Understanding Employee Engagement Through Surveys

Employee engagement surveys are lying to you. 92% of companies measure engagement. Only 32% actually improve it. Here's why: What surveys measure: - "Do you feel valued?" - "Are you satisfied with your job?" - "Would you recommend this company?" What actually drives engagement: - "Can I solve problems that frustrate me daily?" - "Do my improvement ideas get implemented?" - "Am I trusted to make decisions in my work area?" The real engagement killers I see on every plant floor: → Suggestion boxes that go nowhere → "That's not how we do things here" → Problems identified but never fixed → Operators treated like robots, not problem-solvers The engagement drivers that actually work: → Operators leading their own Kaizen events → Frontline workers designing their workstations → Teams solving their own quality issues → Management asking "What would you do?" instead of "Do this" The shocking truth: People don't disengage because they don't care. They disengage because they care too much and keep getting ignored. Your best operators see 47 problems you don't. The question isn't whether they're engaged. The question is: Are you listening? Stop measuring engagement. Start measuring implementation. How many employee suggestions did you implement last month? *** Follow me Angad S. for more!

I've always strived to understand how engaged my teams are in their mission, and what’s getting in their way that I or my leadership team can help remove. At previous companies, we used quarterly or semi-annual surveys. While they did surface issues, the format had limitations: Forced: Long surveys that are often forced, with managers pushing for participation metrics. Untimely: A quarter is too long; feedback suffers from recency bias. One-way: Comments can’t spark conversation, so team-specific issues often go unaddressed. At Cohesity, thanks to the leadership of Rebecca Adams, we use Workday PeakOn for continuous employee engagement, and it’s made a meaningful difference: No pressure: Brief, biweekly surveys with optional participation. 30–40% of the team usually responds because they want to. Timely: Focus areas evolve over time, so we’re focused on what matters now. Two-way dialog: Anonymous conversations let managers respond to comments without revealing employee identity. I’ve learned a great deal through these exchanges, and it’s gratifying when team members choose to continue the conversation openly as trust develops. Our engagement scores aren’t perfect, and as in any real business, not all issues can be solved quickly. However, I’m grateful for the steady pulse and the visibility on issues as they emerge. I highly recommend a continuous listening approach to any leader serious about building a better culture. #EmployeeExperience #Leadership #PeopleFirst #ContinuousEngagement #WorkdayPeakon

Trust is the foundation of every high-performing organization. But many leaders wonder: How do we measure trust? The good news is you may already have a tool in place—your employee engagement survey. We’ve found three key questions provide a direct connection to workplace trust. We call them the “Trust Trilogy”:   1️⃣ Is the information received from top leaders open and honest? Senior leaders have good intentions. The key is in how they share information—it’s about clarity, consistency, and timing. 2️⃣ Do you feel you have organizational support? Asking, “Do you have what you need today?” can lead to engagement and problem-solving. 3️⃣ Does the organization care about your well-being? From benefits to career development, employees who feel invested in are far more likely to stay.   Before spending time and money on a new way to measure trust, look at the data you already have. The answers are already there—acting on them is one of the best investments you can make.