Improving employee engagement can feel overwhelming for colleges and universities already navigating tight budgets, increasing demands, and rising turnover. Leaders often ask: Where do we even begin?
The answer is to take a structured, step-by-step approach. By focusing on achievable milestones, institutions can build momentum, demonstrate quick wins, and lay the foundation for long-term success.
This 90-day roadmap, powered by apc’s Employee Experience Grade (exg™), provides higher education leaders with a clear path to improving faculty and staff engagement in just three months.
Why a 90-Day Plan Works
Higher education leaders are accustomed to long planning cycles, but employee engagement requires visible and immediate progress. A 90-day plan:
- Shows employees that leadership is committed to action.
- Provides quick wins that build credibility and trust.
- Breaks down the complexity of engagement into manageable steps.
- Creates a foundation for sustainable, long-term strategies.
Phase 1: Days 1–30 — Assess and Listen
Conduct Baseline Engagement Surveys
The first step is to understand where your institution stands. apc’s exg™ engagement survey provides a comprehensive baseline, measuring engagement across faculty, adjuncts, and staff. Unlike satisfaction surveys, exg™ reveals deeper insights into motivation, commitment, and alignment with the institution’s mission.
Use Role-Specific Customization
Tailor survey questions to the unique realities of different groups. Faculty, for example, may prioritize academic freedom and research support, while staff may focus on workload balance and recognition.
Launch Listening Sessions
Supplement survey data with listening sessions or focus groups to capture qualitative feedback. These conversations validate survey findings and demonstrate leadership’s willingness to hear directly from employees.
Deliverable: A baseline exg™ score with a clear understanding of strengths and areas for improvement.
Phase 2: Days 31–60 — Analyze and Prioritize
Identify Key Themes
Using exg™ analysis, identify the top three engagement drivers that matter most to employees. For example:
- Faculty recognition and inclusion in decision-making.
- Staff workload management.
- Communication and leadership transparency.
Benchmark Against Peers
apc’s exg™ benchmarking tools allow institutions to compare results with similar colleges and universities. This context helps prioritize areas where the institution lags behind peers.
Set Measurable Goals
Translate insights into goals, such as:
- Reduce early attrition among staff by 10% within 12 months.
- Improve faculty perception of recognition by 15% on the next survey cycle.
Deliverable: A focused list of top priorities with measurable goals tied to exg™ benchmarks.
Phase 3: Days 61–90 — Act and Communicate
Implement Quick-Win Initiatives
Choose actions that demonstrate immediate commitment, such as:
- Creating faculty or staff advisory councils.
- Launching recognition programs for contributions beyond teaching.
- Redistributing workload during peak periods with temporary support.
Communicate Transparently
Share survey results and action steps with employees. Transparency builds trust and ensures employees know their feedback is being taken seriously.
Plan for Long-Term Strategies
While quick wins matter, lasting change requires sustainable programs. Use the initial 90 days to lay the groundwork for initiatives such as leadership development, mentoring, and career pathways.
Deliverable: Visible improvements and a roadmap for continued action.
The Role of apc’s exg™ in the 90-Day Plan
apc’s Employee Experience Grade (exg™) is central to this roadmap. It ensures institutions move beyond surface-level satisfaction surveys and into actionable engagement strategies.
- Comprehensive Data: Captures the full employee lifecycle, from onboarding to exit.
- Customization: Tailors surveys to the realities of higher education roles.
- Actionable Insights: Provides clear recommendations leaders can implement immediately.
- Benchmarking: Positions institutions to measure success relative to peers.
- Pulse Surveys: Enable continuous monitoring beyond the 90-day mark.
Hypothetical Example: A Liberal Arts College
A liberal arts college facing high staff turnover implemented this 90-day roadmap:
- Days 1–30: exg™ surveys revealed staff felt unsupported during enrollment peaks.
- Days 31–60: Benchmarking showed the college lagged behind peers in workload satisfaction. Leadership set a goal to reduce burnout indicators by 20%.
- Days 61–90: The college hired seasonal staff for peak periods and launched a recognition program for administrative employees.
At the end of 90 days, pulse surveys showed morale had already improved, and staff reported greater trust in leadership.
Sustaining Progress Beyond 90 Days
The roadmap doesn’t end at Day 90. Institutions should continue to:
- Conduct pulse surveys to track ongoing progress.
- Revisit goals and adjust strategies every quarter.
- Integrate engagement initiatives with institutional mission and strategic plans.
- Use exit surveys to refine long-term retention strategies.
Sustained progress requires embedding engagement into the culture of the institution.
Final Thoughts
Improving employee engagement in higher education doesn’t require massive, years-long initiatives. With a structured 90-day roadmap, powered by apc’s exg™ engagement surveys, institutions can achieve quick wins, build credibility, and lay the foundation for long-term retention and morale improvements.
Ready to launch your institution’s 90-day roadmap? Get started with apc’s Employee Engagement Surveys powered by exg™ today.
