65% of Employees Say Organizations Don’t Take Effective Action on Employee Survey Results

Quantum Workplace Research shows employees want to see organizations act on career growth, pay and benefits, and organizational communication. 

OMAHA, Neb. — 2 in 3 employees say their organization fails to effectively act on results from employee surveys, according to research by Quantum Workplace, a leading employee success platform, as well as the employee engagement partner for the nationally recognized Best Places to Work Programs. 

“An employee survey does not fix the employee experience,” Quantum Workplace Lead Researcher Shane McFeely said. “Employees want to see that their voice and opinions matter. Organizations show that by converting actionable insights from employees to meaningful changes that improve the employee experience.” 

Key highlights of the research include: 

• 2 in 3 employees believe their organizations fall short in effectively responding to survey results. 
• Engaged employees are 3.3 times more likely to feel ownership and involvement in the action-taking process. 
• Lack of time, resources, and prioritization are the largest barriers to taking effective action on surveys. 
• 76% of employees believe that senior leaders are responsible for taking action on surveys. 
• Only 1 in 3 employees say they are involved in planning and taking action on engagement. 
• Top actions employees want to see in response to surveys are in the topics of career growth, pay and benefits, and organizational communication. 

“Action is a required part of an employee listening strategy. Surveys without action are pointless,” McFeely said. “You need to be intentional about post-survey action. When you include employees in action planning, clearly communicate changes, measure progress, and facilitate action at the team level; you will be more effective in creating a magnetic culture employees want to be a part of.” 

Based on the research findings, Quantum Workplace experts say to choose fewer items to act on, brainstorm actions with employees, execute with discipline, and communicate progress regularly.  

The research in this study is derived from the panel study titled: Taking Action on Employee Surveys (n = 1,068 employees; May 2023). The Quantum Workplace Research Panel is a national opt-in sample derived from the Best Places to Work contest. 

Read more about taking action in Quantum Workplace’s How to Design an Easy and Effective Employee Engagement Action Plan.