Communication through Employee Engagement and Pulse Surveys
By Jennifer Taylor In Info Worth Sharing
It is no surprise that communication is at the core of every article, assessment, and discussion regarding employee engagement and leadership development. After all, brilliant ideas are useless without the communication channels to convey them to others and interpersonal relationships are wholly built on various forms of communication. At the end of the day, good communication is what makes a team strong, a leader effective, and a company successful.
In fact, 86% of employees and executives cite ineffective communication for workplace failures. Additionally, more than ¾ of employers rate teamwork collaboration and communication as “very important,” yet 39% of surveyed employees believe that people in their own organization don’t collaborate enough. A recent report from Inc. lists “open lines of communication” as one of the top five crucial differentiators between a strong leader and a mere manager. In their article, they cite that, “Many of the firms in Fortune magazine’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list do this in their business practices [by] 1) Sharing their vision for the future with employees and 2) Taking the pulse of the organization by constantly listening and responding to what they hear so they can serve the needs of their people.”
So, what can your organization do to enhance these lines of communication and follow in the footsteps of these Best Companies to Work For? The solution is something we believe in passionately and is at the heart of our business: consistent employee feedback!
Employee engagement matters, with an estimated 55% of the American workforce apathetic about their careers and an additional 26% actively disengaged. Engaged employees are 75% less likely to leave, 60% less absent, and 85% more efficient, making it a priority for any and every corporation. However, employee engagement can be difficult to directly measure, and something that doesn’t necessarily have a quick fix. However, it is achievable; 81% of organizations with leaders that emphasize employee engagement are getting it, with more than half of their workforces truly engaged. By simply providing employees an opportunity to give their candid feedback and show organizational leaders how well they are sharing the company’s vision, improving employee engagement is as simple as genuinely valuing their opinions and ideas, and allowing opportunities to utilize their strengths at work. Because, all in all, engaged employees outperform others by 202%. It’s a win-win-win!
Additionally, Inc. points out one of the most important factors to consider when assessing employee feedback: you must take the “pulse of the organization by constantly listening and responding.” Gone are the days of solely relying on annual employee surveys, in which HR can check off a box and move on to other matters of the year. Trends now veer towards pulse surveys, which are quick, cost-effective ways to check up with employees between full-scale assessments. These pulse snapshots provide companies with a quick benchmark to see whether there has been progress or decline, and allows employees to feel as though their voices are being heard and acted upon.
Don’t know where to start to gauge your workforce’s engagement? Need help developing an Employee Engagement or Pulse Survey? Don’t worry, that’s what we’re here for! Disengaged employees cost companies over $500 billion per year. Our company mission is to help individuals and organizations get the information they need to achieve greatness, and this starts and ends with going directly to your best resource: your valued employees. Contact us today!