FOA employees are engaged — and it shows.

Our latest Employee Experience Survey results came in strong across the board, with FOA’s scores higher than campus averages and an impressive 73% participation rate (higher than 66% from UC Davis and UC Davis Health). FOA staff members care about shaping our workplaces and helping our teams grow even stronger.

For me, two results stood out in particular from FOA’s scores: teamwork and communication.

Teamwork: The statement “My work unit works well together,” earned one of our highest scores. About 85% of FOA employees responded favorably to that prompt, with an average of 4.29 score out of 5.0. 

That spirit of partnership is something we can all be proud of. Every day, I see FOA employees collaborate beyond their individual departments, to get things done for our university and our community. 

Just this week, a group from six FOA teams met to start planning our next FOA All-Staff meeting, scheduled for Feb. 23. Teamwork that cuts across groups like Facilities, Safety Services, Supply Chain and Admin IT along with our experienced event planners and communicators will help make this event more enjoyable for our employees.

Communication: “The person I report to is a good communicator,” received favorable responses from 79% of FOA respondents, with a 4.17 out of 5.0 score. Clear, open communication is something I take seriously — and it’s something I want to keep strengthening. 

This Digest newsletter is one part of that effort. You may have noticed a few updates: We’ve made it more focused on what’s most useful for you, and a little less frequent (nobody needs more email). Including leadership messages like this one is another way I want to stay connected and share what I’m seeing across FOA. 

Curious to know more about FOA's scores? Explore FOA averages for every question in these slides from a recent leadership meeting, along with top scores and key drivers for improvement.

Thank you for your continued dedication and for helping make FOA a place where people work well together, communicate openly and stay engaged in our shared mission.

Your manager should have shared local results with your team recently. Find out more about this year’s Employee Experience Survey, including UC Davis average scores for employee engagement and joining the Employee Experience Network to follow next steps.