Have Your Say Through the Organizational Climate Survey  

Gathering information about work environment by collecting feedback on issues employees identify as important and areas needing improvement is the objective of the 2023 Organizational Climate Survey. 

Delivered through Selkirk Innovates and third-party vendor Discovery Research, the survey will be open to all Selkirk College employees for a two-week period starting in February. All staff are being asked to participate in this important opportunity to make a difference in how the college operates on a daily basis. 

“We all work in a very complex and fast-moving environment, so it’s essential to check-in with the entire college community,” says President Dr. Maggie Matear. “Our focus is always on student success, but in order to ensure these outcomes it’s crucial to gather feedback from every single area of our operations. Using a data-driven approach to informed future decision-making will ultimately result in an improved work environment for individuals.” 

The team at Selkirk Innovates conducted an extensive review of the academic literature for this project which has informed survey design. To include an added level of research integrity, the research team is seeking approval from the College’s Research Ethics Board. A third-party consultant, Discovery Research, will administer the survey and provide non-identifiable data to Selkirk Innovates for data analysis and report writing. The survey itself will require about 15 minutes to complete and will explore employee’s perceptions about job satisfaction, organizational commitment and identification, sense of community, inclusion, work related stress/mental health, commitment to reconciliation, and internal communications.  

“This is not research that is intended to sit on the shelf,” says Dr. Sarah Breen, the Regional Innovation Chair in Rural Economic Development who is part of the Selkirk Innovates team. “The more participation we have from employees, the more valuable the data. If you lose your ability to participate, then you lose your voice.” 

In recent years, Selkirk College has gathered employee input using other approaches such as ThoughtExchange and HRx to assist informed decision-making. The 2023 Employee Climate Survey is more extensive and far-reaching. The project, initiated by the college’s Human Resources Department, will result in a final report that will be shared with leadership and all employees. 

Selkirk College alumna and Selkirk Innovates research intern Leeza Perehudoff is part of the team working on the survey. Now as a Selkirk Innovates intern who is concurrently studying in the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies Program at Royal Roads University, Perehudoff will be part of the team responsible for pulling together the data into the final report.  

“This is an opportunity for staff to really make a difference in their day-to-day work environment,” says Perehudoff, who earned Selkirk College credentials in the Recreation, Fish & Wildlife Program and the Bachelor of Geographic Information Systems Program. “We want to see high participation in the survey so that the final report is a reflection of where Selkirk College is currently and where the institution wants to go in the future.” 

Leading up to the launch of the survey in February, employees will receive further information on how to participate. Any questions can be directed to the college’s People & Culture Coordinator Marta Abel at mabel@selkirk.ca  

Read answers to frequently asked questions here.