communications channels and processes
• A review, currently underway, of the PDPR process
• Planned focus groups to gain staff insight on the wellbeing results

For more details on the results, visit the HR workspace. To find out more about the changes following the survey, email peopleandculture@nottingham.ac.uk.

The University Executive Board is highly committed to addressing the concerns raised by staff and is sponsoring the action planning resulting from the survey. It will be reviewing central and local action plans as they are developed.