Smart Benefits: 5 Ways to Measure Employee Engagement

Monday, January 13, 2020

Rob Calise, GoLocalWorcester Business/Health Expert

Rob Calise

Everyone knows that engagement is key to retention. Yet studies show that only 34% of workers are engaged. That’s why it’s critical to check in to gauge how employees feel, and many companies have turned to regular pulse surveys to do just that.

But a recent survey revealed that nearly 25% of employees aren’t honest when they take company-administered surveys, largely out of fear of backlash.

So if organizations can’t trust these pulse polls, what can they do?

Here are some other options to measure engagement so you can use the feedback to foster a positive work culture.

One-on-One Conversations: These don’t have to be long, but should be informal talks to understand whether an employee’s happy and motivated or if they’re having any issues. The benefit of a conversation over a survey is that you’ll be able to dive deeper into employee responses for a better picture of what’s going on.
Stay Interviews: This more directed version of a one-on-one conversation is intended to elicit why key employees want to stay at the company. In addition to asking about what they enjoy, it’s also important to find out what may cause them to leave by identifying other skills they may want to utilize or flexibility they may need.
Small-group Discussions: If you’re looking for targeted feedback from a particular team or department, you may want to hold a meeting with several employees who can talk about their successes and challenges. Remember to ask open-ended questions to stimulate discussion and offer a personal conversation if any employee wants to talk offline.
Exit Interviews: These more structured sit-downs can help you understand why employees are leaving and any issues that may have contributed to their departure. Key areas to focus on are what they liked and didn’t like about their job and anything they would change about the role or the company.
Outsourced Surveys: If you prefer the survey route for its ease and convenience, consider outsourcing them for greater anonymity and confidentiality so employees will feel as comfortable as possible answering the questions. That way, they may be more likely to share their perceptions about the job, the company, and their future.

Rob Calise is the Managing Director, Employee Benefits of The Hilb Group of New England, where he helps clients control the costs of employee benefits by focusing on consumer-driven strategies and on how to best utilize the tax savings tools the government provides. Rob serves as Chairman of the Board of United Benefit Advisors, and is a board member of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI Broker Advisory Board, United HealthCare of New England Broker Advisory Board and Rhode Island Business Healthcare Advisors Council. He is also a member of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), American Health Insurance Association (AHIA) and the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation (ECFC), as well as various human resource associations. Rob is a graduate of Bryant University with a BS in Finance