What were originally just check-ins are now very powerful tools to change workplaces for the better — engagement staff survey have come a long way since their inception. These surveys, when crafted well, reveal employee morale productivity and loyalties towards an organization.
But there is a catch: Only the right questions give you insights that move your needle to action. With that in mind, here are seven questions every company should consider asking their workforce, so that their engagement staff survey doesn’t remain just another mundane paperwork, but becomes an instrument for real change. Ready to learn the secrets? Let’s roll!
Your employees have a need for purpose and when they do find it, your business could strike motivational gold. This is a deep digging question for measuring employee engagement, where it questions the employees if their role is something bigger than themselves? When people feel that their work is meaningful and more than just a paycheck to paycheck, efficiency naturally follows. They bring more of themselves to work with a resulting uptick in productivity. And guess what? They stick around, too.
Take Patagonia, for instance. It is more than an outdoor apparel company; it aims to save the planet. Addressing this mission, Patagonia allows employees to volunteer for social and environmental causes during work hours as well as paid days off.
The result? Employees know they are part of a campaign, not just an organization. In Patagonia´s engagement staff survey, purpose-oriented questions routinely confirms that employees are strongly connected to the company values. And this results in a passionate and motivated workforce.
Support can really make or crush an employee experience. Good managers inspire loyalty and power, but bad ones drive talent out the door. Supported employees are more resilient, adaptable and willing to go that bit mile. Studies show that in the absence of support, employees become uninspired and they can also feel anxious or less productive.
With a reputation for being the tech darling known for its office culture, HubSpot didn’t squander it: they did their own employee engagement survey and saw that remote employees felt left in the cold. In order to combat this, HubSpot created a comprehensive manager check-in program where managers are expected regularly connect with their team members regarding goal statuses, challenges they’ve faced and well-being.
The company also offered a wellness allowance that employees can use to buy mental health resources. Measuring employee engagement revealed a 20% increase in individuals who claimed they felt supported, and employee engagement was higher than ever—hubspot’s culture remained intact, carrying their employees through to those testing times of WFH.
Would you try to win a race in that car that was out of gas? It’s frustrating, right? Without the proper software, staffing or even physical equipment this is what employees are going through. This question reveals if your team is being given the tools necessary to succeed. When employees feel that they have the right tools to succeed, the quality of their output goes up drastically.
In the early days, Slack had its growing pains. As employee numbers and project demands increased, Slack’s team found themselves without the tools to handle communication effectively.
Using the results of engagement staff survey, they were able to identify those bottlenecks and as a result Slack has improved its internal tools and streamlined communication protocols.
The result? A significant surge in project efficiencies, and follow-up surveys showed up to 200% better job satisfaction. Slack learned that removing the roadblocks of frustrated employees, led to higher levels of satisfaction and performance.
Every one hopes to rise in their career and if employees sense that they are stagnant, they eventually will end up searching for jobs elsewhere. This question is to find out whether your team envisions longevity with you. Employers who actively promote internal mobility and training often experience higher engagement levels. By delivering a straightforward track for advancement, your employees feel invested in your company.
The “Check-in” mechanism was a groundbreaker for Adobe and it re-defined career growth within the organization. This was not just a performance review, rather it’s an ongoing conversation between managers and employees regarding what they want to achieve while fine-tuning a development path.
Adobe has these conversations with employees every quarter, discussing goals and challenges as well as development opportunities. Measuring employee engagement through internal and third-party surverys it was revealed that Adobe employees are more satisfied with their career paths and engagement levels are significantly higher than top industry norms. Adobe has shown that investing in employee development is going to keep them committed and fired up.
You have to give your team a place (in the form of Slack channels if you are using it internally) where they can truthfully share their thoughts and ideas, without fear. Transparency is also a tool for encouraging innovation and building trust in-house. This is a question aimed at understanding how safe the employee feels psychologically within all edges of work.
Feedbacks are both liberating and intimidating at Netflix. Netflix, has a “freedom and responsibility” policy so employees are encouraged to speak up, share new ideas or give candid feedback. Employee engagement survey results has indicated a culture of openness that have been an absolute game changer for Netflix.
