Measure employee experience in hybrid work by running return-to-office pulse surveys. Leverage survey results by using best practices.
We’re at a turning point where many companies are considering adopting a new work model. The workplace is going hybrid, reflecting shifting employee values as a result of the pandemic. Now, 70% of workers want flexible working options to continue, and 65% want in-person time with their colleagues to resume. How will you decide which hybrid work model is right for your company? — Ask your employees.
Introducing a new workplace model that will satisfy all employees is a very challenging mandate. Some workers might want assigned seating, while others may opt for reserving space whenever, wherever. Directly asking employees about their preferences early on will help to strike a balance between various groups and lessen any pushback during the implementation. A short employee pulse survey can help you identify what your employees want. Surveys are one aspect of a feedback gathering mechanism – qualitative methods can also provide insights, such as Town Halls, lunch & learns, or dedicated Slack channels. Gather employee feedback for two main purposes:
1. Implement a hybrid work model by starting with the right tone. A successful hybrid work model is inherently people-centric. It shifts the focus from where we work to how we work with a greater emphasis on outcomes. This flexibility empowers employees to prioritize their time and schedule, encourages work-life balance, mental and physical well-being, and ultimately, increases productivity.
2. Ensure a smooth hybrid work rollout by gathering the data that will lead to better decisions. Employees should be consulted to shape the model to ensure that everyone will benefit. Knowing your employees’ preferences will allow you to effectively implement and manage a hybrid work environment. Employees will be a lot happier with the hybrid work policy you enact if they had a part in making it.
There are several opportunities throughout the return-to-office journey to collect feedback and measure employee experience. Both formal and informal feedback methods should be utilized to ensure as much information is collected as possible. There are a few key moments throughout the return-to-office journey when it is most important to have formal pulse surveys.
Before you change the work arrangement, understand employee preferences and openness to adopting a new work model. The results will help you to identify what might work best for your organization and inform your return-to-office strategy. Check out our example survey for this stage of the implementation.
Survey: Before Adopting a New Work Model
If you are running a phased rollout or pilot of your new working model, gather feedback from all participants. This will help to better inform your strategy for the team-wide rollout and improve employee satisfaction throughout the process. Be sure to collect feedback early on to troubleshoot any issues.
Survey: During the Implementation
Continue to measure employee experience throughout the hybrid working arrangement. Ask questions about office cleanliness or visitor satisfaction to deliver quality experiences to your employees and guests. Address any issues with the space and alert the relevant teams. For example, Nspace instantly alerts cleaning staff after a desk or meeting room has been used.
Send pulse surveys on a regular basis to maintain alignment with employee preferences and adoption. This encourages open dialogue and will help you to resolve common concerns.
When rolling out a hybrid work policy, prepare for success by gathering as much relevant employee feedback as possible.
– If you already collect employee feedback, use your average response rate as a benchmark for success.
– Send out the survey through more than one communication channel, such as an email and a Slack or Microsoft Teams message. Take it to the next level by creating a Teams or Slack channel devoted to this topic.
– Don’t hesitate to send reminders to boost response rates. Encourage managers to send the link to their staff directly.
– Keep the surveys short to boost your completion rate. It’s quick and easy to complete a multiple-choice survey, however, including some open response questions will help to collect more context.
– Use anonymous feedback if you want your employees to be more honest about their preferences without fear of repercussions. You may also receive more responses as a result.
– Use attributed feedback if you wish to easily identify and troubleshoot specific employee issues. Get a sense of trends among departments or regions to better inform your return-to-office strategy.
– Use your communication channels to your advantage. Beyond a pulse survey, informal feedback is also quite useful. Have managers speak to their staff about working preferences to capture more information beyond the pulse survey.
It’s undeniable – the future of work is a flexible, employee-first hybrid model. When rolling out this new model, listen to employee feedback and implement a strategy that takes this into consideration. Be open with your employees through this process and beyond. Use Nspace to help support your return to the office – we’d love to chat.
