Employee engagement surveys are a valuable tool to measure the satisfaction, motivation, and alignment of your workforce. However, collecting feedback is not enough. You need to act on the results and communicate your actions to your employees. In this article, we will show you how to develop an action plan after an employee engagement survey in six steps.
The first step is to analyze the data from your survey and identify the key themes, trends, and gaps. You can use different methods to do this, such as statistical analysis, segmentation, benchmarking, or qualitative coding. The goal is to understand what drives or hinders employee engagement in your organization and how it varies across different groups and dimensions.
Following an engagement survey, the first step is data mining to determine key themes and identify top employee concerns and priorities. In my experience, it’s crucial to sort the data by manageable departments or divisions, so that the findings remain relatable and relevant and don’t contradict one another due to differing working environments and topic areas. Next, facilitation and convening of representative employees per area will allow you to review and refine the findings; ask additional questions/ conduct virtual polling to confirm or expand on an identified issue and begin brainstorming actionable solutions. The committee can then select the best ideas for a final action plan based on costs, timeline and feasibility ????
The next step is to prioritize the issues that emerged from your analysis and decide which ones to address first. You can use various criteria to do this, such as urgency, impact, feasibility, or alignment with your strategic goals. You should also consider the expectations and preferences of your employees and stakeholders. The goal is to focus on the most important and actionable issues and avoid spreading your resources too thin.
An oft overlooked part of action planning from engagement surveys is aligning levels of the business to different actions. Direct managers can impact only certain aspects of engagement survey feedback. Senior leadership requires a separate (and well communicated) plan.
The third step is to set SMART goals for each issue that you want to tackle. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This means that your goals should be clear, quantifiable, realistic, aligned with your vision and values, and have a deadline. The goal is to create a clear and shared direction for your action plan and track your progress and results.
The fourth step is to identify the actions and owners that will help you achieve your goals. You should brainstorm and evaluate different solutions and strategies that can address the root causes of the issues and improve employee engagement. You should also assign roles and responsibilities to different people or teams who will execute, support, or monitor the actions. The goal is to create a detailed and accountable action plan that outlines the what, who, how, and when of your initiatives.
The fifth step is to communicate the plan to your employees and stakeholders. You should use different channels and formats to share your findings, goals, actions, and expectations. You should also invite feedback and input from your audience and address any questions or concerns. The goal is to inform, inspire, and involve your employees and stakeholders in your action plan and show them that you value their opinions and contributions.
The sixth and final step is to review and adjust your action plan as you implement it. You should monitor and measure the outcomes and impacts of your actions and compare them with your goals and baselines. You should also collect and analyze feedback from your employees and stakeholders and identify any challenges or opportunities. The goal is to evaluate and improve your action plan and ensure that it delivers the desired results and benefits.