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CAREERS

Valuable feedback from 6,000+ campus employees

In fall 2023, we administered our UK@Work employee engagement survey for the fifth time. More than 6,100 faculty and staff across campus provided their feedback.  

Out of 15 survey categories, our overall scores improved in 12 categories from our 2021 survey. Scores were unchanged in two categories and had a small decline in one category. 

Since we began the survey in 2015, we have seen statistically significant improvement in nine of the 14 categories for which we have comparable data since the survey launched, demonstrating positive momentum for making sure our university is a place the very best faculty and staff want to work. 

Notably, among our highest scoring areas are the respect that supervisors and colleagues show for one another. Our faculty and staff also believe strongly in our mission and are proud to be associated with UK. 

UK HR Business Partners will share survey data with individual college and administrative unit leaders through February. Each area will develop a plan for sharing unit-level results, as well as preparing and executing an action plan to respond to survey feedback. 

Employees were asked to respond to each question using the following scale:

  • Agree
  • Tend to agree
  • ?
  • Tend to disagree
  • Disagree

The favorable score for each category indicates how many employees responded favorably to that question. For most questions, the favorable responses are “agree” or “tend to agree.” However, for some questions (such as “The amount of stress I experience at work significantly reduces my effectiveness), the favorable responses are “disagree” or “tend to disagree.”

Highlights of our results can be found below. 

View other surveys

Our results over time

Below are our overall category scores since we launched the UK@Work employee engagement in 2015. The scores shown begin with 2015 at the left, followed by scores for the 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023 surveys. The well-being category was added to the survey in 2021.

Our strengths identified

Highest-scoring items

90%
MY DEPARTMENT CHAIR/DIRECTOR/SUPERVISOR TREATS ME WITH RESPECT
87%
MY COLLEAGUES/THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH ARE WILLING TO HELP EACH OTHER, EVEN IF IT MEANS DOING SOMETHING OUTSIDE THEIR USUAL ACTIVITIES
87%
PEOPLE IN MY DEPARTMENT TREAT EACH OTHER WITH RESPECT
86%
I BELIEVE STRONGLY IN THE GOALS AND MISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY
85%
I AM PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH UK
85%
MY WORK GIVES ME A SENSE OF PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT

Areas for improvement

Lowest-scoring items

38%
I OFTEN WORRY ABOUT MY CURRENT FINANCIAL STATE (PERCENT ANSWERING “NO”)
41%
FROM WHAT I HEAR, OUR PAY IS AS GOOD AS OR BETTER THAN THE PAY IN SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS
43%
I THINK THE UNIVERSITY IS DOING A GOOD JOB OF RETAINING ITS MOST TALENTED EMPLOYEES
45%
I THINK ACTION WILL BE TAKEN BASED ON THE PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED IN THE SURVEY
45%
THE AMOUNT OF STRESS I EXPERIENCE AT WORK SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES MY EFFECTIVENESS (PERCENT ANSWERING “NO”)

Most improved since 2021

  2023 score Vs. 2021
UK effectively addresses campus incidents of intolerance and bigotry
67%
+5*
The stress levels at work are manageable 66% +4*
My supervisor does a good job of building teamwork 75% +4*
My work schedule allows sufficient flexibility to meet my personal/family needs                          
83%
+3*
Employees are treated with respect here regardless of their position 76% +3*


 

Least improved

  2023 score Vs. 2021
I worry about my current financial state (percent answering “no”)
38%
-5*
In my opinion, decisions at UK are made in a timely manner 49% -5*
UK does an excellent job of keeping employees informed about matters affecting us 69% -2*
I think the university is doing a good job of retaining its most talented employees
43%
-1
Where I work, my colleagues are accountable for following through on what they have promised 76% -1

*Statistically significant