Employee engagement surveys have become a top priority in modern organisations—and for good reason. Engaged employees are more productive, innovative, and loyal, which ultimately leads to greater profitability and a stronger competitive edge. But how can we truly understand and optimize the employee experience within an organisation?
This assessment, crafted using the latest research and methodologies, offers valuable insights. Nevertheless, analysing and interpreting the results can be a complex and labor-intensive task. Here, we provide essential tips to transform employee engagement survey data into a clear and actionable plan for the company.
Understand the Elements of an Employee Engagement Survey
Before diving into the analysis, review the components of your company’s engagement survey:
- Main topics: surveys typically cover various topics, such as work-life balance, salary, bonuses, additional motivational measures, career advancement opportunities, work environment, and leadership effectiveness, among others.
- Question Types: Surveys may use different types of questions and rating scales. These can range from multiple-choice and Likert scale questions (strongly disagree to strongly agree) to open-ended and open-ended responses.
- Data Types: Each question and topic generate different types of data that need to be interpreted. This includes quantitative data (ratings, scores) and qualitative data (written responses, comments).
Identify Trends and Patterns
When analysing survey data, don’t forget to compare it with results from previous years or quarters; examine differences according to various indicators (age, department, location); and look for correlations between different variables. For instance, a correlation between low employee loyalty to the organization and dissatisfaction with salary could indicate that salary plays a significant role in employee loyalty.
Turn Insights into Specific Actions
Employee engagement surveys provide many valuable insights for an organisation, but it is important to convert these into specific actions you plan to implement. Here are some key tips:
- Prioritise: Based on the severity and impact of the identified issues, determine the priorities for areas that need immediate attention.
- Create an Action Plan: Based on the results, create specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) plans to address priority areas. These plans should clearly outline objectives, initiatives, resources, and timelines for implementation.
- Communicate: Clearly communicate and share the results of the employee engagement survey with all employees, informing them of the conclusions and planned actions. This transparency will help increase trust and your commitment to addressing their concerns.
- Ask Feedback: Collect feedback from employees on the projects that have been implemented. This will make it easier to assess their effectiveness and, if necessary, make adjustments.
Look Beyond Quantitative Data
While quantitative data provides valuable information and summaries, do not overlook the qualitative data in engagement surveys:
- Open-ended Question Responses: Analyse the answers to open-ended questions to understand what lies beneath the numbers. This helps delve into employee experiences and identify specific challenges or success stories.
- Focus Groups: Conduct focus group discussions with employees from various demographic groups to gain deeper insights and opinions for future improvements.
Tips for Successful Analysis
- Involve All Participants and Interested Employees: Engage key participants, such as team leaders, to leverage their diverse perspectives and experiences.
- Utilize Visualization Tools: Use charts and graphs to present complex data clearly and concisely.
- Leverage Expert and Technological Tools: Employ expert advice or technology-based tools to aid in both the analysis and implementation strategy stages. Remember, employee engagement surveys and result analysis should not be a one-time event but an ongoing process. By regularly conducting assessments, analysing the results, and translating insights into specific actions, your organisation can continuously strive for success.
Looking for a proven solution? Preparing for a survey? Contact us and we will provide detailed information about the possibilities of employee engagement surveys: easy administration, evaluation of various areas, comparison of results with the average of other organisations, comprehensive reporting, and much more—all in one place.
Related articles
UNLOCK Tests platform for your business