Worcester Polytechnic Institute
PA-12: Assessing Employee Satisfaction

Project Inclusion, at WPI, is a three-year initiative dedicated to helping the University set standards and expectations for a campus environment that is accepting and welcoming to all. Under its guidelines, WPI establishes the definitions and sets goals around diversity, inclusion, and equity, and sets priorities for ongoing assessment to create positive cultural change. How will Project Inclusion do this? via campus self assessment. How else can we figure out where we need to be in terms of Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI), unless we first assess and analyze where we are? This assessment and evaluation is at the heart of Project Inclusion. Launched in the spring of 2017, Project Inclusion uses input from the entire community to establish policies to help WPI assess the current campus culture/environment as it pertains to DEI. Facilitators assist in the process and help guide community ideas and proposals and recommendations into strategies and actions that will be successful on the WPI campus and eventually, possibly, implemented. Report from years 1 and 2 are included in the url.
The Talent, Diversity and Inclusion Team has acted upon the last evaluation and has created the IEERG, the Inclusive Excellence Employee Resource Group, which provides continuous feedback to Talent and Inclusion. IEERGs offer opportunities for employees to network internally, to provide the inclusion of ideas and solutions, and to create opportunities for mentoring and career development. These groups highlight WPI’s commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion across campus and to supporting employees’ professional development. IEERGs help attract a diverse employee base and further tap the extraordinary resources and talents of WPI’s employees.

As a result of previous employee satisfaction surveys, the Talent and Inclusion Advisory Group was formed as a direct result of the survey. The survey identified a number of areas where the university could be doing a better job at making WPI a greater place to work. The Talent and Inclusion Advisory Group initially worked on prioritizing areas of need, and then on initiating projects that would help to make improvements in these areas. Some examples that resulted from this initiative include the Employee Mentoring Committee, Women's Leadership Group, Spot Award, Staff Trustee Award and a re-working of the performance appraisal process.

Project Inclusion Reports: https://www.wpi.edu/sites/default/files/2019/10/31/WPI%20PI%20SC%20Year%202%20Report%20September%202019.pdf

IEERG information: https://www.wpi.edu/offices/talent/employee-resources/IEERGs