You Conducted an Employee Survey. Now What?
- Tony Johnson
- Aug 17
- 9 min read
Recently I have been working with many organizations who are in the middle of their annual employee survey process. This is one of the most important activities you can do with your team - but only if you take the time to put the data to good use.
And that's the secret - acting on what you learn. So many organizations collect the data and then fail to make improvements that drive employee experience and, as a results, customer experience.
Quick Notes:
Analyze with intent: The true power of employee surveys comes when you analyze feedback deeply to uncover actionable insights to drive execution and retention.
Act quickly and strategically: The more quickly you act on the feedback, the more engaged and satisfied your team will be. Remember that you may need to keep doing some things, stop doing other things, and implement new things.
Tie actions to feedback: Show employees that their voices matter by linking every action you take back to their input. This means intentional communication and tracking.
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Employee surveys can be a goldmine of insights, but here’s the thing, if you don’t analyze the results carefully and act on them quickly, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. Employee feedback isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s essential for shaping an engaged, high-performing team that will ultimately fuel your company’s growth.
I’ve worked with enough organizations to see the same mistakes being made over and over again. The data gets collected, results are glanced at, and then nothing happens. That’s where things fall apart. The feedback process isn’t complete until you take meaningful action (and track the results).
Let’s break down how you can analyze feedback effectively, act on it with purpose, and create a workplace culture that leads to tangible business results.
So why should you care and why is it worth the time to conduct a feedback survey?
Improved Engagement: When employees know their feedback is being listened to and acted upon, they feel valued. That boosts engagement, which in turn supercharges productivity, loyalty, customer service.
Increased Retention: Employees who feel heard and respected are less likely to leave. When they see that their concerns are addressed, their trust in leadership grows, as well as their willingness to stay.
Better Decision-Making: Feedback data isn’t just for driving employee satisfaction, it’s crucial for strategic decision-making. The right insights allow you to make data-driven decisions that align with team needs and that drive business success.
Companies with high employee engagement see 21% higher profitability and 17% higher productivity. - Gallup
1: Analyze + Evaluate Team Feedback
So now that you’ve collected the feedback, it’s time to analyze it. This is where many organizations fall short. If you’re not digging deep into the data and finding the trends that matter, you’re missing out on the opportunity to make meaningful change.
Be sure that you are asking quantitative (scale based) and qualitative questions (open ended verbatim). Quantitative gives you the what and qualitative gives you the why.
Look for Patterns: Is there recurring feedback around certain issues? Maybe communication isn’t clear, leadership isn’t available, or employees are feeling overworked. Identifying these patterns helps you prioritize what needs to be addressed first.
Segment the Data: Don’t just look at company-wide data. Break it down by department, role, or location to uncover specific issues. Maybe your marketing team feels a lack of direction, but your sales team is thriving, while your production team is disengaged. Segmenting the data helps you pinpoint problems and solutions more effectively.
Prioritize Key Issues: Not all feedback is created equal. Prioritize the areas that have the biggest impact on employee well-being, engagement, and performance. Focus on high-leverage actions that will make the most significant improvements.
This is a key place where AI can help. Use it to not just segment the data, but to look for patterns and sentiments in the verbatim (open ended) questions.
2: Create an Action Plan
Once you’ve identified the key areas of concern from your feedback, it’s time to create a a plan - this is where your leadership and organizational strategy come into play. Here’s how to create a plan that will drive meaningful change:
Start with an open mind: You are going to hear things that you didn't expect, that you don't agree with, and that will sting a bit. Time to saddle up and listen well. Don't get defensive - take the feedback and use it to get better.
Develop action items: Break down each objective into actionable steps. For example, improve communication by launching monthly town halls or team meetings. Think about granular tactics that will drive results, not meaningless corporate platitudes.
Assign ownership: Delegate responsibility for each action item to specific teams or individuals who will own the execution. You can't do this by committee - you may have groups of people owning the action, but someone must ultimately have ownership and responsibility.
Set timelines: Ensure there are clear deadlines for implementing each action step. Its okay to push a bit here and err on the side of shorter turns to deliver results to push for urgency in actions.
An action plan keeps things focused, organized, and measurable, ensuring that your responses to feedback don’t get lost in the shuffle.
3: Report the Findings
Once you’ve reviewed and analyzed the feedback, it’s time to communicate the findings to your team. This is a crucial step because if teams don’t see that their feedback is being taken seriously, you’ll lose trust and engagement.
Be open and transparent: This phrase gets thrown around a lot, but openness builds trust. When you share both the positives and the challenges it shows that you're listening to what they have to say, not just the good stuff.
Explain the data and the context: Don’t just share the numbers, explain what the data means and how it ties into the bigger picture of your company’s culture and goals. Also outline what it means for them and how what you learned will help them in the long run.
Highlight key areas: Let employees know what stood out in the survey and what will be addressed first. This helps them understand how all the feedback fits together and what you will be prioritizing.
When employees see their feedback reflected in the communication, it reinforces the idea that their voices are valued. The more they see you will act on what you learn, the more likely they are to share in the future.
