Toronto Metropolitan University
PA-12: Assessing Employee Satisfaction

Ryerson’s Employment Survey was a follow up survey from the 2012 People First survey, a university-wide survey of employment engagement. The 2018 Ryerson Employee Survey was a questionnaire designed to provide a snapshot of Ryerson’s strengths as an employer and identify opportunities for improvement. The feedback helped develop targeted initiatives to address gaps and concerns in current employee experiences, celebrate successes as well as to continue to retain and attract excellent faculty and staff. Metrics@Work, an external survey organization, administered the survey. Metrics@Work is a leading provider of organizational measurement and consulting with extensive experience developing surveys for academic institutions. They have operated since 1999 starting as a business based research laboratory at Brock University. In 2007 they became an independent incorporated business. The survey questions were developed in consultation with Metrics@Work and the Ryerson Employee Survey Advisory Committee, which consists of representatives from: Candian Union of Public Employees Local 233, Candian Union of Public Employees Local 3904, Ontario Public Service Employees Union, Ryerson Faculty Affairs, Mattamy Athletic Centre, senior leaders, and representatives from Human Resources, and the Offices of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion and the Vice-Provost. The survey consisted of a series of questions that helped Ryerson improve the employee experience and reflect the major survey themes that were developed in consultation with senior leaders and the Advisory Committee. Some questions were provided by Metrics@Work, which allowed them to compare the experience of Ryerson employees with other educational institutions in Canada, as well as other Canadian public sector institutions. Additionally, our goal is to continue to survey faculty and staff on a regular basis. This will allow Ryerson to look at different questions in the future, but also to begin to compare results in subsequent years. The survey consisted of a series of statements that addressed several survey themes: overall engagement index, equity, diversity and inclusion, security/safety, civility, communication, leadership and recognition. Employees were asked to anonymously indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with a statement about each of the above.

The reports are a starting point for further discussion and fact gathering. The 2018 Survey established priority areas for strengths and opportunities. Ryerson’s executive leadership group is considering next steps to celebrate the positive results and to address identified concerns. It’s important to us that faculty and staff have an opportunity to review the survey results as part of this, and so we look forward to communicating additional opportunities for engagement with the results. Departmental and local results will be distributed using a cascading approach within each division and faculty. Results will be released at each level of leadership and then to employees. Human Resources and Organization and Employee Effectiveness consultants will work with teams to create a specific rollout plan that suits their area. The survey provided useful information and led to a number of initiatives to address some of the key areas of improvement identified. Some of the initiatives included: Expanded recognition and awards program at the university level -new staff, teaching and research awards for employees -more service milestone recognition opportunities -introduction of informal recognition program Say Thanks Revisions to hiring processes to demonstrate a people first approach: -partnerships between HR and OPSEU to develop more transparent internal hiring processes, including presentations, workshops & resources for staff -better mechanisms for communication between recruiters and applicants -improved testing processes improved new employee orientation Professional development opportunities: workshops and development opportunities for faculty, with specific resources for pre-tenure faculty updated leadership development programs, including academic leadership program workshops and development opportunities for faculty, with specific resources for pre-tenure faculty facilitated processes within teams to gain input (i.e. open space, Lumina, etc.)