Image
The Working@Duke team prepares to cover Hurricane Florence in 2018. L-R: Leanora Minai, Stephen Schramm and Jonathan Black with the office's Blue Devil cardboard cutout.
By Leanora Minai
June/July, 2019 Issue
Ties That Bind
This month's cover story, Ties That Bind, originates from your feedback.
In Working@Duke readership surveys, staff and faculty share how personal workplace connections foster teamwork and build community. We explore those sentiments in the cover story.
Beginning on page 4, you'll read about Jefferson Frisbie, Emily Skoczlas, Catherine Liao, Shelton Perry and others who forge special partnerships to meet work goals, while also showing heart.
"When employees possess a deep sense of affiliation with their team members, they are driven to take positive actions that benefit the business — actions they may not otherwise even consider," Gallup's 2017 "State of the American Workplace" report states.
One of our goals is to help build community through the Working@Duke publication, now in its 14th year. We foster connections by including your voice in every story – whether the topic is a health benefit, professional development achievement or discount.
And twice a year, we conduct a readership survey in which we randomly select 5,000 staff and faculty who match Duke's overall workforce demographic. Here are some insights from the April 2019 survey.
Readership
An average of 83 percent of employees who responded to the survey read the publication, and 86 percent enjoy it. Many readers cite Duke benefits among the most favorable content types. One staff member enjoys discovering "news about benefits I didn't know we had." You'll always find a benefits story in each issue. See page 13 to learn how free nutrition consultations helped staff assistant Evan Heisman.
We heard from readers that being able to hold and read the print publication is refreshing. We offer multiple ways – print and digital – to stay informed and engaged. Check for news online each work day at working.duke.edu.
Community
Readers say Working@Duke cultivates belonging. For one staff member, the publication "helps me feel connected and valued at Duke, part of the Duke community." Another staff member wrote, "It's great being informed about my Duke family."
We appreciate your readership. If there's something you would like for us to cover, please write working@duke.edu.