The USC Employee Insights Survey is our institution’s primary measure of the full-time faculty and staff workplace experience. The survey captures honest feedback on workplace culture, leadership, inclusion, resources, and organizational practices — feedback we use to strengthen USC as a place to work, teach, learn, and lead.

 

Why this matters

Your voice helps shape real change. Survey results guide university-wide priorities, inform resource decisions, and drive measurable improvements to the employee experience. Honest, representative participation is critical: when we hear from a broad cross-section of the community, our actions are better targeted and more effective.

 

About ModernThink and the Great Colleges to Work For® Program

The Employee Insights Survey is administered by ModernThink, a nationally recognized research and consulting organization that specializes in workplace culture in higher education. ModernThink also conducts the Great Colleges to Work For® program, one of the largest and most respected workplace recognition initiatives in the nation.

By partnering with ModernThink, USC gains access to benchmarking data that allows us to compare our results with peer and aspirant institutions across the country. This comparative insight helps identify areas of excellence and opportunities for improvement — ensuring our action plans are informed by proven practices and the highest standards across higher education.

Presidential commitment

The President has committed to running the Employee Insights Survey on a regular 3–4 year cycle and to using the results to set clear institutional priorities. This commitment ensures continuity, accountability, and a sustained focus on improving the day-to-day experience of faculty and staff across USC-Columbia and the Schools of Medicine (Columbia & Greenville).

What we do with the results

• The Presidential Commission on Workplace Insights and Actions reviews institutional results, identifies the top three university-wide priorities, and recommends goals, success metrics, and next steps for leadership.
• Colleges and divisions socialize their results within and develop their own local action plans in parallel to address unit-specific needs. Deans and VPs follow a standardized process for socializing results and planning local actions.
• Progress on agreed priorities is measured and reported so the community can see real outcomes.
  
  

Confidentiality & trust

Protecting anonymity is essential. The independent survey administrator (ModernThink) follows strict confidentiality protocols to ensure responses cannot be traced back to individuals. Where small group sizes (less than five) could jeopardize anonymity, comments and granular data will not be released. This protects respondents and preserves the integrity of the process.

Pulse surveys & follow-up

Between full survey cycles, we monitor progress with targeted pulse surveys and, when needed, custom follow-ups to track emerging or acute issues. The Presidential Commission may request pulse work to inform timely action.

How you can engage

• Complete the survey when invited — your participation matters.
• Encourage colleagues to participate so results reflect the full diversity of USC’s faculty and staff.
• If you are a Dean/VP or action-planning chair, use the standardized Teams site and resources provided for consistent, evidence-based planning.
  
  

Resources & contacts

• Learn about the Presidential Commission (charter, membership, timeline).
• Explore action-planning templates, communication guides, and facilitation tools — accessible to designated leaders and action planning committee members through the Teams site.
• For questions or to seek access, contact: Division of Human Resources, Office of Organizational and Professional Development at HRTrain@mailbox.sc.edu.