Welch College received notification that it has been certified as a 2018 Best Christian Workplace in the United States, according to Dr. Kevin Hester, Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness. This is the fourth time the college has participated in the BCW survey. The survey has been conducted for the past twelve years by the Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI)—anonymously surveying over 100,000 employees to date.
“This is the most widely used assessment instrument for gauging the health of workplace culture,” Hester said. “Welch regularly uses it as one of several means whereby we judge the health of the overall organization and constantly strive for improvement. We’re excited to learn that once again our results have qualified us as a Best Christian Workplace. The survey results indicate that not only is Welch College a great place to study and learn, but it has a flourishing culture and engaged staff committed to our mission of educating leaders to serve Christ, His Church, and His world. I love going to work at Welch College, and I am grateful to have such a Christ-like, committed group of fellow believers as coworkers.”
To be certified as a Best Christian Workplace, organizations must complete the BCWI employee engagement survey and meet predetermined standards of excellence. The survey covers such issues as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, Christian witness, supervisory effectiveness, work satisfaction, personal growth and development, management effectiveness, supporter satisfaction, teamwork, communications, and pay and benefits.
The top five most favorable responses from Welch employees, in comparison to other Certified Best Christian Workplaces, were:
–Over the past year, Welch College has met its goals.
–Welch College retains highly capable staff/employees.
–I would prefer to remain with Welch College even if a comparable role at a higher pay level were
available in another organization.
–Welch College has an effective strategy for meeting the needs of those we serve.
–There is a high level of trust between leaders and staff/employees at Welch College.
The anonymous survey of full-time employees at Welch College had a 97% response rate. The survey posed 60 questions to employees, grouped under nine major areas: Fantastic Teams, Life-Giving Work, Outstanding Talent, Uplifting Growth, Rewarding Compensation, Inspirational Leadership, Sustainable Strategy, Healthy Communication, and Engagement Overall. Welch scored above the average of Certified Best Christian Workplaces in all nine areas.
Welch Provost Dr. Matthew McAffee said, “One of the top marks of effective organizations is that a lot of people want to work there, and when they come to work there, they don’t want to leave. We’re grateful we have this at Welch, and it’s gratifying to see it evidenced in this national survey.”
The top eleven questions employees rated Welch highest on, and which received a rating of greater than 4.6 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being “strongly agree,” were:
–In my area we work effectively as a team.
–I am very satisfied with the opportunities I have to use my spiritual gifts in my role.
–The mission and goals at Welch College make me feel my work is important.
–My supervisor cares about me as a person.
–My supervisor helps me to solve work-related problems.
–Leaders at Welch College exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
–Leaders at Welch College demonstrate compassion for people at all levels.
–Leaders at Welch College keep a focus on putting Christ first in daily decision-making.
–Welch College reflects Christ to the world.
–I would recommend that my family/friends use or support the programs/services of Welch College.
–I am motivated to put in extra effort beyond what is expected to help Welch College succeed.
BCWI is a research-based organization and human resources consulting firm based in Mercer Island, Washington. Its purpose is to serve faith-based organizations by creating processes of discovery, facilitating organizational effectiveness, and encouraging practices that build healthy workplaces.
For more information on Welch College, visit Welch.edu. To give a gift to fund the construction of the new Welch campus, visit BuildingontheLegacy.com.