Webinar: Uncover Hidden Value and Actionable Insights in Your Employee Feedback

We are pleased to release the recording of our webinar on uncovering hidden insight in your employee feedback.

If you have any questions after watching please feel free to get in touch by emailing helen@welovesurveys.co.uk

Together or apart, connection is key

Whether it takes place remotely or in person, time together at a work Christmas party is a great way to get your team together to celebrate the wins of a challenging 2021. 

There are many companies that are unsure whether to go ahead with their in-person Christmas work celebrations this year. In our opinion, it’s key to do what feels right for your business, while also taking into account how your team feels about it. One of our bespoke surveys is a great way to establish how your team is feeling, but more on that later. 

Despite hesitation about whether to go ahead with in-person get-togethers, the health secretary Sajid Javid has said that there is no need to cancel Christmas party plans. Currently, it is up to each individual business to decide how they would like to mark the end of the year. 

Why marking the end of the year is so important  

By the time we reach December, we’re ready for the final push towards the end of the year and some much-deserved time off. December is about wrapping up (excuse the pun!) tasks and projects so we’re all ready to start the next year refreshed with new ideas.  

However, after a busy year, it’s easy to see fatigue and burnout creep into our teams. This is why celebrating your successes at the end of the year, getting the team together and having fun is so important. Not only is it a great way to make teams feel closer, especially if there have been new people joining, but it also changes the focus to end the year on a high. 

Tips for hosting a digital Christmas party 

After nearly two years of taking socialising online in a variety of ways, from digital pub quizzes to school lessons, it’s clear that when people want to connect and spend time together, it can be done. 

If you’re planning to take your Christmas party celebrations online this year, here are a few tips to help make it as smooth as possible, wi-fi connection permitting... 

1) Organisation is key – if you’d like to eat together over Zoom or Microsoft Teams, schedule your food deliveries in advance 

2) Get creative – think of games you can play together online, or organise a quiz with a few festive twists 

3) Try a digital secret Santa – arrange ahead of time and open your gifts together online 

4) Include a speech – Christmas parties are a great way to thank everyone for their hard work throughout the year 

5) Festive tunes – create a festive playlist that everyone can access, and maybe try some karaoke if you’re brave enough! 

 We Love Surveys Christmas party plans 

According to a recent BBC article, research shows that Christmas parties may be a little smaller this year.  

If the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that the connection with others matters most to people. While there is not currently a legal obligation to cancel or postpone Christmas office celebrations, for many, they will want to connect and socialise with their team in one way or another. 

Our plans this year involve us taking the We Love Surveys team over to Liverpool for a couple of days of seeing the sights, enjoying delicious food, and a few cocktails. We'll be visiting the Beatles Museum which we’re really looking forward to. It's our way of saying thank you to our team after a very busy year. 

In terms of ensuring that this event is as safe as possible, we have asked that our small team of six completes Lateral Flow tests beforehand and that anyone who is feeling unwell or had a positive test result does not attend. The safety of our small but talented team matters to us and this is why we are committed to holding this Christmas party as safely as possible. 

 The importance of connecting with your team 

Every member of your team will have different opinions and levels of comfort when it comes to socialising in 2022 and beyond. In order to make decisions based on data and insight, it’s important to collect information from your team regarding how they feel about socialising together as a team and in what venues they feel most comfortable. 

This can be a difficult conversation to have, as there is so much uncertainty surrounding the subject. However, a bespoke survey tailored to this very topic is an easy and efficient way to collect the data you need. This is where the We love Surveys team comes in. We will design a feedback solution that is tailored to your exact requirements, and allows you to collect data that is of value to you. To learn more about we can help you, get in touch with us today. 

We Love Surveys is here to help you better communicate with your team by giving you the data and insights you need to make the decisions that impact them. From identifying skill gaps to working out how satisfied your team are with their role, communication is key and we’re here to help you with that. 

 A word from our team 

However you’re celebrating with your colleagues this year, we hope you have a wonderful time. One last thing - Merry Christmas from the We Love Surveys team and a Happy New Year! 

What to do now  

Make sure you’re following us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram so you don’t miss the latest updates from our team.  

If you’re interested in catching up with our other blog posts, you can do so here.  

Hybrid working: Communication is key, how do you make it happen?

Welcome back to our hybrid working blog post series 

In the final blog post in our hybrid working series, we will be exploring exactly how and why communication is key when it comes to hybrid working and how having the right communication tools and feedback solutions by your side is the best way to guarantee success. 

If you’ve missed any of the other blog posts in this series, you can read them here. So far, we have covered what hybrid working is, some of the key benefits that employers and employees are enjoying and on the other side, and the challenges that can result when we work from both home and the office. 

Understanding the impact of hybrid working on your staff 

Combining both working from the office and home has meant we have had to re-think the way we work, how to be our most efficient selves and maintain our responsibilities. 

It’s important to consider both the different experience levels of your staff alongside different personality types. Extroverts might work more productively when they’re in the office, while introverts feel most calm and focused working from home. By combining both home and office working, your team can base themselves in the place that best suits them for a proportion of the week.  

If the key challenges of hybrid working, such as technical issues and the lack of personal connection, are mitigated and worked around, hybrid working has the potential to be an effective way of working going forward.  

Key to making this way of working suit both you and your team is to ensure you’re regularly speaking to them, to discover how they feel about where they work and how to perform their role. Feelings around this can change as a result of new team members, the impact of pandemic-related restrictions, and the length of time spent working in a particular way. As always, communication is key. 

How to effectively receive feedback from your team 

Anonymous, simple, and considered surveys are the best way to get the honest feedback you need, so you can make data-led decisions that impact your team.  

For example, if your survey results show that most team members would prefer to be in the office one to two days a week, rather than three or more days, then having this data by your side will allow you to make team-wide decisions. It’s almost impossible to keep everyone happy but, with the right data, you can make informed decisions rather than guessing. 

Survey feedback can also help you uncover new ways to improve the hybrid working experience. Whether it’s weekly social work calls or perhaps introducing new benefits at work, with the right data, you’re equipped to make decisions that benefit your team. 

If the thought of regular employee surveys makes you think of time wasted, don’t worry. Our Pulse Surveys are designed to be short and sweet, which means they can easily slot into your teams’ daily or weekly schedules. At We Love Surveys, we provide solutions that allow you to collect feedback from your colleagues quickly and effectively. 

How We Love Surveys can support your business and your team 

Our team of feedback solutions experts will design a survey that takes your business, your teams and your goals into consideration. 

We understand that every business is different, with unique people, goals and objectives. A one-size survey most certainly doesn’t fit all. That is why we collaborate with each of our clients to suggest the best feedback solution and questions for them. 

You won't find generic survey questions that don’t apply to you, only customised questions aimed at helping you get the data you need to make decisions that will benefit your business and team. 

Confidential employee engagement surveys 

Our team understands that one of the best ways to collect the data and insights you need is to give your team the opportunity to offer their opinions anonymously. Confidential surveys help you get the most open and honest answers from your team. 

When feedback becomes a choice for colleagues, engagement naturally increases because colleagues give feedback when they have something to say. Not because it's a certain time of the year and the company has a target to hit! 

Final thoughts 

Our team at We Love Surveys is here to help your business by providing a tailored and bespoke feedback solution to meet your needs. 

From daily pulse surveys to longer-form feedback solutions, we’re here to support your business in getting the data you need to make data-led decisions  

What to do now 

If you have any questions about our services or are interested in working with us, get in touch with us today. 

Make sure you’re following us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram so you don’t miss the next blog post series we have in store for you, or the latest updates from our team. 

If you’re interested in catching up with our other blog posts, you can do so here. 

Hybrid working: How it benefits your business, and benefits your team

Welcome back to our hybrid working blog post series.

In this blog post, we will be exploring some of the key benefits of this new way of working which combines both working from home as well as the office. 

If you’ve missed the first blog post in this series, you can read it here. We covered exactly what hybrid working is, how it differs to flexible working and which companies are implementing it for their teams. 

The benefits of hybrid working 

While it was certainly a shock when we were suddenly asked to collect our laptops and desk plants from the office and set up at home, it didn’t take long for many to appreciate the range of benefits offered by working from home. 

From improving work/life balance to minimising the commute, working from home has done so much more for us than helping to keep us safe during the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Improvements to work/life balance 

While there are certainly many benefits to working in the office, many have reported that working from home has allowed them to better balance their work and personal lives.  

A study in June 2021, funded by the Department for Energy, Business & Industrial Strategy and based on a YouGov poll of more than 1,000 employers, revealed that 61 per cent of employers said employees reported an improved work/life balance as a result of home working. This relatively high percentage could be down to many factors, such as a reduction in commuting time or that it’s easier to manage commitments, like childcare, while working from home. Regardless, many seem to prefer this new way of working, which combines the best of both office and home working. 

Retaining your existing team  

It’s not just employees who are able to benefit from this new way of working. Employers, too, are reaping the rewards of more efficient and happier teams. 

Offering hybrid working is just one way in which employers are able to retain their existing teams. In the age of the ‘great resignation’, which is seeing more and more employees leave roles they no longer enjoy, or change careers completely, employee retention is now the aim of the game. 

According to a recent article by The Guardian, one in four UK workers are planning to change roles. With this in mind, offering hybrid working is a company perk that employees are coming to expect. After more than a year of working from home, many do not wish to, or have the desire to, return to the office full-time, so this way of working is preferable. 

A working style that potential candidates have come to expect 

The pandemic has seen many employees leaving current roles in search of the next. Companies and businesses are now looking for candidates to fill those empty positions. Offering hybrid working is now a perk that many job hunters keep an eye out for in job descriptions, and offering it can be a solution to employers attracting fresh talent. 

For example, if employees have left previous roles due to the expectation of a full-time return to the office or a lack of flexibility in terms of how and where they work, the best way to attract new talent is to offer hybrid working. 

If you’re wondering about the challenges that are associated with this new way of working, don’t worry. We’ll be covering some of the key challenges that are associated with hybrid working in our next blog post. 

Making the workplace more accessible  

The pandemic has shown that, when needed, society can adapt its way of working. Hybrid working allows those who may have disabilities and require certain adjustments to not only enter but also thrive in the workforce.  

A recent report suggests that the adoption of hybrid working models would allow nearly 4 million people otherwise unable to work to join the UK workforce. From those with disabilities to those with childcare commitments, hybrid working supports many to work in a way that suits them. Hybrid working allows time and flexibility for, among others, hospital appointments or childcare adjustments, as well as working from a comfortable space with minimal travel. These are just a few of the reasons that it can benefit candidates with disabilities or those with caring responsibilities.  

Carers, parents and disabled people are among the 3.8 million people that could most benefit from an increase in hybrid working, while the nation’s 6.8 million part-time workers could boost their hours, adding a potential £48 billion annually to the UK economy.  

There are also geographical advantages to hybrid working. Gone are the days where you must either live or move to an area that is near to the office. Now, someone living a significant distance away from the main office base could still take a role with the company, as long as remote or hybrid working was agreed and included in their contract. This opens up a wider pool of talent for employers to recruit from. 

How companies can maintain team engagement when opting for hybrid working 

Having a team where some employees are in an office while others are working remotely presents several new challenges for managers. So, how can managers ensure that their teams remain connected?  

1) Weekly team huddles to communicate key objectives – whether that’s in person or over Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype or Slack. 

2)  Scheduled one to one check ins with a line manager, which can highlight any issues or barriers that employees are experiencing 

3) Frequent ‘coffee breaks’ online, where staff can catch up regardless of where they are working. Informal discussion is often when the best ideas happen! 

What to do now  

The remainder of this blog post series will cover the challenges of hybrid working and, ultimately, what We Love Surveys can do to support you in engaging with your team to make data-based decisions.   

Make sure you’re following us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram so you don’t miss the next instalment in this series or the latest updates from our team.  

If you’re interested in catching up with our other blog posts, you can do so here. 

What is hybrid working – and how it can work for you

Welcome to our hybrid working blog post series  

Welcome to the first in our series of blog posts where we will be exploring the topic of hybrid working, including what it is, the benefits and challenges for both teams and employers and, ultimately, how we can help you to communicate with your team to create actionable change. As we begin to emerge from the depths of the pandemic, every business is likely to be facing a new challenge in the way they’re working. Hybrid working is the new buzzword and looks set to have a continued impact for the foreseeable future. 

An introduction into the world of hybrid working  

In March 2020, seemingly overnight, a large portion of the population were told to clear their desks at the office and set up a working space at home. Previously, working from home had been characterised by occasional use or an option for the self-employed. However, the coronavirus pandemic saw this become the new norm for many. 

What we thought might last for a few weeks, or a couple of months at most, ended up being a phenomenon that has lasted more than 18 months. Spare bedrooms and kitchen tables became workspaces overnight as we adjusted to the new way of working. 

Fast forward to the present day and, as lockdowns have been removed and restrictions for many lifted, we are now seeing a new way of working emerge: hybrid working. According to ACAS, hybrid working can be defined as “a type of flexible working where an employee splits their time between the workplace and working remotely”. With many employers cautious about encouraging or enforcing a full-time and immediate return to the office, hybrid working seems to be the solution to working safely while enjoying the benefits of both home and office working. 

It’s important to note that each organisation will be different, with set boundaries that work for both employer and employee. But it is likely that there will be a noticeable shift towards a preferred way of working. 

In fact, for many, it doesn't look like a full-time return to the office is on the cards at all. According to this BBC article, more than a million people have been affected by their employer's decision not to return to previous ways of working full-time in the office. In fact, according to YouGov, less than four in 10 of those surveyed want to leave their house to go to work which shows that working from home has turned out to be a popular choice for many.  

How is hybrid working different to flexible working?  

The term ‘flexible working’ is best understood as a fixed agreement, often implemented in line with other life events such as post-illness or maternity/paternity leave, or even a reassessment of work-life balance.  

Flexible working is usually a realignment of days, or hours in the day, that you are contracted to work. This way of working empowers an employee to define the day/time they want to work, which is then agreed and fixed.   

This differs to hybrid working, which is an arrangement where companies allow employees the flexibility to work on-site or from home depending on what suits them personally. 

Examples of companies embracing hybrid working 

Some of the UK’s biggest names, including insurance company Aviva, have made the decision to embrace hybrid working going forward. Danny Harmer, chief people officer at Aviva, said 95% of its workers say they would like to be able to spend some of their time working flexibly and remotely in different locations. 

With companies both large and small embracing this way of working, it’s possible that this will be part of the ‘new normal’ going forward. 

We’ll be discussing the range of benefits of hybrid working in our next blog post, but according to Oak Engage, “hybrid working can help employees achieve a good work/life balance. The time saved on commuting can be spent with friends, family or doing something they enjoy. Worries of having to rearrange appointments are eased with a more flexible calendar”. 

How hybrid working has become an expectation 

Amid the age of the ‘great resignation’, which is seeing many individuals resign from roles in which they are not happy in order to find other roles or career changes, hybrid working may become far more of an expectation than we first imagined. 

With employers looking for ways to attract the very best talent as well as retain their current teams, many are offering flexible or hybrid working. This is because hybrid working is no longer just a perk for the lucky few, it has become a new way of life for those who are able to work in this way. 

What to do now 

We’ll be covering the range of benefits of hybrid working for both employer and employee in our next blog post. The remainder of the series will also cover the challenges of hybrid working and, ultimately, what We Love Surveys can do to support you in communicating with your team to make data-based decisions.  

Make sure you’re following us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram so you don’t miss the next instalment in this series or the latest updates from our team. 

If you’re interested in catching up with our other blog posts, you can do so here. 

What are the three main barriers your business faces in gathering effective feedback from your employees?

As a manager, business owner or employer, it is so much easier to action change when you have the support of your team and the information to make the right decisions. 

Utilising employee feedback means that your decisions are based on fact, rather than how you think your staff are feeling.  

There are, however, a number of barriers that can get in the way of gathering effective feedback. These obstacles come in all shapes and sizes, but they don’t have to be inevitable. The right feedback solutions make it easier than ever to understand your team, to build a culture where your employees feel valued and can thrive.   

Feedback is more than simply a ‘nice to have’ – the reality is that missing out on this crucial feedback could have a negative impact on your company in both the long and short term. Research from Work Human shows that 89% of HR leaders agree that ongoing peer feedback and check-ins are key for successful outcomes. 

It doesn’t stop there. Research shows that employee engagement can have a much wider impact on your company than you might first imagine. This is because when your team feels heard, they feel more engaged and relate more to the overall goal of the business. According to Fond, companies that regularly incorporate employee feedback see staff turnover decrease by an average of 14.9%.  

This is just another reason why looking after your staff is key to your business success. This is especially relevant in the age of the ‘great resignation’ where lockdowns and the pandemic have resulted in more and more employees seeking roles elsewhere if they are not fully satisfied with their current work situation. 

With the importance of feedback in mind, we have identified three key barriers which can prevent you gathering effective feedback from your team. 

1) Lack of opportunities to give feedback 

It’s fair to say that a lot can happen in a year, from staffing changes to fluctuations in profit and loss. The sheer number of issues that can occur in a 12-month period means that collecting feedback once a year simply isn’t enough. 

The key to avoiding this is to offer regular opportunities for your team to give feedback, ideally once every three to six months. Our short pulse surveys provide the ideal solution to find out how your staff is feeling at regular intervals. 

2) Negativity around giving feedback 

When your team has a to-do list that is a mile long or is under additional pressure based on current business requirements, it’s easy for feedback to feel like another task that needs to be completed. 

When feedback feels like a chore, you won’t be getting the insightful answers that enable you to make effective changes within the workplace. In order to gain maximum benefit from the data, your team needs to feel that giving up their time to respond to a request for feedback is a positive action. Internal communication is key here – make it clear to your staff that their views are important and will enable future business decisions to be made with them in mind.  

3) Surveys that are generic or too lengthy 

We’ve all been there, you’ve finally sat down to offer feedback that you’ve been asked to give, only to realise that you have been given the wrong form and the questions don’t apply to you. 

The questions you ask your team need to be relevant to them and their position in the company. For example, if the survey goes out to all employees, don’t ask questions that only long-term employees can answer. 

Did you know that, according to Office Vibe, 20% of those surveyed abandon surveys that take over 7-8 minutes to complete? Ensuring that all questions are carefully considered (and that you can act upon the responses) will result in a tailored survey that is not overly long. 

The feedback solutions that We Love Surveys create always focus on your company’s specific requirements. We work with you to ensure that every question is relevant, to give the best possible outcome in terms of the final data you receive. 

Top tips for survey success: 

• Regularly give your teams opportunities to feed back 

• Encourage your team to get involved and support them in doing so 

• Keep the questions relevant 

• Communicate to your team that their feedback matters and can lead to change 

• Call in the experts at We Love Surveys 

Final thoughts 

No matter what kind of business you run, feedback is essential in order to improve employee engagement and facilitate positive change. 

Employee feedback doesn’t have to feel like a burden. With surveys designed precisely to the needs of your business and our user-friendly reporting, We Love Surveys are here to ensure that you reap the rewards. 

What to do now 

Like what you’re seeing here? You can check out the rest of our blog posts here. 

If you’re interested in learning more about us, what we do and how we can help you, get in touch with us today. 

5 questions you need to include in your post-pandemic return to the office survey

Although not surprising, the announcement that the UK government will be delaying the easing of lockdown restrictions for another four weeks (at the minimum), will undoubtedly throw a spanner in the works for many businesses preparing an imminent return to the office. The lifting of the remaining rules was due for June 21 but is now expected no earlier than July 19. 

