Action planning tools for employee engagement survey success
Click here to download a copy of our new original HR insight paper: How to maximise survey success through action planning.
In this paper we consider how companies make significant time and financial investments in employee surveys but aren’t currently maximising the survey’s value.
The biggest challenge companies report facing is how to motivate the business to take effective action on survey results.
Specific action planning issues include:
- Line manager accountability – encouraging local level ownership of plans.
- Demonstrating its business impact.
- Keeping action planning fresh.
- Maintaining the momentum of action plans.
Survey owners often consider action planning after completion of the survey, which is too late. In the video on this page, ETS business psychologist Sam Arnold talks through critical aspects of action planning for employee surveys.
To assist our clients reap the benefits of more engaged employees, ETS has outlined four key themes, covered in more detail in this paper. These themes were developed by our team of business psychologists through extensive practical experience working with major companies including G4S, Thomas Cook and PPG Industries.
The themes should be followed throughout the survey cycle, rather than at set stages, and are as follows:
Action plan process: Actions need to be business relevant, which means aligning the survey with business objectives and identifying what success looks like. An action plan process suitable for the whole business is required.
Accountability: Stakeholders must be consulted at the start of the project to identify business needs and their role in driving actions forward. Stakeholders should feel involved rather than just informed to encourage ownership of action planning.
Communications: Internal communications should aim to generate excitement around engagement and action planning. Communications must clarify the benefits of taking action, both from an organisational and employee perspective.
Translating data into action: Data should be accurate and relevant at a corporate and local level. To encourage managers to take responsibility for action plans, it is vital to support them in interpreting data and developing high quality actions.
Companies getting this crucial element of engagement right end up with a ‘mature’ action process. This is where there is momentum on survey actions and a clear link to improved business metrics.
Contact ETS today to discuss your employee engagement programme and find out how ETS can help.