Have you ever felt the weight of unspoken workplace frustrations? Your company's success depends on addressing these very issues – it's all about employee engagement. While sometimes overlooked, it's undeniably vital. In fact, companies with high employee engagement levels leave their less-engaged counterparts in the dust, outperforming them by an impressive 202%.
So, what precisely is an employee engagement score, why is it significant, how to measure it and what steps can you take after you've gathered the score?
What is an employee engagement score?
An employee engagement score is a metric used to gauge employees' engagement, motivation, and commitment toward their work. This score typically falls within a range from 0 to 100, with higher scores signifying greater levels of engagement.
Employee engagement score ranges
Low Score (0 - 29%)
Employees with low scores often exhibit disconnection from their team, a lack of interest in their work, and limited communication. They require extra motivation to complete tasks and are less likely to participate in company initiatives.
This low level of engagement often results in a poor employee engagement score, which can negatively impact overall productivity and morale. Identifying and addressing the factors contributing to these low scores is crucial for improving employee engagement and satisfaction.
Neutral Score (30 - 69%)
Employees within this range generally possess enough motivation to complete their job tasks, but their commitment to their work and the company may not be at an optimal level. This range represents the standard level of engagement, where employees do their jobs but may not go above and beyond.
Efforts to enhance employee engagement strategies for this group can lead to increased job satisfaction and better overall engagement scores, promoting a more dynamic and committed workforce.
High Score (70 - 100%)
Employees with high scores are enthusiastic about their work-related tasks. They maintain open communication lines, proactively propose solutions to problems, and are committed to learning and achieving their work goals. This high level of engagement signifies an ideal scenario where employees are deeply invested in their roles and the company's success. Engaged employees in this range are critical to achieving business outcomes and driving organizational growth, making it essential to foster and maintain such engagement levels.
Signs that your employee engagement score is low
While specific indicators may vary, here are some common signs that suggest a poor employee engagement score:
Lack of initiative and innovation
Disengaged employees are often less inclined to contribute new ideas or take on additional responsibilities. This lack of initiative can hinder employee engagement and negatively impact the company’s ability to innovate and stay competitive. Measuring employee engagement through employee engagement surveys can help identify these issues and implement strategies to boost engagement and creativity.
High turnover rates
A high turnover rate is a significant indicator of poor employee engagement. Disengaged employees are more likely to leave the company in search of better opportunities, leading to increased recruitment and training costs. To improve employee engagement, companies need to focus on creating a supportive and engaging work environment that encourages retention and reduces turnover.
Low employee morale and a negative workplace atmosphere
Disengaged employees often experience lower morale, contributing to a negative workplace atmosphere. This environment can further exacerbate disengagement and hinder employee well-being. Implementing strategies to enhance employee satisfaction and engagement can help create a positive workplace culture, improving overall morale.
Low productivity
Disengaged employees may display reduced motivation and effort in their work, leading to lower productivity levels. Consistently low productivity can negatively affect business outcomes and hinder organizational growth. Focusing on engaging employees and addressing the factors affecting employee engagement can boost productivity and drive business success.
Decreased customer satisfaction
Disengaged employees are more likely to provide subpar customer service, resulting in decreased customer satisfaction. This can negatively impact the organization’s reputation and customer retention. Enhancing employee engagement levels can lead to better customer service and improved customer satisfaction.
Increased absenteeism and sick leave
Higher absenteeism rates can indicate disengagement and a lack of commitment to work. Excessive absenteeism can affect overall organizational performance. Monitoring absenteeism and implementing employee engagement strategies can help reduce absenteeism and improve overall engagement.
Poor communication and collaboration
Inadequate employee communication and collaboration can indicate low engagement. This can impede information flow, decision-making processes, and overall organizational effectiveness. Fostering open communication and collaboration can significantly enhance employee engagement and organizational efficiency.
What constitutes optimal employee engagement scores?
Determining a good employee engagement score hinges on various factors, including industry, company goals, and company size. As a general guideline, a score above 70 is considered good, while a score below 70 suggests the need for attention. A high employee engagement score indicates a workforce that is motivated, satisfied, and committed to their roles.
