Do you know what your employees really think?

I once worked in a company where the toilet was vandalised by a member of staff.

Many employers claim to be an “employer of choice” or aim to offer a “great place to work” but few organisations make any attempt to measure what their employees really think, and if issues were addressed, it would improve employee engagement and make them want to go the extra mile.

Where employees are feeling negative about their employer and issues are not addressed the future is not orange.

Research shows that if employees are really engaged they are likely to be more committed and more productive at work. This translates to improved company performance; better customer service; a more flexible workforce; more cooperative and willing employees; and evidence shows that this ultimately means improved sales and profitability. It is a silver bullet or magic bullet.

Employee Engagement Surveys can help by producing anonymised data, so people will be honest, and it lets management know whether there are any workplace issues. However, these surveys are often carried out infrequently, which means that employees lose confidence in the process and can even have a negative impact.

Recently I came across an employee survey tool which is a bit different in that it is quick to complete and is carried out every three months. The survey data can then be analysed, and employers are encouraged to produce an action plan which is implemented over three months. Staff see that something is happening, their feedback is being taken seriously and the company can measure improvements, which translate into improved productivity and improved work performance.

Uptech, a manage services and security IT provider in Lynn, has recently looked at the tool and are keen to pilot it with their own staff.

Director Guy Pyle, said: “We are keen on benchmarking our team against best practices plus our cultural values, using this engagement tool feels a great way to ensure our staff live and remain committed to our cultural values, additionally if there are issues we know about them and address them with knowledge over assumption.”