4: Act on the Feedback
Now that you have a clear plan, it's time to start moving. Taking immediate action on the most pressing issues is critical to maintaining employee trust. They will be watching as the survey closes to see if anything happens.
Grab the Quick Wins: As you start your improvements, find the easy stuff and tick it off the list. It could be the break schedules don't make sense or there are basic tools lacking for your team - those are easy, quick wins to build momentum.
Prioritize Your Actions: Tackle the most significant challenges first. For example, if employee feedback reveals a disconnect between leadership and staff, make sure to address that gap with leadership training or regular check-ins. If your team wants more developmental opportunities, put your efforts into new training programs.
Sustain improvements: As you focus on stages of improvements, don't get ahead of yourself. Focus on staged improvements as you eat that engagement elephant a bite at a time - then solve it completely before moving on. Make sure as you continue on the action plan that previous items don't backslide.
Remember, Quick, decisive action builds credibility and trust but delayed action makes employees feel ignored.
5: Communicate Actions Taken
After taking action, don’t just assume employees will notice. Communicate what’s been done and how their feedback mattered. You will need to connect the dots so that your team sees that their ideas drove real action and change.
Highlight specific actions: Clearly outline what changes have been made and tie them back to the feedback you received. Stoplight reporting works well here - what is happening immediately, what will take a bit more time, and what will need a creative, alternative approach.
Explain the “why”: Share why you made certain decisions and how they will address the ideas and issues that were shared. Employees, particularly in more recent generations, need that color commentary and detail.
Knock out the easy stuff first: When possible, take advantage of the easy items that can be done quickly. Sometimes teams will ask for small tools or improvements that may already be in the works or that can be completed quickly. Use those to build momentum into the more complex opportunities.
Regular updates keeps employees involved and engaged in the change - and when they see that you act on their ideas, they will share even more in the future.
6: Track ROI and Adjust the Plan
Once you have taken these amazing actions, it’s critical to understand the "so what" of it all. Documenting what you did, how you did it, and why it mattered is huge as you determine Return on Investment (ROI) and if the impact was worth the time, effort, and budget. Listening to your team is the right thing to do, but it also has potential financial impact on your business.
Measure key metrics: Track engagement levels, attrition rates, productivity, and other key metrics to see if the actions taken are making a measurable difference. Remember to measure what has impact - there are real savings to be had in employee retention, safety, and productivity.
Tell your Story: As you document your actions and the corresponding impact, ensure that you are using story telling and clear communication to share the wins. Be specific and lean into emotional connections to bring the data to life.
Adjust as necessary: Remember that some efforts may not work or have the desired outcomes, so you may have to adjust your approach. But stick with it. Iteration is the heartbeat of continuous improvement and you may not get everything right the first time.
Tracking ROI isn’t just about numbers. It’s about ensuring that you track what's working and what isn't - and that you continue to improve the experience for your team.
7: Ongoing Follow-Up and Listening
Finally, keep listening to your team. Feedback isn't a "one and done," it is an ongoing activity that never ends. It takes an intentional approach to create ongoing support and improvement for employees, which will drive the customer experience and business results.
Conduct frequent pulse checks: Regular check-ins and pulse surveys will ensure you stay on top of any emerging issues. These can be quick, short live or digital surveys.
Encourage an open-door policy: Always be available for feedback, even after formal surveys are completed. Encourage employees to share their thoughts and ideas freely. When your team asks to chat, make the time, even if it means scheduling time at a later date.
Keep working at it: Even if you don't like or agree with what you are hearing, keep working to improve for your team. Get clarity if there is ambiguity and follow up on things that don't make sense to you.
Don't dismiss anything because it's too hard, hurts your feelings, or you don't agree with it.
When feedback is an embedded part of your culture, you create a cycle of ongoing improvement that helps your company thrive - and ensures hospitality and service is reinforced at every level.
As you complete your employee feedback surveys, it is a great opportunity to discover the state of your team experience and plot a course forward. Couple this with regular team check ins, huddles, and 1:1s and you will create an ecosystem of feedback that drives results throughout your business.
Your 7 Step Plan: Analyze, Plan, Report, Act, Communicate, Track, and Follow-Up.
By following this process, you will ensure that your organization doesn’t just collect feedback, it uses it to inspire positive, lasting change.
This will build a stronger, more engaged workforce.
This will fuel better customer experiences that drive positive business outcomes.
Never forget, feedback comes down to listening and acting on what you learn. It will help you craft a culture built on collaboration, trust, and continuous improvement. That's a powerful way to keep employees at the center of everything you do - so they can create loyalty-building customer experiences.
Tony Johnson
* Written by a real human, not A.I.
Tony is an award winning speaker and author on the topics of sales growth, customer experience, and leadership. Tony speaks to thousands annually and has been featured on ABC News and Fox News. He is available for business planning, motivational keynotes, leadership workshops, and employee service skills training.
Tony is the founder of Ignite Your Service and the Chief Experience Officer for 4xi Global Consulting.
Tony is available to help with your Customer Experience and Employee Engagement Strategies, inspirational keynote talks, team training and development, and executive leadership coaching.
* (C) 2025 The Tony Johnson, LLC. May not be used to train A.I.
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