Good practice: Employee engagement surveys

On this page:
Summary
Case study
Key references
Overview
The business case for conducting employee engagement surveys
Aims, scope and timescale
      Survey aims
      Survey scope
      Timescale
Survey design
      Key themes
      Employee engagement questions
      Previous surveys
      The number of questions
      Core questions
      Questions for benchmarking
      Demographic information
      Response scale
      Question wording
      Open questions
      Pilot survey
Conducting the survey in-house or with an external partner
Survey communications
Survey distribution
Improving response rates
Confidentiality
Data analysis
      Identifying areas where the employer is performing well and those where it is not performing well
      Employee engagement score
      Statistical analysis
      Benchmarking survey data
      Linking employee data to business data
      Employee confidentiality
Reporting on the results of the survey
Acting on survey results

Summary

• Employers can use employee engagement surveys to measure levels of employee engagement, which can help them to identify where to take action to improve engagement and enhance performance. (See The business case for conducting employee engagement surveys)
• The first step in conducting an employee engagement survey is for the employer to decide on the survey's aims, scope and timescale. (See Aims, scope and timescale)
• There are several key factors for the employer to consider when designing an employee engagement survey, including what themes it should explore, whether or not previous surveys have been conducted and the response scale to questions. (See Survey design)
• There are different benefits to conducting an employee engagement survey in-house and conducting it with the assistance of an external survey provider. (See Conducting the survey in-house or with an external partner)
• Employers should raise awareness about the reasons for conducting an employee engagement survey, to encourage employees to complete it. (See Survey communications)
• There are different ways to conduct an employee engagement survey. The most appropriate method for the organisation will depend on the nature of employees' roles. (See Survey distribution)
• Organisations can take steps to encourage employees to complete an employee engagement survey, including demonstrating senior commitment to it. (See Improving response rates)
• Employers should respect employees' confidentiality when conducting a survey, and reassure them of the anonymity of their responses. (See Confidentiality)
• Employers should analyse the results of their employee engagement survey to ensure that they take the most appropriate action going forward. (See Data analysis)
• Organisations should inform employees about the results of their employee engagement survey, to ensure that they continue to be engaged with the process. (See Reporting on the results of the survey)
• Organisations should take action on the results of their employee engagement survey, which should involve careful planning and development, training managers and tracking results. (See Acting on survey results)

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Overview

This section of the XpertHR good practice manual identifies the steps that employers should follow to conduct an effective employee engagement survey. It discusses: the purpose of conducting an employee engagement survey; deciding on the scope of the survey; designing the survey, including with the assistance of an external survey provider; how to encourage employees to respond to the survey; analysing the results of the survey; notifying employees about the results of the survey; and taking action to address the issues that the survey identifies.