EID Survey
Survey History
In 2012, the VCFA conducted its first EID survey. The goal was to collect baseline data from all VCFA divisions to see how they were doing in the areas of engagement, inclusion, and diversity.
The questions built on established statistical measures from the Merit Systems Protection Board and the VCFA Diversity and Inclusion Index. A contractor outside of UW administered, summarized, and reported the first survey.
The Office of Human Resources and the University of Wisconsin Survey Center gave the survey again in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Each time, the VCFA made small changes to the survey, but kept important questions so divisions could track results over time. For example, the 2018 survey used the same questions as the 2016 survey, but added two new questions about employee wellness.
The survey has given VCFA divisions important data to make progress in their EID work. We plan to continue using this survey to track employee engagement, diversity, inclusion, and well-being so we can compare results over time and decide if changes we make based on survey results are making a difference.
Confidentiality
- All survey answers are confidential.
- Individual answers are not connected to an employee’s name.
- We provide a summary of survey results by division and working group.
Survey Tool
The 2018 EID survey consisted of 47 questions. Participants responded on a scale of 1 (“strongly disagree”) to 5 (“strongly agree”). In addition, the survey included one open-ended question for narrative, qualitative information.
The survey seeks to provide context and additional information regarding the following topics:
- Work environment
- Relationship with co-workers
- Tools and opportunities
- Work unit
- Supervisor
- Overall experience
Survey Results
The UW Survey Center provided question-by-question results for each division that participated in the survey. They can separate the results for smaller departments or groups within the division, only if the smaller department or group has at least 10 employees and at least 5 of those employees completed the survey. These limits protect the confidentiality of employees.
The UW Survey Center provides reports for three measures:
- Engagement index, based on 16 survey statements designed to assess the level of employee engagement;
- Diversity and inclusion index, based on 15 survey statements designed to reflect the level of inclusion; and
- Satisfaction index, based on 3 statements designed to evaluate the level of employee satisfaction
Overview of Survey Results
| 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Rate Total Responses |
39.3% | 84.0% | 74.3% | 80.3% 2,051 |
| Engagement Index* Percent “Highly Engaged” |
3.66 | 3.72 | 3.80 | 3.89 50.5% |
| Diversity and Inclusion Index** Percent in “High Inclusion” Category |
3.87 | 3.91 | 3.97 | 3.79 60.7% |
| Satisfaction (Best Places to Work) Index*** | 67.9% | 69.7% | 73.2% | 75.9% |
| Satisfaction subscales (1-5 scale) | ||||
| Environment in Work Unit | 3.78 | 3.83 | 3.93 | 3.99 |
| Relationship with Co-Workers | 3.80 | 3.86 | 3.93 | 3.94 |
| Tools and Opportunities | 3.45 | 3.52 | 3.49 | 3.64 |
| Work Unit | 3.93 | 3.99 | 4.06 | 4.09 |
| Supervisors in Work Unit | 3.63 | 3.65 | 3.81 | 3.91 |
| Overall Satisfaction | 3.74 | 3.72 | 3.85 | 3.91 |
| Plan to Stay | N/A | 73.0% | 71.6% | 73.2% |
Scale
- Favorable: contains respondents who chose codes 4 “Agree” or 5 “Strongly Agree”
- Neutral: contains respondents who chose code 3 “Neither Agree nor Disagree”
- Unfavorable: contains respondents who chose codes 2 “Disagree” or 1 “Strongly Disagree”
Benchmarks and Scoring
*Merit Systems & Protections Board (MSPB) Scale (1-5)
- Engaged: MSPB score between 4 and 5
- Somewhat Engaged: MSPB score between 3 and 4
- Not Engaged: MSPB score between 1 and 3
**Diversity & Inclusion Scale (1-5)
- High: D&I score between 4 and 5
- Medium: D&I score between 3 and 4
- Low: D&I score between 1 and 3
***Best Places to Work Index (BP2W)
- The score is calculated using the BP2W calculations and weighting. Using the favorable percentages for Q6a, Q4d, and Q6b:
((Q6a x .74) + (Q4d x .91) + Q6b x 1)) / (.74 + .91 +1)
Total scores are calculated by averaging the answers for each section per respondent, and then applied to the 1 to 5 scale.