Published on June 28, 2024

Workplace Climate Survey Results

Dear colleagues,

As we approach the end of the fiscal year, I want to first thank each of you for the work you have done over the last few weeks, and continue to do, to help us finish the year in a strong position.  The culture of collaboration and support that we have built across University Advancement becomes most evident during these busy times of the year, and I am always proud to see what we can achieve together.  Things are coming together for us to have a record-breaking year on many levels.

On the topic of culture, I hope you will take a short pause in your busy schedules to review the results of our 2024 Workplace Climate Survey.  I am pleased to share that over 200 staff members participated in the climate survey this year.  We have seen at least two-thirds of staff take part in the four iterations of the climate survey that have been administered since 2020 and this consistent sample size allows us to track our progress more accurately in key areas.

Over the past few months, we have worked with the Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to analyze and summarize the results from this year’s survey.  You can find the full executive summary and a graphic depiction of the overall results on the Advancement Hub at this link.  You can also view the results from our three previous surveys on the Hub’s DEI Resources page.

We have seen steady improvement across all areas since the original survey in 2020, but there are several data points that caught my attention when I saw this year’s results.

  • Participation and Expressing Viewpoints: In 2024, 87% of respondents said they felt comfortable expressing their opinions as compared to only 66% in 2020.  Going a bit further, 93% of survey participants said they felt they could be their authentic selves at work as compared to 73% in 2020.
  • Recognition and Professional Goals: There have been significant improvements in staff members’ agreement that their professional goals are being met in University Advancement.  In 2024, 91% of respondents agreed that their goals are being met as compared to just 71% in 2020.  In addition, respondents who felt they receive meaningful recognition for doing good work increased 6.7% from 2023 to around 90% of respondents.  In 2020, only 79% of respondents agreed with this statement.
  • Trust in Leadership: The percentage of respondents who agreed that University Advancement leadership would take appropriate action in response to incidents of harassment and discrimination increased from 88% in 2023 to 95% in 2024. In the 2020 survey, only 79% of respondents agreed with this statement.
  • Cultural Competency and Management: In 2020, only 59% of respondents agreed that University Advancement managed diversity effectively.  Similarly, 67% agreed that they received support for working with diverse groups and in cross-cultural situations.  In the 2024 survey, the number of respondents who agreed with these statements increased to 91% and 94%, respectively—some of the largest increases we’ve seen across the board since 2020.

There is always more work to be done and enhancements that can be made to ensure we have a culture that works for all—for instance, the most common theme across the open-ended comments was a request for more opportunities for team building and continued learning.  While we’re not mandating return to work, I know that I have gained an incredible amount of knowledge and insight from my colleagues when I have the opportunity to work side-by-side with them.  Even if you’re not working from the Old Ivy office building every day, I would encourage you to take advantage of the space there when you can to better connect and collaborate with team members.

When all is said and done, there is much to celebrate about the progress we have made in just four short years, none of which would have been possible without the dedication and persistence of this community.  I hope you will each take some time to relax and celebrate our many accomplishments with colleagues, family, and friends this summer, and I look forward to seeing all we are able to achieve together as we work toward campaign close at the end of June 2025.

Best,

Mark

Mark M. Luellen
Vice President for Advancement
The University of Virginia