Employee Experience Within the Education Sector: The Story Behind the Scores

Employee surveys generate a wealth of data. Engagement scores, question-level breakdown, benchmarks and year-on-year comparisons can quickly show organisations what employees are experiencing and where there may be opportunities for improvement.

But the numbers don’t always tell us why.

A lower score for communication, for example, tells us that something isn’t working as well as it could be. What it doesn’t tell us is whether employees want greater visibility from senior leaders, clearer communication around organisational change, better collaboration between departments, or simply greater confidence that when they speak up, somebody is listening.

This is where free-text feedback becomes particularly valuable.

Across employee surveys we have delivered within the education sector this year, we have asked employees a simple question:

“What one change would make the college/university a better place to work?”

It’s a deliberately open question. Employees aren’t prompted to talk about pay, leadership, workload, communication or any other particular aspect of their experiences. They choose what matters most to them.

When we look across this feedback, there are some striking similarities but also some important differences.

So, what are employees talking about?

Across the organisations we’ve worked with, several themes repeatedly emerge within responses.

Communication, leadership and listening are particularly prominent. Employees want leaders who are visible, transparent and approachable. They want clearer communication around decisions and direction, better collaboration between teams and, importantly, to feel that when they provide feedback, it leads to meaningful action.

Pay, recognition and feeling valued also feature consistently. While pay is an important part of this conversation, the comments show that feeling valued goes beyond salary alone. Employees talk about recognition, appreciation, fairness, wellbeing and whether their contribution is acknowledged.

Workload, staffing and resourcing are other recurring areas. Employees want realistic workloads, appropriate staffing levels and enough time and resource to do their jobs effectively. In some cases, this is closely connected to work-life balance and wellbeing; in others, employees link resourcing directly to their ability to provide the level of support they want to give to students.

Systems, facilities and the working environment also feature across the feedback. This can include everything from IT systems and administrative processes to classrooms, equipment, staff spaces and other practical resources. While these issues can appear operational on the surface, they have a very real impact on employees’ day-to-day experience and their ability to work effectively.

The same theme doesn’t always mean the same thing

One of the most interesting findings from looking across free-text feedback is that a shared theme doesn’t necessarily represent a shared experience.

Workload is a good example.

Looking across different education providers, we can see that even when workload emerges as a common theme, the experiences sitting underneath it can vary. For some employees, workload concerns centre around staffing levels and having enough people to effectively support learners. For others, they relate more closely to administrative pressures, having sufficient time to prepare and complete their work, or achieving a healthier work-life balance.

While these comments may all ultimately be categorised under “workload”, the challenges behind them, and therefore the actions required, can be very different.

This is why looking beyond the theme itself is so important. Understanding the detail within employees’ comments helps organisations identify what is actually driving the issue, rather than assuming that the same theme requires the same response everywhere.

The link between employee and student experience

There is another interesting pattern within the feedback from the education sector.

When employees talk about what would make their organisation a better place to work, they don’t only talk about changes that would make their own working lives easier. They frequently connect their employee experience with their ability to support students.

Requests for improved staffing can be about ensuring there are enough people available to support learners effectively. Comments about facilities and resources can focus on creating an environment where employees can deliver high-quality teaching and support. Concerns around student behaviour can focus on having clear standards, appropriate boundaries and sufficient support to maintain a safe and positive learning environment. This creates an important connection between the employee experience and the student experience.

Looking beyond the headline score

Across the education sector, employees are working in environments where the experience of staff and students is closely connected. The feedback we’ve seen highlights some clear shared priorities – from communication and leadership to pay, recognition, workload, resources and development. However, it also shows that the reasons behind these priorities can differ considerably from one organisation to another.

That’s why looking beyond the headline scores matters. Quantitative results can highlight where attention may be needed, but free-text feedback provides the context to understand what employees are experiencing and what meaningful improvement could look like for their organisation.

Listening to both sides of the story can help build a more complete picture of employee experience. And importantly, creating an environment where employees feel heard, and equipped to provide the best possible experience for their students.

Whether you work within further education or another sector, understanding what your employees really think and feel is an important first step towards creating a better employee experience.

If you’re considering an employee engagement survey and want to understand not only what your employees are telling you, but why, get in touch with our team to find out how we can help.