2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
1
Contents
Why Engagement Matters ............................................................................................................................ 3
About This Toolkit ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Employee Engagement Overview: The Three Most Important Things to Know About Employee
Engagement .............................................................................................................................................. 4
The University of Minnesota Employee Engagement Model ................................................................... 4
Our Engagement Process .......................................................................................................................... 5
The Role of Leaders in E2 Employee Engagement ........................................................................................ 6
Frequently Asked Questions ..................................................................................................................... 7
Survey: Communications Tools ..................................................................................................................... 8
Key Messages for Employees .................................................................................................................... 8
Pre-Survey Communications Calendar ..................................................................................................... 8
Communications Samples: Build Awareness of the 2014 Survey ........................................................... 10
Review and Share Results: Communications Tools .................................................................................... 14
Guide to Employee Engagement Survey Data and Action Planning ....................................................... 14
Results Sharing Best Practices Tips for a Successful Feedback Session .................................................. 14
Sample Communications: Review and Share Results ............................................................................. 15
Frequently Asked Questions ................................................................................................................... 17
Refine Action Plans: Communications Tools............................................................................................... 20
Action-Planning Tools ............................................................................................................................. 20
Action Planning Principles and Best Practices ........................................................................................ 21
Sample Communications: Refine Action Plans ....................................................................................... 23
Frequently Asked Questions ................................................................................................................... 24
Measure and Share Progress: Communications Tools ............................................................................... 25
Sample Communications: Measure and Share Progress ........................................................................ 25
Contacts for Questions ............................................................................................................................... 27
Background on the Hay Group.................................................................................................................... 27
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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Why Engagement Matters
Employee engagement profoundly shapes the quality of experiences and outcomes for faculty and staff
in the workplace. Engagement fosters collaboration and innovation along with resilience, wellbeing, and
the ability to sustain a high level of performance. Creating and sustaining a highly engaged University is
the responsibility of all faculty and staff as we strive to make a meaningful impact through research,
teaching, and service or clinical care.
In addition, public higher education faces a series of unprecedented challenges, including increasing
global competition for top talent, particularly field-shaping faculty and top students, as well as shifting
enrollment trends, rapid changes across disciplines, intense competition for grants, and a need for
greater inter-disciplinary research collaboration. These challenges can affect the engagement of faculty
and staff and put added pressure on a leader to support their success. The employee engagement
initiative is intended to provide data and tools to support and inform ongoing efforts by departments,
colleges, and units to address these issues and to sustain high levels of faculty and staff engagement.
Engagement data is best used as information for planning and goal-setting at the college and
department-level as well as in efforts to enhance faculty and staff development and to create an
inclusive and positive environment. The most effective way to increase engagement is to share and
discuss the engagement information and connect it to one or two actions relevant and specific to a
unit’s local plans and environment.
About This Toolkit
The content in this toolkit is for leaders, faculty, and staff plus human resource professionals and
communicators within colleges and units. It is organized following the five steps in the University’s
engagement process. Since the survey implementation step will be specific to each workgroup, this
toolkit does not include resources or samples for this step.
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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Employee Engagement Overview
The Three Most Important Things to Know About Employee Engagement
1. A survey alone does not create positive change. Only involving leaders, faculty, and staff in
responding to survey results can create positive change in the work environment.
2. Share your results. Disengagement begins when people who take time to respond to a survey
don’t hear their results from their leaders.
3. Take action. A few small, simple actions can have a large impact. Be certain to let faculty and
staff know when actions were taken based on their survey feedback.
The University of Minnesota Employee Engagement Model
The University of Minnesota Employee Engagement (E2) survey measures engagement based on 10
drivers of engagement that support two key metrics.
Key Metric - Commitment and Dedication

Clear and Promising Direction. Support faculty and staff in connecting their work to the goals of
the department, college, and University. This is critical to creating a high level of engagement.

Commitment to Excellence. Ensure that employees are working together toward achieving
excellence requires an environment that encourages teamwork, promotes innovation, and
strives for continuous improvement.

Confidence in Leaders. Leaders influence the way that faculty and staff perceive the college/unit
or work group as a whole and play a critical role in reinforcing strategy and goals.
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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
Development Opportunities. Employee development includes the ongoing learning and
development of skills and knowledge—including job mastery and professional development—
coupled with career-planning activities.

Respect and Recognition. Faculty and staff who feel respected in their workplace will show
respect for their work and for the organization.
Key Metric - Effective Environment

Authority and Empowerment. Employees with appropriate autonomy and discretion to
complete their work are enabled to be more productive and effective.

Clear Expectations and Feedback. All employees need ongoing feedback about expectations
and performance to continuously deliver high-quality services.

Collaboration. Good cooperation and teamwork helps work groups develop better ways to get
work done and react more quickly to changing needs.

Support and Resources. Engaged employees who have the knowledge and resources to perform
optimally require workplace support to be successful in their responsibilities.

