Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University’s Climate Survey: Employee Engagement

The purpose of this project was to explore the engagement levels across nine colleges at Virginia Tech based on data collected from the 2018 Climate Survey. Additionally, the project provided recommendations for leadership in an effort to help increase employee engagement in the future. The quantitative climate survey consisted of an online questionnaire sent to all employees at Virginia Tech. Across nine colleges, 2,104 responses were analyzed. The study was guided by constructs of The HayGroup Employee Effectiveness Model, including respect and recognition, development opportunities, clear communication, confidence in leadership, and enabling environment. Results highlight potential areas of improvement, including helping employees receive and seek help if they are treated unfairly, showing recognition to all employees, and helping employees advance their career. Engagement within the clear communication construct resulted in the highest average across the colleges, while respect and recognition resulted in the lowest. Universities, human resource departments, and organizations across the world can utilize this research to compare engagement averages as well as find recommendations to increase employee engagement within each construct and the workplace in general.