Bring about change! Take the Working at Iowa survey

In 2006, University of Iowa staff and faculty were presented an opportunity to confidentially tell UI leadership how they feel about working at one of the state’s premier institutions. Some 43 percent of UI employees provided feedback in 2006—which gives employees a goal to surpass when the 2008 Working at Iowa survey is unveiled on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

The survey, which will be sent via e-mail to UI employees, will ask specific questions about staff and faculty members’ personal commitment to their jobs, their cooperation and collaboration with colleagues, supervisor effectiveness, confidence in leadership, University communications, and other issues, according to Kevin Ward, executive associate director in UI Human Resources.

“This survey gives staff and faculty a way to tell University leadership how they feel about their work experience,” Ward says. “It’s completely confidential and can be done online in 10 minutes and on work time.”

The survey will be available for staff and faculty to take online through Monday, Nov. 3; any employee without ready access to a computer will be offered an alternative.

Who are the Survey Ambassadors?

Fellow faculty and staff members will serve as Survey Ambassadors during the 2008 Working at Iowa survey period. They will be available to answer any questions an employee might have or seek answers for an employee, and they are available to assist anyone who may need help completing the survey.

Watch for more information about the Survey Ambassador in your area.

The survey results will be used to improve the work environment and the engagement of faculty and staff to their work, Ward says.

“One aspiration of The Iowa Promise, the University’s strategic plan, is to attract the most talented faculty, staff, and students,” Ward says. “To do that, we need to make certain that staff and faculty feel valued, are involved in decision making, and have opportunities to move ahead in their careers.

“The University needs to listen to and respect their ideas. These are very basic fundamentals of a high-performance work environment.”

That should help answer the question, “Why is the University doing this again?” The 2006 survey results prompted action on several fronts, from work conflict management to confidence in leadership.

The 2008 survey will allow measurement of progress since the first survey, and greater survey participation can allow further areas of concern to be addressed. Human Resources hopes at least 60 percent of the staff and faculty workforce participate in this year’s survey.

“A higher response rate allows us to be more confident in the survey results—and the resulting actions,” Ward says.

To encourage participation, $100 cash prizes will be awarded weekly to a faculty member, a professional and scientific (P&S) staff member, and a merit staff member. Ward says the winners will be drawn from those who have taken the survey.

“So the sooner you take the survey, the more chances you have to win a prize,” he says. “And, really, when more people participate in the survey, we all win.”

2006 results and resulting actions

In 2006, 14,590 faculty and staff were sent the Working at Iowa survey; of those, 6,217 responded. Faculty, merit staff, and P&S staff had the highest level of agreement on the following five statements about The University of Iowa:

I look for more effective ways to do my work. (99 percent agreed)
I know what is expected of me in my job. (95 percent agreed)
I understand how my job fits into the overall mission of the University (94 percent agreed)
My workplace has a strong focus on providing excellent service (90 percent agreed)
I have the basic resources I need to do my job (90 percent agreed)

“It is important to recognize the existing strengths of the University as a whole and its individual colleges and departments,” Ward says.

On the other hand, the following five statements were met with the highest levels of disagreement:

Poor performance is managed appropriately (45 percent disagreed with the statement)
I am kept informed of our workplace budget status (38 percent disagreed)
Work-related conflicts are managed constructively (36 percent disagreed)
Workloads are distributed fairly (34 percent disagreed)
I am confident there is a clear plan to strengthen the University (30 percent disagreed)

The University has gone to great lengths to address these concerns, especially the issue of managing poor performance. Ward notes that compliance with annual performance reviews has been increased; University Ombudspersons have increased education on difficult conversations in the workplace; and Human Resources consults with departments and organizations that are experiencing difficult performance issues.

Ward also points out that many colleges and organizations have implemented or enhanced shared governance activities to address the concerns around workplace budgets, and assistance in conflict management is being offered in numerous ways (classroom education, longer workplace consultations, and “just in time” assistance to address immediate issues).

For more information, visit the Working at Iowa survey home page: http://www.uiowa.edu/hr/working.

by Charles S. Drum and Christopher Clair