To obtain a comprehensive view of the company's workforce, it should be combined with other metrics like turnover, absenteeism, and productivity. Regularly assessing employee engagement through engagement surveys and other tools can help maintain high engagement levels and drive continuous improvement.
Key reasons why measuring employee engagement is important
The multiple facets of how engaged employees elevate their experiences and contribute to their organization's overall success and profitability. The transformative influence of employee engagement within organizations includes:
- Engaged employees consistently deliver high-quality results and outperform others by 202%.
- Companies with high employee engagement are 21% more profitable
- Engaged employees experience 48% fewer work-related injuries, saving companies $47,988 per worker's compensation claim.
- Companies with engaged employees see 233% greater customer loyalty and a 26% annual revenue increase.
What metrics measure employee engagement?
Employee engagement metrics gauge the frequency and effectiveness of employee interactions with their organization. The most common metrics for measuring engagement for frontline workers are:
Absence rates
Absence rates indicate how often team members take time off, affecting costs and engagement. High absence rates can signal low motivation, while low rates may indicate stronger connections to work and colleagues. Highly engaged employers experience 41% lower absenteeism rates.
Turnover rate
Engaged teams have lower turnover rates. Monitoring annual turnover rates by department can reveal engagement issues, allowing leaders to address them with team-building activities and better support systems. Highly engaged employees are less likely to leave, contributing to a stable and productive workforce.
Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)
eNPS measures employee sentiment and helps improve engagement by collecting feedback and tracking changes over time. This metric provides valuable insights into employee satisfaction and areas for improvement.
Employee survey results
Surveys identify factors contributing to satisfaction and measure engagement by calculating an 'Employee Satisfaction Index' across departments. Regularly conducting surveys helps track engagement trends and implement effective strategies to enhance engagement.
Successful hires
Tracking successful hires versus unsuccessful ones helps evaluate onboarding processes and make improvements based on feedback from exit interviews. Effective onboarding is crucial for engaging employees from the start.
Internal promotion rate
Monitoring internal promotions indicates areas of success and opportunities for career development. High promotion rates suggest strong engagement and motivation among employees.
Employee engagement through internal communication content
How employees engage with the content you share internally, whether through your company's intranet or a company newsfeed, provides valuable insights into their level of engagement. Frontline workers often miss out on internal communications due to the absence of a company email address and limited in-person interactions with their peers.
Therefore, measuring whether and how they interact with internal content is essential. Using an employee application can make it easy to both reach your frontline workers while measuring interaction levels.
Active users
Tracking active users of engagement tools helps measure motivation and adjust content for better engagement. High engagement levels among users indicate the effectiveness of these tools.
What is the best way to measure engagement?
The best way to measure employee engagement involves 4 crucial steps:
1. Determine engagement outcomes
Use survey questions that gauge behaviors and feelings of engaged employees, such as perceptions of organizational pride, intent to stay, and advocacy. These questions provide insights into the current state of employee engagement.
Incorporating targeted employee engagement survey questions helps identify specific areas where employees feel connected or disconnected. Understanding these perceptions is essential to calculate employee engagement scores accurately and develop strategies to enhance engagement.
2. Identify employee priorities
Ask employees to rate their opinions on various engagement drivers, including teamwork, trust in leadership, career development, communication, and more. Some drivers impact engagement more significantly than others, so ensure your survey covers various topics.
Assessing employee engagement through comprehensive surveys allows you to pinpoint which factors are most crucial to your workforce. This detailed feedback is invaluable for tailoring your employee engagement strategy to address the most critical areas.
3. Conduct a driven analysis
Analyze the data to understand which drivers influence your organization most. Identifying key drivers helps target programs for improvement and tailor strategies to enhance employee engagement. By examining engagement data, you can identify trends and patterns that reveal the underlying causes of low or high engagement levels. This analysis provides actionable insights into how different aspects of the work environment and management practices affect employee engagement.
4. Develop a continuous listening strategy
Regularly survey your employees for valid and actionable results. Annual surveys are effective, but using pulse surveys to gather real-time feedback and lifecycle surveys to assess perceptions at critical points in the employee journey ensures ongoing engagement. Continuous listening allows organizations to stay attuned to employee sentiment and adapt quickly to changing needs.
This proactive approach to measuring engagement helps maintain high employee engagement levels and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.
