ADVOCATES AND CHAMPIONS FOR ENGAGEMENT
Employee Engagement Survey Ambassadors help drive participation
Participation in the 2019 Employee Engagement Survey was a huge success because of our dedicated employees. We reached a completion rate of 86%, providing constructive feedback that will directly impact our work environment.
To ensure that we had good participation, the UF Health Shands Human Resources Development, or HRD, team trained 150 ambassadors. They represented clinical and nonclinical departments and units throughout UF Health Shands.
Ambassadors were honored for their hard work at the Survey Ambassador Recognition Event. They shared their experiences and gave advice for the upcoming year’s survey. Danita Gainer, HRD coordinator, hosted the event along with other members of the UF Health Shands HRD team — Rachel S. Enochs, HRD director; David Marra, management development coordinator; Wendy Kissinger, HRD coordinator; and Donna Agerton, HRD coordinator.
At the event, the ambassadors and HR leaders discussed best practices and how they uniquely motivated staff for the survey.
One ambassador created passports for all of her team members. When a person completed the survey, they received a stamp on their passport and a cookie. Who doesn’t love a cookie?
Many others had high participation inspired by pizza parties, daily employee huddles and night shift versus day shift team competitions. The hard work from the ambassadors helped us get such great participation.
Our survey ambassadors are trusted and respected by their co‑workers and leaders as advocates and champions. Staff feel most comfortable discussing survey details and getting their questions answered by fellow peers, and HRD and our executives appreciate the “grassroots” approach.
150 ambassadors
- Each Employee Engagement Survey ambassador received a “passport-themed booklet” with important dates and information about the survey.
- Ambassadors worked to get staff engaged. They were willing to do extra work to get the word out to their coworkers. Goals included increasing participation and encouraging input.
- They attended a training class before the Employee Engagement Survey. The HRD team felt it was important to prepare and recognize the ambassadors for their hard work and let them know what a valuable role they played in the success of the EES.