As part of the University’s ongoing efforts to strengthen our employee culture, the Division of Talent and Culture is sharing an update on the progress made since last spring’s Employee Experience Focus Groups.
This past fall, after reviewing the feedback that employees provided in the focus groups, leaders formed Culture Action Teams within their colleges and units. Composed of faculty, staff and leaders, these teams are focused on improving culture, engagement and the overall employee experience.
In addition, a system-wide University Culture Action Team was formed to address priorities that span the institution.
The Culture Action Teams are actively working with leaders to recommend changes and implement plans to address employee feedback. While tactics vary across teams and their needs, all efforts are guided by shared objectives: strengthening trust in leadership and colleagues, increasing pride in our work, and fostering stronger relationships and collaboration.
To date, examples of the Culture Action Teams’ work include the following:
Creating opportunities for informal connection with senior leaders, such as Breakfast with the Dean.
Holding more frequent and consistent department-level team meetings.
Offering anonymous physical suggestion boxes for employees to share ideas and feedback.
Establishing and publicizing administrator office hours for informal access to leaders.
Hosting informal employee events, such as potlucks or celebrations.
Encouraging cross-unit collaboration by bringing together select work areas across schools.
Highlighting academic units in monthly emails to increase understanding of different functions.
Standardizing operating procedures to support continuous learning opportunities.
The work of the Culture Action Teams will continue through ongoing collaboration between faculty, staff and leadership.
Together, we will keep identifying ways to act on your feedback, improve the employee experience and demonstrate our commitment to a positive and engaging workplace culture.
Our goal is to shape a culture that supports our employees and advances our mission by ensuring employees feel heard and valued. We are committed to creating a workplace where our employees trust each other, enjoy working alongside one another and take pride in what they do.
If you are interested in participating in a Culture Action Team or learning more about these efforts, reach out to your leader or your Strategic HR Partner for additional information.
Thank you for your continued engagement and commitment to WVU.