How Do We Compile and Interpret Engagement Surveys?
[Workforce Management | March 3, 2011]
Do it gradually and consistently, aiming for a participation rate
of at least 75 percent the first year. Once the data is in, be
deliberate in using the data to make judgments.
Q: I would like to know more about employee engagement surveys.
What should be its aims and objectives, the key areas covered, and how
can we make sense of the results?
- Puzzled productivity consultant, government, Mauritius
A: First, it's important to define the concept of engagement. Leigh
Branham, author of the book Re-Engage: How America's Best Places to
Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times, describes it as a
strong "emotional and intellectual connection" that employees have with
their job, organization or boss. Because of this relationship or
connection, employees are more likely to put forth extra effort.
The engagement survey can help your company determine how committed
employees are and how this commitment influences their work effort. One
software firm I know of uses engagement items such as "being proud to
work for the company, or motivated to go beyond what is expected," to
measure employees' engagement. It found that highly engaged employees
are 1.3 times more likely to be high performers than those with lower
engagement - and five times less likely to leave the company
voluntarily.
We suggest that the engagement survey should cover the following areas:
1. Satisfaction with the job or organization.
2. Commitment to the work, supervisor or organization.
3. Willingness to encourage a friend to join the company and be an advocate of the firm.
A few sample statements in a survey might be the following: "I am
satisfied with this company as a place to work or in my work unit," "You
can feel the high energy and excitement" or "My manager inspires the
best in people." The resulting data enables managers and employees to
identify any obstacles that might get in the way of satisfaction, or
reveal things that are not working and require attention.
Experts suggest aiming for an employee participation rate of 75
percent during the first year of the survey. Once you compile the data,
it is important to be deliberate in making judgments. This is one piece
of information regarding the health of the organization. The senior
management team or a project team should be assigned to oversee the
effort and lead employee focus groups.
In our experience, focused work on areas of improvement can produce
the desired behavior changes within six to nine months. However, don't
start the survey unless your organization is committed to acting on the
data, and to maintaining open communication regarding change
initiatives. It is a highly effective way to know how your employees
view their work and company.
[Source: Sherry Benjamins, S. Benjamins & Co. Inc., Seal Beach, California]
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