2025 Great Colleges Employee Engagement Survey: Key Findings and Next Steps

Posted on Author RCC

About the Survey

The Great Colleges to Work For (GCTWF) survey ran from Feb. 24 to March 14 and comprised 55 core statements, plus five additional faculty-only statements, designed to assess key dynamics and relationships that influence institutional culture and performance. Employees were asked to consider their typical workday and respond to each statement using a five-point rating scale (Strongly Agree, Agree, Sometimes Agree/Sometimes Disagree, Disagree and Strongly Disagree). The survey also included 19 benefit satisfaction questions.

Employees were asked to respond to six voluntary demographic questions, while the following four were pre-loaded: Job Category, Employment Status, Employment Type and Division. 

In addition to the core survey, RCC added the following two custom statements:

  1. In my position, I am proactive in using technology to improve my work and make processes more efficient. 
  2. I have access to timely and accurate information about what’s happening at the institution.

RCC also included the following open-text questions:

  1. What do you appreciate most about working at this institution?
  2. What would make this institution a better place to work? 
  3. If we had to focus on one priority to improve the quality of the workplace and the strength of our culture, what would it be?

Survey Terms

Key terms defined on each page of the survey included:

  • Institution refers to the entire college.
  • Department refers to your most immediate workgroup or team
  • Senior Leadership refers to the most senior members of the institution (e.g., President, Vice Presidents and Deans).
  • Supervisor refers to the individual to whom you directly report. 

The survey invitation was sent to all faculty, staff and administrators in February 2025, and the College received the 2025 benchmarked results from ModernThink in July 2025. The overall response rate was 40% with 286 respondents out of 711 invited employees.

The response rate by employee group is:

  • 73% of classified staff
  • 69% of full-time faculty
  • 15% of adjunct faculty
  • 85% of administrators
  • 64% of respondents have been at RCC for 10 years or fewer

Survey Reports and Findings Overview

Results are reported based on the percentage of employees agreeing with each statement:

  • Poor (0 – 44%)
  • Warrants Attention (45 – 50%)
  • Fair to Mediocre (55 – 64%)
  • Good (65 – 74%)
  • Very Good to Excellent (75 – 100%)

The following Reports are available in the HR SharePoint:

ModernThink Consultants identified the following key institution-level findings:

Strengths:

  • Job Satisfaction & Support
  • Faculty & Staff Well-being
  • Supervisor Effectiveness
  • Inclusion, Belonging & Community
  • Mission & Pride

Opportunities:

Tactical​

  • Onboarding
  • Formal Recognition
  • Informal Recognition
  • Compensation
  • Perception of Culture

Cultural

  • Confidence in Executive Leaders
  • Voice and Access to Information​
    • Communication
    • Collaboration
  • Full-Time Faculty

Tangible Actions

Following the results of last year’s survey, several tangible initiatives were launched as part of the Institutional Action Plan. Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • NEOED Learn Implementation: A new learning platform providing enhanced employee training and expanded access to professional development opportunities.
  • Executive Team Leadership Development: E-Team participated in a year-long team-based leadership program and created shared team agreements.
  • Shared Governance Launch: Introduced during Spring Inservice with a breakout session that included the College Council concept. Session input and survey results were shared with E-Team and other stakeholders. The next phase will roll out at Fall Kick-Off, incorporating additional stakeholder feedback to maintain momentum.
  • Welcome to Rogue Program: A year-long, community-building experience for new hires to strengthen connection and belonging from day one.
  • Visible Recognition Efforts: Peer-led Nomination Stations and Osprey Ovations have made appreciation more visible and accessible across all employee groups.
  • Recognition Task Force: Established to create more personalized and meaningful recognition initiatives. Open to all employees and continually welcoming new members.

These efforts underscore our commitment to not only listening, but also responding—taking deliberate action that supports lasting, positive change.

Early Trends

One of the encouraging early trends from this year’s survey is a positive upward shift in responses to Question 22 for faculty: Changes that affect me are discussed prior to being implemented. This question speaks directly to communication and transparency—areas identified in last year’s survey as critical opportunities for growth.

In response, deans and other leaders took deliberate steps to strengthen two-way communication with faculty, including more consistent updates, opportunities for feedback before decisions are finalized, intentional outreach and walking around to connect informally with faculty. This improvement is more than a single percentage gain—it signals that when we focus on specific feedback, take coordinated action and remain consistent, we can make measurable progress in areas that matter deeply to employees. While there is still room to grow, this upward trend underscores the importance of maintaining momentum and applying the same focused approach to other priority areas identified in the survey.

RCC has also taken meaningful steps to expand professional development opportunities in response to employee feedback, including the implementation of NEOED Learn and the introduction of the Service Professional Inservice. These initiatives were created to provide staff with more accessible, relevant and impactful ways to grow in their roles. While the overall theme related to professional development saw a slight decrease, there was an encouraging upward shift in responses to Question 30: “Our onboarding processes prepare new faculty and staff to be effective.” This improvement reflects the fact that we are listening to feedback, actively seeking ways to enhance our offerings, and are committed to providing more purposeful and effective opportunities for professional growth.

What’s Next: Listening Sessions and Action Plan

Outlined are the following steps in the action planning process:

  • Listening Sessions (Aug. 18-20, 2025)
    All employees are invited to participate in listening sessions, which will begin with a brief overview of the findings, followed by small-group discussions. These sessions—offered in person and via Zoom at varied times—are designed to give employees space to reflect on the results, share insights and generate ideas. Your voice matters: the perspectives and ideas shared during these conversations will directly shape our priorities and ensure the institutional action plan addresses the real needs and opportunities identified by RCC colleagues.
  • Action Plan Finalization (Fall Term)
    Feedback from the listening sessions—along with input from other channels—will be used to update RCC’s institutional action plan. Progress updates will be shared throughout the year in the Rogue Report and other communications to maintain momentum and ensure transparency.
  • Future Surveys
    Over the past two years, we have conducted back-to-back surveys to establish a comprehensive baseline—providing valuable insight into both our strengths and areas for improvement. Beginning next year, RCC will move to a three-year survey cycle. This long-term approach allows time for meaningful change, recognizing that lasting transformation requires consistency and sustained effort. Insights from the baseline will continue to guide our institutional action plan, serving as a strategic roadmap for initiatives that enhance workplace culture and overall effectiveness.

Reflection and Future Directions

The GCTWF survey and upcoming listening sessions give RCC a clear mandate: to act on employee feedback in ways that strengthen our workplace and advance our shared goals. This work is not just about improving processes or policies—it is critical to fulfilling our mission, living our values and sustaining the culture we want for our students, colleagues and community.

Our focus on employee connectedness as an institutional priority reflects this commitment. Building a workplace where employees feel informed, supported and engaged directly supports the success of our students and the effectiveness of the college as a whole.

Moving forward, the action planning process will turn insight into action through collaborative input, clear priorities, and consistent follow-through. Success will require all of us—faculty, staff and leadership—working together. By engaging in this work, we not only address today’s opportunities but also lay the foundation for a stronger, more connected RCC that is positioned for long-term institutional success.

For more information, please contact Karla Benitez-Sanchez on Teams or by email.