Work, Structure, and Process. Operating efficiency ensures a productive workforce while
increasing motivation and reducing frustration among faculty and staff.
Our Engagement Process
Engagement efforts at the University have an annual.
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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The Role of Leaders in E2 Employee Engagement
Role
Communicate and
celebrate progress
to-date; encourage
2014 survey
participation
Share results with
work group; lead
discussion of
results
Refine existing
action plan or
develop action
plan as needed;
enter action plans
in Insight2Action
(I2A) website
(optional)
Responsibility
 Partner with department or
unit communications leaders
to tie actions to survey
feedback
 Highlight and celebrate
engagement gains/efforts
 Report efforts and progress
to senior leaders and others
as part of success and
productivity reports
 Find ways track gains made
via engagement efforts
 Partner with HR and other
unit leaders to communicate
survey results
 Plan next steps and who will
be involved in the process
 Use toolkit and resources to
facilitate the process
 Identify focus areas for
gathering additional
information
 Lead the gathering of
additional feedback in
identified areas (via focus
groups, regular staff
meetings, etc.)
 Identify 1-3 focus areas for
refining (if needed) or
developing an action plan
 Support participation in
Communities of Practice for
sharing engagement best
practices
 Ensure all leaders receive
survey reports and update
existing action plans or
create action plans, if
needed
 Ensure action plan
information is entered into
Insight2Action (I2A) website
(optional)
Timing and Key Focus
October
Take Survey
Resources
 Communications
Toolkit
 UM E2 Employee
Engagement
website
January – March
Review and Share
Results

Guide to Employee
Engagement Survey
Data and Action
Planning (see page
15)
February – April
Action Plan

Guide to Employee
Engagement Survey
Data and Action
Planning
Communication
Toolkit
Insight2Action
website
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015


6
Ensure that actions
are taken; hold
other leaders
accountable for
action
Track action
implementation
and share progress
 Support ongoing
contributions to Engagement
Communities of Practice
 Reward and recognize
successful implementation
 Strategize how to build
efforts into ongoing goals
and processes
 Touch base with both
leaders and employees on
progress of action plans
 Report progress to other
leaders across the University

April – January
Implement

March – September
Measure and Share
Progress


UM E2 Employee
Engagement
website
Insight2Action (I2A)
website
Communications
Toolkit
Insight2Action (I2A)
website
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much additional time will employee engagement take?
A: Leaders, with the support of their HR Leads, are being asked to address between one and three items
in an action plan by the end of 2015, so the exact amount of time required is unknown but should be
manageable. This investment of time provides value. Research shows that organizations with high
engagement have better outcomes, which will support the University’s mission. Ideally, action plans are
relevant and specific to a unit’s current plans and initiatives.
Q: Is employee engagement really important?
A: Research shows that great organizations require engaged employees. Organizations with low
engagement may see high turnover, inefficient work practices, and lower productivity than areas with
higher engagement. More information and background research is available on the E2 Employee
Engagement website.
Q: How do I know the survey covers the topics most likely to improve performance in my area?
A: The survey was developed based on interviews with key leaders, in-depth discussions with the Faculty
Advisory Committee, and input from our external vendor Hay Group. It was important to limit the
survey length so it is possible that questions of interest to you may not be included. The feedback and
action planning process is designed to allow other questions or topics of importance to be raised and
addressed through conversations around sharing results. The real value in engagement actions come in
the discussion with employees that is part of the process.
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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Survey: Communications Tools
Key Messages for Employees

An employee engagement survey will be emailed to all benefits-eligible University employees on
Monday, October 13 from the Hay Group.
o
The survey should be completed by Friday, October 31.
o
This survey should be completed during work hours.
o
Reminders will be sent to people who have not completed the survey.

It’s important to let your voice be heard and let us know what you think about working at the
University of Minnesota so that we can work together to improve the workplace.

The survey takes less than 10 minutes to finish.

The E2 Employee Engagement Survey provides information to faculty, staff, and leaders to guide
small changes to create a workplace where everyone can perform at their best.

The University appreciates our already high level of faculty and staff engagement and
commitment to students, research, and community and strives to make it even better.

We are committed to making the University a great place for everyone to work.

E2 Employee Engagement Survey questions have been developed collaboratively with University
leaders and stakeholders, including faculty.

