How to Turn Your Employee Engagement Survey Into Action

September 12, 2025

You can’t fix what you can’t see. An employee engagement survey shines light on the moments that make work great, and the ones that drain productivity. It’s the first step in turning feedback into smarter strategy and strategy into results that stick.

What is employee engagement? 

Employee engagement is how much people are invested in their work and their organization. When employees feel connected to a company’s mission and values, they give more, bring extra effort and creativity, and solve problems better. 

The stakes are high: Disengaged employees drain an estimated $8.8 trillion from the global economy. Employee engagement grows when companies support workplace wellness and equip managers with tools to understand and help their teams (including employee engagement surveys). 

Why are employee engagement surveys important?

A thoughtfully designed employee engagement survey is more than a measurement tool. When organizations not only gather feedback but also act on it, they can boost retention, strengthen trust, and improve both productivity and profitability. the results can make the difference between changes in retention, productivity, profitability, and trust. 

Gallup surveys on employee engagement and employee turnover found engagement surveys may help:

• Reduce absenteeism. Engaged workplaces can experience up to 78% less absenteeism, 14% higher productivity, 23% higher profitability, and 10% higher customer loyalty
• Boost retention. Employee turnover can cost 40–200% of an annual salary. High engagement helps, cutting turnover by 21% in high-turnover industries and 51% in low-turnover ones
• Strengthen the bottom line. Engaged teams can deliver up to 21% higher profitability and 17% higher productivity
• Elevate company culture. The survey process itself often brings teams together, aligns values, and reinforces the company’s mission
• Improve psychological safety. When employees take part in feedback, they feel more heard and valued, fueling trust, collaboration, and creativity

Turn feedback into action (and trust)

Collecting feedback isn’t usually a heavy lift. Acting on it is where many companies stumble. Only 21% of organizations run surveys three or more times a year, even though 58% of employees want more frequent check-ins. This gap between listening and doing can erode employee trust. But when companies design employee feedback surveys with action in mind—digging into what motivates people and turning insights into concrete steps—they don’t just boost engagement. They build the kind of trust that fuels innovation.

How to create an impactful employee engagement survey 

Your employee engagement survey can be more than a check-the-box exercise. It can spark real culture and performance gains when feedback is tied to visible action.

#1 Communicate intentions

Effective engagement surveys communicate why the employee survey matters, how HR will use the data, and what employees can expect afterward. Emphasize anonymity to encourage candid, honest feedback.

#2 Use the LEAD framework

Consider using the LEAD framework for survey questions. It ensures you’re covering areas that matter most to employees:

• Leadership. Gauge how well leaders inspire and communicate. Example: “My team leader communicates a clear vision for our work.”
• Enablement. Find out if employees feel equipped and empowered. Example: “I have the resources and autonomy to do my job effectively.”
• Alignment. Test whether people see the connection between their role and the bigger picture. Example: “I understand how my role contributes to company goals.”
• Development. Explore growth and learning opportunities. Example: “I have opportunities to grow and develop in my role.”

#3 Standardize with a 5-point Likert scale

A simple scale (Strongly disagree → Strongly agree) makes responses easier to track, compare across teams, and measure over time. Consistency is key. It helps you spot trends, identify strengths and weaknesses, and focus your actions where they’ll make the biggest difference.

#4 Drive high participation

Promote the employee feedback survey through email, team meetings, and leadership endorsements. It’s essential to dedicate time during work hours to complete tasks since this tends to improve response.

Taking action on employee engagement surveys

Running an employee engagement survey is just the beginning. What you do next determines whether employees feel heard or ignored.

• Set clear expectations. Share results on a set timeline and outline what happens next.
• Align leadership. Make sure leaders are on the same page about priorities before rolling out to the wider team.
• Equip managers. Give them team-specific data, talking points, and training so they can lead open, productive conversations.
• Co-create solutions. Involve employees in action planning so solutions feel owned, not imposed.
• Keep the loop open. Schedule regular check-ins to show progress and make engagement part of an ongoing rhythm, not a one-off event.
• Tell a story, not just the numbers. Raw metrics don’t move people, stories do. Use employee survey data to build a clear narrative, supported by visuals, that connects insights to real action. This includes using visual storytelling that humanizes the data through heat maps, a trends dashboard, and employee quotes. 

Turn surveys into a tool that drives results

Employee engagement surveys work best when they’re purposeful, timely, and followed by action. Done right, they reveal what fuels your people, build trust through follow-through, and turn feedback into lasting business impact.