When it comes to organizational assessment, few tools hold as much potential and promise as employee engagement surveys. They were designed to gauge organizational health, identify areas for improvement, and foster a positive workplace culture. Yet, despite their prevalence in today's corporate landscape, these surveys often fail to deliver the meaningful insights they promise. We are overdue for an exploration into the truth about why engagement surveys fall short and explore actionable strategies to revitalize this essential process.

First and foremost, we must confront a fundamental flaw in our approach to engagement surveys. Instead of asking whether we're satisfied with the results, we should focus on whether we're genuinely excited about these surveys and eager to see tangible outcomes. Perhaps not surprisingly, the prevailing answer to this revised question is a resounding "no."

What was once intended as a tool for improving organizational health has devolved into little more than a checkbox on the corporate to-do list. This type of slippage is deeply unfortunate, as it undermines the potential for engagement surveys to drive meaningful change within our organizations. Worse still, they have become a source of frustration and futility for employees and leaders alike. But it's not mere survey fatigue that plagues employees; it's disappointment fatigue. The prevailing sentiment among employees is not one of exhaustion but rather disillusionment. Employees would eagerly participate if the survey experience were genuinely enriching and valuable.

Why, then, do employee engagement surveys fall short of their intended purpose and promise? The answer lies in several key factors:

They're time-consuming: Conducting engagement surveys demands significant time and resources from HR and employees. Lengthy questionnaires, often comprising dozens or even hundreds of questions, become a daunting task, leaving employees with little time for other responsibilities.

They're too complex: The intricate nature of survey questions can confuse employees, requiring additional assistance to comprehend their significance. This complexity necessitates the involvement of in-house consultants and trained experts, further adding to the time and expense associated with the process.

They're expensive: The financial cost of engagement surveys is substantial, with some companies outsourcing the task to third-party providers for a hefty price tag. The financial burden can be so great that it dissuades organizations from conducting surveys frequently, if at all.

They're not conducted regularly: Engagement surveys are typically conducted sporadically, often once a year or every two years. This irregular cadence fails to capture the dynamic nature of employee sentiment and can lead to skewed results, especially if they're conducted after significant company events like retreats or bonus distributions.

They're not actionable: Despite gathering feedback, engagement surveys often lack a clear path for actionable outcomes. The complexity of the survey questions and their irrelevance to employee experiences lead to interpretations and assumptions by leadership, resulting in minimal follow-up action.

Leaders aren't equipped to discuss results: Meaningful discussions following survey results are crucial for driving change. However, leaders often lack the confidence and capability to have these conversations. And because these conversations can be uncomfortable, many leaders avoid them altogether. Resources like our Responsive Training and Employee Experience Measurement Tools can help equip leaders for these crucial dialogues.

We need to ask how we make the engagement survey and its process meaningful and valuable for everyone, not just the person requiring the checkbox. The truth about engagement surveys is that they were created as a mechanism to make feedback about the organization safe. But there is little worse than putting energy into something and not feeling like it matters, not feeling like the experience was meaningful, and not feeling like anything has been done with the results. This has ultimately made these surveys unsafe because they've left employees feeling helpless and useless.

It's time to rectify this. Now, depending on your engagement survey, it may not be necessary for a total overhaul. You may want to consider the following seven strategies to make your employee engagement surveys much better and truly impactful:

1. Simplicity is Key

The tool and process must be simple, relevant, and practical. Make surveys easy to understand, concise, and behaviourally focused. By keeping questions clear and directly related to employees' experiences, you ensure maximum participation and genuine responses.

2. Efficiency Matters

Time is a precious commodity in today's busy workplaces. Ensure your surveys are efficient and fast, taking no more than 10 minutes to complete. Focus on questions that connect employees with what truly matters to them, such as their achievements and areas of enjoyment in their roles.

3. Value Over Cost

Instead of solely focusing on return on investment (ROI), consider the concept of meaningful return on investment (MROI). Conduct simple cost analyses to determine if the survey is worth the resources invested. Remember, the goal is to obtain valuable insights that drive positive change within the organization.

4. Consistency is Key

Regularity is crucial for obtaining accurate and meaningful data. Aim to conduct surveys every quarter to capture the dynamic nature of employee sentiment. By gathering insights at multiple points throughout the year, you gain a comprehensive understanding of the evolving employee experience.

5. Clarity Breeds Understanding

Ensure your survey questions clearly and accurately describe the employee experience. Use a combination of specific questions and open-ended prompts to encourage employees to elaborate on their responses. This approach minimizes assumptions and fosters a genuine focus on improvement areas.

6. From Insight to Action

The true value of engagement surveys lies in their ability to drive actionable change. Craft surveys that lead to meaningful insights, guiding targeted improvements aligned with employee needs and preferences. Ensure questions are behaviourally specific, enabling tangible and doable actions.

7. Empower Leaders for Conversations

Engagement surveys serve as the catalyst for meaningful discussions between leaders and employees. Equip leaders with the capability and confidence to initiate these conversations, focusing on positive aspects and actionable insights. Ensure survey results translate into tangible actions that drive positive organizational change.

While employee engagement surveys represent a vital tool for organizational assessment and the development of a healthy workplace culture, their potential remains largely untapped due to inherent flaws in their execution. From being overly time-consuming and complex to irregular and expensive, engagement surveys often fail to deliver actionable insights and meaningful outcomes. This status quo perpetuates a cycle of frustration and disillusionment among both employees and leaders.

Nevertheless, there is hope on the horizon. By embracing simplicity, efficiency, value, consistency, clarity, actionability, and leadership empowerment, we can transform our engagement surveys into powerful instruments for positive change. It's time to reimagine the purpose and process of engagement surveys, unlocking their full potential to drive organizational growth, foster a culture of trust, continuous improvement and ultimately, a place where employees are empowered to thrive.

If you're serious about creating a better, more meaningful, and positively impactful employee experience, don't hesitate to reach out – we love to help. If you want to learn more about Brivia's approach to enhancing the employee experience, check out our M3 (Most Meaningful Measure) Tool.

Stephen de Groot is President and CoFounder at Brivia. He is the author of Responsive Leadership (SAGE, 2016) and Getting to Better: A New Model for Elevating Human Potential at Work and in Life (Fall, 2024). To learn more about Stephen, his work and the Brivia approach click HERE.