University Employee Engagement Study Methodology

This research paper describes the design and approbation of the Russian university employees’ engagement study. Employees engagement is one of the most important HR-trends of the XXI century, widely established in the business environment, but little popular in the academic community. The purpose of the study was to develop a tool for university managers to help them build and adjust the personnel policy of the educational organization. The study analysed key models of employee engagement (Aon Hewitt, Gallup Inc., Hay Group etc.), defined indicators and factors of engagement. On the basis of the obtained data, there was designed a methodology to specify the typology of university positions as oriented to the process and customer-oriented management approaches. The methodology was tested, conclusions and recommendations concerning the personnel policy of the educational organization were formulated according to the results of the pilot study. The further research challenge is validating the methodology on a larger sample and on different types of universities. This article can be useful both for universities’ whole management staff within HR-structures and for those who rely upon the employees’ development, potential, loyalty towards the organization, role engagement. Original and new in the article does appear the development of focused methods to be used in higher education institutions.