Innovative solutions for measuring engagement levels accurately and routinely

Before organizations can effectively retain talent, employers must first determine if their employees are happy. To do that, employers have long relied on employee engagement surveys to gauge employee satisfaction.

Employee engagement is the backbone of organizational success, and when employers are equipped with data around it, they have better insight into talent retention.

But now, with employee engagement dropping to its lowest level in almost a decade, employers question whether employee engagement surveys are effective or designed in a way that truly measures employee satisfaction.

Instead of continuing to use the same employee survey tools, employers should consider using different methods to measure employee engagement, and refresh surveys to improve response accuracy. Let’s explore some of the tools and strategies that can help employers more accurately understand employee engagement.

Start by revamping current employee engagement surveys

Employee surveys are still an effective way to measure employee engagement, if done properly. There are three things to consider when revamping your surveys:

1. Content: Make sure the questions you’re asking are meaningful. Ask straightforward questions about particular work instances and don’t use jargon that can distract employees from offering a quick reaction to the question. Find ways to consolidate the number of questions you ask and avoid asking about the same topic or instance more than once. Employees are often pressed for time and a straightforward, simple set of questions will most often get the best responses.
2. Timing and format: Make sure you’re sending surveys at the right time, in the right way. Reserve long-form surveys (where you ask more than 10 questions) for bi-annual or annual check ins. Instead consider sending pulse polls, which are short 3-5 question polls that are sent “in-the-moment,” to get real time feedback on specific instances or activities. By keeping surveys brief and timely, you’re likely to get more authentic feedback from employees.
3. Feedback: Make sure you leave open space for employees to provide constructive feedback and share potential concerns. Leaving open ended feedback sections allows employees to voice concerns and gives you an opportunity to identify specific issues. This is the best way to help employees feel heard and sure your company culture aligns with the needs of your employees.

Beyond surveys: Alternative solutions for measuring employee engagement

While surveys are one of the strongest tools you can use to measure employee engagement and satisfaction in real time, they shouldn’t be the only tool leveraged. Surveys should be run alongside other activities to help employers get a holistic view of participation and engagement within their organization.

One of the most important activities is one-on-one meetings between managers and employees. Many employees feel their concerns can’t be adequately heard via company-wide questionnaires, especially when they can only answer through pre-written multiple-choice responses. Instead, employees need more direct, confidential avenues to voice feedback, and they may be more willing to discuss individual experiences in more private settings with the colleagues and leaders they trust. Employers should ensure managers have the proper training and experience needed to lead one-to-one meetings in a way that makes employees feel like their opinions are heard and respected.

Beyond one-to-one meetings, employers must also practice transparent communication on a regular basis. In fact, my company found that 40% of employees don’t feel like their employer is transparent when communicating and that negatively impacts a company’s culture. When it comes to communicating with your employees, do it regularly, often and authentically. One option is to hold regular monthly “all-staff” calls where you provide a true and honest update on the state of the business, discuss employee activities and company culture priorities, and leave time for open-ended questions at the end of each call.

Another great option is to create a real-time “forum” or chat channel where employees can anonymously write into the chat channel about current business activities, issues or challenges they’re seeing. As these chats come in, it may prompt wider discussions from leaders or HR managers. This method of transparent communication allows leaders to identify problems in real-time and authentically discuss (with employees) how they’ll solve it.

Read more: Employee engagement dropping, Gallup finds: Expectations, communication, and remote work seen as major factors

Today’s employees have a clear understanding of what matters most when it comes to their job satisfaction and engagement. By carefully evaluating and understanding employees’ priorities and feedback, employers can help maintain workplace morale, enhance employee retention and improve overall company culture. All of which helps create a working environment where employees feel proud, included and valued for their efforts.

Christopher Pappas, founder of eLearning Industry