Running an employee engagement survey is a rewarding way to foster a culture of positive change. However, survey leaders can struggle to gain the response rates they want from busy teams, as survey fatigue and indifference set in. Employee feedback champions can provide an additional emphasis for employee engagement surveys; helping you to increase uptake, improve accuracy and obtain longevity for your feedback projects.
What is an employee feedback champion?
A survey champion is an employee who provides positive influence over their peers, which encourages them to leave their feedback and then to use the insights gained from that feedback.
Feedback champions can provide that crucial on-the-ground link between your employees and the business. Feedback campaigns are the go to when it comes to understanding both individual and organisation-wide needs. Surveys demonstrate the business is listening and that their people come first.
What does an employee feedback champion do?
1) Delivers statistical valid feedback data through increased, honest response rates
By encouraging uptake amongst staff.
Survey champions can be influential in reducing the scepticism some staff might have about employee feedback. Survey fatigue might come from a long-born view that things will never change. Survey champions, who integrate within teams, can throw a positive light on your survey, communicate the benefits of sharing their views and therefore promote usage. A peer-to-peer recommendation can go a long way to reduce hesitancy to answer honestly and completely. Therefore, increasing the validity of your results. This is often best achieved informally – for instance, a chat at the water cooler or social at the end of a meeting.
2) Provides timely and relevant direction for improvement projects and rapid intervention
By encouraging the use of data in business planning.
Feedback champions can also be effective when using the results of surveys in decision-making. Sharing reports, pulling out key points, and ensuring the right people get to hear – and absorb – the outcome from a survey not only empowers better decision making but also encourages repeat use of feedback channels.
But head down and busy, it can be easy to miss an outcome from surveys. A champion within the business; challenging peers to recognise the importance of this key data, goes a long way to ensuring the insights you gain positively influence decisions going forward. The role of survey champions might be to distribute reports & disseminate information to the right people. In doing so, reducing noise and ensuring the right information is at the right person at the right time.
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3) Improves culture
By debunking myths and assumptions.
Developing a feedback culture requires an open dialogue and active listening which is embedded in an ongoing process. The best way to fight prejudice is with facts. Having facts at hand to challenge pre-conceived notions is a powerful tool when trying to overcome resistance to change. Feedback champions can be employed to gently challenge employees’ assumptions, that hinder the development of an organisation.
One person – or a team of feedback champions?
Survey champions could be a single person or a team – much will depend on your organisation. A structure of informal and formal buy-in from your influencers. Often your biggest allies will be from a well-respected voice within the team. If you can find the right advocates, the engagement of the survey will be increased tremendously.
What does a feedback champion role look like?
A feedback champion role often calls for the informal skills, found within a team dynamic. The supporter, harmoniser, and commentator team role qualities fall well within the survey champion remit.
The champion role is often earned rather than awarded – i.e., it falls to the people who naturally sway to the positive side of feedback, who naturally want to see things change and help their teams around them. The best practice when recruiting these individuals is to include them in the planning of a survey rollout, provide a deeper understanding of the survey aims, and develop a genuine belief in the benefits of the process.
While sharing feedback reports will be a formal responsibility of a role, choosing the person for that responsibility may be influenced by an individual’s ability to jump on board and achieve a greater influence on those around them.
ViewPoint work with organisations to roll out employee feedback solutions, increasing employee engagement and increasing response rates. Please contact the team about your employee engagement project. We are happy to guide you through the setup of your feedback project to ensure maximum impact.
