![\"Rush](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/human-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Rush-Rhees-Library-flags-843x562.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Over the past few months, we\u2019ve been focused on one of the most important parts of the Employee Experience Survey<\/strong>\u2014turning your feedback into action. Across the University, leaders and managers have been sharing results, talking with their teams, and identifying priorities together. Now, we\u2019re moving into the next phase: putting those plans into motion, tracking our progress, and making adjustments along the way. This is a shared effort, and everyone has a role in helping to improve the workplace environment.<\/p>\n We checked in with some of our managers to hear how action planning is taking shape in their areas\u2014and what they\u2019re learning along the way. Here is what they told us.<\/p>\n If you would like to share your team\u2019s action planning story and progress, please email\u00a0HRConnect@rochester.edu<\/a>\u00a0and our editor will reach out to learn more.<\/p>\n The next Employee Experience Conversation with Leaders will take place this fall and focus on one of our strategic priority areas, safety. Leaders will share the initiatives planned and underway to drive improvement. More information will be available soon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Over the past few months, we\u2019ve been focused on one of the most important parts of the Employee Experience Survey\u2014turning your feedback into action. Across the University, leaders and managers…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":212,"featured_media":232742,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[1462],"tags":[1542],"class_list":["post-215672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-hr-connect"],"acf":{"external":"","hide_featured_image":false,"related":"show_related","style":"","content_modules":[{"acf_fc_layout":"query_new","anchor":"","css_classes":"","title":"Action planning progress across the University<\/h2>\n
![\"Shelly](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/human-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/shelly-zoeke.jpg\")
\u201cIn sharing the results with my team, I found that the heatmap and analytics pages offered a more robust review of the data and provided additional opportunities for feedback. As a manager, I asked questions, took questions, and provided my team with space to provide open and honest input.\u201d \u2014Shelley Zoeke, manager of academic finance and operations in Computer Science at Hajim<\/p>\n
\n![\"Maren](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/human-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/maren-powell.jpg\")
“When we reviewed the survey results together\u2014first as a full team, then in smaller groups\u2014what stood out was how engaged the team was in the conversation. We heard confirmation that work already underway is on the right track. It also surfaced thoughtful ideas for where we can do more. Now, team members have stepped up to help turn those ideas into action through a pilot program.\u201d \u2014Maren Powell, business operations manager, University Marketing and Communications<\/p>\n
\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/human-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/consul-alexa-sq-406x406.jpg\")
\u201cOur team shared a lot of ideas for improving how we recognize people on the unit\u2014and making sure that recognition actually feels meaningful. I\u2019m not sure we would have gotten this level of input without the survey. The great thing is, many of the suggestions are pretty straightforward and feel very doable for our leadership team.\u201d \u2014Alexa Consul, nurse manager<\/p>\n
\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/human-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/john-blackshear.jpg\")
“People worry about change when they feel like it\u2019s going to leave them behind or compromise their values. That\u2019s why it was important for us to survey our staff\u2014to understand what they value and what\u2019s important to them. You\u2019ve got to have the people in it. They have to be in it.”<\/span> \u2014John Blackshear, vice president for student life<\/p>\n
\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/human-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/milnikiewicz-jessica-sq.jpg\")
\u201cA lot of what we heard on 6 South wasn\u2019t surprising\u2014it lined up with what we\u2019ve been hearing in regular staff check-ins. But the survey really helped reinforce and sharpen our focus. It confirmed that some of the work already underway should continue, while also pointing us to a few areas where we need to do more.\u201d \u2014Jessica Milnikiewicz, nurse manager, Golisano Children\u2019s Hospital<\/p>\n
\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/human-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/alan-mcniff.jpeg\")
\u201cFacilities & Services shared its survey results in stages. Supervisors and above reviewed a presentation of the findings first; the same content was then shared with all staff. Smaller group sessions are planned for September, using a prepared list of questions, to gather more detailed feedback across a workforce of over 800 people.\u201d \u2014Alan McNiff, senior AVP Facilities and Services<\/p>\n
\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/human-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/keller-amy-sq.jpg\")
\u201cThe survey gives us a chance to pause and reflect on the past year. It\u2019s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and miss how much has changed\u2014or the impact of those changes. It\u2019s also a great opportunity to recognize and appreciate the team.\u201d \u2014Amy Keller, senior nurse manager<\/span><\/p>\n
\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/human-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ryan-fields-600x600-1.jpg\")
“I think it was really nice to see the survey results and be able to break it down by different groups. We really started to dissect that and then work with our group within the department to pick out the things that we think we can make a difference in. And then we\u2019ve messaged that back out to the staff, because the one thing I wanted everybody to realize was that you did this survey, and now we\u2019re actually looking at the results and taking it seriously.\u201d \u2014Ryan Fields, MD, FACS, Seymour I. Schwartz Professor of Surgery and chair<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nEmployee Experience: Next Conversation with Leaders<\/h3>\n
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