Group of people sitting at a table engaging in conversation. A woman in a yellow jacket has a smile on her face, she is the focal point of the photo.

Understanding and enhancing employee engagement

Our commitment to fostering a positive organizational culture and work environment at UCalgary.

As an institution with ambitious goals for 2030, we are committed to fostering a work environment that is conducive to high performance relative to our strategic plan.

We are ready to Start something—a new chapter of listening, learning and creating meaningful change as we work toward the ambitious goals set out in Ahead of Tomorrow.

Your feedback is crucial

On January 30, 2024, we launched an employee engagement survey as the first step in a multi-year listening strategy to gather insight into levels of employee commitment and satisfaction across various dimensions. We value the exchange of knowledge not just among disciplines, but also within our community.

The engagement survey was a platform for this exchange, allowing us to gain insights from our faculty and staff.

The survey has now closed, and action plans are being developed. We will share a report on what we heard very soon.

Group of staff participating in a conversation in the Viewpoint circle for dialogue room in Mathison Hall.

The survey was administered by third-party vendor, TalentMap. All responses are anonymous and confidential. Aggregated responses were provided back to us at the end of the survey period. 

The results of the survey will set a baseline for measurement going forward and help to inform the future development of both institutional and faculty/unit action plans. It will also help us continue to build engagement and retention strategies aligned with Ahead of Tomorrow.


FAQs

UCalgary wants to encourage a positive work environment that supports excellence as outlined in our Strategic Plan, Ahead of Tomorrow. We want to hear from our employees to understand how engaged and satisfied they are. The survey will offer an opportunity for faculty and staff to share their perspectives on their roles, process improvements, professional development, teamwork, innovation, leadership, work-life balance and more.

Employee engagement refers to the connection an employee has with their workplace and colleagues. It reflects how people feel about their jobs, working conditions, management and compensation, and other factors. Measuring and improving employee engagement is essential for organizations aiming to enhance productivity, retain talent, and create a positive and thriving workplace culture. 

The employee engagement survey complements other institutional surveys, but it goes further by looking deeper into what impacts employee engagement. We are asking for feedback from faculty and staff on a wide range of topics, including their role, the services and supports they receive, leadership, professional development, organizational culture, EDIA, health and safety, and more. Employees can also share a key message, solution or idea with our Executive Leadership Team to help power positive change.  

Your voice matters. The survey is an important opportunity for faculty and staff to make their perspectives heard. Your feedback is essential to help leadership identify opportunities to improve processes and enhance services, ensuring UCalgary is focusing on the things that matter the most to our employees.  

This survey will act as a starting point to identify where we are now in terms of employee engagement and satisfaction, where we want to be, and how we can get there. Following the survey, we plan to use the collected insights as a baseline to inform the development of strategic action plans and operational enhancements. The aim is to pinpoint areas of strength and identify opportunities for improvement. Your participation contributes directly to this process, shaping the trajectory of UCalgary.

We will release a What We Heard report providing an overview of the insights gathered from our employees.  

All full-time and part-time employees who have been with the university for six months —  including executive and senior leadership members, academic staff (TUCFA) management and professional staff (MaPS), support staff (AUPE), postdocs, and graduate assistants — will receive a unique, secure link to participate in the survey. Accessibility support is included.  

Yes, the survey is optimized for most mobile devices (e.g., smartphones and tablets).

All survey responses are directly transmitted to a secure server at TalentMap and will be kept anonymous and confidential. TalentMap will report the combined answers to the university. At no time, during or after the survey, will they share individual responses to UCalgary. Raw survey data will be retained by TalentMap for comparison use in future surveys. If you have any questions about the collection or use of your personal information, please contact engage@ucalgary.ca

Your survey responses are being collected under the authority of section 33(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Alberta). They will be used to gather baseline data on employee engagement that will allow the university to benchmark against other Canadian organizations, including post-secondary institutions, thereby helping to inform the creation and implementation of programs to further enhance employee engagement and retention. Learn more

No. The purpose is to get a better understanding of employee engagement and satisfaction. UCalgary wants to listen to and learn from our employees to create positive, meaningful change. 

It will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. 

Yes, responses are automatically saved. You can always come back and complete your survey later. 

People walking in front of the TFDL library.

Ahead of Tomorrow

Get to know UCalgary's 2023-2030 Strategic Plan