1. ESSAY Edelman Change & Employee Engagement
Why Engagement Surveys
neither engage nor inform
in a meaningful way
T he Holy Grail for global
business executives today is
studies indicate less than 1/3 of
employees globally are actively
employee engagement. And engaged in their jobs.
well it should be. Recent studies
indicate that close to 85% of Engagement is about individual
engaged employees (some behavior. People who have both
studies as high as 88%) believe an emotional and intellectual
they can positively impact bond to the organization. Disen-
quality of their organization’s gaged employees not only
products and services. The sad exhibit less than satisfactory
truth though is that those same behavior as it relates to perfor-

2. Why Engagemnet Surveys neither “engage” nor “inform” in a Meaningful Way
mance, they actually produce management, and the second
less revenue for the business. approach is more often than not
used as the impetus to establish
It is for these reasons that meaningless “morale commit-
leaders and communicators tees” or “culture task forces.”
alike are spending signifi-
cant resources to uncover the An Outcome Not a Goal
elements of engagement. The reason for such misdirec-
‘‘
tion is that often organizations
This is apropos to any discus- define “engagement” as a goal
sion on engagement surveys or even a strategy when in fact,
The reason for such because, in too many organiza- it’s an outcome.
misdirection is that tions, they’re a colossal waste
often organizations of time, either knowingly or Real engagement happens as
unknowingly designed to tempo- a result of a number of inter-
define “engage-
rarily deflect attention from more related actions including but
‘‘
ment” as a goal
or even a strategy
when in fact, it’s
meaningful dialogue.
How so? Rather than do what
not limited to: management
behaviors; open and transparent
culture; participatory decision-
they’re supposed to do – serve as making; clear and consistent
an outcome.
a means for employees to advise communications; team-oriented
leadership on the effectiveness project management; rewards
of its management or operating and recognition efforts; and
model – they instead get used compensation policies.
by HR and communications
departments to gauge morale Once engagement is defined
and awareness. as an outcome, organizations
can stop chasing their tail, so
The workforce, sensing this, to speak, and move their focus
generally responds in one of from symptoms to the cause.
two ways: by telling manage-
ment what it wants to hear, or Check out the employee engage-
by truthfully professing any ment survey practices of some of
ignorance or confusion about the leading management consult-
the company’s strategic direc- ing and research firms, and you’ll
tion. The first approach accom- see that these surveys usually
plishes nothing positive beyond aren’t really conceived to engage
a back-slapping opportunity for at all; they’re conceived to gener-

3. Why Engagemnet Surveys neither “engage” nor “inform” in a Meaningful Way
ate statistically laden checklists don’t sugarcoat our results (for
and metrics to provide manage- senior management). Our execu-
ments with insight into the short- tives talk about the results often
comings of their workforce. They and build engagement into our
presume senior management enterprise targets.” The manager
“knows all” and put the onus for adds that the company doesn’t
improvement and performance on worry about measuring scores
the general workforce. but rather, “participation in the
‘‘
survey and progress made…
This isn’t a clarion call for the across the enterprise … If we
abolition of engagement surveys. incented the score, associates
. . . before even Quite the contrary: approached might fill it out more positively
embarking on an properly – as a referendum on than they really believe.”
engagement survey, leadership – and they can be
‘‘
commit to doing
so for the right
reason. . .
highly valuable. The key, of
course, is to approach them the
right way.
Actions Not Words
An industrial company senior
manager notes that conducted
properly, engagement surveys
Some enlightened organizations “can help you set your strategic
do that already. Consider the approach by giving you a sense
following input gleaned from a of what people are really doing
variety of top-tier companies. not just saying.” Another senior
We’ve left the identity of these communicator from a manufac-
senior managers anonymous to turing company concurs, observ-
encourage their openness about ing that engagement surveys
internal subject matter. can offer “a true sense of how
committed people are” and
Transparency how effectively management is
“We’re proud of what we do: we leading – particularly related to
view our engagement surveys the toughest issues facing the
as a core strategic, competitive organization.
edge,” says a senior communi-
cator at a large manufacturing This manager notes that
company. “We believe the more engagement surveys can also
highly engaged our associates uncover cases of senior manage-
are, the more productive they ment being tone deaf. After a
are. We implement a new survey downsizing, for example, many
every one or two years. We employees used the survey to

