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Net Promoter Score

About the metric

The net promoter score measures how willing an individual is to recommend positively an institution to other people such as family, friends, peers, or professional associates. This metric assesses loyalty, engagement and advocacy.  It is an indication of an individual’s actual experience and sentiment. If a person feels good about their organization or work group, they’ll be more likely to go above and beyond and actively look for ways to improve the organization, including by sharing their positive experience with others.  

Why the Net Promoter Score matters at Cornell University?

It’s no secret that high turnover and low productivity can be costly to any organization, including for us here at Cornell University.  Measuring faculty and staff net promoter score is a way to be proactive and identify any signs of workplace dissatisfaction so we can monitor and improve the faculty and staff experience. When faculty and staff are engaged, they are eager to come to work, motivated to perform, and seek out new and creative ways to improve. Committed and engaged faculty and staff are more likely to recommend their employer as an amazing place to work to others.

At Cornell, we believe that we’re not just hiring people, we’re unleashing their potential.  Cornell is only as strong as our people. Today, being an agile, innovative organization requires balancing the need to bring in fresh ideas and perspectives, with the continuity and context that comes from within.  We do this with a commitment to talent management. Attracting and hiring the best faculty and staff is critical, but only the first step. Our focus continues through developing, engaging, and retaining people in a way that matches their individual career interests with the needs and priorities of the university. Employees come onboard excited to join our educational mission and our commitment to excellence. The last thing we want to hear is that talented Cornellians are leaving simply because they couldn’t advance their career or weren’t engaged.

Actions and Initiatives

  • Be open to receiving feedback. Cultivate an environment where people are comfortable sharing feedback.
  • Provide empowerment and authority. Ensure that faculty and staff are empowered and take responsibility for how they do their jobs.
  • Provide opportunity for growth.  Encourage faculty and staff to continue to develop their skills and careers.
  • Consider wellbeing of faculty and staff. Caring for all the dimensions of wellbeing enables individuals to be their best at work and beyond.
  • Recognition. Provide feedback to individuals about their performance, growth prospects, accomplishments, and areas needing improvement regularly.

Resources and Readings