Creating a Culture of Engagement Employee Survey Directions: As you complete this questionnaire, think about your department(s) and the employees with whom you work. Answer by circling the letter that best describes how strongly you believe each statement describes your situation. Y — Yes, Strongly Agree S — Agree Sometimes N — Strongly Disagree Y S N 1. We feel free to challenge any management decision in a respectful way. Y S N 2. Management believes that I am an honorable person; if I tell my manager I need something, he or she believes me. Y S N 3. My manager puts the employees first when making decisions and solving problems. Y S N 4. My manager continually looks for ways to show his or her appreciation through special gestures and events. Y S N 5. Employees in my department regularly recognize each other and participate enthusiastically in department recognition events. Y S N 6. Employees are frequently asked, “What’s important to you?” Y S N 7. We work hard at keeping scheduling in our department as flexible as possible in order to meet both customers’ and employees’ needs. Y S N 8. My manager listens to my concerns and issues. Y S N 9. Employees in this department know they have been heard when they see action taken regarding their issues and concerns. Y S N 10. Employees feel supported by management. Y S N 11. Each employee has some kind of personal, individual connection with the manager. Y S N 12. I know something personal about my manager. Y S N 13. My manager knows the name of and something personal about each one of the employees who work here. Y S N 14. There is a strong sense of connection and community between people in the department. Y S N 15. When an employee is having problems, other people in the department rally to help in constructive ways. Y S N 16. When interviewing job applicants for this department, we consider the personality and “fit” of the applicant a priority for hiring. Y S N 17. Technical skills are secondary to other characteristics and interpersonal skills when we seek new employees. Y S N 18. Department employees are actively involved in the hiring and selection process of new employees. Y S N 19. Employees in this department enjoy coming to work. Y S N 20. We enjoy spontaneous fun as well as planned fun together on a regular basis. Y S N 21. The standards for performance are very high in this department. Y S N 22. Expectations and standards are clearly articulated and communicated to everyone. Y S N 23. There is a strong, consistent network of coaching available to employees in this department. Y S N 24. Development of employees is a key goal in this department. Y S N 25. Managers frequently ask employees, “What are you interested in learning? In what opportunities are you interested?” Y S N 26. Our manager models the behavior he or she expects to see in employees and colleagues. Y S N 27. My manager is always on the lookout for great performance in order to recognize and reward it in a concrete and immediate manner. Y S N 28. My manager holds people accountable for their actions, dealing with inconsistent or inadequate performance and problems immediately and consistently. Y S N 29. My manager deals with problems immediately; he or she does not let them fester. Y S N 30. When employees bring the manager problems related to an interpersonal conflict, the manager uses his or her judgment about whether he or she should resolve the problem or coach and encourage the employee to do so. Y S N 31. Most of the improvements in our department over the past year have come from ideas and concerns shared by employees. Y S N 32. Employees are frequently asked, “What needs to be fixed?” Y S N 33. If a problem brought by an employee cannot be solved, the manager at least gets back to the employee in a timely manner to let him or her know what has been done. Y S N 34. We have a specific structure for involving employees in decision making in this department (e.g., department council, governance structure, or problem solving teams). Y S N 35. Employees are instrumental in helping make decisions that impact the department. Y S N 36. Our department’s committees, councils, and teams are robust and active. Y S N 37. If employees are asked to participate in a committee or task force, the manager makes certain they have the time scheduled off to attend the meeting and actively coaches them so they are prepared for their participation. Y S N 38. The manager sees as an important part of his or her job making certain that employees have the necessary equipment and supplies to do their jobs. Y S N 39. Employees are authorized to obtain adequate supplies and equipment, even in the manager’s absence. Y S N 40. The manager works to ensure that the physical environment of our department is clean, organized, and pleasing. Y S N 41. The manager believes that one of his or her more important jobs as leader is to facilitate the work of our employees. Y S N 42. Our manager believes that he or she works for the employees, rather than that the employees work for him or her. Y S N 43. Our manager regularly see employees on all shifts. Y S N 44. Our manager jumps in and helps employees with their work on a regular basis. Y S N 45. Employees know when the manager is available and how to find him or her when they need something. Y S N 46. The manager is readily visible throughout the department throughout the day. Y S N 47. The manager doesn’t hide from employees anything that they need to know. The manager doesn’t believe in secrets. Y S N 48. We have multiple methods of communicating important information within the department. Y S N 49. We have regular department or staff meetings that include active dialogue on current issues and concerns. Y S N 50. Employees are comfortable giving the manager direct feedback. Scoring Directions: Count the number of Ys, Ss, and Ns. Each Y is 2 points, each S is 1 point, and each N is zero points. Total the number of points by clusters of ten questions. Total for Questions 1–10 _____ (Put Staff First) Total for Questions 11–20 _____ (Forge Strong Connections) Total for Questions 21–30 _____ (Coach for and Expect Competence) Total for Questions 31–40 _____ (Focus on Results) Total for Questions 41–50 _____ (Partner with Employees) TOTAL _____ Interpretation: If your total score is 90–100, your workplace likely has a culture of retention. If your score is 70-89, your workplace has opportunities to strengthen the environment. If your score is 69 or lower, your workplace might consider implementing best practices before nurses begin to leave and/or disengagement issues become prevalent. Adapted from: © Manion, J. (2009). The engaged workforce: Proven strategies to build a positive health care workplace. Washington; DC: Health Forum.