Wasted investment: The risks of ineffective Employee Engagement and Wellbeing surveys

Keywords: engagementsurveys, mentalhealth, workplacesurveys, ROI, investment

Date: 22 August 2024, WorkLife Digital

Employee engagement surveys have become essential tools for modern organisations, offering vital insights into workforce morale, satisfaction, and overall engagement levels. When conducted effectively, these surveys can help organisations identify areas for improvement, boost employee satisfaction, and drive performance. However, the value of these surveys can be compromised if employees don't provide honest feedback due to fear of retribution or lack of trust in the confidentiality of the survey process.

For businesses to unlock the full potential of engagement surveys, it is crucial to address these risks and foster an environment that encourages truthful and open communication. Furthermore, combining employee engagement surveys with assessments of mental wellbeing can provide an even deeper understanding of the workforce, allowing organisations to address both engagement and wellbeing holistically.

The risks of engagement surveys

Despite their clear benefits, engagement surveys come with challenges, primarily related to data accuracy. If employees don’t trust that their responses are confidential or fear retribution, the reliability of the insights gained can be severely compromised.

Fear of retaliation is a significant barrier to honest feedback. When employees doubt the confidentiality of a survey or fear that their responses may lead to negative consequences, they may either avoid participation or provide overly positive, non-controversial responses that do not reflect their true feelings. Research in 2011* highlights how employees who distrust the anonymity of surveys are more likely to withhold critical feedback, resulting in superficial data that doesn’t provide the insights needed to drive real change. Ensuring confidentiality, fostering openness, and reassuring employees that there will be no negative repercussions for honest feedback are critical for improving both response rates and data integrity.

A 2010 meta-analysis** also confirmed that anonymity is critical to ensuring honest feedback. It found that employees were significantly more likely to provide candid feedback in anonymous surveys, particularly when discussing sensitive subjects like management practices or workplace culture. In non-anonymous surveys, responses tend to be more neutral and less critical, reducing the quality and utility of the data.

The added value of assessing mental wellbeing

While engagement surveys are essential, combining them with assessments of mental wellbeing offers a more holistic understanding of the workforce. Employee engagement and mental wellbeing are closely intertwined, and measuring them together provides a fuller picture of the overall health of the organisation.

Engagement reflects how connected employees feel to their work, while mental wellbeing assesses their emotional and psychological health. Poor mental wellbeing can have a direct impact on engagement, leading to burnout, absenteeism, and decreased productivity. Conversely, highly engaged employees are more likely to have better mental health outcomes, as they often feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment in their work.

A 2018 study by Gallup found that employees who report higher engagement levels tend to experience fewer negative health outcomes and less burnout. By integrating mental wellbeing assessments into engagement surveys, organisations can identify underlying issues that may not be apparent through engagement scores alone.

Combining assessments of engagement and mental wellbeing allows organisations to implement more targeted and holistic interventions. For example, if an engagement survey reveals high levels of disengagement and a mental wellbeing assessment identifies increased stress or anxiety, the organisation can design initiatives that address both the root causes of disengagement and the factors contributing to poor mental health.

Overcoming the risks: Building trust and ensuring confidentiality

To overcome the challenges associated with engagement and wellbeing surveys and ensure reliable, actionable insights, organisations must foster trust in the survey process and create a culture that encourages honest feedback. Here are strategies that can help:

1. Ensure anonymity

Using external vendors to administer surveys can reassure employees that their responses will be confidential and protect their identity. External providers bring expertise in survey design and data analysis, ensuring that the data collected is accurate and actionable.

2. Communicate the purpose and process

Transparency is essential for building trust. Employees need to understand the purpose of the survey, how the data will be used, and what actions will be taken based on the results. Clear communication around the survey process can alleviate fears and encourage more honest participation.

3. Promote psychological safety

Organisations must foster a culture of psychological safety, where employees feel confident that they can speak up without fear of negative consequences. Amy Edmondson's (1999) work highlights the importance of creating a safe environment for open communication. When employees believe their feedback is valued and will not result in retaliation, they are more likely to provide candid responses.

4. Follow Up on Feedback

Finally, following up on survey feedback is crucial. Once data is collected, leadership should communicate the key findings and outline specific steps that will be taken to address the issues raised. This builds trust and demonstrates that employee feedback is valued and acted upon.

Employee engagement surveys are invaluable tools for improving organisational performance, but their effectiveness depends on obtaining honest and candid feedback. By ensuring anonymity, fostering psychological safety, and leveraging external vendors, organisations can obtain more accurate insights. Moreover, combining engagement assessments with mental wellbeing evaluations provides a more comprehensive understanding of the workforce, enabling organisations to implement more targeted and effective interventions.

WorkLife Digital is a global mental-wellbeing consultancy driven by the mission to improve the sustainability of businesses. Our psychological wellbeing tool, Worklife Quotient (WL-Q), is modelled on cutting-edge scientific research and provides organisation-wide measurement and intelligence on the mental wellbeing levels and psychological resilience of staff. WL-Q also assesses the impact of organisational practices (i.e. people and culture, leadership styles, organisational purpose and values, social impact) that have a direct influence on staff wellbeing and provides strategic recommendations on addressing risks and promoting strengths.

For more information, get in touch at lisa@worklife.digital

REFERENCES

* Clapham, P. R. (2011). "Employee Fear of Retaliation in Engagement Surveys: Causes and Solutions." Journal of Business and Psychology, 26(4), 439-453

** Anseel, F., Lievens, F., Schollaert, E., & Choragwicka, B. (2010). "Response biases in organizational surveys: The role of anonymity and confidentiality in employee engagement surveys." Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 83(2), 325-342

*** https://mhrglobal.com/uk/en/knowledge-hub/hr/employee-experience-download