How To Use Surveys To Improve Workplace Morale
Employee surveys are a powerful tool for understanding how your workforce feels about their job, workplace culture, and leadership. By collecting honest feedback, you can identify areas where improvements are needed and take steps to boost morale. Happier, more engaged employees lead to better outcomes, including higher productivity, lower turnover, fewer sick days, and even improved profitability.
However, simply gathering data isn't enough—it's what you do with it that makes the real difference. In this blog, we'll explore how to use survey results effectively to make meaningful changes, foster a positive work environment, and ultimately improve workplace morale.
From identifying key areas of focus to engaging employees in the process of change, we’ll guide you through the steps to ensure that your organisation not only listens to its employees but also acts on their feedback.
The Importance Of Making Your Employees Feel Heard
The link between employee survey results and organisational success is clear: a more motivated workforce leads to better outcomes. Companies whose employees rank in the top 25% for engagement and motivation show 18% higher productivity and are twice as profitable compared to those in the bottom 25%. Engaged employees also lead to 40% lower turnover, fewer sick days (2.7 vs. 6.2 per year), and 62% fewer workplace accidents.
Beyond these measurable benefits, companies in the top 25% are 12% more focused on customer needs, and 59% more employees report that their work encourages creativity. These findings show that happier employees are linked to organisational success. While the relationship between engagement and success may feel like a "chicken and egg" scenario, they are clearly interconnected—better engagement fosters success, and success further boosts engagement.
Improving Employee Workplace Morale Using Best Employers Surveys
But why else should employers aim to improve workplace morale? Despite the evidence being clear that it improves productivity, often, persuading employers to take action and spend money on improving their employee’s satisfaction at work can be difficult.
This is why eras introduced the Best Employers Eastern Region: a biennial survey-based initiative designed to measure employee engagement, company culture, development, and overall wellbeing, spotlighting and rewarding companies who perform well.
In partnership with Pure and sponsors such as Birketts, the initiative aims to highlight the region's top employers while providing valuable encouragement for other organisations to enhance their workplace environment.
Culture & Engagement Surveys That Improve Morale In The Workplace
eras' culture and engagement surveys empower companies to shape their organisational performance by providing deep insights into the values that drive employee motivation. Our surveys help organisations understand not only what they do but how they do it, highlighting the impact of culture on employee engagement and overall workplace morale.
eras' culture and engagement surveys offer a wide range of practical applications for companies. They can help guide the development and implementation of corporate strategy, evaluate the success of specific initiatives, and highlight any differences or potential conflicts between staff groups, such as managers and their teams. These surveys are also valuable for assessing the impact of mergers and acquisitions, providing clarity for decision-making in areas like hiring, training, and reducing turnover. By using Eras' surveys, companies can make more informed, strategic decisions that enhance workplace morale and overall performance.
eras' report provides a clear overview of how your organisation's employees perceive its culture on a 1 to 10 scale. It also highlights how these perceptions have changed over time by comparing them with previous survey results, and benchmarks them against other organisations you’ve chosen for comparison. This insight allows your organisation to identify areas for improvement in fostering a more engaging and motivating workplace culture.
You can see an example of it here:
How To Utilise The Results Of A Culture & Engagement Survey To Improve Workplace Morale
Dealing with survey results requires a thoughtful and practical approach, as every organisation is unique. Here’s a simplified guide to help you take action:
- Use eras’ action planner that succeeds each culture and engagement survey. This walks you through each actionable area and provides simple prompts for you to develop a strategy following the outcome of the survey.
- Focus on a few important areas for improvement. You don’t need to fix everything at once. Start with what your employees value most and what they see as critical to success.
- Focus on areas where you are willing to invest resources, where employees are eager for change, and which align with your broader strategy.
- Share an overview of the results with employees. This shows them that you are serious about making improvements.
- Involve employees in finding solutions by creating small groups of "change champions." These groups can brainstorm ideas, which are later refined and shared with senior management.
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Work with the team to formalise an action plan. Use inclusive language like "we" to create a sense of shared responsibility. Ask practical questions such as:
- How can we implement this change?
- What are the barriers?
- How will we measure success?
- Avoid getting stuck in bureaucracy. Use the "Keep it Simple, Stupid" (KISS) model to stay focused on practical, actionable steps.
By following these steps, you can turn survey results into real, positive changes that benefit both employees and the organisation.
Waste No Time. Take Action To Improve Workplace Morale Sooner Rather Than Later
It's better to act on employee surveys sooner rather than later because delays can lead to disengagement and missed opportunities for improvement. When employees see that their feedback is taken seriously and acted upon promptly, it fosters trust and motivates them to stay engaged. The longer you wait, the harder it may become to address key issues and maintain morale.
If you have any questions about our Culture and Engagement surveys or our popular Best Employers Initiative, don’t hesitate to get in touch with eras. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service and would love to help you take the first step toward improving workplace morale.