5 Steps for Effectively Communicating Engagement Survey Results With Your Team

When you run an employee engagement survey, the results are only as good as the way in which you communicate them. If employees don't feel like their feedback is being heard or that any changes will be made based on their answers, then it's likely they won't participate in future surveys or take action on the information they provided. To maximize your return on investment (ROI) and ensure that your team members' voices are heard, follow this five-step process for effectively communicating your organization's engagement survey results:

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Step 1: Introduce the survey results

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• Introduce the survey, explain why it is being conducted

As a leader and a communicator, you need to be aware of the importance of communication. You should be able to effectively communicate with your team members and stakeholders so that they understand what you are trying to accomplish as an organization and how their contribution can help achieve this goal. In this regard, communicating your engagement survey results is no different than any other form of communication; it requires careful planning and preparation before you share them with others.

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• Explain why you're doing this

Communication involves effective delivery; when sharing important information such as an engagement survey result with your team members, they should understand why they are receiving these results and what they mean for the organization as well as themselves individually if applicable (e.g., if there is a low response rate). Make sure that all relevant stakeholders have access to such information so that they can arrive at informed decisions about their participation in various projects or programs within the company

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Step 2: Choose the best method to share your findings

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Next, decide how you'd like to share the results with your team. Think about what method will be most convenient for them. If you're working in a large organization and have multiple offices, it may make sense to set up an online meeting so that everyone can join in on the same time and date. Or if many of your team members work remotely, consider hosting a virtual meeting or creating an email thread so they can access the information when they need it. 

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Step 3: Ensure employees feel valued and recognized

• Recognize and reward employees for their contributions
  

• Give employees an opportunity to improve on areas where they scored low
  

• Provide employees with a voice in decision making
  

• Provide employees with opportunities for growth
  

• Recognize employees for their achievements

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Step 4: Provide opportunities for feedback

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After you've presented the results of the engagement survey, it's important to give employees an opportunity to provide feedback on what they heard. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as:

• A meeting with management where employees are invited to share their thoughts about the survey results and what they mean for the company. You might want to use these as opportunities for open-ended questions ("What do you think?") rather than closed-ended ones ("Do you agree?"). Open-ended questions allow employees to express themselves more fully and will help you gain a better understanding of their reactions and concerns. Once everyone has had their say, summarize key points from the conversation so that everyone is clear about what was said.
  

• Giving employees another opportunity at some later date (such as after 6 months or a year) via an internal newsletter or other communication medium so that this information stays fresh in people's minds over time.

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Step 6: Involve your team in decision-making

Make sure to let your team know that you are listening to their feedback, then involve them in decision-making. Showing your team that you are taking action on their feedback will help them feel more empowered and motivated by the time they leave for the day.

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Step 5: Use your findings to take action

Now that you’ve collected and analyzed the results of your engagement survey, it’s time to take some action. Use your findings to improve the work environment by improving:

• Your team's performance
• Your team's productivity
• Your team's engagement

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Engagement surveys are a great way to get honest feedback from your team. But it's important to be ready to communicate those results effectively, so that the data can have an impact. If you're planning one, here are three steps you can take now to make sure your team is prepared:

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• Set expectations.
• Provide context for the survey before it’s even taken or after results are shared with everyone on the team (if that hasn’t already happened). Let them know what has changed since last year’s survey and why—for example, if there was a new hire in their department or new leadership structure at the company level—and help them put their scores into perspective based on this context.
• Be ready for any questions about where you plan on taking action based on these findings (or if there will be any specific changes). Be honest about what outcomes you hope for but also realistic about what might happen once all feedback has been collected across different groups of employees and departments within your organization so they know this isn't just another report gathering dust somewhere on someone's desk!

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