From Mark Caulfield, Vice Principal (Health) and the VP Health Office team
Last week saw the release of Staff Survey 2023 results. We are fully aware that this follows hot on the heels of Staff Survey 2022 and therefore many of our action plans at Faculty and Institute level are “works in progress”. That said an annual exercise that captures a multitude of staff viewpoints building an overall picture of our University is vital to inform and guide decisions within the Faculty. We are very thankful to everyone who took the time to complete the survey and made their voice heard. 70% of you filled the survey making us the most engaged Faculty for the second year running!
Staff Survey 2023 explored a range of topics and themes. We are in the process of analysing the results and working with partners from across the Faculty to implement action plans, reinforce positives and to address any shortcomings. With this message we want to get in touch with you early in the process to highlights our initial findings and to ensure we affect change collectively and with everyone’s input. We also hope you will be able to join us this Friday at the Faculty Staff Forum to discuss the results further.
The immediate picture emerging from our answers is that of FMD made up of strong, collaborative and supportive teams filled with individuals who know how to be successful and work towards Queen Mary’s values and goals. To achieve their objectives however, these individuals require further resource and support.
82% said that they know what they need to do to be successful in their role 74% understood how their work contributes to the goals of Queen Mary
It is clear from the results that a significant majority of us feel part of a team, have the autonomy to perform our jobs effectively and work with managers who encourage diverse viewpoints and care about our well-being. We are particularly delighted that 72% of our staff felt that they could be their authentic self at work, as it is this diversity of viewpoints, skills, experiences, and values that makes Queen Mary unique.
77% felt that their manager genuinely cares about their wellbeing 75% stated that their manager respects and encourages varied viewpoints 74% had the autonomy to perform their jobs effectively 72% felt part of a team 70% agreed that people make a good effort to collaborate with others
The survey identified gaps in our communications however with only 58% of our staff feeling that their manager kept them informed about events at Queen Mary, a result that is 7% below the Queen Mary average. Similarly, we also have to ensure that our leadership communicates more effectively as only 37% of you felt that our University has successfully laid out a vision that motivates you.
For the first time we are able to compare the results of the staff survey with its previous edition, and track the direction of travel across key areas. There are a number of categories where the results are not quite where we would like them to be but positive change is beginning to take root:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:
48% (increase of 4%) said that perspectives like theirs are included in the decision making at Queen Mary 65% (increase of 3%) felt that they belonged at Queen Mary 42% (increase of 3%) saw visible senior role models reflecting diverse backgrounds, with whom they could identify
Learning and development:
68% (increase of 4%) felt their manager was actively supporting their career development 58% (increase of 3%) were able to develop in their chosen discipline at Queen Mary
Feedback and recognition
35% (increase of 5%) agreed that we acknowledge people who deliver outstanding service
One area where we scored particularly poorly is enablement which covers the physical state of our estate and the resources needed to do our day-to-day jobs. The former is not a surprise and we have discussed some of our upcoming plans at the last faculty staff forum. It must be noted however that only 39% of us agreed that our physical workspace is enjoyable to work in, a decrease of 4% compared to 2022 and a result 7% below the Queen Mary average. This area is already and will be a key focus of our efforts over the next few years and we will ensure that you are kept updated about the progress as things develop.
The results of Staff Survey 2023 are extremely helpful and will help to guide us over the coming year. As mentioned above we will host a Faculty Staff Forum this Friday to discuss the results further, with Institute and Department meetings following shortly after. We are determined to continue the positive direction of travel we have seen in Staff Survey 2023 results with all work reinforced and guided by your input.
Many thanks again to all who completed the survey.
With best wishes and deepest thanks to all of you for what you do for FMD,
MarkProf Sir Mark CaulfieldVice-Principal for Health
JoProf Jo MartinDeputy Vice-Principal for Health
FrancescaFrancesca GliubichInterim Faculty Director of Operations
MichalMichal BilewiczFMD Communications and Events Manager