Employee Engagement Survey
The Employee Engagement Survey is an initiative of the UNC System Office to support the development of excellent institutions, a key goal of the system’s strategic plan.
Striving Toward Excellence
The 2024 UNC System Employee Engagement Survey provided a valuable opportunity for us to ask our faculty and staff what they think about NC State. Earlier this year we asked you what it’s like to work here and how things could improve. You answered us, and we listened carefully to what you had to say.
First, I’m proud to report that NC State’s survey participation rate of 46% exceeded the average rate for the UNC System, and it represented an increase over our own 2022 survey participation rate. Thank you for taking the time and effort to share your honest opinions with us.
In addition, I’m happy that so many of you said you’re glad to work here. Eighty percent of survey respondents said their department is a good place to work, and 81% said they’re proud to be part of this institution.
It’s also gratifying to see that our employees find their jobs to be personally rewarding. Eighty-five percent said the work they do is meaningful to them, 89% said they understand how their work contributes to the university’s mission, and 79% said their job makes good use of their skills and abilities.
I think it’s particularly important for people to feel that they have good supervisors, and I’m glad to say that most of you do. Seventy-five percent said their supervisor is consistent and fair, and 81% said their supervisor shows genuine interest in their well-being.
You also told us about the places where we need to improve. Our employees want us to do more to ensure that promotions are based on performance, that issues of low performance are addressed and that senior leadership communicates openly about important matters.
We hear you, and we pledge to work on these areas. We’ve given detailed presentations of these results to college and division leaders across the university so they can use this information to make NC State an even better place to work.
Thank you again for your participation in the survey. Go Pack!
Randy Woodson
Chancellor
From the Chancellor – 3/2024
Have Your Say
Between March 25 and April 12, NC State faculty and staff will again have the opportunity to participate in the UNC System Employee Engagement Survey. The responses you provided to the prior surveys helped us do a better job of identifying areas where employee satisfaction is high as well as areas that needed improvement.
I encourage you to participate in this year’s survey so we can keep working to build and maintain a culture of continuous improvement. The survey is being sent to all permanent full-time (75% time or more) faculty and staff employed as of Jan. 31, 2024.
The UNC System has again engaged ModernThink, an independent management consulting firm, to administer the survey. On March 25, ModernThink will send a unique link to each employee that cannot be shared. Please watch for this email from ModernThink, and if you do not receive it, call the ModernThink help line at (888) 684-4658.
You will be able to access the survey from any computer or mobile device. The survey should take about 15 minutes to complete, but you will be given up to 30 minutes to complete the survey during your regular working hours. You will not be required to use lunch time, break time or leave time to complete the survey. The survey is available in English, Spanish and French.
If you don’t complete the survey in one sitting, you will be able to save your progress and complete it later. The survey must be completed by April 5 for your responses to be tabulated. Be assured that the survey is voluntary and completely confidential.
If you have changed work units recently, you should answer the survey based on the department you were working in on Jan. 31, 2024.
If you have general questions about the survey initiative, contact Tim Danielson, associate vice chancellor for human resources, at tjdanie4@ncsu.edu. For technical issues, contact Dr. Nancy Whelchel, assistant vice provost for institutional survey research and analysis, at nancy_whelchel@ncsu.edu.
Thank you in advance for your participation in this important initiative.
Randy Woodson
Chancellor
From the Chancellor – 10/2022
Work That Matters
The 2022 UNC System Employee Engagement Survey gave us our first opportunity to take the pulse of NC State’s faculty and staff since the COVID-19 pandemic upended our lives two years ago, forcing us to make sweeping changes in the way we live and work.
I’m pleased that a majority of our faculty and staff support NC State’s response to the pandemic, recognizing the extraordinary efforts of so many heroes across the university.
I’m also happy to see that the core principles that make NC State a world-leading university — and a great place to work — have not changed.
