How Great Prairie Builds Trust and a 12-Point Jump in Workplace Experience
Location: Ottumwa, IA
Industry: Education
Employees: 150-499
Objective
Gather an employee sentiment baseline and ensure employees have a voice.
Solutions
Workplace Survey, Insights
Results
Great Prairie now uses survey data to create actionable solutions, reaffirm progress, and celebrate monumental shifts in workplace experience, including double-digit increases in key workplace experience themes, plus Top 100 Iowa Top Workplaces recognition.
Great Prairie Area Education Agency’s vision is to make a positive impact for all kids. It’s mission to partner with learners, families, and educators to support success, relies heavily on employee sentiment. And it’s no small operation: Great Prairie services 32 school districts, 2,700 teachers, and over 35,000 students across Southeast Iowa.
In the summer of 2023, Nathan Wood served as Great Prairie’s Director of Human Resources. A few of his education partners and colleagues mentioned the Energage Platform and he was intrigued. “We didn’t have any concrete or any real qualitative data about how staff are feeling,” he commented.
After learning more about Energage’s employee engagement survey and insights tools, Nathan pitched the platform to his Chief of Administration and quickly started surveying employees that year. He said his priority was to get baseline data on how his workforce was feeling about their workload and work environment.
In two short years, Great Prairie’s survey results have been huge. It’s clear that Nathan’s employees see just as much value in Energage’s feedback channels as he does. Nathan also now serves as both Director of HR and Chief Administrator — another indicator that the organization values his direction and actionable impact.
“My number one objective was to get a baseline about how our staff was feeling about their workload, caseload, work environment, and agency priorities. I wanted to create a collaborative environment where staff members had a voice and could address barriers.”
Nathan Wood,
Great Prairie Chief Administrator and Director of HR
Communication is key for survey participation
When first introducing staff to the Energage survey, Nathan knew it was crucial to explain the importance of open and honest communication. “I highlighted that there was no right or wrong answer,” he said. “I encouraged participation and explained that I wanted to use the survey as a way to celebrate success and focus on potential barriers.”
Great Prairie achieves an impressive 90% survey response rate, which is well above average. “I think the high participation numbers echo how easy it was for us to get set up and take the survey,” he shared. “And the results help us celebrate little things that we otherwise take for granted or don’t recognize on a regular basis. In fact, the survey insights have been so meaningful that Nathan created a team to collaborate on the insights and develop action plans.
Sure, Energage survey set up is a breeze, but that high of participation right off the bat shows how well Nathan communicated, and continues to communicate, with his team about the importance of sharing feedback. “I try to be very intentional and make sure staff knows they’re appreciated,” he explained. “There’s a lot of trust in what we do. I want everyone to feel empowered to do the work, put things into action, and make decisions that are best for the kids.”
“We’ve been focusing on acknowledging that there are some problems that we need to address and making sure that we’re coming up with solutions. For example, right now we’re not in an ideal situation with funding. I try to provide direction and transparency.”
Nathan Wood,
Chief Administrator and Director of HR
Survey results reaffirm Great Prairie’s direction
He uses survey data to identify specific pain points, make plans, and improve staff workplace experience. At Energage, most surveying organizations see a few point increases from year to year, but not Great Prairie. Nathan and his team were amazed to see their second-year data soar.
Progress was widespread and improvement was fast. Within just one year, Great Prairie achieved great things: employee motivation increased by 17 points, empowerment to execute increased by 21 points, and company direction increased by 19 points. “Now we know patterns and themes. It helps us identify potential pain points and figure out how to address specific issues,” he added. Then the cycle starts again.
Overall Workplace Experience at Great Prairie has jumped 12 points in one year. Nathan and his new ‘collaborative team’ are having a dramatic impact on employee engagement and organizational direction, reemphasizing the importance of employee appreciation and leadership action. Plus, Nathan said he’s been able to take the insights back to his leadership team to address issues — and celebrate progress — at that level as well.
12+
A 12 point jump in the Workplace Experience shows growth and progress at Great Prairie.
“Our survey results from spring 2024 are one of the biggest growth indicators we have around the direction of our agency. The Energage survey reaffirmed that we are doing the right work and helped drive our priorities for this year.”
Nathan Wood,
Great Prairie Chief Administrator and Director of HR
2025: the year of employee retention at Great Prairie
Retention is a key priority for Nathan this year. After a tough year of legislation in Iowa, Great Prairie lost a few people due to the uncertainty. “Our goal this year is to retain 100% of our staff and ensure everyone feels trusted,” Nathan said proudly. “And empowered and motivated to have an impact. We know all those things contribute to being an Iowa Top Workplace and our retention goals.”
Plus, getting recognized by Top Workplaces helps him celebrate his current progress and employees, who “play a key role in ensuring Great Prairie has a great work environment”. If you ask us, that sounds like a great place to continue to work.
Choose the engagement survey employees trust
Schedule your free demo to unlock insights for continuous improvement
