Preliminary Assumptions
Well-engaged employees undoubtedly contribute to the market success of any company. With this assumption, one of the manufacturing firms approached us to conduct an employee engagement survey on their behalf. The measurement was carried out in two branches of the company, and additional surveys were directed towards foreign employees. To answer the question "To what extent are employees engaged?" we inquired with individuals employed by our client about their attitudes towards issues such as:
- Connection and identification with the company
- Sense of responsibility for the work performed
- Willingness to make sacrifices
- Interest in the job
- Absorption in the work
- Sense of professional effectiveness
- Orientation towards company development
- Pride in their job
Implementation
We conducted the employee survey using electronic questionnaires (Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing - CAWI) and paper-based auditorium questionnaires placed in specially marked urns. In total, we gathered opinions from 428 employees, achieving a responsiveness rate of 62.8%, allowing our analysts to infer about the entire employed population. For the survey implementation, we developed a questionnaire consisting of both closed and open-ended questions. All closed-ended questions were constructed using a 6-point Likert scale, where employees were asked to rate the extent to which they agree with the presented problem statements.
Results for each closed-ended question were presented using the arithmetic mean. This way, we obtained an overall employee engagement index for our client at the level of 4.65. The obtained result served as a reference point for constructing an internal benchmark within the company's structure.
Results
The survey results indicated that:
- Employees of our client have a high sense of responsibility for their work and awareness of the consequences of poorly performing their assigned duties. However, they are much less aware of the impact of their work on the quality and efficiency of the entire company.
- Individuals in manual positions have a lower sense of responsibility for their work compared to those employed in other positions.
- Employees have a high belief in their professional effectiveness, which rather rarely goes hand-in-hand with a sense of being appreciated.
- Individuals employed by our client are strongly connected to the company as an organization, and many of them have formed friendships with their colleagues.
- The strongest bond with the company is demonstrated by foreign employees, while the group least tied to the company consists of managerial positions, who often admitted to seeking new employment.
- Employees take pride in their jobs, and foreign employees were considered the best ambassadors for the company, with the majority being willing to recommend the company as an excellent place to work.
- The level of willingness to make sacrifices for the company depends on the position held. The higher the position on the employee ladder, the more willing employees are to sacrifice their free time for additional professional tasks and to take on a greater scope of tasks than required.
The implementation of the employee engagement survey allowed our client to obtain significant information regarding the overall satisfaction of their employees. The results helped identify the strengths and weaknesses of the company in terms of employee engagement. The insights derived from the survey undoubtedly assisted our client in developing an accurate plan for future actions in the realm of internal company policy, thereby improving their position in the market.
