Why Employee Feedback is not (always) the answer

Employee engagement surveys have long been a staple for organizations seeking to gauge workplace satisfaction and identify areas for improvement. But are they always useful? We’ve seen a move away from the large-scale annual surveys towards more pulse-type surveys, which can definitely offer a better, and more regular, insight. However, still relying solely on these self-reported feedback mechanisms can paint an incomplete picture. Behavioural science research suggests that observing employee behaviour is a far more reliable indicator of their true sentiments and engagement levels. 

 Employee Surveys only go so far. 

While surveys provide valuable insights, they are of course subject to various biases and limitations. Employees may consciously or unconsciously provide responses they believe are expected or desirable, a phenomenon known as social desirability bias. Additionally, survey responses can be influenced by factors such as the timing, phrasing of questions, and the respondent's mood at the time of completion. 

And as we have all experienced, employee participation in surveys is often frustratingly low, leading to sampling biases that skew the data towards those who choose to respond. Surveys also only capture a snapshot in time, failing to reflect the ongoing, day-to-day experiences and attitudes that shape employee behaviour.   

Don’t ask, observe. 

Behavioural observation, on the other hand, reveals genuine, unfiltered actions and reactions that can provide a more accurate assessment of workplace satisfaction and engagement. Research has shown that behavioural indicators, such as absenteeism, turnover rates, productivity levels, and interpersonal interactions among colleagues, are more reliable predictors of employee sentiments than self-reported data. 

These tangible metrics are harder to misrepresent and can uncover issues that employees may be unaware of or unwilling to express in surveys. For example, signs of disengagement, lack of collaboration, or negative attitudes can signal underlying dissatisfaction that surveys may miss. 

Turning data into results. 

When working with clients, we have adopted an approach that creates meaningful ways to gather feedback, combining it with more of the behavioural data to develop communications strategies that engage. For example, using our Drops tool from COSYN Lab which provides employees with short and enjoyable activations (drops) to engage them with activities or concepts, the feedback mechanism is woven into the drops by measuring their action (or lack of) in the weekly drop.  

In short, surveys can tell you some things, but not everything. Tune into the way your people go through the day, how they interact or take part (or not), and you have a better chance of figuring out how and where to work on engaging them. And of course, we would love to help.