Your individual response is confidential and will not be shared with anyone at the University.
o
All responses will go to the University’s external vendor, Hay Group, for analysis.
o
To protect the anonymity and confidentiality of responses, a department must have at
least 10 faculty or staff responses to their respective survey to receive a report. If there
are less than 10 that completed the survey, responses will be rolled up to share at the
next highest level in the organization.
o
Any information that connects a response to an employee will be removed by the
external vendor.
Pre-Survey Communications Calendar
The schedule for planned pre-survey communication is below and items that appear in the right column
are included in this toolkit as samples. Please note that the dates for central communications are subject
to change given other University communications priorities and the survey response rate between
October 13 and 31.
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Date
October 6
Central Communications
Email from President Kaler to all
employees who will receive the survey
October 8
Email from Provost Hanson to all
faculty
Week of
October 13
Survey opens and all employees
receive an email from the Hay Group
October 13
or 14
Newsletter article or blog post—distribute
based on local calendar for college/unit
newsletters, blogs, etc. (See the sample on
page 10)
Email from the HR Leads on getting ready for
the survey—understanding terms that may
need to be defined for their faculty/staff, 2013
results sharing and action planning update (see
draft on page 11)
October 15
Notice in Brief
October 16
Reminder email from the Hay Group
October 17
or 20
First email from dean, chancellor, vice
president, etc. to college/unit/department (see
the sample on page 11)
Email from department heads and directors to
their staff (see the sample on page 12)
October 20
Reminder email from the Hay Group
to faculty and staff who have not
completed the survey. Additional
reminders will be shared as needed
based on the response rate.
October 23
Reminder email from the Hay Group
to faculty and staff who have not
completed the survey.
October 27
Reminder email from the Hay Group
to faculty and staff who have not
completed the survey.
October 29
College or Unit Communication
Email to all college or unit faculty and staff with
most current response rate and a request to
complete the survey by October 31 (see the
sample on page 13)
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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October 30
Reminder email from Hay Group to
faculty and staff who have not
completed the survey by October 31
November 3
Email from Kathy Brown thanking
faculty and staff for completing the
survey and providing a response rate
Email to college or unit faculty and staff
thanking them for their participation and
sharing local participation levels (see the
sample on page 13)
Communications Samples: Build Awareness of the 2014 Survey
Additional Promotional Resources Are Available Online
 Print-on-demand promotional flyer
 Print-on demand promotional fact sheet
Newsletter Article/Blog Samples
Share this with the communications team within your organization the week of October 13 or distribute
through your own channels based on the publication calendar.
This month the University of Minnesota is conducting its second annual E2 Employee Engagement
Survey. While you may receive many survey requests, it’s important that you take 10 minutes to fill out
this survey and let your voice be heard. The goal is to collect faculty and staff feedback and determine
ways that supervisors, managers, and leaders can take concrete steps to create great work
environments and effective cultures.
Benefits-eligible faculty and staff will receive an email on October 13 from the Hay Group, an external
vendor that is administering the survey. Take a few minutes to complete the survey based on your
experience in your local workplace. Your answers are completely confidential and reporting will be
aggregated with a minimum of 10 faculty and 10 staff responses per organizational unit to ensure
responses are confidential.
The University of Minnesota is committed to energizing, empowering, and enhancing the workplace. We
know that engagement helps ensure that we are able to retain our talent and it helps us recruit from
around the world.
The Office of Human Resources is working with our human resources [TITLE] [CONTACT NAME], who is
available to answer any questions you have about engagement.
If you have any issues with the survey link you receive, contact the Hay Group directly to request a new
link at UofMNsurvey.US@haygroup.com . Each survey link is customized and can only be used one-time.
More information on engagement is available from the Office of Human Resources.
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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Sample Email from HR Leads to Share with Employees
Distribute on October 13 or 14
Dear Colleagues,
The University’s E2 Employee Engagement Survey is an important tool to better understand your
experience working at the University of Minnesota. You should have received an email from the Hay
Group on October 13 with a link to the survey. Your response will help us develop and take some simple
steps next year to improve your experience so we can work more effectively on [INSERT DESCRIPTION
OF TEACHING/RESEARCH/OUTREACH].
Here are a few things to know before you take the survey: [ADJUST AS NEEDED]
1. Defining “Department.” The [COLLEGE/UNIT] is organized differently from others on campus, so
when the survey asks for your feedback on your department, please provide feedback on your
[DIVISION/ETC.] instead.
2. It will only take 10 minutes. The survey only has three more questions than last year and will
only take a few minutes to complete. Please complete the survey during your normal work
period. While the survey doesn’t take long to complete, we will be using this information over
the next year, so your participation is very important.
3. For issues or concerns, contact me or the Hay Group. Most faculty and staff had no issues
taking the survey last year. However, you may want to check your junk email folder for the
message from Hay Group. Please let me know if you believe you should receive the survey but
