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State of Employee Listening in Canadian Municipalities – 2026

A National Study Supported by Provincial Municipal Associations Across Canada

About the Study

Municipalities across Canada are placing increasing emphasis on employee listening through surveys, pulse checks, focus groups, and other approaches.

At the same time, many are working through similar questions:

  • Are we using the right approaches?
  • Are we acting effectively on what we hear?
  • How do we compare to other municipalities?

Until now, there has been no clear, shared answer.

The State of Employee Listening in Canadian Municipalities – 2026 is the first national study of its kind, focused specifically on local government.

The study is being conducted with the support of provincial municipal associations across Canada. It has also been tested with HR leaders from municipalities such as the City of New Westminster, BC, the Town of Innisfil, ON, and Rocky View County, AB to ensure it reflects the priorities and realities of the sector.

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Questions? Contact our Research Practice Lead

Sean Fitzpatrick
TalentMap Research Practice Lead

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Why This Study Matters

Municipalities are operating in a more constrained environment:
  • HR teams are stretched
  • Service demands continue to grow
  • Expectations from employees are increasing
Many organizations are collecting feedback. Fewer are consistently able to:
  • Turn feedback into action
  • Show progress to employees
  • Sustain momentum over time

This study provides a practical, sector-specific view of how municipalities are addressing these challenges.

Why Participate

Be Part of the First National Benchmark

This study will establish the first Canada-wide benchmark for employee listening in municipalities. By participating, you are helping to:

Define what current practice looks like across the sector

Ensure the findings reflect real municipal experience

Build a resource that municipalities can use going forward

See Where You Stand

Participants will be able to compare their approach with peers across Canada, including:
How often municipalities are surveying employees
What listening methods are being used
How results are shared with leadership and staff
How organizations are following through on feedback
This is one of the few opportunities to compare your approach using Canadian municipal data rather than private sector or international benchmarks.

Learn From Other Municipalities

This study highlights what municipalities are doing in practice, including:

Approaches that are working well

Common challenges across the sector

Where organizations are struggling to follow through

Many municipalities are working on these issues independently. This study creates an opportunity to learn from each other in a structured and practical way.

Support Better Decisions

The findings can support discussions within your organization, including with:

  • CAOs and executive teams
  • Council
  • HR and departmental leaders


At the same time, your participation helps ensure that other municipalities have access to better information to support their own decisions.

info sheets
data analysis

Contribute to the Sector

This is a shared effort. By participating, you are helping:

  • Build a clearer understanding of employee listening across Canada
  • Support peer learning across municipalities
  • Create a resource that others will rely on


Because this is an invite-only study, each response plays an important role in ensuring the findings are meaningful and representative.

Who Should Participate

We are seeking input from those lead in-house employee listening, including:
  • CAOs and City Managers
  • HR / People & Culture leaders or other responsibility for employee feedback

What You Will Receive

All participants will receive:

  • A summary report of findings across Canadian municipalities
  • An invitation to a session reviewing key insights and practical takeaways

What to Expect

  • Time required: 10 to 15 minutes
  • Confidential: Responses are combined and reported in aggregate
  • Voluntary: You may stop at any time
  • No follow-up: This is a research-only initiative

Contact

Sean Fitzpatrick
TalentMap Research Practice Lead

FAQs

This study is a national research initiative examining how municipalities across Canada collect, use, and act on employee feedback.

It looks at:

  • Listening methods (surveys, pulse, focus groups, etc.)
  • How results are shared
  • How organizations follow through on feedback
  • What challenges municipalities are facing


The goal is to build a clear, practical benchmark specific to Canadian local government.

The study is being conducted by TalentMap, a Canadian firm that has worked with municipalities and public sector organizations on employee listening and engagement for over 25 years.

The research is supported by provincial municipal associations across Canada, helping ensure it reflects the priorities and realities of the sector.

This is an invite-only study.Participants were selected to ensure representation across different provinces and Municipality sizes. Invitations are sent to the CAO or City Manager and / or the most senior HR / People & Culture leader.

This is the first national study of its kind in Canada focused specifically on employee listening in municipalities.

Currently, municipalities have limited ability to:

  • Compare practices with peers
  • Understand what approaches are working across the sector
  • Benchmark against similar organizations


This study aims to fill that gap.

Survey responses will be:

  • Combined with other responses
  • Reported in aggregate only
  • Used to identify patterns, trends, and common practices


No individual municipality or respondent will be identified in any reporting.

Yes. 

All responses are:

  • Confidential
  • Reported only in aggregate form
  • Handled in accordance with professional research standards


No identifiable data will be shared

The survey takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

Participants will receive:

  • A customized report showing how your organization compares to municipalities across Canada on a range of employee listening practices
  • The option to participate in a private briefing, reviewing your results and key insights in the context of the broader municipal sector
  • An invitation to a municipal webinar series, where overall findings and practical implications will be shared


These resources are designed to support informed discussions with your leadership team and Council.

No. This is a research-only initiative. 

There will be no sales follow-up as a result of participation.

Because this is an invite-only study, each response plays an important role.

Your participation helps:

  • Ensure the findings reflect real municipal experience
  • Contribute to peer learning across the sector
  • Build a resource that other municipalities will rely on


Without broad participation, the sector continues to rely on assumptions rather than data.

Sean Fitzpatrick
TalentMap Research Practice Lead
sfitzpatrick@talentmap.com

This study is a shared effort across Canadian municipalities.

By participating, you are contributing to a clearer understanding of how the sector listens to employees and how those practices can be strengthened over time.