Despite their industry and offerings, organisations rely on their people more than anything else. That is why it is important for organisations to understand their employees as much as they understand their clients .
In this blog post we are exploring everything from what employee insights are to the three employee insights organisations need to prioritise.
What are employee insights?
Employee insights are valuable information and understanding from analysing people’s behaviour, attitude, and organisational feedback. They form the foundation upon which people strategies are built. As can serve as a starting point for information and a way for teams to monitor the success of their strategies.
Employee insights encompass aspects such as employee motivations, job satisfaction, work-life balance, professional development needs, and perceptions of the workplace culture. By systematically gathering and interpreting data through surveys, performance reviews, feedback sessions, and other tools, HR teams can use this data to comprehensively understand what drives their people.
How employee insights benefit and support organisations
Employee insights have a number of benefits for organisations, especially when it comes to learning what drives employee satisfaction. Some of those benefits include:
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- Enhanced employee engagement: when employees feel positive engagement it is reflected in the quality of their work as it becomes more than just a job for them. They show a level of dedication that means they are more likely to take pride in their work and that means that organisations can rely on them to go the extra mile for business success.
- Improved retention of employees:recruiting and training new people is expensive and time-consuming and expensive. By retaining existing employees, organisations can save on recruitment costs, training programs, and the loss of productivity associated with new hires.
- An improved work culture and environment to support employees:a positive work culture and supportive environment are essential for fostering employee well-being and productivity. When employees fee valued, respected and supported at work they are more likely to feel satisfied at work, and satisfied people are more likely to stay with the organisation and perform at their best.
- Enable organisations to make more informed decisions:organisations that can make data-driven decision-making will find that it is crucial for strategic planning and operational efficiency. This alignment leads to better outcomes and a more motivated workforce.
- Reduced costs: high turnover of employees can lead to hidden costs such as lost productivity, lower employee morale, and decreased customer satisfaction. By improving retention, organisations avoid these costs.
3 employee insights your organisation needs to know
Now that it is clearer about the benefits of identifying employee insights, we are going to go deeper into the ones your organisation needs to identify:
- How are the employee motivations within your organisation:Knowing what motivates your employees is key to fostering a productive and engaged workforce. While compensation is important, intrinsic motivators such as recognition, meaningful work, career growth opportunities, and a positive workplace culture often significantly impact long-term engagement. HR teams that can identify what motivates their people will be better able to align these needs with organisational goals, creating a work environment that supports the organisation while ensuring that employees are supported.
- How employees feel about their sense of belonging within the organisation:A sense of belonging is essential for a positive employee experience. Employees who feel included and part of the organisation are more likely to be engaged and committed. Organisations that have data and insights on these feelings will be able to make decisions to better engage their people and support them so that they are more engaged at work.
- How employees feel about their personal and professional growth opportunities at work:People want to feel that their careers are progressing and that their company supports their growth. Organisations also want to invest in the people they have rather than continually looking for new employees to fill their gaps. That is why investing in professional development through training programs, workshops, and continuous learning opportunities benefits employees and the organisation. HR teams prioritising getting data and insights into this area of their employees’ lives will feel more equipped to support their people while also boosting their loyalty and commitment to the organisation.
5 ways to gain employee insights
Employee insights can be gained through a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods designed to gather comprehensive data on employees’ overall experiences, attitudes, and behaviours. Some of the methods that organisations can use to gain these insights include:
- Regular surveys and questionnaires:frequent use of surveys and questionnaire, can be an effective way for organisations to get a general picture of how employees are feeling at work. These can be annual engagement surveys, pulse surveys, or targeted questionnaires focusing on specific areas such as job satisfaction, work-life balance, and career development. These tools can also be effectively implemented using digital tools that will allow data to be analysed and trends to be easily identified.
- Regular one-on-one meetings and check-ins:regular perfomarmance reviews, like stay inteviews, provide valuable insights into employee performance, strengths, and areas for development. These discussions also offer an opportunity for employees to share their career aspirations, challenges, and feedback on their roles and the organisation. When using this method to gain employee insights, attention must be paid to creating a psychologically safe environment for employees to share their feelings.
- Exit interviews:Exit interviews with departing employees can reveal critical insights into why employees leave and what could have been done to retain them. This feedback helps identify systemic issues, areas for improvement, and opportunities to enhance the employee experience for current and future staff.
- Anonymous feedback channels:Providing anonymous ways to give feedback, like suggestion boxes or confidential online platforms, encourages employees to share honest opinions without fear of retaliation. This can surface issues that employees might be reluctant to discuss openly.
- HR Analytics:HR departments can leverage data analytics to track and analyse various metrics such as turnover rates, absenteeism, performance metrics, and employee engagement scores. Advanced analytics tools can uncover patterns and trends, providing actionable insights for strategic decision-making.
Organisations that use a combination of these methods can gain a holistic understanding of their employees’ experiences, needs, and concerns. This can enable them to have a comprehensive approach to gathering employee insights.
Employee insights: final thoughts on their value
Employee insights are essential for building a resilient and high-performing organisation in a competitive business landscape. It is critical that HR teams prioritise understanding and leveraging these insights to drive organisational success.
The Top Employers Certification Programme recognises excellent people practices to help organisations grow as an employer of choice. These excellent people practices are often improved by identifying important employee insights to know where to make impactful changes.
Learn more about joining the Programme and how it can help you make data-driven decisions: get in touch today, become employer of choice!