How using employee surveys alone to gauge employee satisfaction and engagement falls short

Drastic shifts in the workplace landscape can leave behind gaps — technological, resources and morale. Our environment has changed rapidly in just a few years, so leaders, managers and business owners are seeking options to gauge employee satisfaction and engagement in a meaningful way.

If you have been on the hunt for an employee engagement solution, then you have probably come across survey-driven platforms. While there can be a place for surveys in finding the right solution, surveys can easily be used inappropriately and may actually backfire on you.

We are here to explore the pitfalls of a survey-first approach and discover stronger solutions that will help keep your team together.

A “7 Out of 10” means something different for everyone

People are unique. Each person grew up using different grading scales and feels their own way about what is a “good” experience and what is a “great” experience. Some people give a 10 out of 10 as long as there was no friction throughout a process, while others are hyper-critical and are not afraid to throw a 2 down because of a simple clerical error.

When you average all of the numbers out, the data can become skewed and may lose almost all value – especially if there are no 1:1 interviews scheduled to dig deeper into some of the answers. At the end of the day, would an average score of 8.2 out of 10 in a survey question like “How Engaged Do You Feel At Work” mean much if your top talent is burnt out and gave a 3 out of 10

The data can be changed to fit a narrative

Justification for surveys usually falls into the “we are going to use this feedback to improve” bucket. However, is it sufficient Does it serve the purpose that is intended What are you going to do with the information, how do you evaluate the measurements, and how can it help with employee engagement The reality is that numbers can get lost in translation and data may not always be used to create change in a meaningful way. The level of change employees are seeking will likely not be represented in a list of survey questions.

Surveys Become Just Another Task – Not a Conscious Workplace Dialogue

The purpose of asking for feedback is to glean important information, to help team members feel heard and to participate in their path toward meeting organizational objectives. A one-time, 10-question survey is not going to make that happen. In fact, pouring valuable resources into a barren engagement effort could backfire and cause irreversible damage to the culture you have spent years — if not decades — establishing.

What are the better employee engagement options

If you are not consistently allowing employees to have live, structured and meaningful conversations, then you are just getting a single, one-way snapshot in time with a survey. A corporate culture rooted in authentic and continuous dialogue keeps employees involved, and their feedback allows administrators and managers to create a stronger experience for the entire team. However, not every manager can talk to every team member every single day — as nice as that may be. There are software solutions designed to keep the fruitful conversations going automatically, including our own platform BPM Link.

BPM Link: The Strategic Employee Performance Management Platform People Actually Want To Use 

BPM Link is a robust platform that supports an ongoing dialogue culture. Through the use of this tool, employees are truly seen and heard. Employees get meaningful feedback in real-time and adapt their priorities and behaviors quickly to better align with the strategic initiatives of the company. They have visibility to their teammates’ responsibilities and goals, and can give and receive shout-outs for accomplishments.

A truly immersive employee engagement platform, like BPM Link, acts as a morale-boosting ecosystem. A team member routinely logs in, evaluates how they feel about their performance, analyzes upcoming goals and decides to take further action if need be. It becomes a positive habit that keeps them intertwined with the overall mission of the organization. The individual becomes legitimately engaged.