Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why run a Staff Attitude Survey?
Many organisations run staff surveys periodically because they recognise the importance of seeking and responding to the views of staff. By understanding how staff feel about a range of factors, the University can take action to create a high performance culture that values and engages staff at all levels.
Why run a Staff Attitude Survey now?
This is an important time in the University’s development. We are articulating and implementing a series of major strategies as part of the Monash Futures agenda. So now is a particularly good time to ‘take the pulse’ of our organisation. The survey will provide essential 'temperature' feedback about the University's progress to inform our plans and strategies over the next two years.
When do I complete the survey?
The survey will be available for staff to fill in until Friday 10 June 2011. Hard copies of the survey questionnaire will be sent to staff who do not have Monash email access, with instructions for its return.
What is ‘staff engagement’?
Staff engagement is the extent to which employees commit to something or someone in their organisation, how hard they work, and how long they stay with their employer as a result of their commitment.
Will the survey be confidential?
We want honest responses so we are take several steps to ensure confidentiality:
- survey responses are analysed only by the external consulting firm Voice Project
- Online surveys are completed via a secure Voice Project website
- Paper-based surveys are sealed in their envelopes by respondents and posted directly to Voice Project
- Results are reported by Voice Project only when 10 or more staff in an area have responded
- At no point can anyone from Monash University identify responses from individual staff
- Demographic data (eg age, gender, employment category etc) is reported only at faculty/divisional level or above, to analyse differences between groups eg whether women have different opinions to men, or academics to professional staff.
Why are organisational units with less than 10 staff being included?
All organisational units, regardless of the number of staff, are listed in the survey to enable staff to accurately identify where they belong in the organisational structure. However at no time will results be reported by VoiceProject, or accessed by Monash University, for any organisational units where there are less than 10 responses. This information will only be reported in aggregate form.
How can I find out what has happened as a result of my feedback from the last process?
Each faculty, division and campus developed a local Action Plan as a result of the last survey and focus group process. A summary of all University Action Plans is available on the Staff Attitude Survey website.
Please contact your local HR representative regarding your specific faculty, divisional or campus Action Plan.
In addition to local Action Plan initiatives, the HR Division has commenced work in the following areas:
- A review of the leadership development approach
- Review of academic performance management
- Review of professional development for general staff
Who is running the 2011 Staff Attitude Survey?
The University ran a competitive tender process in late 2006. Voice Project was selected due to their extensive experience in the Australian higher education sector, expertise in implementing ‘engagement’ surveys, benchmarking capacity and presented the University with the best value for money proposition.
Why are some double barrelled questions used in the questionnaire?
There are a few double-barrelled questions in the questionnaire, eg. Discrimination is prevented and discouraged. While double-barrelled questions are technically not ideal from a survey design perspective, the questions in the survey have been assessed as appropriate cultural indicators. All double-barrelled questions in the survey have been reliability tested and statistically validated. Like any question in the survey, if a double-barrelled question performs poorly, it requires further exploration.
For more information about the project you can email staffattitudesurvey@monash.edu
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