In November, all York faculty and staff will have an opportunity to have their say about what they think the University could be doing in its ongoing effort to create a better workplace. They will have this chance to make their opinions known through York’s all-employee engagement survey.
“While the University has made significant progress, York’s senior management team knows there is more that needs to 
be done,” says Suzanne Killick (left), project director, Creating a Better Workplace. “The president and senior management thought it was time that we heard from all York employees about what is working and what is not working well.
“That’s why we are launching the first-ever York University employee engagement survey,” says Killick. “It’s a great opportunity for every employee to have a say, to speak up and have their voice heard about the areas they are proud of and where more building needs to take place.”
An independent third-party research firm has been engaged by the University to manage the collection of information and provide a summary report to York's senior management about the survey results. “By working with a third-party research company, we are able to keep individual responses and opinions confidential and anonymous,” says Killick. “The report generated by the research firm will provide us with important insights into how employees feel. It will also identify important trends and noteworthy points for action.”
Killick says the survey will take about 20 minutes to complete. “We will be offering the survey in both web and paper formats for those who do not computer access,” she says. “It is very important that every faculty and staff member complete the survey because it is only through a large number of responses can we truly understand what is most important."
The survey, which will be available Nov. 19, will continue for three weeks.
Killick says it will provide a benchmark for the University to measure its progress in creating at better workplace and for future surveys. She notes that many Canadian universities are embarking on, or have already conducted similar surveys. In the future, the survey may afford the University an opportunity to benchmark its results against its peers.
“This really is an unprecedented opportunity in the history of York University that all employees are being asked to make a contribution into how the University moves forward as it continues its efforts to create a better workplace,” says Killick.
For more information, visit the Create a Better Workplace website.