3 Surprising Ways Employee Engagement Surveys Can Improve Culture

An employee engagement survey is so much more than asking a couple questions once a year and calling it good. When done right, these surveys can change workplace environments, empower leaders, and improve retention, culture, and results.

But did you know that employee engagement surveys can also act as a powerful relationship-building tool with remote workers? Or that they can help ensure an issue-free transition during a big corporate change? This is the beauty of these surveys done right—the benefits just keep adding up, some more subtle than others.

Here are three surprising ways these surveys can improve your culture:

Makes Remote Workers Feel More Involved

30 million employees are telecommuting at least once a week. By 2020, business leaders believe 50% of their full-time staff will be working completely remotely. With numbers like these, we can be sure the telecommuting trend is not going away anytime soon. While working from home has shown to improve productivity and morale, it also brings up some new concerns. How do you ensure remote workers feel like their voices are heard? Or whether they feel like they are part of a team? And how can you tell if a telecommuter’s job satisfaction is waning?

This is where the surveys come into play. It’s a guaranteed way to frequently check in with telecommuters and allow them to voice their opinions. It makes them feel connected to the company and colleagues, and keeps them invested in the success and outcome of the culture.

Ensures A Smooth Transition During Change

Whether you’re altering your vacation policy or introducing a new, top-level manager, employees will have a lot to say during times of change in your organization. Change is always a delicate process. It can have real, negative effects on company culture when important conversations are happening behind closed doors and employees are left in the dark.

Transparency and frequent communication are imperative during corporate change, and engagement surveys offer yet another avenue for honest communication during a time of unknown. What better time to find out how happy your employees are than during a big organizational shift? And if you do find that morale is decreasing, you can make changes quickly before things get too bad.

Supports Peer Camaraderie

Do you think money drives employees to work harder? Think again. Our research found that peers are the real motivator for other employees to push themselves. “[My teammates] are always willing to go the extra mile for me and I feel the obligation to do likewise. The camaraderie we have pushes me more than anything else,” said one TINYpulse user.

Given that peers are the greatest motivator for increased productivity, look for surveys that offers peer-to-peer recognition, like TINYpulse’s Cheers for Peers platform. When offered a simple tool to recognize colleagues, 44% of all workers would do so. And just a simple virtual “high five” from a colleague can revolutionize your culture with happy employees

An employee engagement survey is like a treasure chest. You see the pile of gold awaiting you and can reap its benefits right away. But there are also hidden gems and treasures to be found. The longer you keep looking, the more surprises you will find, and the greater your rewards will be in the end.  

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