didn’t receive it. For lost emails or link issues, you can contact the Hay Group directly at
UofMNsurvey.US@haygroup.com
If you have any additional questions, please reach out to me at [EMAIL] or [PHONE].
Regards,
[NAME]
Sample Email for Deans, Chancellors, and Vice Presidents, to Share with Employees
Distribute on October 16
A message from [NAME] [TITLE].
Dear Colleagues,
Earlier this week you will receive an email from the Hay Group with a link to a survey. This survey is this
year’s E2 Employee Engagement Survey, which will be open until October 31.
Let your voice be heard by taking about 10 minutes during your work day to complete the survey which
has about 30 questions on your experience in the workplace. It’s important that we hear from each of
you as you help make the University of Minnesota an outstanding research and teaching institution.
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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The survey is confidential and is being administered by the Hay Group, an external vendor.
[COLLEGE/DEPARTMENT/UNIT] benefits-eligible employees, including dual-appointment employees, will
take the survey online. Graduate and undergraduate student employees will not be surveyed.
The survey can be completed using the link provided in the email from the Hay Group. If you have any
issues or questions, talk with your manager or our human resources [TITLE], who can also help answer
questions about the survey.
We are committed to making [INSERT COLLEGE/UNIT/DEPARTMENT NAME] [INSERT LANGUAGE, such
as: “outstanding research center,” “a great work environment,” “a workplace you are proud to
recommend to others.”] and appreciate your help.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Sample Email for Department Heads and Directors to Share with Employees
Distribute on October 17 or 20
A message from [NAME] [TITLE].
Dear Colleagues,
Hopefully you have heard about the University’s engagement survey that recently opened. It’s an
important opportunity for you to let your voice be heard about your day-to-day work environment. The
survey was developed in conjunction with a faculty advisory committee and has the support of President
Kaler, Provost Hanson and other University leaders.
Benefits-eligible employees, including dual-appointment employees, received an email from the Hay
Group on October 13 with a link to the survey. If you have not completed the survey, please take 10
minutes to do so before the October 31 deadline. If you have completed the survey, thank you for taking
the time to share your opinion.
The survey is important and will help us [INSERT LANGUAGE RELATED TO CURRENT INITIATIVES/GOALS
FOR THE DEPARTMENT]. The results will be shared with me in early 2015 as
[COLLEGE/DEPARTMENT/UNIT] develops action plans for continuing to improve our workplace
experience for faculty and staff.
I want to reassure you that the survey is confidential and is being administered by an external vendor,
the Hay Group. Neither I nor any other leaders within [COLLEGE/DEPARTMENT/UNIT] or the University
will have access to your individual response.
If you have questions, please contact [TITLE], can answer questions about the survey and Hay Group can
generate new survey links if needed by emailing them at UofMNsurvey.US@haygroup.com.
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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Sample Email for Deans, Chancellors, and Vice Presidents, to Share with Employees
Distribute on October 29
A message from [NAME] [TITLE].
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to complete the E2 Employee Engagement
Survey. So far our response rate is XX% for faculty and XX% for staff which is (AT, BELOW, ABOVE) our
2013 final response rates of XX% for faculty and XX% for staff. For those who have completed the
survey, thank you. We appreciate you voicing your opinions on the culture and work environment within
[COLLEGE/UNIT/DEPARTMENT].
Time is running out to share your opinion on our workplace through the E2 Survey. If you have not done
so already, please take a few moments to complete the survey online by tomorrow, October 31. A link
to the confidential survey was sent to you by the Hay Group on October 13.
Remember, all responses will be confidential and are held by our external vendor. Once the survey
closes, we will receive aggregated results and begin developing action plans to address areas that can be
improved over the next year.
[TITLE], can answer questions about the survey and Hay Group can generate new survey links if needed
by emailing them at UofMNsurvey.US@haygroup.com.
This program is important to help [COLLEGE/UNIT/DEPARTMENT] engage our [FACULTY AND STAFF] to
ensure we fulfill our mission. Thank you for your cooperation and participation.
Sample Email for Deans, Chancellors, and Vice Presidents, to Share with Employees
Distribute on November 3
A message from [NAME] [TITLE].
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you so much to everyone who took time to complete the E2 Employee Engagement Survey.
Overall, our response rate was XX%, with XX% of faculty and XX% of staff participating in the survey.
The [SENIOR LEADERSHIP/LEADERSHIP CABINET] appreciate all of you sharing your feedback on our
workplace and we look forward to working with you over the next year to review our results and work
together to develop and execute our action plans. Your contributions to [COLLEGE/UNIT] are vital and
we look forward to working together to developing a workplace where people are connected and feel
supported in their success.
Thank you again for your cooperation and participation in the survey.
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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Review and Share Results: Communications Tools
Guide to Employee Engagement Survey Data and Action Planning
The guide provides more information on the University of
Minnesota’s E2 Employee Engagement Survey and how to use
its data to support action planning and implement plans to
enhance engagement.
Parts of the deck can be adapted and used to share survey
data. This Guide is available online at Insight2Action (The Hay
Group’s online tool) or the OHR E2 website.
(umn.edu/ohr/training/e2)
More information and talking points are in the notes section
of the PowerPoint document.
Results Sharing Best Practices
Tips for a Successful Feedback Session

