Employee Surveys:Why Continuous Listening is the Future
For years, annual surveys have been the go-to method for organizations to collect employee feedback. These surveys offer leadership insight into workplace satisfaction and areas for improvement.
However, in today’s ever-evolving work environment, once-a-year check-ins aren’t enough. More and more companies are turning to a more dynamic and effective process: continuous listening.
Annual Surveys Offer A Snapshot
Annual employee surveys are structured questionnaires designed to collect specific feedback about the workplace. Employees are typically asked a range of questions about their satisfaction, challenges, and engagement.
While these surveys can provide valuable insights, they offer only a limited view of employee experiences. They’re a form of people analytics—used to analyze data and solve business problems—but they’re not the most effective method.
Since these surveys are only administered once per year, responses only provide a snapshot of a specific point in time. They miss out on the nuance and evolving nature of employee sentiment throughout the year.
This narrow perspective can lead to missed opportunities to address emerging issues and improve the workplace proactively.
You’re Dealing With Recency Bias
The truth is, by only administering these surveys once a year, you’re going to be dealing with recency bias. Recency bias, also known as availability bias, refers to the tendency for people to give more weight to recent events or information while overlooking what happened in the past.
Essentially, it means that people only focus on what’s happened more recently. They ignore or simply forget about information and events that happened further in the past.
This natural human bias can significantly skew the results of annual employee surveys. When employees are asked to reflect on their overall experience, they are likely to focus on the most recent developments—positive or negative—rather than providing a comprehensive account of their year.
This can lead to distorted results, especially if the survey is conducted during particularly stressful or slow times. The lack of long-term perspective limits the survey’s effectiveness in capturing the true, consistent pulse of the workforce.
No Action, No Results
While recency bias can skew survey results, the most significant challenge with employee surveys is the lack of follow-through after feedback is collected. As Great Place to Work aptly stated, “Employee surveys are only as effective as the actions that take place as a result of the feedback.”
Soliciting feedback only once per year severely limits your ability to take prompt action when issues arise. Taking no action at all is even more detrimental.
If feedback is gathered but no changes are implemented, employees quickly lose faith in the process. This disengagement can lead to reduced participation and honesty in future surveys, undermining the entire purpose of gathering feedback in the first place.
It’s crucial for organizations to not only collect feedback but also demonstrate a commitment to listening and making changes. Asking questions without the intent to learn and act on the answers can be more harmful than not asking at all.
The Power of Continuous Listening
There is a reason why continuous listening is rapidly emerging as one of the top ways to gather feedback in the workplace—it’s incredibly effective. Unlike traditional annual surveys, which provide limited insights and are often subject to biases, continuous listening fosters an ongoing dialogue between employees and management.
What is Continuous Listening?
Continuous listening is the process of regularly gathering people analytics rather than relying on an annual survey. It is an ongoing approach that allows organizations to collect feedback in real time, enabling them to stay tuned to the evolving sentiments and needs of their workforce.
It creates a culture of communication that should be implemented throughout the employee lifecycle. That means collecting feedback during recruitment, onboarding, professional development, retention, and separation.
This shift from a one-time assessment to a continuous feedback loop empowers organizations to identify trends and address issues promptly. The responsiveness not only improves employee engagement but also builds trust in the organization’s commitment to listening and acting on feedback.
The more effort leadership makes to listen, the more valued employees will feel. This sense of appreciation fosters an environment where employees are more willing to share their ideas and experiences, contributing to the company’s growth and evolution. When employees see that their feedback leads to tangible changes and improvements, they become more invested in the organization’s success.
Ultimately, the commitment to continuous listening transforms the workplace into a dynamic environment where everyone has a stake in shaping the future of the company.
How to Listen Continuously
Continuous listening doesn’t simply mean sending out weekly or monthly surveys. I’ll give you some sage advice: do not do this. Flooding employees with frequent surveys can lead to a superficial collection of data, making it nearly impossible for organizations to take meaningful action on the insights gathered.