Our faculty and staff understand how their work contributes to NC State’s mission, and they are overwhelmingly proud of this institution and the people they work with. Eighty-four percent said they are given the responsibility and freedom to do their job, and 82% said the work they do is meaningful to them.
More than 70% expressed confidence in their supervisor, and nearly 80% said their supervisor shows a genuine interest in their well-being.
Our faculty and staff also appreciated our efforts to make NC State a welcoming place to work and study. Eighty percent said their department welcomes diversity in all its forms, and 70% said NC State is committed to building a culture that actively promotes diversity and inclusion.
Responses such as these reinforce my belief that NC State is a strong and resilient community that continues to move in the right direction.
Like any community, we also have areas where we can do better, and that was reflected in this year’s survey. Our faculty and staff want us to do more to combat discrimination and ensure fairness for all. More information about where they can turn for help with their mental or emotional health is also desired.
I couldn’t agree more. That’s why our new strategic plan, Wolfpack 2030: Powering the Extraordinary, commits NC State to championing a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging and well-being in all that we do.
In the coming months, colleges and divisions across the university will drill down into the survey responses to help them in their ongoing efforts to enhance the employee experience.
I hope all of our faculty and staff will embrace this effort in a spirit of pride and collaboration. Go Pack!
Randy Woodson
Chancellor
From the Chancellor – 03/2021
Have Your Say
Between March 28 and April 11, NC State faculty and staff will have the opportunity to participate in the UNC System Employee Engagement Survey for the third time. The last time we took the survey, in February 2020, we had a high response rate, which helped us do a better job of identifying areas where employee satisfaction is high as well as areas that need improvement.
I encourage you to participate in this year’s survey so we can keep working to build and maintain a culture of continuous improvement. The survey is being sent to all permanent full-time (75% time or more) faculty and staff employed as of Jan. 31, 2022.
The UNC System has again engaged ModernThink, an independent management consulting firm, to administer the survey. On March 28, ModernThink will send a unique link to each employee that cannot be shared. Please watch for this email from ModernThink, and if you do not receive it, call the ModernThink help line at (888) 684-4658.
You will be able to access the survey from any computer or mobile device. The survey should take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete, but you will be given up to 30 minutes to complete the survey during your regular working hours. You will not be required to use lunch time, break time or leave time to complete the survey. The survey is available in English, Spanish and French.
If you don’t complete the survey in one sitting, you will be able to save your progress and complete it later. The survey must be completed by April 11 for your responses to be tabulated. Be assured that the survey is voluntary and completely confidential.
If you have changed work units recently, you should answer the survey based on the department you were working in on Jan. 31, 2022.
If you have general questions about the survey initiative, contact Tim Danielson, associate vice chancellor for human resources, at tjdanie4@ncsu.edu. For technical issues, contact Dr. Nancy Whelchel, assistant vice provost for institutional survey research and analysis, at nancy_whelchel@ncsu.edu.
Thank you in advance for your participation in this important initiative.
Randy Woodson
Chancellor
From the Chancellor – 10/2020
Pride and Resilience
For the second time in two years, we asked NC State faculty and staff to participate in a survey to help us understand how we can create a better working environment for everyone at this extraordinary institution. As in 2018, participation exceeded our expectations, with 57% of employees taking the survey this year.
When we all took the 2020 UNC System Employee Engagement Survey in February, we had no idea how dramatically our lives would change just a few weeks later due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As I review the survey results today, I see clear evidence of the pride and resilience that have carried us through this difficult year. An incredible 84% of employees say they are proud to be part of NC State, and 89% say they understand how their work relates to the mission of this institution.
I’m so pleased that 84% agree that NC State works to provide a safe and secure campus environment. That commitment to safety was put into action over the summer as hundreds of faculty and staff worked to prepare campus for the fall semester. When we faced a spike in COVID-19 cases among students just weeks into the semester, we proved that commitment beyond a doubt by putting the safety of the Wolfpack community first.