Establish goals. This provides an opportunity to share results, confirm major strengths and
opportunities for the work group. However, it’s important to avoid problem-solving at this time.

Create the right climate. Leaders can facilitate a positive feedback discussion by establishing
realistic expectations among faculty and staff participating in the session. In addition, it’s
important to recognize risk to members of your work group take by sharing feedback verbally in
the session since they are speaking out. As the leader, you set the tone by clearly stating that
you are not interested in who answered positively or negatively.

Establish the right content and tone. Focus your review of the results on major themes to avoid
overwhelming people with information and set a positive tone. In all communications, give a
balanced picture to establish credibility and remember the strengths of your group. It is
important to not appear defensive during the session, appearing to rationalize negative results
or shift responsibility. As you lead the session, ensure you highlight priority issues along with the
follow-up process and timeline and ensure everyone knows when they can expect an update.

Feedback session presentation style. As you present, look for signs, such as silence, that the
group is confused or disagrees with something you say. Take time to pause and clarify. Beware
of making premature commitments and defer proposed solutions. Comments that include the
word “need” may be too solution-focused for the purpose of the feedback session. Ensure the
meeting is on track, summarize group feedback, and share next steps.
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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
Preparing for the action planning session. Decide who will be in the action planning group and
remember that participants will not know what to expect. Some may be concerned about
confidentiality and have concerns about retribution. It will be vital to reassure them what to
expect—preferably through a letter/note before the meeting itself. Be prepared with three to
five opportunities determined through feedback sessions and discussions with leadership. A
sample invitation to the session and agenda are included in the sample portion of this toolkit.

During the action planning session. Avoid becoming defensive and be open to feedback to
encourage open discussion. You may find participants are resistant to participate openly due to
a lack of anonymity. Manage these concerns by setting the tone that this session should be nonblaming and that you are open to suggestions. Frame questions in a hypothetical way, such as,
“… if a member of your work group was asked about xyz, what would he or she say?” Or, “…
how would a typical University of Minnesota staff member describe xyz?”

After the session. Organize your notes and identify common themes from the session. Consider
implications of implementing ideas from faculty and staff (i.e., time, effort, resources, and
potential impact). Refer to the online resources library for additional content as you finalize your
action plan. Remember to thank participants and ensure that you share outcomes during the
process.
Sample Communications: Review and Share Results
Sample Email Announcing Meeting to Review Survey Results
Dear Colleagues,
You will remember that last fall the University conducted an employee engagement survey. Thank you
for letting your voice be heard. It’s now time to turn our attention to reviewing our results and continue
our ongoing efforts to create meaningful change in [COLLEGE/UNIT].
Please join me to review our [COLLEGE/UNIT] E2 Survey results on [DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION]. Your
help is needed in clarifying issues, strengths, and concerns related to the results. Survey results are
aggregated so no individual response will be shared.
We will also talk about action planning and next steps as part of this meeting. My goal is that this
feedback meeting will be interesting, informative, open, and constructive for all of us. We can learn
much from each other. Sharing information and ideas is the key to the successful use of our results.
Sample Faculty/Staff Results Sharing Session Announcement
Dear Colleagues,
Please join me at an upcoming meeting where we will review the 2014 survey results. As part of the
process, you will be asked to help clarify the issues/ strengths/concerns related to the results. That
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
15
process can make us more aware of what we have to build on and where we need to improve. Then we
can work after this initial feedback meeting to develop OR refine action plans to deal with identified
issues.
My goal is that this feedback meeting will be interesting, informative, open, and constructive for all of
us. We can learn much from each other. Sharing information and ideas is the key to the successful use of
our results.
Sample Agenda for Faculty and Staff Feedback Sessions
Opening (5 minutes)



Thank people for responding
Briefly review the purpose of the survey
State the objectives of the feedback session
Key Results (10 minutes)



Explain any terms that are unclear (e.g., dimensions, percent favorable, comparisons, etc.)
Share results, highlighting areas of strength and opportunities for improvement
Go through Engagement Profile and survey question details
Priorities (10 minutes)



Emphasize commitment to addressing survey issues
Present preliminary priorities for action (present your balanced list)
Emphasize that there are only a limited number of priorities that can be addressed
successfully
Discussion (30 minutes)



Confirm final list of strengths and opportunities with faculty/staff
Ask faculty/staff for ideas regarding any results that are not clear
Prioritize top strengths and opportunities
Conclusion (5 minutes)




