Deborah Stanley-McAulay, associate vice president of employee engagement and workplace culture, leads many efforts, from Worklife and Child Care programs to diversity and inclusion initiatives. As the Employee Engagement Survey lead, she also ensures Yale staff feel included and heard.
YourYale spoke with Stanley-McAulay about the survey, its role in supporting our workplace culture, and how Yale’s leaders will respond to staff feedback.
What is the Employee Engagement Survey, and why should staff participate?
The Employee Engagement Survey (formerly the Workplace Survey) allows Yale staff to share their opinions, ideas, and experiences. Participants can provide input on change and innovation, growth and development, teamwork and collaboration, recognition and rewards, and many other topics.
This year’s survey will be brief (about six minutes), actionable, and convenient. Starting Monday, November 11, clerical and technical, managerial and professional, police and security, and service and maintenance staff will receive a secure link to access the survey and can log in using their NetID and password on their computers or mobile devices. They will have until Monday, December 9, to submit their responses.
How will the feedback benefit our workplace and its employees?
Feedback enables our staff to be heard and our leaders to better support them. It ensures that Yale can continue to thrive and support the well-being of its community.
Staff feedback can uncover underlying issues such as dissatisfaction, lack of resources, or workplace conflicts that may not otherwise be visible. Addressing these concerns can significantly improve workplace morale and job satisfaction. It also helps to identify any communication gaps, enhancing the flow of information between management and employees, which ultimately fosters a more transparent and supportive work environment.
Leaders gain comprehensive insight into staff experiences within their department and across Yale. This broader perspective allows them to understand issues more deeply, identify areas for improvement, and celebrate accomplishments. The feedback acts as a roadmap for institutional progress and change, enabling our leaders to create actionable plans to address opportunities or concerns. Insight into staff experiences also helps leaders track changes over time, measure the effectiveness of initiatives, and make necessary adjustments to better align with organizational objectives.
How does the survey ensure confidentiality and anonymity?
Yale has partnered with Perceptyx to administer the 2024 Yale Employee Engagement Survey on their secure external website, so staff responses are completely confidential. Yale will not be able to track individual respondents.
For confidentiality, departments with fewer than 10 responses will have their results aggregated at the next organizational level. The survey is designed to ensure anonymity, and we hope participants will share their thoughts openly and honestly.
When and how will we hear about the results of the survey?
Technological enhancements and an improved survey design will deliver results faster than in past years. By early in the first quarter of 2025, leaders and their designee(s) will receive their departmental data. Soon after, staff will hear updates about their unit at town hall meetings and through local channels. University-wide information will follow through newsletters, the It’s Your Yale website, and other platforms.
Beyond this survey, are there other ways you plan to capture employee feedback?
Yes! Alongside these biennial Employee Engagement Surveys, we will implement regular pulse surveys. These brief surveys, featuring one or two questions, allow us to measure the health of our workplace and track progress on action plans in a timely manner.
