On Becoming an Employer of Choice: Gauging Employee Satisfaction Through ClimateQUAL®

In 2007, Cornell University Library (CUL) established a strategic goal of becoming an employer of choice. This aspiration is firmly rooted in the belief that the employees' satisfaction has a direct, positive impact on user satisfaction. This article presents a case study of Cornell University Library's use of ClimateQUAL® survey instrument in 2008 to measure CUL employees' perceptions of the library's workplace climate. It illustrates the use of action research methodology for engaging the library community in organizational development, provides examples of actions CUL has taken, and offers general reflections on implications of adapting ClimateQUAL as an assessment instrument in libraries. Cornell University Library's ClimateQUAL results appear to support the hypothesis that a healthy workplace climate as perceived by the employees is positively linked to the satisfaction of the organization's customers.