Employee engagement is dynamic and difficult to influence. Historically, the annual survey has played an important role within organisations, helping mangers and leaders to understand the mood of their workforce from one year to the next. However, administering an annual survey to the entire workforce has its drawbacks. Due to the time and human resources required to analyse responses, compile legible reports and distribute insights, it can be such that by the time insights have been shared, the core engagement issues have changed. The lengthy process inevitably limits however much change HR and managers can influence.
By embracing more frequent dialogue through Pulse surveys, HR can overcome many of the challenges associated with the annual survey. Frequent snapshots of the company mood give a deep understanding of the core engagement drivers and enable managers to more effectively influence change. Before making the switch from annual surveys to more frequent dialogue it is important to ask yourself the following:
- Is my company open to frequent and honest feedback?
- Is my company ready to strive for continuous improvement?
- What are my organisations core engagement drivers?
- Does my leadership team fully support the need for frequent dialogue?
Beginning the journey of change with these questions will help ensure an organisation is culturally ready for the new approach. Should there be one area where the answer is not a ‘yes’ then prioritise addressing this as a first step. For example, if your leadership team is hesitant to increase frequency, plan an in-depth education session. Present the facts and supporting evidence, pre-empt any issues and propose solutions. Use the sessions as an opportunity to identify your champions and leverage their influence to get those who are less convinced onboard and enthusiastic.
Author: Sara Glynn, Marketing & Customer Success Manager@ Wrkit
References:
https://hbr.org/2018/03/employee-surveys-are-still-one-of-the-best-ways-to-measure-engagement