The right vendors can turn your workforce into a well-oiled machine – just make sure you know what to ask of them.
One thing’s certain: executives are beginning to understand the real value of employee engagement. In a 2010 Deloitte survey of executives, 71% identified their employees’ engagement as a top priority – and for good reason. For each individual in the workforce with an eagerness to contribute, there’s at least one individual who dreads every single hour of work, often for reasons an executive could impact with the proper knowledge.
If you’ve come across this post, there’s a good chance you know it’s well past time to leverage that kind of information. But how should you temper your expectations for insights and progress? Employee engagement survey vendors obviously have a vested interest in getting you excited in their products – they want your business, after all. Here’s what you should ask for to get solid and reliable results you can build your company culture on:
Ongoing assessments and reporting:
Businesses simply going through the motions of employee engagement might execute one catch-all survey at the end of the year (and hopefully at least look at the results, though even that might be wishful thinking). Would you evaluate your company’s cash-flow more than once a year? If not, you’re probably not running a company anymore. Turnover is outrageously expensive. Whatever employee engagement survey system you choose, it must be implemented with continuous feedback and insights in mind. Otherwise, you’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The cold, hard (actionable) truth:
What happens when your well-meaning investment in employee engagement surveys reveals mostly positive information about your organization? Nothing. Expect your vendor to deliver you a manageable supply of brutally honest feedback. That’s the best indication of successfully implemented engagement surveys. After that, it’s up to your company to play its part by taking action.
Much more than satisfaction:
“How happy are you?” simply doesn’t get to the heart of your employees’ priceless, unique perspectives. A detailed survey like SurveyRight® by HSD Metrics provides real insights into dozens of facets of work life, such as company strategy, team dynamics, recognition, ethics, transparency, and many, many more.
If you’re ready to partner with an employee engagement survey vendor with the experience, technology, and depth to help you define the right goals and meet them, contact the insight experts at HSD Metrics and get started today.
