Why You Should Run an Employee Engagement Survey

We believe every organization with more than a handful of employees should run an employee engagement survey annually or biennially (depending on your circumstances). Employee surveys ‘done right’ are the most efficient and effective tool to open up two-way conversations between management and staff.

The top four reasons why our clients use employee engagement surveys:

1. Measurement is required to drive change. The adage ‘you can’t manage what you can’t measure’ holds true now more than ever. Investment in your employees (salaries, benefits, training, etc.) represents the single biggest line item for most organizations. Yet, most executives don’t have a good read on the productive value of their workforce. Properly executed employee surveys provide of productivity which allow executives to act and drive change with more confidence.

2. Priority setting is required to allocate scarce resources. Some organizations are ready to change but need help to prioritize options. With limited resources, executives in these organizations must systematically pinpoint factors that are valuable to employees and have the greatest impact on business results. A professionally run employee engagement survey not only identifies these but also prioritizes them and their relative importance. This insight gives executives a ranked list of priorities for action.

3. Front-line and mid-level management buy-in is critical for successful implement of strategy. The executive team may have closely collaborated to create a ‘compelling vision for the future’, but without front-line and mid-level manager buy-in, failure is all but certain. A strategically aligned employee engagement survey is an invaluable tool for measuring supervisor and management support. It’s also an effective way to communicate the intended strategic priorities.

4. Myth busting information is needed to make progress or overcome obstacles. Workplace myths take on a life of their own. Allowing them to fester unchecked can create major obstacles to change. ‘Work-life balance’ is a good example. It is a topic often raised as a concern by a vocal minority, but it is seldom a real concern to the silent majority. A well-run employee engagement survey will systematically eliminate long-held corporate myths by using data and facts to drive decisions, not squeaky wheels.