Outline next steps
Present the timeline for decisions and implementation
Define faculty/staff’s role in the action planning process
Let the group know when they can expect an update
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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Sample Post-Meeting Email
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the session on [DATE] to review our
[COLLEGE/UNIT/DEPARTMENT]’s E2 Employee Engagement Survey results. It was a very valuable
discussion and I appreciate everyone’s feedback in the process.
As we discussed, our next steps are to develop an action plan in conjunction with our
[COLLEGE/UNIT/DEPARTMENT]’s leadership. I will share more information on the status of our action
plan by [INSERT TIMEFRAME/DATE] through [INSERT COMMUNICATION CHANNEL—
MEETING/BLOG/EMAIL, ETC.].
Again, thank you for joining this discussion and I look forward to working together to make our
[COLLEGE/UNIT/DEPARTMENT] even better in 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Insight2Action?
A: Insight2Action, or I2A, is website from the Hay Group that contains the survey data reports for
managers and their HR colleagues. In addition, the site contains a resource library and online tools to
tracking planning. The same resources are also available on the University’s E2 website to make
employee engagement information accessible to all.
Q: When will results be available?
A: Chancellors, deans, and vice presidents will receive their data during a customized executive
presentation between January and March. Department-level reports within that college/unit will be
available shortly after the executive meeting and will be emailed directly to managers.
Q: Can I get a sneak peek at my results?
A: Results will be presented in the executive presentation from the Office of Human Resources. OHR will
reach out in advance, if necessary, to address concerns to ensure a productive presentation meeting.
Q: Who will receive reports? Can requests be made for reports to be withheld and rolled up to a
higher level?
A: All managers with at least 10 completed survey responses from faculty and/or staff will receive an
email with a linked survey report. (Note—faculty and staff have slightly different surveys, so 10 faculty
or 10 staff must complete each survey in order for results to be available). Engagement best practice is
to have leaders take responsibility for the data of their work groups, and the E2 results roll-out is based
on this practice. Therefore, all eligible managers will receive their reports directly. Please discuss
exceptional circumstances with OHR.
Q: How will open-ended comments be handled?
A: If at least25 comments were submitted to either the faculty or staff survey, reports will be made
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available through the Insight2Action website. Comments are intended for theme analysis only, with the
main focus remaining on the data as these are the most concrete and reliable feedback regarding
engagement.
Q: We were asked by media/student/legislator to share our employee engagement results for our
college or unit. What do we do?
A: Media should contact the University’s News Service following the instructions online at the News
Service website. Requests not associated with the media should be made to the Records and
Information Management Office at http://recordsmgmt.umn.edu/.
Q: I have some questions with very unfavorable responses. How can I find out which faculty or staff in
my area feel this way?
A: Individual responses will not be shared with anyone at the University of Minnesota in any way. The
value of engagement comes from talking with employees about how they feel about their workplace.
The survey is confidential to ensure that faculty and staff share honest feedback. Taking steps to identify
who responded a particular way creates an environment of fear which leads employees to disengage.
Q: How do I communicate unfavorable results to my faculty or staff?
A: The best approach is to be honest and straightforward. All managers have strengths and
opportunities in their areas and it is important not to get defensive or “explain away” unfavorable
results. You should present a balanced picture and then ask any questions that will help clarify the
reasons for the ratings. You could also probe on potential solutions to improve scores moving forward.
Sample questions for discussions with faculty and staff are included in the Action Planning Resources
section of the UM E2 Employee Engagement website.
Q: The survey only tells me how people feel on issues, not why they feel the way they do. How am I
supposed to know what actions to take to address faculty/staff concerns?
A: Survey results are an important diagnostic tool, but are only one input necessary to fully understand
faculty and staff opinions. To maximize survey effectiveness, feedback and action planning must be
conducted. This process is designed to dig deeper into issues raised by the survey and will help you to
understand why faculty and staff feel the way they do. Sample questions for discussions with faculty and
staff are included in the Action Planning Resources section of the UM E2 Employee Engagement website.
Q: Whom should I invite to my feedback meetings?
A: All faculty and staff were asked to participate, so all faculty and staff should be invited to hear the
results, as it is their data. They can provide insights into what the data means.
Q: Who should be involved in the action planning sessions?
A: For smaller populations, you may be able to include all faculty and staff in these sessions. For larger
populations, you may want to have a smaller meeting with adequate representation of your faculty and
staff populations to ensure all voices are heard.
Q: The number of respondents for some questions is less than the total number of faculty/staff in my
report. Why?
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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A: The “Valid N” column represents the number of people who provided a favorable (1 or 2) neutral (3)
or unfavorable (4 or 5) response to a question. Respondents who may have skipped questions or who
answered “Don’t Know/Not Applicable” (6) are not counted in that question.
Q: In my report, the favorable, neutral, and unfavorable percentages do not always total exactly 100.
Is there an error?
A: No, in some instances, rounding to the nearest whole number will cause the percentages on data bars
to add up to either 99 or 101. This is not an error, just a function of rounding the numbers. As a simple
example, assume 12 people responded to a question and 4 were favorable, 4 were neutral and 4 were
unfavorable. The percent favorable would be 33%, neutral 33% and unfavorable 33%, adding to a total
of 99%.
Q: In looking through my report, I see a number of questions with a large percentage “neutral” (i.e.,
the yellow part of the bar). What does a neutral response mean?
A: Neutral means that faculty/staff neither agree nor disagree with a statement. For example, they may
have mixed experiences with the topic the question asks about. Neutral responses should be viewed as
an opportunity to gather more information to understand why the result is mixed.
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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Refine Action Plans: Communications Tools
Action-Planning Tools
Online Resource Library–The online resource library is available at the E2 Employee Engagement website
at www.umn.edu/ohr/e2. This resource is available to all University faculty and staff.

The library includes tools for each of the 10 drivers and two key engagement metrics. Each tool
contains self-reflection questions for leaders, questions for faculty and staff discussions,
questions to ask employees for input to action planning, practical suggestions for action
strategies, plus action planning drivers and resources.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to view the resources online to help deepen their knowledge
of engagement and to assist in action-planning efforts. Action plans which are designed and
driven by employees have a greater likelihood of increasing engagement.
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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Hay Group’s Insight2Action (I2A) for HR Leads, Managers, and Leaders–Action-Planning Website

E2 Employee Engagement survey results for leaders who had at least 10 faculty or 10 staff
complete the survey

Action-planning module

Resource library of tools by engagement dimension, which are also included on the University’s
Office of Human Resources UM E2 Employee Engagement website.
Action Planning Principles and Best Practices
Understanding Engagement
Researchers have found that the world’s most admired organizations that consistently achieve and use
high levels of engagement do the following:

Communicate to build confidence in leaders and connect faculty and staff to the organization.