This is led into a highly innovative work culture where employees are aware of the importance and value towards their ideas or opinions. Netflix, is yet another disruptor in the industry that benefits from real-time feedback if they face struggles and need to pivot.
One of the easiest and most impactful motivators to use in an organization is recognition. Recognition of your employees work improves job satisfaction and reduces turnover. Inquiring into this provides insight as to whether your team feel appreciated, and therefore gives insights of improving recognition practices.
Here is an example of a peer-to-peer recognition program that reflects the values and culture at Zappos, the well-known online retailer with top-notch customer service. Workers can nominate one another for awards-aligned with company ideals.
It has fostered a culture of continuous recognition on a very authentic and constant basis, not something limited to traditional reviews. The data from engagement staff survey confirms that Zappos has not seen a decrease in customer service or level of employee loyalty in years. They have built this concrete foundation by making sure its employees feel valued and appreciated.
Nothing erodes trust faster than a company not carrying through on its values. The employees want to see their leaders/company as a whole living up to the words what they write on office posters or in those yearly handbook. TBH this is a reality check Question — Are you practicing what you’re preaching?
Ben & Jerry’s is known to be a fun-loving ice cream company, but you cannot overlook the fact they are social activists at its core. Ben & Jerry’s began on a good footing by reflecting on its own values in the way it does business – striving for social initiatives through active involvement of employees.
The values are checked each quarter against employee commitment to them and revised accordingly in programs. Employees deeply resonate with the brand having a purpose beyond profits, and this alignment motivates loyalty and engagement. Ben & Jerry’s lives up to company values which shouts out loud that isn’t just about image—it’s about building a workforce that’s proud to stand by those values.
Here is the reality: an engagement staff survey that stays in a spreadsheet and collects dust may as well not exist. The real power of these surveys comes in the follow-up — a manager’s action that let the employees know that their feedback isn’t just background noise, but rather they are genuinely appreciated.
This, more than anything else drives up trust amongst employees. When employees have the insights that their engagements are truly paying-off in the company’s long run future participation skyrockets. So how do you take feedback and make it the fuel for your growth?
Let’s break it down.
Prioritize Issues: Surveys always bring out patterns, and highlights areas where employees want to see changes. Grab those top ones and prioritize them — but don’t stop there. Choose Goals That Are Specific and Actionable…For example, if a significant number of employees are experiencing limited growth opportunities, an action involving opening of new internal mobility programs or resources for skill development is advisable. If you act as if employee concerns were important, then that’s what your message to the employees is, it say out loud that: “Your experience counts here”
Communicate the Plan: Transparency Fosters Accountability. Communicate key insights from the survey with all employees Share where key focus areas lie and lay out a specific, realistic action plan. For example, if workplace flexibility emerges as a high priority, communicate how leadership plans to enhance remote work options or flexible hours. It’s all about making your employees a part of the journey — versus handing out just an outline.
Follow Up Consistently: Change must be followed-up. Regular pulse surveys can track progress and keep that all important feedback loop open. Use these mini-surveys to gauge whether initial steps are effective or we need re-calibration. When you follow up, it lets employees know that their voices are a part of an ongoing discussion and not just another check mark on the list.
Building engagement staff survey into your core, you are developing a culture where every voice matters and trust is fostered so that all employees can know they have real value in the organisation.
The result? A team that is more than just present there and they are invested in the company’s mission and vision. In the end it’s not just about measuring employee engagement and collecting data but rather creating a workplace where employees prosper and engagement takes care of itself.
While annual surveys are standard, many companies benefit from more frequent “pulse surveys,” especially if undergoing changes. Quarterly or biannual surveys offer timely insights without overwhelming employees.
Assure employees of anonymity and emphasize that constructive feedback will lead to positive changes. An external survey provider can also ensure that responses remain confidential.
A mix is ideal. Scaled questions provide quantitative data, while open-ended questions offer context and depth, particularly for complex issues.
Surveys shouldn’t take longer than 20-30 minutes. Keep questions focused on critical areas to prevent survey fatigue and ensure accurate responses.
Communicate results within a month, outlining key findings and next steps. This demonstrates transparency and commitment to acting on feedback.
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