Best Time for Employee Engagement Surveys: Before or After Appraisals?

Dear All,

What is the best period within the calendar year for conducting an employee engagement survey, and why? Currently, in my organization, we conduct the survey in the month of December every year. One of our consultants has suggested conducting the survey twice a year, in April and November.

He believes that after appraisals, employees may not be able to provide genuine feedback, and conducting the survey before appraisals would be a better approach.

Please share your views at the earliest.

Thanks,
Milind

Set Dates for Measuring Improvement

Most companies administer surveys according to a specific, predetermined time schedule. The advantage of this approach is that it highlights changes over time. For instance, if your first batch of surveys indicated that 35% of employees were engaged, you may choose to survey the same workforce again in six months to measure whether your efforts to boost engagement are actually working.

Important Employee Events

If you’re interested in how individual employees’ opinions change during their time with your company, it’s a good idea to schedule surveys around important employee events. For instance, if you onboard a large group of employees, you may choose to interview them after thirty days, after six months, and so forth. Timing surveys around these events will yield insight into your onboarding process and how engagement shifts over time.

Important Company Events

Employee feedback is invaluable during company-wide shifts. For example, if the company is rebranding, you may choose to survey your workforce before and after the shift. Employee responses will help you understand the impact on employees and what you can do to make the new brand more successful.

Regardless of the timing you choose, the most important thing is to ask your employees for feedback and take action on that feedback. To learn how some of our clients have conducted employee surveys, see our Employee Engagement Resources Center.