It’s no secret that a career in Higher Education can be tremendously rewarding. Our own data shows that employees across the country enjoy the purpose-driven nature of their work. They also feel a real camaraderie with their colleagues, while treasuring their unique learning and working environments. According to a report by the UCEA titled Transforming HEIs: Creating an impactful Employee Value Proposition, a greater percentage of HE employers offer counselling (96%) than employers in the wider economy, HEIs tend to have better family-friendly policies and they tend to have superior pension schemes.
Clearly, there is plenty to love about work life in an HEI, but there are, as with any sector, notable areas for improvement. Chief of these concerns is, perhaps, the issue of employee morale. A quick online search will reveal many articles outlining the morale problem within HE. suggesting it’s the leading cause of HE’s looming retention problem. According to our own benchmark data, only 69% of HE employees agree that they would like to still be working at their HEI in two years’ time.
So the question becomes, how do we turn things around? How can we improve employee morale within our HEIs, retain our employees and provide them with an overall better, more motivating employee experience?
After working with 70+ universities within the UK, we have extensive data highlighting areas for improvement when it comes to employee morale. Below are five areas of focus and actionable tips on how to turn things around.
Read further: 7 Current trends in employee wellbeing for 2025
Our data shows that just under six in ten employees in HE feels valued and recognised for the work they do. This lack of recognition is compounded by long hours, and employees often feel they are going above and beyond for their place of work, but aren’t appreciated for their efforts.
Recognition is one of the three Rs of employee retention, and it’s easy to see why. Studies have repeatedly shown that employees who feel valued and recognised have better morale, perform better and are more likely to stick around for the long term. Harvard Business Review confirms that employees who feel respected and appreciated are also more loyal to their companies.
To improve employee morale in a meaningful way, HE leaders need to take the time to show employees they are valued – that they play an integral role within the institution. This can be done in many ways. Employees tend to feel valued when offered learning and development opportunities, as well as career growth plans which align with their long-term career goals. HEIs can also work on acknowledging achievements, milestones and other special events. We recommend our clients take a personal approach to recognition, where possible, by understanding how each individual prefers to be recognised.
Some of our HEI partners have addressed the issue of employees feeling valued by encouraging their staff to share the good work done by their colleagues, linking them to their company values where appropriate.
Providing regular, relevant feedback to employees is key, and frequent one-on-ones between manager and employee can help. A lack of feedback can leave employees feeling overlooked and underappreciated.
Unsurprisingly, workload is an issue that often presents itself as a leading stressor for employees within HE. In fact, only 55% of employees in HE believes their workload to be reasonable. Overwhelming workloads within HE can be exacerbated by issues such as positions not being filled or excessive bureaucracy. The knock-on effects of an unrealistic workload are clear and damaging – stress, burnout and disengagement, to name a few. In fact, research shows that issues relating to work load is the leading reason behind workplace stress – so this is clearly something worth addressing as a matter of urgency.
It’s easy for workloads to creep up to unmanageable amounts in a relatively short space of time. It can happen without anyone really noticing – that is, until the effects of burnout begin to show. To prevent this happening, it’s important to foster regular, open communication. Many HEIs we work with have made strides to engage employees in discussions regarding their workloads, starting by setting realistic goals to set standards and expectations. SMART goals can be useful to ensure objectives are stretching without being unreasonable.
To improve employee morale, frequent discussions should be held between manager and employee During these meetings, managers can ask questions about stress levels. Let employees know that they can be honest, and that they will be given the support they need to perform the function of their jobs, whether it’s further training or a reallocation of work. It’s best to introduce an open-door policy for employees, should they feel overwhelmed or unable to cope.
Related: Check out the five biggest workplace challenges facing academics in HE, according to our data
One area where HEs need to focus their attentions is senior leadership. More specifically, the relationship between employees and senior leadership. Our data shows only 48% of HE employees have confidence in their senior leadership team, compared to 63% of the private sector. Furthermore, only 46% of HEI employees see their senior leaders as open and approachable.
Within HE, senior leadership is often perceived to be very much an old-fashioned ‘command and control’ version of leadership, with strict top-down decision making. Employees also report a lack of inclusive and empathetic management practices.
Unsurprisingly, leaders play a crucial role when it comes to employee morale, providing clarity of vision. This vision helps to create a sense of purpose and direction. When this vision is lacking, employees inevitably feel a degree of uncertainty and frustration. Our data shows that only 35% of HE employees feel they know how well their institution is performing against its own objectives.
As with any relationship, the first step to improving connections in this area is to prioritise communication. Employees should feel able to approach their senior leaders and discuss issues relating to their jobs and the institution as a whole. They should have a say in matters that impact them. For more information on how to improve relationships in this area, check out our guide on better employer-employee relationships
To start improving relationships in this area, it would be a good idea to start with a 360 feedback tool to get a good idea as to how your employees think and feel about the leadership at their institution. Once you are armed with data, you are better able to make decisions about how to move forward in a meaningful way.
No matter the industry or sector, employees want to feel heard. They like to have their say in how their business or institution is run. They like to feel that their insights are valued, and valuable. And, of course, they are. You can only run a successful business when you understand how your employees feel, what motivates them and what roadblocks they have that impede real productivity.
To understand the employee experience at your HEI and to understand how you can best engage your employees while boosting morale, we recommend carrying out regular employee surveys. Here at People Insight, we work with 77 Higher Education Institutions, meaning we have valuable and unparalleled benchmark data for you to compare your HEI against other leading HEs, including Russell Group and post-1992 institutions.
Of course, carrying out surveys is only the beginning. Unless surveys are followed by action and change, employees quickly become disillusioned, and morale plummets. Our own data shows that employees within HEs don’t have much faith that action will be taken following surveys, with only 40% believing anything will change as a result.
Employees want to know their voices are heard and their opinions will be considered. Once you get the results of your survey, choose the most pressing action points and commit to change, keeping your employees updated as you go. Our employee experience experts can work closely with you to interpret your results and recommend meaningful steps to take to enact real change. Show your employees that speaking up and sharing their insights can have a real-world impact and change their Higher Education Institution, and their own employee experience, for the better.
For more insights into work life in Higher Education, check out our report on what it’s really like to work in HE. We outline the drivers of engagement, what employees struggle with and where HEIs stand in comparison to the private and public sectors.
