Human Resources administered a survey in Spring 2024 to all staff employees to better understand the various facets of staff engagement at CCA, from the day-to-day work environment to the overall sense of fulfillment in our work. The purpose was to gain a deeper understanding of what motivates our staff to work at CCA, what challenges they may be navigating, and how we can collectively create an even more positive and supportive workplace.

The survey yielded a 59% response rate that is representative of the current staff population in terms of tenure, department, position level, gender identity and most races/ethnicities*. Note that all questions were optional so not every respondent completed each question or chose to share demographic information.

Below are some of the key findings from the survey. Please also take a look at the power point slides.

• Overall job satisfaction is strong with a widespread sense of pride (alignment with goals, mission, values) but there is a sense of under-resourced/scarcity and instability about the college that staff noted in the open-ended comments
• Majority of staff are very satisfied with their current work mode and that impacts overall job satisfaction -> changing work modes would have a big impact on staff satisfaction
• There is strong sense of connection among colleagues at similar levels, within teams/departments and their managers but distance between senior leadership and other staff position levels
• Staff are very happy with their direct managers but have expressed a desire for improved communication, transparency, and involvement in idea sharing from senior leadership
• Inclusion and belonging are strong within individual teams and departments, but there's an opportunity to strengthen these feelings across the entire college
• Compensation is still a key concern for staff despite satisfaction with the overall benefits package; compensation concerns were noted in comments across the entire survey
• Manager responses indicated more stress, higher workloads and more need for communication across multiple sections

Areas for Improvement

We have identified several key areas to focus on based on your valuable feedback. In addition, each division will be identifying priorities that inform divisional goal development and collective mapping.

Here are some key areas we are focusing on:

• Fostering Management Relationships: While we acknowledge that our compensation may not be as competitive, we are focusing on retention. Strong relationships between managers and their teams are crucial for staff retention as well.
• Career Pathways and Advancement: We are working on identifying clear career pathways and advancement opportunities for staff to help staff grow and develop within the organization.
• Goal Setting and Strategic Planning: We know that goal setting, tracking, and the strategic planning process motivate our staff. We are looking for additional ways to leverage this and keep everyone engaged and inspired.
• Additional Benefits and Perks: We are exploring other benefits or perks we can offer. We also aim to provide more education around compensation decisions and available tools.
• Community Building: We want to break down silos and offer more opportunities for connection outside of direct teams and departments. We believe this will strengthen our sense of community and collaboration.
• Encouraging On-Campus Presence: We are considering ways to entice staff to spend more time on campus, including benefits like improved parking or transportation options that would make it easier for you to come to campus.