What to do with a negative employee engagement survey result
Today’s the day.
You’re a HR manager or business leader sitting at your desk, ready to check in on the long-awaited employee happiness survey, only, you open it, and get disappointing news:
The majority of your staff are either “somewhat” or “very” unhappy.
Ouch.
This not only means that your workforce is unhappy, but it also means they are operating well below their productive capacity due to a lack of motivation. It also means that you’re potentially facing enormous resignations and disruptions in the coming months.Not good. You need to act. But how?
This may seem like the worst possible HR scenario, but there is hope.
Here’s what you can do:
The first thing to do is to not take this feedback personally. This is an all-too-common scenario for HR managers and professionals, so you’re not alone. The best way to approach this situation is to know that it’s not your fault, but it is your problem.
It’s not just sit there and expect a mass exodus.
The answer is actually something most businesses overlook. It’s an Internal Talent Marketplace and that’s exactly what this article will cover. Read on to find out how this simple system can help you bounce back from a poor employment survey and resolve your HR woes for good.
Unpacking the problem.
While several factors influence a poor employment survey, the primary cause generally revolves around the perceived absence of advancement opportunities among staff.
The reason is when employees feel stagnant in their roles, their motivation wanes and they tend to become critical of their workplace, impacting productivity and potentially prompting them to seek alternative career paths.
However, the crucial thing to recognize is that this perception of limited growth is just that, a “perception” and may not accurately reflect the actual growth opportunities within the organization.
Often, it’s just a matter of employees lacking the necessary information or guidance to envision their progression within the company, or that they are stuck in a linear paradigm that closes them off to less obvious opportunities within a business.To address this issue, proactive measures must be taken.
These should include:
- transparent communication structures,
- a database for employees to map out their goals and interests,
- a database for employers to access employee attributes and competencies beyond their resume or job description,
- clear outlines of potential advancement opportunities both linear and non-linear that employees can take within the company, and
- employee development programs and training initiatives to bridge the gap between their current and ideal role
Now this sounds great in theory, and no doubt want to bounce back from your poor employment survey, but how can a budget-constrained HR department implement all of these measures simultaneously?An Internal Talent Marketplace Platform.
The Internal Talent Marketplace solution
To address the perceived lack of advancement opportunities in a workplace, HR departments must implement an Internal Talent Marketplace Platform.
These platforms foster internal talent mobility, embracing the concept of non-linear career progression by looking to pair individuals with unique skill sets and aspirations with roles or projects that match those goals.
In today’s evolving job market, employees possess a diverse array of skills beyond what their resumes or formal education may reflect.
As such, traditional linear career paths from junior to senior no longer resonate with much of the workforce, as people seek the flexibility to explore different career trajectories.
An Internal Talent Marketplace platform enables employees to showcase their skills, preferences, and career goals beyond the confines of their current roles. Meanwhile, managers gain access to a broader pool of talent beyond what traditional resumes may reveal.
This solves your poor employment survey in two ways:
- Firstly, by inputting their aspirations into the platform, employees feel valued and heard, redirecting their previous frustration towards now recognizing the plethora of opportunities available to them.
- Secondly, this approach addresses the immediate concerns of feeling stuck but also reignites motivation and productivity such that employees are encouraged to consider roles they may not have previously contemplated.
Let’s take a look at some real-life examples we’ve witnessed at GoFIGR:
- The Aspirational AI team member
First is a team member of an organization we worked with who had shown a keen interest in generative AI and expressed a desire to take on a role within the AI department. After adopting our Internal Talent Marketplace platform, he has now been promoted to the position of head of AI, where he can further explore his passion and contribute to the company's initiatives in artificial intelligence.
- The caring colleague
An employee who no longer wished to make linear progressions in their role realized that serving people was what fulfilled them. As such, they expressed their aspiration to become a coach. Rather than looking elsewhere, the presence of our Internal Talent Marketplace meant the employee successfully transitioned into an internal coaching program tailored to their goals and aspirations.
So, how do you adopt an Internal Talent Marketplace within your organization?
Well, with GoFIGR, it’s easy.
Here’s how it works.
An Internal Talent Marketplace platform, GoFIGR is a Software as a Service (SaaS) designed to collect and intuitively analyze employee skills data so you can supercharge your Internal Mobility and truly embrace a streamlined model of internal career progression.
With valuable insights collected from your team, GoFIGR allows you to:
- identify your employees’ current skills
- align them with your business needs
- realize your team’s full potential
- reduce the cost of recruitment by upskilling from within
This way, you can open your employee’s eyes to potential career progressions and FIGR (Find, Inspire, Grow and Retain) talent with data-driven strategies.
Your future team is already working for you – and a poor employee engagement survey shouldn’t change that.
Don’t let that talent go to waste – allow them to grow their career AND drive your business into its tomorrow in ways you never thought was possible.It’s the ultimate way to build internal mobility and foster a progressive workplace culture to minimize your reliance on the hiring cycle. It’s a great way to save crucial hours in your day as well.
Contact GoFIGR today to discover how we can help you foster a future-focused workforce using our Internal Talent Marketplace platform.
Helena Turpin spent 20 years in talent and HR innovation where she solved people-related problems using data and technology. She left corporate life to create GoFIGR where she helps mid-sized organizations to develop and retain their people by connecting employee skills and aspirations to internal opportunities like projects, mentorship and learning.
