Investing in the well-being of the people across the NDSU community is a key area of focus for our organization, and employee engagement is a main contributor. 

Gallup’s brief, 17-question survey will assess engagement for staff and faculty. The results will provide data to inform action planning that will make a positive impact on the people of NDSU. The survey is completely confidential, with no individual data being shared with NDSU. 

For Supervisors:

• NDSU Manager Demo Slides
• Action Planning Tool
• Engagement Resource Guide

Why is employee engagement important?

What is the Q12 Survey?

Q12+ list of 17 survey questions

*Videos linked here will open in Youtube and may present ads that are not affiliated with NDSU or Gallup.

• October 14 - Survey opens
• November 1 - Survey closes
• December - High-level survey results available, supervisors trained on how to facilitate discussions
• December 12 - University-Wide High Level Overview of Survey Results
• January - Supervisors lead State of the Team conversations, teams identify one area to work on and consult with Gallup resources
• February 28- Supervisors submit action plan via Gallup platform

Contact ndsu.wellbeing@ndsu.edu for questions or to request a presentation for your group about EEI and the survey.

You can also reach out directly to any member of the Employee Engagement Initiative Steering Committee. Members are:

• Co-Chair Laura Oster-Aaland, Vice-Provost for Student Affairs and Institutional Equity
• Co-Chair Carrie Anne Platt, Vice-Provost for Faculty Affairs
• Kristina Astrup, Associate Director of Organizational Development, Human Resources
• Emily Berg, Director, Office of Institutional Research and Analysis
• Jeff Boyer, Vice-Provost for Assessment and Strategic Initiatives
• Patty Dirk, Director, Student Health Service
• Mark Genkinger, Director, Human Resources
• Emily Hegg, Associate Director of Campus Well-being, Student Health Service
• Kathryn Kloby, Vice-President for Communication and Marketing
• Mary Leff, Project Assistant, Student Health Service
• Brynn Rawlings, Director of Communication and Media Relations, University Relations
• Kristi Steinmann, Communication and Strategic Partnerships Lead, Information Technology
• Kimberly Wallin, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
• Marc Wallman, Vice-President for Information Technology

Why are we doing another assessment or survey? What is the purpose?  

Investing in the well-being of the people across the NDSU community continues to be one of President Cook’s five strategic priorities, and employee engagement is a main contributor. While we have assessments in place to measure student well-being (ACHA-NCHA), we do not have an instrument for measuring employee well-being. The purpose of this survey is to provide a baseline on employee engagement. Meaningful change will result from the survey through team action planning. Subsequent surveys will provide data to gauge progress and inform future changes.

Why are we assessing engagement? How does that relate to well-being? 

Gallup’s research shows a reciprocal relationship between engagement and well-being. Each influences the future state of the other. Engagement can be viewed as a leading indicator of well-being.

When employees are engaged in our community, for example, they are likely reflecting institutional pride, applying their talents to the best of their ability and contributing to a positive campus culture and working environment. This can also impact student success and retention. 

How do I access my Gallup Q12+ survey results?

All supervisors received an email on December 12 from Gallup with a link to their platform. Supervisors with more than five respondants will be able to see their unit-level data. Supervisors with fewer than five respondants will need to request data from their unit leadership, but they will still see university-level data. All supervisors may access resources and action planning support through the platform. All team members will review results during State of the Team conversations.

How will supervisors be supported in action planning?  

Gallup will provide support and access to tools for action planning for supervisors through their group presentations and online platform. In addition, Gallup will work in an advisory capacity with leaders within NDSU to advance action planning.  

What should teams be achieving in State of the Team conversations?

The data is the starting point for conversations. These conversations allow for open discussion and context-building within teams around data collected in the survey. Teams will select one question to address with an action plan. All supervisors regardless of number of respondants should hold State of the Team conversations.

When should State of the Team conversations be scheduled?

They should be scheduled during the month of January or February so that action plans can be submitted by February 28. 

How should teams address concerns that are outside of their control?

During State of the Team conversations, units will talk about differentiating between internal and external barriers to engagement. The unit might identify actions they can take internally to work on a given area, as well as what they would like to see happen to address external barriers. Both internal and external barriers will be included in the unit’s Action Plan, which creates another layer of data for those working to support positive change at the division/college and university levels. 

To inform process change and potential future investments, the steering committee wants to know about external barriers, which can be submitted by supervisors with action plans.

Will additional resources from the university be made available to units identifying a need on their action plans?

The initiative is meant to inform local decision making so that college and department leaders can best determine how to use existing resources.  

What happens after State of the Team conversations?

Supervisors will submit action plans that they will create with their team, using Gallup resources provided in the portal. Ongoing work to address action planning steps will continue throughout the year, and another engagement survey will be administered by Gallup in Fall 2025. 

How will we assess progress?

Another engagement survey will be administered by Gallup in Fall 2025 to track progress. 

What happens when our contract with Gallup ends?  

Gallup is a partner and a resource, but the people of NDSU are the creators and instruments of change. During the three-year Gallup contract, we will have support to create a sustainable process of assessment, evaluation and action to help embed improvement of employee well-being in our culture.