To effectively implement a culture of continuous listening, your organization will need to have multiple touchpoints as well as different feedback collection methods. It also requires action. As Culture Amp found, people don’t get survey fatigue, but they do get “lack of action fatigue.”
Methods for Gathering Feedback:
Pulse Checks
Instead of weekly or monthly surveys, organizations should consider implementing regular pulse checks with their employees. These are not full-length surveys, but one to three targeted questions designed to quickly gauge employee sentiment and well-being without overwhelming them.
I found this strategy particularly effective at PeopleG2, where short and focused pulse surveys provided valuable insights while minimizing feedback fatigue. In fact, McKinsey & Company has also successfully adopted this method.
One-on-One Meetings
While it may feel more natural to gather feedback through a screen, it leaves a layer of separation that cannot be breached. It is important to interact with your staff as well.
In-person check-ins with staff members are also an excellent place to gather feedback and listen to what your employees need.
Employee Surveys—Done Right!
Employee surveys can be effective—when they’re implemented correctly. These should not be lengthy questionnaires implemented once a year. Instead, these should be targeted surveys with a limited number of questions—I recommend no more than 15, but preferably even less.
In order for the feedback to be properly addressed, these surveys should be implemented at regular intervals. For longer surveys, you may want to consider a quarterly schedule. For shorter surveys, you may want to pull the trigger monthly or bimonthly—so long as you’re asking different questions each time.
If you are going to continue using surveys, keep the following in mind:
- DO ask open-ended questions. This approach enables organizations to gather more detailed information with each inquiry, providing a more comprehensive picture. Open-ended questions encourage employees to express their thoughts, concerns, and ideas freely. For example, instead of asking, “Are you satisfied with your workload?” you could ask, “What challenges are you facing with your current workload?”
- DON’T ask questions you aren’t willing to take action on. Action is crucial for maintaining trust and credibility. When organizations solicit feedback but fail to address the concerns raised, employees may feel that their input is disregarded. If you don’t plan to address a certain question’s responses, don’t ask it. Remember, this can be more harmful than not asking at all.
- DON’T ignore feedback. When employees see their feedback leading to real improvements, they are more likely to engage in the process, share their thoughts, and contribute to a positive workplace environment. Don’t make the mistake of ignoring feedback simply because you don’t like the implications.
Anonymous Feedback Channels
You also have the option of creating anonymous feedback channels that are always open. Instead of waiting until a survey is open, staff can make issues known immediately.
It is important to note that this requires a thorough plan of action. Implementing a policy like this means that the company needs to have regular improvement implementation. If you don’t promptly address feedback, then you run into the same issues as the annual surveys and you risk losing trust.
Open Door Policy
Similar to anonymous feedback channels, an open door policy allows staff to provide continuous feedback. This method can also help to build a high-trust workplace as staff know they are being heard and their opinions valued.
If you don’t want to implement an “always open” door policy, you have the option of setting leadership office hours where staff is encouraged to come to management and leadership to discuss concerns, challenges, and even acknowledge coworkers.
Feedback doesn’t always have to be negative!
Building a High-Trust Workplace
Establishing effective feedback loops and demonstrating a willingness to take action shows employees that their opinions are valued—that they are valued members of your organization. This recognition in turn encourages employees to provide honest and constructive feedback, fostering a culture of open communication.
As lines of communication expand, trust between employees and leadership deepens. In essence, your feedback loops become effective improvement loops as well, improving employee morale and job satisfaction.
This constant improvement loop not only elevates the overall work environment but also helps the organization adapt to challenges and changes in the business landscape. As the cycle continues, organizations benefit from a more engaged workforce, resulting in increased productivity and innovation.
Ultimately, a strong culture of continuous feedback and action cultivates a thriving workplace where employees feel valued and motivated to contribute to the organization’s success.
