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People and Workplace Culture Resource Center

Topic

At every institution, the most important asset for fulfilling their highest-order strategic ambitions—whether those be delivering on a high-quality student experience or driving local and regional economic development—is people. But high levels of staff turnover, increased competition with out-of-sector organizations, and widespread faculty and staff disengagement pose a growing threat to higher ed’s ability to achieve these and other critically important aims.

To improve their market competitiveness and ultimately become employers of choice, colleges and universities must treat talent as a strategic asset and make new investments to help attract, retain, and engage talented faculty and staff.

Interested in rethinking your performance management infrastructure? Register for our Build a High-Performing Workforce webinar this fall.

Our research on people and workplace culture is organized around two critical priorities: the modern talent function and the faculty and staff experience. Click the subcategories below to jump to resources within that section.

Recommended Reading

Jump into EAB's people and workplace culture research with three of our most popular resources.
  1. Higher Ed’s Talent Imperative

    Learn five critical dimensions of change that have reshaped the competitive landscape for talent and require institutions to manage their talent as a strategic asset.

  2. Market-Credible Staff Compensation Playbook

    Explore four imperatives to bolster your institution’s competitiveness on pay and make the most of limited salary dollars.

  3. Succession Planning Toolkit

    Download EAB’s Succession Planning Toolkit to unlock seven essential tools designed to address the most common challenges in traditional succession planning.

Develop Your Employee Value Proposition

In the past, higher ed institutions relied on their mission-driven orientation, traditional benefits, and institutional brand to attract and retain talented employees. Today, though, these are no longer sufficient, especially since institutions are increasingly compete head-to-head with out-of-sector employers. While most colleges and universities will not be able to win on salaries alone, campus leaders must take steps to avoid immediately losing on pay while also adapting their talent strategy to better align with employee needs and values.

For an introduction to staff compensation strategy geared toward campus leaders without HR backgrounds, check out our research report.
Tool

Market-Credible Staff Compensation Playbook

EAB identified four imperatives for campus leaders to boost the market credibility of staff compensation and make the…
Strategic Advisory Services
Research Report

4 Misconceptions About Employee Value Propositions that Every Campus Leader Needs to Confront

Campus leaders need a compelling employee value proposition to attract and retain top talent, given higher ed’s weaker…
Strategic Advisory Services

Create Flexible Work Arrangements and Spaces

Employees want flexible work options, but they are especially difficult to implement in campus environments that value in-person service interactions and have such diverse employee groups, roles, and requirements for on-campus work. To navigate the rise in hybrid and remote work, institutions must create clear, equitable policies that advance institutional goals and adapt their campus space and management practices accordingly.
Resource Center

Remote Work and Hybrid Workplace Resource Center

See EAB’s top resources for addressing the challenges and alleviating the pain points common to remote work.
Strategic Advisory Services

Strengthen Candidate Experience and Recruitment

Amid increased staff turnover, heightened competition with out-of-sector employers, and lofty ambitions to diversify the higher ed workforce, institutions have little choice but to rethink how they recruit top talent. Candidate expectations for streamlined hiring processes and a personalized experience are higher than ever. Yet, most institutions overburden candidates with difficult processes, fail to explain why they should choose their institution over another employer, and miss out on opportunities to diversify their talent pool. To successfully compete in today’s hiring market, colleges and universities must redesign their recruiting and hiring processes to offer a compelling candidate experience at every stage of the process.

Get started by requesting a Job Description Audit or an Employment Website Audit for tailored improvement recommendations from EAB experts.
Research Report

Recruitment Strategies to Win Over Top External Talent

This report outlines the urgency drivers for why higher ed must modernize its recruiting and onboarding strategies to…
Strategic Advisory Services
Tool

13 tools to elevate diversity in the faculty hiring process

Despite a diversifying student population, the racial demographics of the faculty at colleges and universities has remained largely…
Strategic Advisory Services

Reimagine HR Organization and Management

Amid high levels of turnover and increased competition with out-of-sector organizations, institutions are asking more of their HR function than ever before. However, many higher ed HR units have not adapted their activities, roles, or structures to meet these changing expectations. To improve efficiency, data-driven decision making, and the employee experience, institutions must restructure and upskill their HR teams.

To start, check out our blog on three competencies that chief human resource officers need to possess to lead a strategic HR function.
Tool

Applying People Analytics to Business Problems

Use this guide to identify high- and low-ROI hiring practices and inefficiencies, and recommend process improvements and budget…
Strategic Advisory Services
Research Report

The High-Efficiency HR Department

This study outlines 12 best practices to increase staff productivity and capacity by optimizing department operations and refocusing…
Strategic Advisory Services
Tool

Performance Management Resource Center

Use our guide to prioritize continuous feedback in higher ed performance management and discover 10 tools to help…
Strategic Advisory Services

Boost Engagement and Well-being

Higher ed faculty and staff increasingly feel burnt out and disengaged, which poses risks to productivity, satisfaction, and retention. To better support their workforce, campus leadership teams must more effectively manage workloads and make targeted investments in engagement and well-being resources.
Infographic

105 Tactics to Improve Employee Engagement

Higher education institutions are confronting high rates of employee turnover and disengagement. To help leaders understand a range…
Strategic Advisory Services for Community Colleges
Tool

Toolkit for Building an Anti-Burnout Workplace Culture in Academic Affairs

This toolkit provides guidance on how to emphasize your institution's commitment to well-being, reflect on current pain points,…
Strategic Advisory Services
Roadmap

Align Workloads and Schedules with Student Demand

Instructional costs, primarily faculty compensation and benefits, are the largest single budget line item for nearly every university—and…
Strategic Advisory Services

Foster an Inclusive Workplace Climate

Creating an inclusive climate is good for both employees and institutions because it improves engagement, retention, and business outcomes. Yet, higher ed’s current climate is often more exclusionary than inclusive. Given that inclusion is a top criteria among younger generations of the workforce, colleges and universities must take steps to address exclusionary decision-making, behaviors, and evaluations across their campus.

For more on building an inclusive campus climate and championing equity, explore the DEIJ Resource Center.
Research Report

Create a Higher Ed Workplace Culture Where Faculty and Staff Want to Stay

To tackle the emerging employee attrition crisis, higher ed cabinet leaders must include institutional climate in their retention…
Strategic Advisory Services
Infographic

3 Reasons Why Faculty and Staff Leave Their Jobs Due to Climate

This infographic outlines how higher ed institutions can foster inclusive campus climate among leaders, managers, and colleagues.
Strategic Advisory Services
Tool

Climate Feedback Gathering and Action Planning Toolkit for Higher Ed

Use this toolkit to center faculty and staff needs when planning or responding to an employee climate survey.
Strategic Advisory Services

Encourage Career and Leadership Development

While campus leaders often assume compensation is the top source of higher ed staff dissatisfaction, it is actually career development and advancement. In fact, many high-performing staff are leaving higher ed for out-of-sector positions that offer better and faster career trajectories. To retain top performers, bolster their leadership pipeline, and increase workforce capacity, institutions must offer structured career pathways, professional and leadership development programs, and advancement opportunities for faculty and staff.

If you're looking for professional development opportunities, don't miss EAB's Rising Higher Education Leaders Fellowship.
Roadmap

Build a Research-Focused Faculty Development Program

Many faculty are not provided the same training and support necessary for conducting research as they receive for…
Strategic Advisory Services
Tool

Succession Planning Toolkit

This succession planning toolkit helps university leaders identify and develop potential successors for critical roles across campus.
Strategic Advisory Services

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