Engagement Survey Data vs Business Metrics

“Duplication often creates confusion”

For most businesses the collection and utilisation of data is key to running it successfully. The question is do we have too much and are we duplicating efforts unnecessarily?

This article explores the use of data from an Employee Engagement perspective and questions the necessity of an Engagement Survey when most organisations already have access to existing business metrics that indicate levels of engagement.

Every year most organisations run Engagement Surveys, often more than once a year which comes with associated cost and time drain.? But do the results truly show how engaged a workforce is and give executives what they need to make the right decisions for the business and further engage their employees?

Most organisations will share that they have somewhere in the region of 70- 80% of employees engaged in their work but when you compare this to independent data it shows that anywhere between 50 - 80% of employees are DISengaged. How can there be such a disparity between the two?

The simple answer is that people are far more likely to answer an independent survey more truthfully. When an organisation asks their employees to complete a survey most people will complete it saying what they think their boss, or executives want to hear.? They are fearful of repercussions if they are too honest, despite reassurances that results are anonymous. If you are one of two or three people in a team that are DISengaged it’s relatively simple for the Manager to make an assumption on who said what and therefore the truth isn’t always shared.

So if we make a fair assumption that employee survey results can be skewed, is there another data set that can be used to better assess employee engagement?

The simple answer to this is yes. It is our view, that existing key data already being captured by an organisation can demonstrate how engaged a workforce is. Not only this, with focus and improvement on these metrics it can help the organisation to grow, retain staff and for those on the stock market have a bigger impact on share price. For shareholders this is way more important than an eNPS or Engagement score.

Before we dive into the specific business metrics that can be used to assess engagement we must first identify what true engagement looks like. At Engage to Succeed we classify this as ‘Flying High’. This is when an individual, or team, are achieving high levels of both Passion and Performance which naturally lead to exceptional productivity.? It’s easy to spot the individuals who are ‘Flying High’.? They’re the ones who consistently achieve their business targets, enjoy their job and align with the culture and values of the organisation. If you think back to when you had your ‘best day at work’ you would have been demonstrating the above and without doubt would classify yourself as ‘Flying High’? or in other words have felt truly engaged.

Now we understand what true engagement looks like, how do we translate this back to business metrics. The starting point has to be the easiest to determine.. Sales.

Put simply, businesses need sales revenue to survive so having an engaged sales force is critical to success.? When a sales team are ‘Flying High’, their high levels of productivity translate into sales and year on year growth in revenue. You often notice this in Start-Ups or SME businesses that have something exciting and new they are taking to market. When organisations, or sales teams aren’t growing or are in decline this often correlates to a DISengaged workforce. These teams are usually on a ‘Rollercoaster Ride’ or even worse ‘Stuck in a Rut’. It takes time and energy to course correct back to ‘Flying High’ but imagine the increase in sales once there. Every good sales person wants to be selling something they? are passionate about and love!

The second data point to explore is the manufacturing or production area of a business.? As already mentioned, the Engage to Succeed Model states that a high level of Passion and Performance lead to high levels of productivity. With a highly engaged manufacturing workforce this will result in faster production timeframes, an increased level of quality and a reduction in customer complaints.

Finally HR Metrics.? Although these may not give a direct indication of engagement within the HR community, HR metrics give an insight into the overall engagement levels across the business. Attrition is a key metric, but is not to be used in isolation. Achieving a reduction here will demonstrate that employees are not wanting to leave the business, in turn assuming they are more engaged.? However, it could also mean that there are a high number of ‘quiet quitters’ that are stuck in a rut, so the metric needs to be viewed alongside role performance.

Internal mobility and levels of internal promotion are another good indicator. Most survey actions are linked to personal development and creating more opportunities for progression internally. Tracking these metrics in an organisation is a way to demonstrate positive impact to employees. Most organisations track them but do they take it to the next level by sharing and showcasing what great work they are doing, if they do this often leads to enhanced engagement.

Often, some if not all of these metrics are hidden from employees.? Maybe if they were actively shared and organisations worked with their employees to help improve them this would naturally improve many aspects of business from Culture, Communications, Output, and more importantly overall business performance.

Engage to Succeed work with businesses by supporting their individuals to ‘Love their job… more… everyday’ without the cost of annual employee engagement surveys.

In summary, sometimes less is more, too much complicated data DISengages rather than Engages! Remember engagement is contagious and often people get more engaged by seeing others becoming highly engaged.

To find out HOW you can start making an impact and address engagement through existing business metrics, then contact us via LinkedIn or at [email protected]