Call on leaders to:

o
Create clarity
o
Organize work efficiently
o
Treat employees as individuals
o
Listen to employee ideas
o
Encourage employees to develop
Listen to and use employee feedback:
o

Employee feedback is used to drive improvement, innovation, and to challenge the
status quo.
Connect engagement to the mission: Organizations solve problems more effectively, provide
better service, and meet their mission through engaged employees.
Action Planning Principles
 First understand results and underlying issues before moving on to action.

Sharing results with faculty and staff is an important first step. Resources to support this are
included in the Guide to Employee Engagement Survey Data and Action Planning on the UM E2
Employee Engagement website.
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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
Involve faculty and staff in solution(s) where appropriate. Faculty and staff can help you
understand the context for engagement scores as well as provide appropriate solutions.
o
Keep it simple by concentrating on one to three issues that can be executed
exceptionally well.
o
Focus on issues within your control and spend time on those areas where you can have
the most impact.

The most effective action plans are clear and specific, linked to business objectives, limited to a
manageable number of action priorities, focused on action areas where those accountable can
have an impact and are clear in assigning accountability.

Provide regular updates on progress. If important work is done as a result of the survey, but if
faculty and staff don’t realize these actions were based survey feedback, they will not perceive
leaders as having taken action.
Communications Best Practices

Develop a communications plan. Work with your communications team or other staff to
develop a short plan to support and customize communication for your unit’s efforts around
engagement. Plans should include objectives, audiences, key messages, strategies, tactics,
measurement, and timing. A communications plan template is available on the UM E2 Employee
Engagement website.

Have a beginning, middle, and end. In developing the communications plan for a longer,
sustained program like engagement, it’s helpful to set milestones and give frequent updates
around these markers, such as the beginning, middle, and end of the phase for taking action.
Deadlines help to motivate people to act, and setting an “end date” at the beginning as part of
the communication will keep people focused on taking action.

Celebrate strengths. The University has a strong level of engagement, which should be
celebrated. Leaders can action plan around maintaining and growing an existing strength as one
approach.

Show active listening. Communications need to consistently connect survey responses with
actions and outcomes. Providing a consistent framework that connects efforts to survey results
will help faculty and staff see their opinions were valued and acted upon. Communications
should connect concrete steps with plans and survey feedback:
What you told us on the
survey
Faculty and staff want to
receive recognition when
they do a good job.
Our action plan
Develop a recognition
program for both faculty
and staff.
Our outcomes to date
 Tasked 15 faculty and staff
members to develop a recognition
program.
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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


The faculty and staff work group
shared its recognition plan with the
department, representatives and
leaders.
A recognition event is scheduled for
May.
When activities happen without leaders linking them back to the engagement survey,
employees do not automatically make the connection because their own survey feedback may
have been different.
Communicate, communicate, and communicate. Leaders will need to restate the action plan
and steps taken many times through many channels to have a positive impact. Working closely
with their communications team and other staff will help ensure that the messages are
consistent, connected with the survey, and communicated through multiple channels. Stories
can be very effective means of relaying information in an engaging way around a concept such
as engagement.
Tips for Monitoring Action Plans
 Define the monitoring process (e.g., quarterly reviews reported to management team) as part of
the action planning process and share final outcomes of the action plan and implementation
steps with faculty and staff.

Establish regular communication to faculty and staff about the implementation progress, such
as accomplishments, outstanding issues, needed adjustments, next steps, and timing.

Gather regular feedback on the implementation of the action plan and determine if
communication needs to adjust based on the feedback, such as frequency of communication.
Also, discuss actions, progress, and challenges with your management team. Remember to
celebrate successes within your team and introduce a best practice sharing environment.

Consider including actions and monitoring responsibilities in faculty and staff work objectives
and department plans.

Conducting a survey does not automatically create positive change, but involving your
leadership team, faculty, and staff in responding to the survey results will.
Sample Communications: Refine Action Plans
NOTE: If action planning occurred based on 2013 survey results, it does not need to be conducted again.
Data from the 2014 survey should be reviewed against existing action plans to see if any changes to the
plan need to be made. Timing for sharing results, action planning, and updates to faculty are based on
the scheduling of the executive presentation.
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A strategy session may be held with a smaller group, which provide context and help leaders to
define the scope of the action planning, particularly for a larger department, college, or unit.
Sample Invitation to an Action Planning Strategy Session
Dear Colleagues:
As you know, the results of University of Minnesota’s 2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey have been
communicated and our next step is to begin the action planning process [OR REFINE OUR ACTION PLAN].
I have scheduled an action planning strategy session for:
Date:
Time:
Place:
At the meeting, we will focus on the three to five opportunities we determined during the feedback
session. The goals of the action planning strategy session will be to:

Discuss the underlying or root cause of the issues and/or local context for the responses.

Prioritize what we should take action on based on importance and control.

