Your voice matters. Our annual Staff Engagement Survey launches on Friday 31 October and will remain open for three weeks, closing on Monday, 24 November (9:30am). We’re committed to listening and taking action based on your feedback. To show how your input makes a difference, we’ve highlighted two areas of the University where they used previous survey results to make meaningful improvements for their teams.

Faculty Operating Service, Medicine

Marsha Dearlove, Operations Manager, Faculty Central (Medicine) leads the Faculty Operating Service (FOS) Engagement Group. Marsha says: “We arrange social events, organise training opportunities, and have established a reward scheme to recognise the important contribution our FOS colleagues make in Medicine. We use the Engagement Survey as a springboard to identify what we are doing well, and can replicate, and where we can improve. We use our anonymous survey to fully understand any concerns our colleagues have and identify what we can do to make positive changes. Our aim is simply to make work a better place for all.”

Following the last staff survey, the team identified areas for improvement, particularly around cross-University collaboration and external partnerships. Marsha Dearlove shared: “To strengthen internal connections, we’ve used our regular FOS coffee mornings to invite colleagues from across the University. For example, the Faculty Finance Team joined us in March 2025, and we’ve also welcomed teams like iSolutions and Travelwise (hospital parking).”

In response to feedback on environmental responsibility, the team stopped purchasing plastic cups, used up existing stock, and committed to more sustainable buying practices. This initiative has been rolled out across FOS, and a FOS Sustainability Champion is also in the process of being appointed.

Marsha continues: “To address survey feedback around feeling valued and having a sense of achievement from working at UoS, we launched the FOS Above & Beyond Award. This bi-annual initiative recognises the outstanding contributions of FOS colleagues, with each winner receiving a £50 gift voucher.”

Additionally, a new end-of-year recognition initiative was introduced to highlight the contributions of FOS staff. Faculty colleagues are invited to submit appreciation messages, which are then shared with all FOS staff to ensure their efforts are acknowledged.

The team also regularly organises litter picks around the hospital site, Southampton Common, and the Sports Centre, combining community engagement with team bonding. They have also organised tours of departments including the Centre for Learning Anatomical Sciences and LifeLab to better understand the work happening across the Faculty.

The Library

Lucy Marr, Library Learning and Development Lead, coordinates a range of staff engagement activities across the Library, bringing colleagues together who support wellbeing, development, and sustainability. Lucy says: “We’ve used the Staff Engagement Survey to identify to help pick out areas where we can make a real difference for staff. Everything is done by involving people from across the Library who have something to contribute.”

In response to the category ‘I have the right opportunities to learn and grow at work’, the Library has launched a new mentoring pilot: Meaningful Mentoring. Emma Deacon, one of the mentors says: “For me, mentoring is about creating space for reflection, growth, and confidence building. It’s about supporting someone to navigate change, explore their potential and find their own path.”
“I aspire to be a mentor to support colleagues in navigating workplace challenges and to share relevant insights from my own experiences, contributing to a more inclusive and supportive environment,” adds Izabela Kulanowska Duda. The scheme offers tailored support to help build confidence and connection across teams.

The Library Sustainability Group has been working on increasing awareness and involvement, in response to the category ‘I believe University of Southampton behaves in an environmentally responsible way’. They’ve led initiatives like the ‘Switch It Off’ campaign and creative reuse projects, such as repurposing old stationery for students.
“Our group is engaged, enthusiastic and brimming with ideas!” – says Ric Paul, Head of Partnerships and Place who chairs the group. Their recent staff newsletter highlights sustainability efforts across the Library and University, and encourages staff to get involved.

Lucy adds, “The survey results showed Library staff were unsure about the categories ‘There is good communication and collaboration between different parts of University of Southampton’ and ‘The University builds strong partnerships externally’. We’re doing lots of great collaborating, but we don’t always shout about it! So Library colleagues have been sharing examples of partnership working—through blogs, videos, and team stories. From working with faculties on research and teaching, to partnering with suppliers and international organisations, these stories show the Library’s wide-reaching collaborations.”

Tom McClure, Library Buildings Manager, helped write one of the blogs to show off his team’s ‘behind the scenes’ partnerships, explaining “talking to people in person builds trust and gets things done better and faster. It’s something we do every day, so it was useful to be able to share that approach.”