Staff survey will help UW–Madison better understand work environment

UW–Madison is inviting staff members to complete a survey that will help the university better understand the campus work environment, including how individual employees experience employment at UW.

The 2022 UW–Madison Staff Climate Survey will seek feedback on a wide range of topics, from remote work policies and compensation to workplace respect and diversity efforts. It will be open for responses from April 12 until May 3.

“We want UW–Madison to be a community where every person feels like they belong and that they can be successful,” says Provost Karl Scholz. “The survey results will guide decisions and shape policies and practices that help create a workplace where everyone feels valued and able to contribute.”

The survey will be available to all permanent academic and university staff members, limited appointees who do not hold a faculty position, and postdocs — about 16,800 people. Students and faculty members receive other versions of the climate survey.

The goal of the staff survey is to learn what the university is doing well and where it can do better.

“The longterm success of UW–Madison is directly tied to the success of our individual employees. We need to see our employees as people first — as parents, partners, friends and caregivers. When they come to work, it is essential that they have the opportunity to thrive,” says Rob Cramer, interim vice chancellor for finance and administration.

The staff climate survey can be taken in Chinese, English, Hmong, Nepali, Spanish or Tibetan. Survey responses are confidential and will never be shared in a way that a person can be identified.

The UW Survey Center will email a survey link to all permanent academic and university staff, limited appointees without a faculty position, and postdocs.

Paper versions will be available for employees who do not use computers regularly for their jobs or do not feel comfortable completing the survey electronically. Employees can get a paper survey and assistance completing the survey at multilingual sessions hosted by Cultural Linguistic Services (CLS) on April 20, 21, 26 and 27. Employees unable to attend one of the help sessions can request a paper copy by phone or email. Please visit the survey website for details on the help sessions as well as how to request a paper copy.

Supervisors are expected to allow employees to complete the survey during work time and in pay status. The survey should take about 15 minutes to complete.

Results will be analyzed this summer and shared during the fall. For more information, please see go.wisc.edu/staffsurvey2022.

The staff survey is one of several ways the university solicits feedback on important campus issues. Last fall, UW–Madison conducted a climate survey among all students. This spring, a survey of faculty members is being conducted by the Women in Science & Engineering Leadership Institute.

The staff climate survey is entirely separate from the Administrative Quality Satisfaction Survey that all faculty, staff, postdoctoral and graduate assistant employees received in February. That survey asked participants to reflect on their experience with eight categories of administrative services.