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Conducting an Employee Engagement Survey

Experience from leading survey consultancies suggest that there are nine key steps in conducting a successful employee survey:

1. Initial Planning
2. Securing Management buy-in
3. Survey Design, Development and Testing
4. Pre-survey Communications
5. Survey Administration
6. Data Analysis and Results Presentation
7. Distribution of Results, Feedback and Action Planning
8. Post-survey Communication
9. Action Implementation

Guidance on Best Practice in Employee Surveys (pdf, 747Kb)

Hay Insight would be pleased to assist you in all aspects of the survey process, including on-line survey administration. To discuss how we can help, please contact Angela Furne at Hay Group on 020 7856 7238.

Pre-survey Communications

Communication is a critical part of the survey process, as it aids employee awareness and therefore affects response rates. Survey communications should include:

• Initial Announcement: aims of survey, process, logistics, timeline and commitment to open communication of results;
• 'Cover' Letter with Questionnaire: from Chief Executive, outlining above points and guaranteeing confidentiality and anonymity (such guarantees are more reliable when the survey is being conducted by an external third party, not in-house);
• Reminder: during survey process, stressing the importance of the survey results reflecting all views; 'Thank You' Communication: at conclusion of survey, thanking them for their participation, advising the overall response rate and highlighting the next stage in the process;

Post-survey Communications

Following the Team briefings by managers, there should be an organisation-wide communication of the overall findings, to reinforce the fact that management is listening, and is taking the results seriously.

It is important to:

• Manage expectations;
• Be honest (cover the good and the not-so-good);
• Provide clear information in simple terms;
• Not over-commit to unachievable actions;
• Target a few key actions in each period;
• Follow up actions and commitments;
• Provide managers with the tools and support they need to deliver their action plans;
• Promote best practice;
• Celebrate success.

Post-survey Team Briefing

Following the survey, each manager should be provided with detailed information about their own team results, and guidelines on interpretation to help them:

1. Identify their team strengths and weaknesses; and
2. Benchmark to put the results into context (for information about survey norms, please contact Angela Furne on 020 7856 7238);
3. Highlight internal best practice.

Managers should communicate the results to their own team, as it is important that they take ownership of the results in terms of both communicating them, and of using them to drive improvements.