4. Why Engagemnet Surveys neither “engage” nor “inform” in a Meaningful Way
voice displeasure that former through “morale committees”
colleagues’ offices were left that put the impetus for change
untouched – down to empty on employees, but through new
coffee cups still sitting on the approaches to engaging
desks. “It was bizarre,” he notes, employees’ minds and hearts.
and employees weren’t happy
about it. The survey offered a “It’s not about hearts and
safe haven for employees to raise flowers,” says a senior commu-
‘‘
the subject – not a communica- nications officer at an industrial
tions issue, per se, but one that company. “It’s about shoring up
absolutely impacted engagement. gaps. Employees need to know
It’s not about hearts that the feedback they provide
and flowers ...
It’s about shoring
up gaps.
‘‘ Respond vs. React
A senior communicator at a
healthcare company remarks
results in real action.”
A New Approach
that his large organization Before identifying what to do
– senior communications officer
approaches near 100% participa- to improve engagement at your
tion in its engagement surveys organization, here are three
because it “explains why they’re things to avoid when developing
important” so employees will research:
take the time to complete them.
In a very telling comment, he 1: Ill-designed - Check your
says that, “you’ve got to be questions and determine if
prepared not to be surprised the answers actually provide
or shocked: You’re not in the any insight into how people
trenches every day.” Further, behave. Many engagement
“You’ve got to be prepared to surveys only address what
do something” with the infor- people say about involvement
mation these surveys generate. or communications or knowl-
edge sharing or collaboration.
Bingo! That’s the crucial point: For example, engagement
before even embarking on an surveys typically ask “what is
engagement survey, commit to the best way to receive infor-
doing so for the right reason: to mation about the company’s
gather useful, previously unknown strategy or direction”, and
and under-considered informa- more often than not, the
tion that senior management typical response from employ-
will absorb and respond to! Not ees is ‘though my manager/

5. Why Engagemnet Surveys neither “engage” nor “inform” in a Meaningful Way
supervisor.” However, in organization?” The responses
today’s matrix-structured to this question often cite
organizations, interaction with “more information on our
managers is often limited or vision, strategy, priorities,
muted due to reporting lines etc.” However, employees
and organizational design. may or may not even be
Without a major overhaul in going to the portal with any
such things, this is not helpful. regularity as to know what’s
Rather, have the survey ask already there.
about the interactions with
Six ways for your Engagement
managers/supervisors taking Surveys to Mean Something:
place today and how they • Above all, instead of just
might be improved. This will tracking and reporting on
provide insight on thing that engagement across a spectrum
can be changed. of areas such as “management
interaction” or “adherence to
2: Action Dis-Oriented - Again, values” compile an overall
the survey or research must be statement reflecting the situa-
conducted to enact a new set tion pointing to the organiza-
of actions within the organi- tion’s management model.
zation led by management to Doing so mitigates the knee
improve the overall relation- jerk reaction to apply actions
ship between the company and against each of the areas vs.
its workforce. Reassess your developing an overall strategy.
research instrument to see if
it’s action oriented. • Recognize the real audience.
It’s not employees! The
3: Myopic - So much engage- real audience is leadership!
ment research places the Engagement is an outcome
respondents - employees - in of the company’s current
a proverbial box in terms of management model. At a
their ability to answer holis- minimum, the model needs
tically. For example, this to be recalibrated to deliver a
question tends to pop up a lot more engaged workforce. If
on surveys, “what types of you believe employees are the
content would you like on our audience, then all the effort is
portal that would lead to your communicating results of the
increased involvement in the survey back to them instead of

6. Why Engagemnet Surveys neither “engage” nor “inform” in a Meaningful Way
fixing the areas they identified. The Real Value
Establishing and maintaining
• Make Engagement a senior engagement internally is all
leadership priority! Once about integration and alignment.
the results are in, have senior IN the end, research is meant
leaders brief the organization on to identify the areas in which
the findings and the solutions. engagement is being thwarted or
advanced by the organization’s
• Be consistent: implement management model or how it
these surveys at least once a operates the enterprise. .
year. Once every other year
is OK as long as you have The results of any research
mechanisms in place to gather must be dissected and shared
feedback in the intervening among all key functions so that
years. One communicator a proper solution can be devised
interviewed above says his and enacted. Having individual
organization implements “mini groups or teams run around
surveys” in the years between implementing tactics without
more extensive surveying. any cohesion is a waste of time
and resources leaving employees
• Be objective: for many compa- confused and cynical and the
nies, it makes sense to engage business itself less than optimal.
a third party to provide an
additional perspective analyzing
engagement surveys, to avoid
bias and make employees more
confident that their anonymity
will be preserved.
• Finally… be level-headed:
Almost as bad as ignoring
feedback is responding too
aggressively, too quickly.
Take the time to truly assess
the feedback and what it says
about leadership’s effectiveness.

7. Why Engagemnet Surveys neither “engage” nor “inform” in a Meaningful Way
Edelman Change and Employee Engagement
is the global organizational (internal) change
communications consulting group of Edelman, the largest
independent public relations firm in the world and the
third largest overall. The mission of Edelman Change
and Employee Engagement is to advise and assist
organizations on strengthening the ability to implement
corporate strategy and initiatives through management
and employee engagement and effective communications
in order to build brands and achieve business goals.
The group provides distinctive expertise in organizational
effectiveness, culture transformation, strategy
implementation and accessibility, CEO transition and
positioning, internal branding, post-merger integration,
labor-management relations, internal communications
programming and research/measurement.
For more information, please visit:
www.change.edelman.com