An old saying is, ‘If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.’ The same is the case when we talk about engaging our employees. Organizations take many steps to ensure their workforce is engaged and productivity remains high. But all their efforts can only be successful if they measure the impact of their employee engagement programs and activities. We need to understand that the preferences of employees are ever-evolving. Moreover, we cannot put all employees in the same basket. However, we agree that the ‘One Size Fits All’ theory no longer works.
So, HR and employee engagement specialists must keep evaluating and measuring their employee engagement activities and learn what works and does not work for their employees. Further, now it is about giving a better experience to employees. Measuring your employees’ engagement can give you insights into what must be done to improve and provide an overall high employee experience.
Measuring Engagement
There are various ways companies use to measure the level of engagement in their employees. Some of the popular tools are engagement and pulse surveys. On top of that, some companies have found ways to measure employees’ engagement levels. For instance, Microsoft changed the way it analyzed employee engagement levels of their employees. Last year, the company decided to leverage people analytics and go beyond engagement. It analyzed ’employee thriving’ rather than ’employee engagement.’
Apart from leveraging people analytics, the company moved on from the traditional annual employee survey and started taking employee feedback every six months. Coupled with that, the company decided to take immediate action on issues. The annual survey took a much longer time, and on top of that, Microsoft found that even when the employee engagement numbers looked fine, things were much different when the company dived deeper into the responses. Microsoft’s new version of ’employee thriving’ draws inspiration from ‘The 5Ps’: pay, perks, people, purpose, and pride. Unlike the term employee engagement, which had a different meaning for different people, now Microsoft has a common understanding of employee thriving, which means ‘to be energized and empowered to do meaningful work.’
15 Ways to Measure Employee Engagement
1. Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS):
A quick and effective way to gauge employee loyalty and satisfaction. Employees rate on a scale of 0-10 how likely they are to recommend their workplace. Scores help identify promoters, passives, and detractors.
2. Annual Engagement Surveys:
Comprehensive surveys conducted annually to assess employee satisfaction, motivation, and commitment. They provide a holistic view of the organization’s engagement levels and areas needing improvement.
3. Focus Groups:
Small, interactive group discussions that dive deeper into specific concerns or insights uncovered in surveys. They offer qualitative insights and give employees a voice in shaping workplace culture.
4. Social Media Sentiment Analysis:
Monitoring internal communication tools and external platforms (ethically) for trends in employee sentiment, such as collaboration positivity or dissatisfaction indicators.
5. Onboarding Feedback Surveys:
New employees provide feedback during their initial 30-90 days, revealing how effective the onboarding process is in setting expectations and integrating them into the company culture.
6. Exit and Stay Interviews:
Exit interviews uncover reasons for an employee’s departure, offering insights into engagement gaps.
Stay interviews focus on what motivates current employees to remain, helping prevent future attrition.
7. Cross-Functional Collaboration Tracking:
Examining how often employees collaborate across teams or departments. High levels of cross-functional teamwork often indicate strong engagement and a collaborative culture.
8. Participation in ERG Activities:
Tracking involvement in Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) highlights how well employees connect through shared interests or backgrounds, which often correlates with higher engagement.
9. Real-Time Feedback Tools:
Platforms like TinyPulse or Officevibe allow employees to provide instant feedback. These tools capture engagement data continuously, enabling quick corrective actions.
10. Volunteer Program Participation:
Tracking participation rates in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities can indicate how aligned employees feel with the company’s values and mission.
11. Analysis of Discretionary Effort:
Measuring employees’ willingness to go above and beyond their job descriptions—such as staying late, taking on additional responsibilities, or working on passion projects—can reflect their engagement.
12. Attrition Rates by Department:
Monitoring turnover rates across teams helps identify departments with potential engagement issues. High attrition often signals dissatisfaction or poor management.
13. Attendance in Ad-Hoc Meetings:
Frequent participation in non-mandatory meetings or brainstorming sessions reflects employees’ interest and enthusiasm for contributing beyond assigned tasks.
14. Upskilling & Learning Metrics:
Tracking participation in training programs or certifications indicates employees’ interest in self-development, which is often linked to their level of engagement and motivation.
15. Analysis of Wearable Data for Well-being:
Organizations using wearable technology (e.g., fitness trackers) can monitor health metrics like activity levels or stress. These insights can highlight how well the organization supports employee well-being, a key component of engagement.
