Why Employee Survey Tools are Essential for Employee Engagement

To accurately measure and improve engagement, many organizations rely on data-driven insights collected through the process of deploying employee surveys and analyzing the results.

What Is Employee Survey Software?

Employee survey software helps leaders gather, analyze, and act on employee feedback. Collecting employee input via survey software (versus manual methods or focus groups) streamlines the employee feedback process and drives ROI.

Employee survey software providers typically offer a range of features, including:

• Survey creation and distribution capabilities: Allows users to build custom surveys tailored to specific goals or departments
• Data collection: Enables users to gather responses through a range of channels (online, mobile, email, etc.)
• Data analysis: Helps users synthesize survey data by generating reports and visualizations to illustrate trends and patterns
• Action planning: Helps users prioritize improvement areas and track progress

Why Employee Surveys are Important for Engagement

Employee surveys offer a structured way for employees to voice their thoughts and concerns. The feedback gathered should be used to make informed decisions that address employee concerns and improve the employee experience. Survey data can be used to:

• Gain a deeper understanding of organizational needs: Employee surveys provide a way for employees to express their thoughts, concerns, and suggestions.
• Identify workplace issues: Surveys can uncover problems within the workplace that might not be otherwise apparent. Surfacing these issues through surveys allows leaders to first identify them, and then take action.
• Enhance employee satisfaction, retention and performance: By regularly collecting and acting on feedback, organizations can make improvements that directly enhance employee satisfaction, retention, and performance. WorkTango and Lighthouse Research & Advisory’s 2024 research study revealed that 65% of the organizations surveyed said that investing in Employee Engagement software improved their employees’ productivity and performance.
• Foster a culture of open communication & trust: By giving employees a voice, employee feedback encourages a culture of transparency, communication, and trust.
• Increase employee involvement: When employees are asked to participate in surveys, it makes them feel more involved in the company’s decision-making process.

Impact on Employee Engagement

Companies can build a more motivated, committed, and engaged workforce by deploying employee surveys on a regular basis. An employee survey program, paired with other types of employee experience activities, boosts employee engagement by creating an environment where employees feel heard, valued, and respected by their employer.

Benefits of Employee Engagement Surveys

Understanding engagement levels across different departments and teams isn’t always straightforward. This is where employee engagement surveys become critical. These surveys provide a structured way to measure how connected employees feel to their work and the organization. By regularly conducting these surveys, companies can gain deeper insight into what motivates employees and identify areas where improvements are needed.

Why You Need a Survey Tool

Employee survey tools offer an easy and affordable way to understand your people’s needs. Here are five key benefits of employee survey tools:

• Efficiency in data collection: An employee survey tool automates the collection and organization of feedback, making the process more efficient and reducing the administrative burden on HR teams.
• Advanced data analysis: The best survey tools come with built-in analytics features that allow organizations to quickly analyze results, identify trends, and generate action plans from the data collected.
• Customization and flexibility: Many survey tools offer customizable templates and question types built according to research best practices to help organizations  tailor surveys to specific needs or goals.
• Anonymity and confidentiality: Unlike HRIS platforms, using third-party tools to run surveys ensures the anonymity of employee responses. This encourages more honest and open feedback from employees, who might be reluctant otherwise to share their authentic opinions directly with their employer
• Benchmarks and trending: Top survey tools include features that allow organizations to easily compare engagement results across different time periods and against external industry benchmarks. These benchmarks help organizations track changes in employee sentiment over time, and identify areas of strength and opportunity for their unique organization.

5 Best Practices for Employee Surveys

Purchasing a survey tool isn’t enough to boost employee engagement. In order to make a positive impact on the employee experience, an organization must design an effective survey, deploy it, and act on relevant employee feedback received. To maximize the effectiveness of employee survey efforts, follow the five best practices below:

1. Set clear objectives: Define the purpose of your survey upfront. A good survey tool allows you to align your questions with specific goals, ensuring that the insights gathered are directly relevant to your organization’s needs.
2. Design a concise survey: Keep questions focused and relevant. Survey tools should offer customizable templates and question formats to help you design surveys that are simple and clear. Concise surveys ultimately increase response rates and data quality.
3. Ensure anonymity and confidentiality: Ensure surveys are truly anonymous to protect employee privacy and build trust. Many survey tools provide features that guarantee confidentiality, encouraging more honest and candid feedback from team members.
4. Establish a regular cadence: Deploy surveys on a recurring basis to track trends. The best survey tools offer robust analytics that allow you to visualize and compare data over time.
5. Act on the results: Use data to drive tangible improvements. Advanced survey tools come with analytics features that help you quickly turn feedback into actionable insights. Employees took the time to share their feedback with the org, so make sure to take the time to share what actions will be taken as a result of their contributions.

Selecting the Best Employee Survey Tool

It’s important to be strategic and thoughtful when choosing the right survey software software to fit your organization’s needs. Consider factors such as ease of use, customization options, and the ability to automatically analyze data in your decision process. Additionally, think about how the tool integrates with your existing systems, and whether or not it can scale with your company’s growth.

By taking the time to thoroughly evaluate your options, you will ensure that your investment not only aligns with your organization’s immediate goals, but also supports long-term business success. WorkTango’s Employee Survey Software Buyer’s Checklist can help you as you navigate this decision, ensuring you select a tool that meets your organization’s specific needs.

WorkTango’s Employee Experience Platform delivers deep insights into employee engagement through its powerful survey tools. Our Surveys & Insights software enables leaders to truly understand what drives their teams, pinpoint key areas for improvement, and implement targeted strategies to enhance engagement. Discover how WorkTango can elevate your employee engagement efforts by booking a demo today.