The Emotional Costs of Engagement Surveys

Photo by Fabian Blank on Unsplash

The employee engagement survey.

As common to workplaces as printer jams and people replying all to emails. And sometimes just as painful.

Engagement surveys are a common tool when organizations are looking to assess employee satisfaction, commitment, and overall well-being. While their goal is to gather valuable feedback, they can involve a significant amount of emotional labour from employees that is often not considered.

To provide meaningful responses to surveys, employees often need to revisit and reflect on their experiences. This can involve recalling both positive and negative emotions associated with their job, team, or the organization as a whole.

Positive emotions might include satisfaction, pride, or enthusiasm, especially if they enjoy their work environment. On the other hand, negative emotions such as frustration, stress, or anxiety may arise when addressing challenges or areas of dissatisfaction.

They may feel angry remembering times when they were treated unfairly.

They may feel lonely thinking no one at work cares about them.

They may feel dislike recalling certain parts of their work (or certain people).

They may feel fear over possible repercussions from their feedback.

They may feel disheartened about efforts to achieve a better workplace.

Or cynical about whether anything will be done with their feedback.

Other people may feel a sense of responsibility to contribute meaningfully, leading a mix of emotions as they navigate the balance between honesty and diplomacy in their responses.

Even those who have positive feedback may feel a sense of overwhelm about finding time to complete the survey if they are already overloaded with tasks.

All-in-all the process can be emotionally taxing. These feelings don't just disappear once people hit the submit button either, but can stay with them afterwards, impacting them, their work, and those around them.

How can leaders acknowledge and support this emotional labour?

Most importantly, leaders need to demonstrate a commitment to acting on the feedback received, showing that the survey is not just a formality but a catalyst for positive change. Regularly communicating the survey's purpose and emphasizing its impact on organizational improvement can help employees feel valued and supported in sharing their thoughts and experiences and show them that their emotional labour is worthwhile.

For engagement surveys to be effective, leaders need to foster an open and non-judgmental culture. Encouraging transparent communication and assuring anonymity can alleviate concerns about repercussions. Ensuring employees have time to complete the survey and that the process is simple can help with feelings of overwhelm.

What if the culture isn't so great right now? Will a survey help?

If the culture isn't conducive to open communication, the first step is to actively work to shift the culture before expecting meaningful engagement in a survey. This includes building trust, promoting transparency, and addressing existing issues. Leaders can initiate conversations about the importance of feedback, acknowledge past shortcomings, and outline concrete steps towards improvement.

Implementing small chances based on early feedback can demonstrate a commitment to positive change and encourage employees to participate more openly in future surveys.

When you create a culture where emotional labour is recognized, valued, and met with supportive actions, you build a workplace where people are willing and eager to grow and improve with you.