Employee Surveys: A Catalyst for Engagement and Cultural Transformation
In this blog we explore the importance of using an Employee Survey to improve engagement, which in turn increases productivity and profitability, while helping to retain your employees.
“People don’t get survey fatigue; they get lack-of-action fatigue.”
Employees want to feel confident that their feedback will result in meaningful, practical changes. Without that assurance, they may question the value of investing time and effort into completing a survey. However, when an organisation consistently shows its commitment to taking action based on feedback, even those who were hesitant to participate previously may be encouraged to engage in future surveys.
77% of employees are unengaged at work
Employee surveys are a pivotal tool for understanding the heartbeat of an organisation, and most importantly – to gauge the engagement level of your people. A global workforce survey by Gallup shows that 77% of employees are unengaged. In today’s workplace, where culture, engagement, and satisfaction drive productivity and retention - employee feedback is indispensable. But why are these surveys so crucial, and how can they lead to tangible cultural transformations?
At The Woohoo Company, we’ve seen first-hand how effective employee surveys can ignite change in organisations, and act as a tool to re-engage and improve productivity with employees, including how we support our clients such as Port Adelaide Football Club, South Australian Produce Market, Vater Machinery, and more. Read on to explore how we approach surveys and drive actionable insights for cultural transformation.
According to Reward Gateway the top priorities of HR in 2024 is to increase employee engagement as the know it will also increase employee productivity and retention. We believe these will still be top priorities going into 2025. Their report also shows the top drivers for employee engagement, we wonder what yours might be.
Source - Reward Gateway
Rewards Gateway's workplace engagement index, highlights key engagement initiatives that are important to employees, such as Open and Honest Communication, Inclusive Environment, Culture of Empathy, Continuous learning and improvement. While these initiatives can improve employee productivity, it is important to understand what and how exactly your business can achieve this is why we believe in independent employee survey.
Source - Reward Gateway
“With the support of The Woohoo Co. to establish our employee engagement survey, we now have a clearer roadmap and understanding of how our people liked to be engaged and what they identify as being important to our culture. The insights Woohoo Co. provided have been instrumental in shaping our people and engagement strategy. By identifying key areas for improvement and highlighting our strengths, they equipped us with a data-driven foundation to enhance our culture, foster meaningful engagement, and align our initiatives with the actual needs of our community.”
52% of the global workforce is either watching for, or actively seeking a new job
The Importance of Employee Surveys
Listening to Your Workforce: Surveys provide employees with a platform to voice their opinions, ideas, and concerns. This fosters a sense of inclusion and respect, which are key components of a positive workplace culture. According to the Gallup report, organisations with high engagement see significantly better outcomes across retention, productivity, and profitability. Specifically, $8.9 trillion lost in global GDP due to low employee engagement.
Measuring Engagement: One of the primary reasons for conducting employee surveys is to measure engagement. Engagement scores offer insights into how invested employees are in their roles and the company's overall mission. Studies show that engaged employees tend to perform better, exhibit greater loyalty, and contribute more positively to the work environment.
“Highly engaged employees at work make it to a point of showing up and staying at work. The study shows that engaged employees show an 84% change in absenteeism and an 14% increase in productivity”
Driving Data-Informed Decisions: Effective employee surveys generate data that guide decision-making. By analysing responses, companies can identify trends, areas of concern, and opportunities for improvement. A survey can highlight whether employees feel supported by leadership, have growth opportunities, or believe in the company’s vision.
Recognition for example - boosts engagement, with 69% of workers saying it motivates them.
Engaged employees are 87% less likely to leave their jobs, and organisations that actively engage staff see an 18% reduction in turnover.
Employees often don’t engage with internal surveys due to lack of action, with disengaged employees facing 48% increased daily stress
At The Woohoo Company, we consistently achieve an average of 82% participation across our clients. An average benchmark for a good response rate is between 70-80%. One reason for this success is that employees feel more comfortable being honest when working with us as an independent consultant. This trust results in more candid responses, allowing us to provide our clients with authentic, actionable insights.
The Woohoo Company's Approach to Successful Surveys
At The Woohoo Co., we don’t just collect data; we use it as a foundation for cultural transformation. Our tailored approach includes:
Independent Consulting: We work closely with organisations as an external partner, ensuring employees feel comfortable giving honest feedback. This trust is essential to obtaining real insights that can guide change.
Open Conversations: After gathering survey data, we hold open and honest conversations with senior leadership. These discussions help align leadership with the feedback, creating buy-in and accountability for necessary changes.
Communication plan: We create a communication strategy to actively engage staff members. This is an important step to engaging staff members, aligning why this matters, and creating a bridge between leadership and employees.
Actionable Insights – Survey Dashboard: Our surveys are designed not just to collect information but to provide a clear roadmap for improvement. An actionable insight example could be to "Develop Clarity and Accountability with Work Tasks”, which arises when employees are unclear about their responsibilities, deliverables and accountability. Addressing this in the Cultural Roadmap would involve reviewing and clarifying position descriptions, linking them to KPIs, thus improving overall business operations. Other actionable insights might include fostering stronger manager-employee relationships and offering more training opportunities, which will help build a deeper understanding of your employees' needs and align them with the organisation's vision and goals.
Cultural Roadmap: One of the most impactful outcomes of our work is the development of a Cultural Roadmap. This strategic report helps organisations understand how to nurture a workplace culture that aligns with their values and business goals. It’s about more than improving engagement scores; it’s about creating a long-lasting, positive shift in workplace dynamics.
Survey Dashboard produced after a survey
Our Survey Dashboard gives a quick snapshot of actionable insights and becomes the foundation of the Cultural Roadmap.
“Simply from the act of asking the survey questions and allowing the opportunity for feedback brings ownership of control for outcomes to a team and we got that and so much more. From the feedback we were able to implement many of the suggested initiatives. By the team understanding that we were prepared to ask and then action, our group morale was lifted and we continue to benefit from these initiatives today. We understand that the team and the individuals matter all the way from the original AHT staff through to the newest employees. Our staff know that their opinions and initiatives are listened to regardless of whether it is through a formal survey or a simple corridor conversation and that was all started by the one simple survey run by Woohoo. So I thank you the Woohoo team for putting us on this road to continuous cultural and brand improvement, we have become a culture that is known through the electrical contracting industry as a destination company and a great place to work.”
Highly engaged employees in an organisation lead to a 23% increase in profitability, an 84% reduction in absenteeism, and a 14% rise in productivity
Conclusion: Surveys as a Springboard for Success
Employee surveys are not just about numbers—they’re about understanding your people. If employees feel unheard, demotivated and trust you less, it can cause more harm to your people and culture through increased turnover, less productivity which all impact your profits.
With the right approach, they can be a powerful tool for cultural transformation, driving real change from the inside out. At The Woohoo Company, we are proud to support our clients to build cultures where employees feel valued, engaged, and motivated to contribute their best work – where an employee survey helped create the springboard for their success.
If you’re looking to gain deeper insights into your organisation’s culture and create meaningful change, reach out to us. Together, we’ll craft a Cultural Roadmap tailored to your company’s unique needs, ensuring lasting impact and continuous improvement.