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A question we’re often asked is whether employee surveys are an effective tool to understand workforce sentiment around change.
This is a valid question - after all, surveys are frequently used as a temperature gauge to understand employee sentiment in response to organisational developments. They can offer a range of strategic benefits:
While these benefits speak for themselves, surveys should not be used in isolation. They are just a start of the process to understand employee feeling - not the sole solution. Surveys alone won’t drive change; what matters is what happens next.
Employee surveys as tools for change
Put simply, employee surveys are a powerful tool for change - but only when paired with two important things:
That means firstly, being open and clear about what you are trying to achieve and subsequently the results, and secondly swiftly implementing changes to demonstrate the business has acknowledged the input.
The latter point could actually be regarded as the more important of the two: the majority of employees completing surveys with goodwill - they understand the reason behind them and want to provide their feedback, with the hope that it will be acted upon. This goodwill can erode very quickly if they feel that their effort has been in vain; that the business has not acted upon their feedback.
Communication is Key
This is why good communication must come in right at the start - employee’s honest feedback, ideas and constructive criticism must be encouraged, with the assurance that this will be kept confidential, but also acted upon where relevant and necessary. It must then be followed up with open communications after the survey has closed. This means sharing (anonymised) results and following through with immediate implementation of (some) action. If the employee survey is launched with fanfare, but disappears in silence, this will have a negative impact - and the organisation runs the risk of eroding trust, and also of having fewer respondents at the next round, skewing results and damaging change plans.
It is important to remember that what matters most is not the survey itself, but the responsiveness that follows.
What do employees really want?
An employee survey is, by and large, a process based on goodwill. However, it is also a transaction and that means that both parties expect something in return - the organisation receives feedback it needs to operate the business and manage its people effectively, and employees feel they are heard and their concerns or critiques acted upon.
In our experience over the many years of managing change projects, employees want the following:
But there’s more: employees also want to know their contributions are valued, even when surveys are anonymous. They want their insights to be acknowledged and acted upon, as this builds trust.
Surveys should go beyond data collection - they should foster relationships and trust through transparent, ongoing communication.
To use surveys effectively during a time of change, it helps to shift the mindset from data collection to relationship-building. This again ties into the previous section: communication. Relationships are built on clear communications that engenders trust. By implementing an employee survey that has open and transparent communication baked into the plan, an organisation will reap the rewards of an effective employee survey.
Post-change surveys: measuring impact
Surveys aren’t just useful before or during a change initiative - they’re just as important after. Post-change surveys offer an opportunity to gauge how the change is being received, measure whether project goals are being met, identify areas that may need further support or adjustment, and assess the sustainability of new behaviours.
We talk about this in our article, The Importance of Checking in on Change. Change projects are dynamic and regularly reviewing the journey and post-delivery phases is a fundamental part of ensuring successful long-term sustainability of change.
Employee surveys can be a powerful tool for workplace change - but only when treated as part of a broader, responsive change strategy. Their real value lies not in the questions asked, but in the actions taken afterward.
Before launching your next survey, consider: are we ready to listen - and act?
Is your organisation embarking on a period of change? Do you want support in managing it successfully? Contact us at info@moveplangroup.com
Read more from our change series here:
