As we enter 2024, organizations continue to face issues such as manager effectiveness, workplace loneliness, layoffs, and worker well-being, while grappling with broader macroeconomic issues like inflation. These challenges are amplified in uncertain times, necessitating effective strategies for employee engagement and development. Here, we want to explore current trends in employee listening and people analytics that will shape the year to come, drawing insights from Perceptyx’s research and People@Work teams. This exploration forms the first part of January’s “EX Trends to Watch in 2024” series, which will offer a comprehensive look at the future of work.
1. Diversification of Listening Approaches
Stephanie Schloemer, Ph.D., Senior Consultant: “Organizations are increasingly adopting inventive approaches to listen to their employees. The integration of lifecycle surveys, such as exit and onboarding surveys, with existing census surveys, enables the use of advanced analytics. This is complemented by more fundamental strategies like enhancing visibility to employees and proactively soliciting feedback. These varied approaches signify a shift towards a more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of employee sentiments across the organizational hierarchy.”
2. Connecting Employee Sentiment to Business Outcomes
Michael Mian, Ph.D., Principal Consultant: “The trend of diversifying survey methods is gaining traction, with more clients exploring varied listening techniques. This expansion in methods is paired with efforts to correlate employee sentiments across different surveys with key business outcomes, such as employee retention. [Read Dr. Mian’s blog on this topic.] This approach aims to establish a more cohesive understanding of employee perspectives and their impact on organizational performance.”
3. Enhanced Focus on Managerial and Team Relationships
Crystal Perel, M.A., Senior Consultant: “There's a notable increase in the number of organizational-level listening channels. Across industries, a pattern has emerged where team and manager relationships are rated higher than usual. While initially positive, this can indicate an ‘us vs. them’ cultural dynamic if coupled with lower confidence in senior leadership or lack of clarity in direction. Organizations are now tasked with equipping mid- and frontline managers with effective communication tools, especially during the implementation of unpopular decisions, such as return-to-office policies.”
4. Expansion of Listening Events Beyond Annual Surveys
Ellen Lovell, Ph.D., Senior Consultant: “Organizations that have effectively utilized annual census surveys are expanding their listening efforts. This includes incorporating additional moments like onboarding, exit, candidate experience, quality of hire, or 360 evaluations. Simultaneously, there's a growing desire to integrate these listening efforts with active data for a more robust understanding of their return on investment.”
5. Linking Employee Growth Perceptions with Organizational Direction
Sarah Jorgenson, Senior Consultant: “One emerging trend is the increased linkage between perceptions around growth and development with clarity of direction. This indicates a growing awareness of the importance of clear communication and direction in fostering employee growth.”
6. A Shift in Focus Beyond Survey Scores to Meaningful Interpretation
Christian Roome, Senior Consultant: “I’ve observed a shift in focus from merely analyzing survey scores to really trying to understand their implications. [Read Roome’s blog on using focus groups to assist with data interpretation.] In Europe, some customers are scaling back the frequency of surveys to enhance their impact, moving from quarterly to bi- or tri-annual surveys for more significant results.”
7. An Increase in Listening Frequency and Cross-Survey Analytics
Davinder Johal, M.Sc., Senior Consultant: “Here in Europe, organizations traditionally conducting annual census surveys are now keen to introduce additional pulse surveys to gather more detailed information about specific topics. This increased frequency in listening is complemented by a growing interest in cross-survey analytics, especially when this is all managed by the same team.”
8. Passive Listening Technologies and AI
Bradley Wilson, Ph.D., Principal Consultant: “Leaders are increasingly expecting regular access to data and insights. The adoption of passive listening technologies and AI-enabled data scraping, such as we are able to offer here at Perceptyx, is opening avenues for new approaches to data analysis. This integration of employee opinions with objective organizational and behavioral data is driving innovation in employee listening and analytics.”
Perceptyx Can Help You Maximize the Value of Employee Listening
Insights like these from Perceptyx's experts underscore the critical importance of employee listening during uncertain times. Effective listening strategies are not just beneficial; they are essential for setting organizational priorities and addressing employee needs. To further explore how Perceptyx can assist your organization, schedule a meeting with a member of our team.