Among the variety of regulations that will remain in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus is the recommendation that those who are able to work from home, should continue to do so. For HR and employee engagement teams, this raises the issue of how to set out a roadmap back to the office, or even whether to do so.  

Opinion is truly divided when it comes to the best way to work going forward, from the work-from-homers on one side to the return-to-the-officers on the other, and those who seek a hybrid approach laying somewhere in between the two. The only way to understand the thoughts of those within your organisation is to ask, and to help you to do that, we’ve highlighted some questions that should be on your to-ask list.  

One important thing to note before surveying your employees is that not everyone will agree, and you likely won’t end up with one answer to suit everybody. The results of the survey will, however, help you to balance the needs of your employees, with those of the business, in a way that offers value for everyone.  

Question 1: What is your preferred way of working going forward? 

Make this question one of the first you ask, as it will set the expectation for the rest of the questions in the survey. Keeping it simple will allow you to easily analyse the results and get an overall insight into the preferences of your employees. 

It’s a great idea to offer a free text box here for people to expand upon their answers. This will help you understand why employees prefer the approach that they selected (or the reasons they have against the one they didn’t select!). There are lots of areas in a person’s life that may influence their preferred way of working. This could be childcare, living with family members, long commutes and a whole host of other things that could be easier or harder depending on where your employees are working from.   

Question 2: Is there anything you need in order to improve your working environment (whether you are working at home or the office)? 

Again, the answers to this question will provide further insight into question 1. If everyone answers that they don’t have the required resources to work from home, that could explain why everyone wants to return to the office. If they were given the equipment needed, would remote work be preferable? 

You can also identify areas for improvement and ensure your staff are well engaged with their work. As well already know, engaged employees bring a whole load of benefits.  

Question 3: How would you describe the levels of communication between your team while working from home, compared to being in the office? 

Communication is a core component for any team. Not only does it enable the completion of jobs and day-to-day operations, it also creates a sense of being part of a team.  

Employee communication is an important factor to consider when deciding on how to work in the future. Open and clear communication increases employee engagement and morale and reduces staff loneliness.  

As well as between staff members, it is important to facilitate open and honest downstream lines of communication from management teams. If you do choose to return to the office full-time, your employees are likely to have concerns. The more open your communication, the more informed your staff will feel, reducing their fears.  

Question 4: How would you describe your productivity while working from home, compared to being in the office? 

We all want productivity to be as high as possible, don’t we? Remember to talk about productivity rather than output, as a higher output isn’t always better. Employees are more likely to work longer hours while working from home, so increased output could be the result of over-working rather than productivity. 

Question 5: How comfortable do you feel discussing any concerns with your manager? 

This is always a worthwhile question in an employee survey, as it gives you an indication of how likely you are to hear about the concerns of staff, as well as the relationships between teams. In the context of evaluating future working methods, you can learn about how any issues that arise, may be raised. 

“Annie in accounts” may express her readiness to return to the office before doing so, to later discover that the change makes her anxious. The more comfortable she feels with her manager, the more likely she is to raise any concerns or worries, which can then be dealt with without Annie suffering on her own.   

There are plenty of questions you could ask, depending on what you are trying to establish, but try not to overload your employees, especially if the answers won't be used.  

When making your final decision, remember to make the preferences a top priority. For example, if everyone wants to continue working from home or in a flexible way, but they’ve also indicated they are less productive working this way, consider how to address this. Could communication be improved? Would a task management tool help?  

The return to work post-pandemic is currently a popular survey topic for We Love Survey clients. Our expertise in this area makes it easy to generate a feedback survey from a bank of available questions, which can then be tailored to each company’s individual needs. Depending on the requirements, this could be either a full survey or a shorter pulse survey. 

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We Love Surveys can create a bespoke employee survey for your business to drive your decision on how to work in the future. Get in touch to find out more.