Below are the highlights from our October 2024 culture survey. Of our 26 team members, 20 participated in this round. We share these results openly because it aligns with our value of Honesty and Transparency. You can find the anonymized raw data for the survey here.
Key Survey Findings
Overall Satisfaction
We asked two broad satisfaction questions:
“What is your overall satisfaction with working at FWI?”
“To what extent has working at FWI met your expectations?”
Each question used a 10-point scale (10 = very satisfied/met expectations; 1 = very unsatisfied/unmet expectations). The combined average was 8.2, indicating that most team members remain generally happy with their work at FWI. This is consistent with our January survey results, which also showed an 8.2 average.
Aspects Team Members Like Most
We asked, “What are the 3 things you like most about working at FWI?” Respondents could choose from multiple options, plus add their own. Here are the results:
What are the 3 things you like most about working at FWI?
Category of Responses | No. responses | % of respondents |
Flexibility | 13 | 72% |
Impact / focus on making a difference | 8 | 44% |
Manager support | 8 | 44% |
The work itself is satisfying | 6 | 33% |
Autonomy | 5 | 28% |
Feedback culture | 5 | 28% |
Part of the movement | 5 | 28% |
The colleagues | 4 | 22% |
Support on self-development | 2 | 11% |
Pay / Benefits | 2 | 11% |
Flexibility stood out as by far the most listed benefit of working at FWI. Typically, flexibility is one of the top aspects cited (see our previous culture surveys). Impact and manager support also ranked highly, as they did in January.
One surprising result is that the number of respondents who selected “the colleagues” dropped from 65% in January to 22% now. We suspect our growing departmental structure may have reduced the “single unified team” feeling some employees valued before.
Aspects Team Members Like Least
We asked, “What are the 3 things you like least about working at FWI?”. Again, respondents could choose from multiple options, plus add their own. Here are the results:
What are 3 things you like least about working at FWI?
Category of Responses | No. responses | % of respondents |
|---|---|---|
Feeling of low job security | 13 | 76% |
Uncertainty of impact | 11 | 65% |
Location requirement | 6 | 35% |
Poor team-wide communication / collaboration | 5 | 29% |
Rushing decisions / projects | 4 | 24% |
Lack of training / mentorship | 4 | 24% |
Long / hard work | 4 | 24% |
Not catering to unique skills/work styles | 2 | 12% |
Hierarchy | 2 | 12% |
Poor project management / organization | 1 | 6% |
Feeling of low job security grew from 41% in January to 76% in October. We suspect this is tied to how we framed our new Exploratory Programs Department (ExPros) as a “trial” and that we are still testing multiple program directions. Uncertainty over which program we will eventually focus on also likely explains why 65% of respondents selected “uncertainty of impact”.
Other Insights
When asked, “What are some things that would make your job more fulfilling?” four team members mentioned concerns about work-life balance. Two specifically wanted more frequent remote work options. This fits with the six team members selecting location requirements as an area they liked least.
Four team members felt increased training opportunities could improve their experience at FWI, including two who specifically noted a desire for aquaculture and fish welfare training.
Regarding pay satisfaction, we used a 10-point scale (10 = very satisfied; 1 = very unsatisfied). The average was 7.6.
Planned Changes
After analyzing the survey results, our Managing Director led a team meeting to brainstorm potential solutions. Below are the key steps we plan to implement:
1. Job Security
Clarify Processes: Several team members said they weren’t aware of how FWI handles cases of underperformance. For instance, they didn’t realize we always issue a notice of concern before a termination decision. To address this, we will:
Host an all-team session to walk everyone through our process for underperformance.
Ensure the entire team is promptly informed of any future updates or revisions to that process.
2. Uncertainty of Impact
Communication on Our Progress: Team members felt they lacked clarity on FWI’s broader direction and how individual roles fit into our mission. To remedy this:
We will invite organizational leadership to give periodic presentations on our multi-year vision, including the direction of our programs and each team’s role in achieving our goals.
We will provide more regular updates on the impact we’re making, including progress toward our goal of 20 fish helped per dollar by 2026.
Departmental Collaboration: The concern seemed particularly heightened in the programs department, who are less connected to our future-facing work.
We will consider arranging for the Programs department to shadow the R&D and ExPros departments’ work to understand how ongoing research might shape future initiatives (although we aren’t currently committing to this as we want to consider what it would entail before committing the time and resources).
3. Training Opportunities
This was not raised as a major concern within our survey, but during the team discussion, it was raised as a particular point of interest. Each department has a budget allocated for self-development. As a large portion of the team seems interested in the same training (namely aquaculture and English training), our Managing Director will look into facilitating this.
We recognize that not all suggestions made by the team are being implemented, but we hope these planned changes address the most pressing issues raised by the survey. We appreciate everyone’s open and honest feedback—it helps us continuously improve FWI’s work environment and culture.
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