I’m proud that you gave NC State high marks for our community involvement, our teaching environment, the dedication of our management team and the opportunities we provide for professional development and work/life balance. I’m delighted to see that many of the steps we’ve taken across the university in response to the 2018 survey are making a difference.
In fact, we saw a significant jump in the percentage who agree that NC State’s institutional planning efforts involve faculty and staff in meaningful ways.
But I’m also glad you had the courage to identify the areas where we need to do better —communication, fairness, and benefits and compensation. I pledge to do all I can to achieve our strategic goal of continuous improvement.
I know you will, too. Go Pack!
Randy Woodson
Chancellor
From Marie WIlliams – 03/2020
Thanks for Speaking Up
I want to thank everyone who participated in the 2020 UNC System Employee Engagement Survey over the past few weeks. This important initiative is helping us embrace a culture of continuous improvement here at NC State and across the UNC System. I appreciate your honest and thoughtful input.
I am particularly pleased that participation increased by 3 percentage points this year, giving us an overall response rate of 57%. We’ll compare this year’s responses with the baseline from the 2018 survey to measure our progress in improving the employee experience at NC State. We’ll be able to see where our engagement efforts are succeeding, and where we need to do better.
What Happens Next?
ModernThink, the company that administered the survey, will compile the data over the next few months and provide results in May for review by the UNC System Office, the UNC Board of Governors and senior leadership here at NC State. Then we’ll begin the process of sharing the data with the campus community.
Thank you.
Marie Williams
Associate Vice Chancellor
University Human Resources
From the Chancellor – 02/2020
Between Feb. 4 and Feb. 18, NC State faculty and staff will have the opportunity to participate in the UNC System Employee Engagement Survey for the second time. The last time we took the survey, in January 2018, we had a high response rate at NC State, which helped us identify areas where employee satisfaction is high as well as areas where we need to do better.
I encourage you to participate in this year’s survey so we can continue our efforts to build and maintain a culture of continuous improvement.
The UNC system has again engaged ModernThink, an independent management consulting firm, to administer the survey. ModernThink will send you an email with a link to the survey on Tuesday, Feb. 4. Please watch for this email.
You will be able to access the survey from any computer or mobile device, and will be given time to complete the survey during your regular working hours. You will not be required to use lunch time, break time or leave time to complete the survey.
The survey should take about 20 to 30 minutes to complete and is due by Feb. 18. If you don’t complete the survey in one sitting, you will be able to save your progress and return to it later. Be assured that the survey is voluntary and completely confidential.
If you have general questions about the survey initiative, contact Marie Williams, associate vice chancellor for human resources, at mywillia@ncsu.edu. For technical issues, contact Dr. Nancy Whelchel, director for survey research, at nancy_whelchel@ncsu.edu.
Thank you in advance for your participation in this important initiative.
Randy Woodson
Chancellor
From the Chancellor – 02/2019
I’m pleased that 54 percent of NC State faculty and staff participated in the 2018 UNC System Employee Engagement Survey, exceeding the 50-percent participation goal set by the system. Your thoughtful and candid input will help us create a culture of continuous improvement here at NC State and within the larger UNC System.
The survey is part of a five-year strategic plan initiative that involves all 17 UNC System institutions. Here at NC State, the results of the survey were overwhelmingly positive. NC State faculty and staff understand how their work contributes to the mission of this extraordinary university, and they are universally proud to be members of the Wolfpack family.
The survey highlighted many employee engagement areas in which we are strong but also showed areas where we can improve. And we will.
I have asked Marie Williams, associate vice chancellor for human resources, and Nancy Whelchel, director for survey research, to work with an interdisciplinary team of faculty and staff from across campus to review the survey data and develop a high-level action plan to help us build on our strengths and address our challenges. In addition, vice chancellors and deans have been asked to review the results and develop action plans for their respective units.
I invite you to become familiar with this website and visit often to learn more about these efforts. With your involvement, we can create and support the best possible working environment at NC State.
Thank you.
Randy Woodson
Chancellor