How to Communicate Employee Survey Results in a way that will support implementation plans and action within your team 1

2 1.Thank people for participating. 2.Provide an initial overview of the results. 3.Discuss team-level results within teams. 4.Keep it simple. 5.Initiate dialogue by asking open-ended questions. 6.Align on the next steps.

Thank people for participating. Who: From the manager to the team(s) What: Review that the company achieved X% participation Share the date that the survey closed and when data started to be shared Thank people for participating Outline the next steps in the process 1. Share your results - strengths and challenges or needs 2. Work with the team to identify team strengths and challenges or needs to develop improvement plans 3. Develop and implement improvement plans 4. Cadence and follow up of improvement plans When: At the beginning of the meeting Why: This step is simple but essential. Clarifying your plans assures people of your commitment to act on their feedback. 3

Provide an initial overview of the results. Who: (you) From the manager to all the people on the team. What: Share the employee survey results in phases, starting with high-level results and then filtering results down to individual teams for a closer look. Include details like: • Participation stats (all ~70% - your dept = 85% of people completed) • Top and bottom survey results • How you will work as a team to develop improvement plans When: During a team meeting. Why: Sharing results keep the feedback top-of-mind and help connect the results and action plan to their comments. 4

Discuss team-level results within teams. Who: (you) Managers and their teams. What: Discuss survey results at the team level When: During a team meeting Why: Overall organizational trends are significant, but the real value is found at the team level, where the insights and takeaways apply specifically to them. These team meetings and focus groups aim to share team results within the context of the broader company trends and work together to identify areas for improvement and a plan of action. 5

Keep it simple. • When discussing the results, focus on the most (strengths) and least (needs or challenges) favorable responses. • These represent the team’s strengths and opportunities and serve as a perfect introduction to discussing areas of improvement. Initiate dialogue by asking open-ended questions. • Start with thought-provoking questions like, • "what was on your mind when answering this question?" or • "what can the team do to help you strongly agree with this question?" • These questions will invite honest conversations that build the foundation of how to improve in the future. • To take this step even further, consider how you may gather more information or deeper meaning of how the improvements will impact them and what they will see happening when changes are made. Identify with the team 1 to 3 Strengths to build on or preserve Identify with the team 1 to 3 Concerns to improve or change for the better 6

7 https://mikecardus.com/interest-impact-matrix-corporate- team-building-activity/

Theme / Idea Specificity 10–very much 0-Not at all Leverage 10–very much 0-Not at all Values 10–very much 0-Not at all Reach 10–very much 0-Not at all Feel Good 10-very much 0-Not at all Potential Barriers Potential Successes 8 https://mikecardus.com/nice-to-need-to-stop-corporate-team-building/

Align on the next steps. • Clearly define what is being improved and how. • Please include information on who is responsible and what they, plus the team, can do, the first steps, and end goals. This implementation roadmap shows dedication to the team’s betterment—employee engagement, experience, or performance. Collaborating also reiterates the importance of shared responsibility on a team and individual ownership of employee engagement. 9

Communication Tips for Sharing Employee Survey Results 10

Be open. 1. Being open and honest is critical to communicating employee survey results. 2. Don’t try to position results to be better or worse than they are. 3. Talk openly about the results. 4. How you talk about results sets the tone for receiving continued honest feedback and ideas for improvement. 5. Being open builds trust. 11

Be clear. 1. Employee survey results can be challenging to understand. 2. Be as clear and concise as possible when you share the results with employees. 3. Avoid jargon and commentary that will create confusion. 12

Respect employees’ responses. 1. Don’t guilt-trip your employees. 2. People should not feel like they need to retract their survey responses. 3. When you make them feel guilty about your organization’s survey results, they are less likely to trust you and the survey process. 13

Don’t debate who’s right and who’s wrong. 1. Employee survey follow-up conversations aren’t about debating which opinions are superior. 2. Employee surveys reveal perceptions. 3. Arguing right versus wrong sends the message that not all feelings and experiences are valid, disengaging people from listening, sharing, and being a part of a better future. 14

Ask for questions. 1. Always ask questions. 2. Ask for questions after each data slide. 3. If people seem quiet, let them know you’ll ask direct questions during the discussion and request their involvement in the improvement plans. 15

Don’t play “who said what.” 1. Survey responses should be confidential. 2. When reviewing employee survey results, the conversation should never turn into speculations about who said what. 3. This diminishes the credibility and integrity of a confidential survey process. 16

Be objective. 1. When communicating survey results, do your best to be an impartial observer. 2. Communicate the findings without interspersing personal opinions. 3. During your team meeting, your personal opinions could sway people’s opinions and create an environment where people feel worried or forced to be quiet. 4. In addition, people might be unlikely to share opinions if they dissent from the perceived group leader. 17

18 References and Sources: • https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/dos-and-donts-of-using-employee-data • https://www.cultureamp.com/blog/how-to-share-employee-engagement-survey-results • https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/how-to-share-employee-survey- results • https://www.moreheadmsp.net/tips/default/training/workforce/Manager%20Script%20f or%20Sharing%20Results.pdf • https://www.quantumworkplace.com/future-of-work/how-to-communicate-employee- engagement-survey-results

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