What to do after measuring employee engagement
Once you've measured employee engagement, it's time to put those insights to good use. Here are some steps to consider when checking in on how engaged your employees are:
Analyze the data
Unpack the information gathered from the employee engagement survey to identify patterns, trends, and areas that need improvement. Focus on specific engagement areas requiring attention to enhance overall engagement levels. Deep analysis of engagement scores can reveal critical insights into employee satisfaction and areas where improvements can be made.
Identifying these patterns helps organizations prioritize their efforts and develop targeted initiatives to improve employee engagement.
Share the results
Transparently share the engagement survey results with management, team leaders, and frontline workers. Being open about the results shows the organization's commitment to improvement and fosters trust. Sharing results across all levels of the organization ensures that everyone understands the current state of employee engagement and is aligned with the efforts to improve it. This transparency is key to building trust and encouraging collaboration.
Get to the root
Dig deeper into the data to find out what's causing the engagement levels. See if there are any connections between engagement scores and other things at work, like how well people communicate, the leaders in charge, how heavy the workload is, or opportunities for career growth. Knowing the root causes will help you focus your efforts.
Conducting focus groups and individual interviews can provide deeper insights into specific issues identified in the surveys. This qualitative data complements the quantitative survey results, offering a more comprehensive understanding of the factors affecting employee engagement.
Create an action plan
Develop a plan to address areas needing attention based on identified root causes. Set clear goals, strategies, and initiatives to boost employee engagement. Ensure everyone knows their role and set deadlines for implementation.
An effective action plan should include specific initiatives aimed at enhancing employee satisfaction, such as improving communication channels, providing professional development opportunities, and recognizing employee achievements. Clear timelines and accountability are essential to ensure that the plan is executed successfully.
Involve your employees
Employee engagement is a team effort. Get employees involved by seeking their input, ideas, and feedback on improvement strategies. This inclusive approach increases the likelihood of successful engagement initiatives. Involving employees in the development and implementation of engagement strategies fosters a sense of ownership and accountability. It also ensures that the initiatives are relevant and effective in addressing the real concerns and needs of the workforce.
Offer training and development
Invest in training and development programs that help frontline workers grow and improve their skills. Providing opportunities for career growth and professional development shows the organization's commitment to employee engagement. Training and development programs should be tailored to meet the specific needs of different employee groups, including frontline workers. These programs not only enhance job satisfaction but also improve overall employee performance and retention.
Boost communication
Enhance organizational communication to make it transparent, clear, and engaging. Encourage open conversations, listen to employee feedback, and address issues promptly. Effective communication builds trust and keeps employees engaged. Implementing tools and platforms that facilitate seamless communication between employees and management is crucial.
Regular updates, town hall meetings, and open-door policies can help maintain a transparent and communicative work environment.
Recognize and reward
Implement recognition programs to celebrate employee achievements and milestones. Recognizing and rewarding hard work and accomplishments boosts morale and makes employees feel valued. Recognition can take many forms, from formal awards to informal acknowledgments. Creating a culture of appreciation and recognition encourages high employee engagement and motivates employees to continue performing at their best.
Keep an eye on things
Continuously monitor employee engagement levels to assess the effectiveness of implemented initiatives. Use feedback, pulse surveys, or follow-up engagement measurements to evaluate progress and make necessary adjustments. Regularly reviewing engagement data and comparing it against initial benchmarks helps track the success of engagement initiatives.
This ongoing monitoring ensures that engagement strategies remain effective and responsive to changing employee needs and expectations.
Make the workplace awesome
Create a workplace centered around balance, inclusivity, and well-being. Building a foundation of trust, respect, and teamwork fosters a more engaged and happier workforce. An awesome workplace is one where employees feel supported, valued, and motivated to perform their best. Initiatives such as wellness programs, flexible work arrangements, and diversity and inclusion efforts contribute to a positive work environment and high employee engagement.
Measuring and improving employee engagement is not just about making the workplace more pleasant; it's a strategic imperative with far-reaching implications for an organization's performance, reputation, and long-term sustainability. It's the key to unlocking the full potential of your most valuable asset: your people.
Book a free demo of our employee engagement platform to get a jump-start on creating an employee engagement strategy that works for you.