Principia College
PA-12: Assessing Employee Satisfaction

In addition to annual faculty and staff evaluation meetings (with supervisors/ Deans), during which time any workplace issue can be raised, standardized surveys are distributed at regular intervals (e.g., biannual HERI survey to faculty, most recently in 2020). A HEDS COVID survey (S'20, F'20) was distributed to both faculty and staff. Other assessment outreach include a triannual Employee Opinion and Engagement Survey (most recently in 2018). Importantly, ALL feedback is thoughtfully analysed by trained social science researchers, including the Director of Institutional Research, Dean of Academics, Dean of Students, and others, as relevant. Excepting any protected information, the analysis is returned to the community to support ongoing discussions. In additional to standardized surveys, the College President hosts a biweekly all-campus Town Hall featuring issues du jour, including communication, admissions, budgeting, assessment, governance, and so on. These Town Halls are almost always followed by a short survey (faculty, staff, students) soliciting feedback. Later this month (March 2021), our first comprehensive survey on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will be released (faculty, staff, students) by a multidisciplinary task force working on enhancing communication and feedback on these issues.

Institutional Research Officer presents survey analysis to Faculty and Staff Senate, senior administration/Cabinet, and the Board of Trustees. Employee focus groups, task forces, and committees (regular or ad hoc) also provide insight into survey results and inform administrative action items for continuous improvement. Human Resources serves as a continuous performance improvement resource to managers and employees. In 2017 a new Communication and Evaluation program was developed with employee input. The program provides a framework for frequent ‘check-ins’ between managers and employees, real-time continuous feedback, and the ability to set and track individual goals that align with both organizational objectives and individual career satisfaction. After a successful multi-department pilot, the program was made available to all non-teaching employees. In cases where a need for improved performance is identified, HR provides individual counseling and coaching to facilitate progress. In February HR conducted the 2018 Employee Opinion and Engagement Survey. Administered by a third party, this survey measures employee satisfaction in the areas of Rewards, Engagement, Atmosphere, and [institutional] Direction and allows Principia to compare its results with other organizations across the U.S. Principia employees were above and tied with the national norm in Rewards and Direction, respectively, and just one point below the national norm in Atmosphere and Engagement.

Principia College is dedicated to supporting employee success. This includes providing professional development and training opportunities to grow employee job knowledge and skill. Over the past three years, over 120 faculty, coaches, and staff received financial support for these activities from three funds dedicated to that purpose. This is in addition to department-funded training.