Engagement Surveys – in or out?

They have traditionally been the go-to tool for many leaders and HR professionals to gauge the current culture of the organisation, but the question must be asked, do they still have a role to play?

I’ve worked in many internal HR roles where we conducted an annual engagement survey to assess the current state of the organisation, often through third party providers. We would use this insight to assess the engagement of employees, what is working well and what needs to be improved. We’d traditionally ask questions to obtain feedback on leaders within the organisation, communication, pay and benefits, career growth and learning and development opportunities, clarity around role responsibilities etc. 

When this is done well and the feedback is seriously considered with key improvement initiatives implemented it can be helpful, but the question I have to ask is it too late? Is there a more effective way to gauge this in real time and instead focus on addressing concerns as and when they arrive? In my experience, the answer is yes. 

At the HR Impact we have had wonderful opportunities to partner with businesses and leaders to build an environment conducive to engagement and subsequently retention. How do we do this? We provide 1-1 and group coaching to the leaders top down, providing them with the tools necessary to build an engaging and high-performance culture.

When there are clear agreed values in the organisation, that are embedded in every practice and every decision, employees feel confident, it builds trust and integrity is apparent. 

Practically how do you establish this within your organisation? 

1. As a leadership team be clear about your values – that is the way things are done around here. Don’t just talk about these values or stick them on the wall, they need to be seen in the everyday behaviours. Be consistent. Don’t say one thing and do another. 

2. Have clear collaboration and communication expectations as a leadership team – that is how do we best work together, so we deliver clear and consistent communication and work alongside each other, not in silos. 

3. Ensure every leader has the skills to lead. I understand this sounds like common sense, but the number of organisations who have people in a leadership capacity with little to no leadership skills is incredible. A leader is a great communicator, they grow and develop their people, they communicate with clarity, the have high self-awareness and emotional intelligence, they take accountability for their actions and they set clear goals/expectations, supporting their team to reach them. 

4. Put in place practices to support leaders in gauging regular feedback from their team – what is working, what isn’t and empower them to make the necessary changes to address any opportunities/feedback. 

We have a great leadership development program for leaders and HR professionals that can support with the above. If you’re ready to take your organisation to the next level, reach out to us at The HR Impact.