Employee Engagement Party

The first score you look at in an employee engagement survey is the participation rate. It indicates more than just the number of people who completed the survey or, as I like to think about it, the number of people who turned up to the employee engagement party.

But it tells us more than that. It tells us about:

Employee Interest

A high response rate suggests employees are interested in providing feedback. They see value in the survey and feel that their opinions matter. But when few people participate, it may indicate scepticism about the survey's purpose or confidentiality.

Communication Effectiveness

Low participation could indicate employees are not adequately informed about the survey or its importance and reflect a breakdown in communication channels within the organisation.

Trust and Transparency

A higher participation rate might indicate a culture of trust and transparency, where employees feel comfortable sharing their opinions without fear of negative consequences.

Perceived Value of Feedback

A high participation rate suggests that employees believe their feedback will lead to positive changes within the organisation. Conversely, a low participation rate might indicate a perception that past survey feedback has not resulted in meaningful actions.

Organisational Alignment

If participation is high, it could indicate that employees understand and feel aligned with the organisation's goals and values. Otherwise, there may be a lack of clarity or buy-in regarding the organisation's direction.

Survey Design and Administration

An abnormally high or low participation rate could signal issues with the survey design, timing, or distribution methods that need to be addressed for future surveys.

When we put a survey in the field, we take a vow to care, listen and take action. If we fail to follow through, we can't expect that people will want to come to the next engagement party.

A high participation rate comes from the actions taken between surveys and how well we communicate the link between those actions and the positive changes that have occurred - not the gifts we use to entice guests to come to the party just before it starts. So forget the incentives - prizes, free coffee, and BBQs. Take the vow seriously, and you can live happily ever after (okay - that analogy has gone too far now.)

#doingworkthatmatters #employeeengagement #culture #leadership