How to Excel in Employee Engagement Awards

As we celebrate appearing in the 100 Best Companies to Work For list last week, it’s a perfect moment to reflect on our journey. This marks our 11th appearance on the list but, rather than resting on our laurels, we’re keen to continuously refine our approach to employee engagement. Here I share my top insights on navigating the process of entering (and hopefully winning!) an employee engagement award.

1. Assess Your Readiness

Whilst we are a leader within the digital industry, we recognised those entering work or digital for the first time may not be familiar with Search Laboratory. A well-regarded award can give your company a competitive edge when attracting new talent. Before diving in, it’s crucial though to evaluate whether pursuing an engagement award is the right move for your business.

If you’re facing significant issues—such as poor work-life balance—it’s wise to address these areas first. Once you’re ready to move forward, be transparent: let your staff know that this journey will take time and that their input is vital. Communicating your commitment to improvement is a solid starting point.

2. Choose the Right Award

There are several engagement award providers to consider. Before making any financial commitments, make sure your organisation meets their eligibility criteria. Factors that can influence eligibility include:

·       Company age

·       Number of employees

·       Any recent mergers or acquisitions.

We were particularly drawn to the Best Companies award because it is entirely based on employee feedback gathered through 24 scored statements. We love knowing this recognition comes directly from our team.

3. Define Your Questions

Consider the specific questions you want to answer through the engagement survey. The questions used by Best Companies offer a comprehensive view of the employee experience, which should suffice for most organisations.

There is a bank of additional questions to choose from, so make sure these align with what you want to explore. Also, remember to make sure they are applicable to all employees, including remote workers. 

4. Timing is Everything

When deciding when to survey, think strategically about timing. For example, if you launch the survey in May, will you risk inaction on the results while half the company is on summer holiday?

More frequent surveys can yield valuable, up-to-date insights, but over-surveying may lead to fatigue. Determine a frequency that keeps engagement fresh and meaningful—and, most importantly, one that gives you enough time to take action.

5. Set Up for Success

Even if you’re experienced with internal engagement surveys, it’s important to thoroughly understand the entry process. For Best Companies, you’ll need to assign a project manager to set up your data groups correctly. Plan the best structure to allow for meaningful team insights, but also for year-on-year comparisons.

Be sure also to consider how you’ll analyse data through different demographic lenses. Additionally, with Best Companies, you’ll need to submit an ‘Organisational Questionnaire’. This is where you evidence best practice in categories such as:

·       Employee well-being

·       Collaboration

·       Communication

If you don’t capture examples and initiatives throughout the year, you’ll be relying on memory, making it difficult to fill out the questionnaire effectively. This data is used to select companies who achieve additional recognition for their employee engagement strategies.

6. Plan Ahead

Time can easily slip away, and before you know it, six months can pass since your last survey and without any changes being made. It’s essential to have a robust project plan in place before launching your survey, outlining all the necessary steps, including how and when results will be communicated to managers and staff.

Establishing a timeline keeps everyone accountable and engaged throughout the process. Remember, failing to act can discourage staff from providing feedback and block engagement.

7. Craft Your Communication Plan

Best Companies set a minimum response rate, so it’s essential to include a communication strategy in your project plan. Remind your team about the survey through posters, meetings, and endorsements from top-level leaders.

Always keep in mind that acting on feedback is crucial for encouraging participation. Better data leads to better decisions, so aim for at least a 75-85% response rate, to ensure your results are representative.

8. Lead with Transparency

Make it clear to employees that their candid feedback is essential and welcomed. Create psychological safety by explaining how their anonymity is protected and manage expectations about how and when actions will be taken. Be upfront with staff and managers about the level of detail that will be shared to avoid disappointment further down the line.

9. Prepare Your Managers

Before sharing the survey results, conduct workshops for managers to discuss what employee engagement is and its role in achieving company strategy. These discussions shouldn’t happen in isolation. Conversations about engagement need to be woven and embedded into company culture.

For example, provide guidance on how managers can enhance their teams’ well-being and motivation and integrate these discussions into leadership development programmes.

10. Analyse the Results

Once you have your survey results, focus on understanding the underlying trends. Typically, we will start with the hypotheses we want to test. Celebrate areas of high satisfaction while also examining lower-scoring areas, as a focus on the negative is sure fire way to knock engagement.

Pay attention to demographic differences and prioritise actions based on strategic importance. Don’t get distracted by low scores, for example, that may not be a priority for your organisation. There may be teams that are vital to your success, so your action planning will draw you here.

11. Share the Findings

Consider how much data to share with your team during the planning phase. Having this discussion after receiving the findings can delay action. While transparency fosters trust, sharing an overwhelming amount of information can be counterproductive.

Once you decide what will be shared, think about how you’ll present the findings. Using paraphrased comments can help keep the narrative human-centered, for example.

Being honest and transparent about what is working well and what isn’t is vital. Recap with your managers to ensure everyone understands the significance of engagement and their role in the process.

12. Take Action

Identify your focus areas and set achievable goals within a clear and actionable plan. Determine what will be addressed centrally versus what will be managed more locally.

It’s unrealistic to fix everything at once, so we typically select three company-wide focus areas, whilst encouraging department heads to do the same within their areas. We recommend leaders involve their teams in discussions on one of their initiatives, as over-consultation can slow down progress.

Finally, close the feedback loop—communicating “you said, we did”—is vital for maintaining momentum, alongside regular updates throughout the year.

By approaching employee engagement with sincerity and a strategic mindset, your organisation can cultivate a thriving workplace culture that drives better business outcomes. Wishing all the best with your employee engagement journey!