Generate action ideas.
My goal is that this meeting will be open and constructive for all of us. Taking action on the right things
is important. Your feedback on issues and the importance of opportunities during this meeting is vital to
our success.
Looking forward to our discussion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: We created an action plan last year. Do we have to write a new one based on the 2014 survey
results?
A: Once your action plan is developed, you should review the 2014 survey data and ensure that the
action plan aligns with the new data. If needed, you can refine your original action plan, but it’s not
necessary to start action planning over after each survey.
Q: How can we complete our action plan when faculty will be away over the summer?
A: It’s important to take some action, even in communicating planned activities, before the end of the
academic year. This ensures that faculty and staff are aware that their feedback was heard and is being
responded to by leaders as part of the engagement process. It may be helpful to communicate past or
planned activities to faculty and staff again in the fall so they are reacquainted with the engagement
plan and implementation status. Engagement is a work-in-progress rather than a destination.
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Measure and Share Progress: Communications Tools
Sample Communications: Measure and Share Progress
Sample Newsletter Article/Email 1 (Beginning Action Plan Implementation)
When people want to create positive change in their lives, such as becoming healthier, experts
encourage us to make small changes that we can stick with and do them consistently. For our
[COLLEGE/UNIT/DEPARTMENT], the same holds true as we continue to develop our workplace into one
where people thrive and grow. We have many strengths and have an opportunity to come together to
make [COLLEGE/UNIT/DEPARTMENT] even better.
This year we are focused on a small number of changes that will make an improvement in our day-today work environment. These changes are a result of the E2 Employee Engagement Survey results that
many of us took last fall. We came together in [MONTH] to discuss the results and our next steps.
Our focus over the next few months will be [INCLUDE HIGH-LEVEL GOAL(S)] and we plan to [OUTLINE
ACTIVITIES OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. POSSIBLY INCLUDE:].
[If you want to learn more about employee engagement, resources are available on the Office of Human
Resources website at www1.umn.edu/ohr/e2.html. You can also join a Community of Practice. For more
information, contact [HR LEAD] at [CONTACT INFORMATION].
Sample Newsletter Article/Email 2 (Mid-Point in Action Plan Implementation)
As you know, this year we are focused on a very small number of changes that will make an
improvement in our day-to-day work environment. These changes are a result of the E2 Employee
Engagement Survey results from last fall. We came together in [MONTH] to discuss the results and our
next steps. This process is very energizing and has spurred much reflection and conversation.
We are focusing [INCLUDE HIGH-LEVEL GOAL(S)] and are about half-way in our process. We have taken
several key steps toward our goal, including:


[SPECIFIC INFORMATION]
[SPECIFIC INFORMATION]
Our plan is to [IDENTIFY KEY NEXT STEPS AND TIMEFRAME].
Thank you to everyone who has supported this effort to make [COLLEGE/UNIT/DEPARTMENT] even
better, particularly [NAME, TITLE; NAME, TITLE; AND NAME, TITLE]. We welcome your involvement and
continued feedback on this effort. Again, you can learn more about employee engagement online at
www1.umn.edu/ohr/e2.html and join a Community of Practice. For more information, contact [HR
LEAD] at [CONTACT INFORMATION].]
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Sample Newsletter Article/Email 3 (Conclusion of Action Plan Implementation)
This year we embarked on transforming our workplace through some very small, focused changes as a
result of feedback from the E2 Employee Engagement Survey administered last fall. Several times over
the past [NUMBER] months, we’ve shared our plan and our accomplishments so far.
As we near the completion of the process, we wanted to update everyone in the spirit of openness.
We heard in the survey that our [COLLEGE/UNIT/DEPARTMENT] has opportunities to improve our [AREA
OF FOCUS]. To do so, we launched [INITIATIVES/ACTIVITIES] with the help of [INSERT NAMES OF KEY
COLLABORATORS AND ADVOCATES]. The results have been [INSERT SPECIFIC RESULTS, IF POSSIBLE].
Your feedback on our progress toward changing our workplace is welcome and you can [INSERT
FEEDBACK MECHANISM, SUCH AS OFFICE VISIT, EMAIL, ETC.] to share your feedback with [ME/US/THE
DEPARTMENT, ETC.]. You will also have an opportunity to let your voice be heard again in the 2015 E2
Employee Engagement Survey which will be distributed this fall.
Again, thank you for helping to make our workplace to be even better.
2014 E2 Employee Engagement Survey and Action Planning Toolkit—January 5, 2015
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Contacts for Questions
Each employee will receive an email from the Hay Group on October 13, 2014. The email will include a
unique link for each employee. If an employee has an issue with not finding the email or not able to get
the link to work, they should contact the Hay Group at UofMNsurvey.US@haygroup.com
If you have additional questions on the process, contact Leadership and Talent Development within the
Office of Human Resources, at 612-624-UOHR (612-624-8647) or ee2@umn.edu.
Background on the Hay Group
Hay Group (www.haygroup.com) is a global consulting firm that was chosen by the University of
Minnesota to administer the E2 Employee Engagement Survey in 2013. Hay Group works with over
clients worldwide in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.
© 2014 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and
employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability,
public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
This publication/material is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to Nora Hayes, Office of
Human Resources, nhayes@umn.edu, 612-624-8678.
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