Designing the right questions and conducting your employee engagement survey is just the first step. The real work begins once the survey closes. Beyond identifying areas for improvement and taking action, one of the greatest challenges is effectively sharing the results with employees and leaders in a timely and meaningful way.
Surveys are powerful tools for understanding and enhancing the employee experience. However, to maximize their impact, it’s essential to focus on your three key stakeholders:
- The executive team
- Department heads
- Employees
Gaining the support of these groups is critical for collecting feedback, implementing changes, and building trust.
If you’re unsure how to proceed after completing your engagement survey, here’s our guide to effectively communicating the results across your organization.
Key steps for effective employee engagement results communication
1. Thank your employees for their participation
Engagement surveys rely entirely on employee feedback to be meaningful. Once your survey closes, take the time to recognize their effort with a message from your CEO, CHRO, or HR team, thanking them for their participation. Their input helps drive improvements and makes your company a better place to work.
Use this opportunity—whether in an email or an all-hands meeting—to share your participation rate, high-level metrics, or initial findings. Reiterate the purpose of the survey: to enhance the employee experience, foster inclusivity, and ensure your team feels valued and fulfilled at work.
Finally, outline the next steps. Provide a timeline for when your HR team will deliver a more comprehensive report, including company-wide engagement scores, key insights, and the action plan to address feedback. This transparency builds trust and sets expectations for the follow-up process.
2. Share high-level company results
After thoroughly reviewing your company-wide results, share them with your employees at the next all-company meeting. Aim to do this within 1-2 weeks of the survey closing to maintain momentum and demonstrate that you are acting quickly to enhance the workplace experience. During the presentation, cover participation rates, overall company scores, key themes from open-ended responses, and compare current results with previous surveys to provide context.
It’s important to maintain transparency throughout this process. Avoid overemphasizing the positives, as employees may perceive this as inauthentic. Strike a balance by highlighting the strengths identified in the survey while also acknowledging areas that need improvement. Additionally, share the actions you’ve already taken based on the survey results and outline a detailed plan to address any issues raised by employee feedback. This not only ensures accountability but also shows how your business is actively working to resolve challenges.
3. Present key findings to your executive team
Your senior leadership team should be among the first to review the engagement survey results. Present key metrics and overall takeaways—both positive and negative—and provide context by comparing these results with past surveys or benchmark data. This will give them a quick, high-level understanding of the organization’s health.
Next, focus on your key takeaways and propose action items. For example, a key finding might be, “Employee comments indicate confusion about the work-from-home policy,” while your proposed solution could be, “To clarify expectations, we will develop a detailed telecommuting policy in Q1.” Share 2-4 actionable recommendations for addressing the issues raised in the survey and encourage discussion with your executive team. This is the opportunity to gather their concerns and feedback while securing their support for the next steps.
4. Review results with department heads
The next step in your employee engagement survey communication plan is to provide your department heads with a detailed overview of their department’s performance and the health of their specific teams. Begin by giving them context on how their department has evolved over time and how it compares to the rest of the organization. Engage in an open conversation about the strengths and weaknesses identified in the survey, particularly regarding manager satisfaction scores.
Similar to your discussion with the executive leadership team, foster an open dialogue with department leaders and collaboratively brainstorm ideas for improving the employee experience within their teams. For instance, if employees feel unmotivated and unclear about goals, you might suggest that the department head refine the goal-setting process. Another idea could be to have more frequent discussions about departmental and company goals and progress during team meetings. End the conversation by creating a clear action plan that outlines the steps the department head can take to address the issues highlighted in the survey.
5. Discuss team-specific feedback with leadership
After reviewing the findings with the executive team and department heads, it’s time to engage with your managers. This step is crucial, as managers play a significant role in shaping day-to-day employee experiences. Follow the same approach: go over key findings and engagement scores, and provide your recommendations for improvement. You may also want to use this opportunity to guide managers on how to communicate the survey results to their teams and encourage open, constructive discussions.
For smaller teams, anonymity may not be possible for this level of analysis. In such cases, focus on sharing high-level findings without delving into the details for these more close-knit groups.
6. Have people leaders review results with teams
Encourage your managers to discuss team-specific data with their employees. It's important to ensure that each team has the chance to engage in an open and productive conversation about the results, leaving with a clearer understanding of the positive changes that will be implemented. To foster effective discussions, managers should create a safe environment that invites employees to share their thoughts and experiences.
Starting the conversation with positive survey results is an excellent way to set a constructive tone before moving into more detailed feedback. Remind managers to stay objective, focus on the future, and be results-driven so they can gain a deeper understanding of employee challenges. This will help involve managers in taking action based on the survey insights.
7. Track progress and revisit action plans
It’s easy to overlook surveys once they’re completed, but it’s important not to just report on employee engagement scores and then leave the action plan behind. To show employees that their feedback and experiences are a top priority for the company, you need to keep them updated on ongoing initiatives and progress. This ongoing communication helps build credibility and trust. When employees see that the company takes engagement surveys seriously, they’ll be more likely to participate and share their feedback in future surveys.
Looking ahead
Employee engagement surveys require effort, but their impact on strengthening your culture and improving the workplace experience is invaluable. To maximize their effectiveness, it’s crucial to communicate clearly with your employees about the purpose and timing of the survey, ensuring their buy-in from the start. One key takeaway is the need to discover innovative ways to stay connected with employees. Engagement surveys serve as a valuable tool to strengthen those connections and drive impactful investments in your people and workplace.
