It's a familiar scene at work: the big “employee engagement survey” rolls out with lots of hype, encouragement and (many) reminders to fill it out. And then... nothing. No follow-up. No visible changes. No communication about it. Just crickets.

And that survey, followed by nothing else? It's worse than not doing a survey at all. Because people remember taking the time to share their thoughts - and when it feels like nothing came from it, they feel like their voice doesn’t matter. What could’ve built trust... ends up breaking it. Yeeks.

But here’s the good news: with a little upfront planning, engagement surveys can actually be a powerful tool for positive change.

In this week’s video and blog, I’m sharing what to do before you send that survey - and what to do if it’s already out there.

Start with the Why

Before you even write your first survey question, ask: Why are we doing this survey?

Is it to improve communication? Get ideas on how to make work better? Figure out how you're doing compared to competitors? Just get a general sense of how on earth the team is feeling? Whatever your goal, get crystal clear on it - and share that with your team when you launch the survey.

Example language:

"We’re sending out this survey to get a more realistic picture of what’s working and what’s not - so we can actually do something about it. What you share won’t just sit in a report. It’s going to help shape how we lead, how we train and how we support you - and what we can do short- and long-term.

And you won’t be left wondering what happened - we’ll follow up and share what we heard and what we’re doing about it. This isn’t just a one-and-done survey. You’re taking the time to share your feedback, and the least we can do is show you the respect of sharing how we’re putting it to use."

Communicating (honestly) about the purpose builds credibility and sets expectations. In just a few clear sentences, you can give more transparency than some people have gotten in their entire careers. It shows employees you’re not asking just to check the box - you’re asking because you want to do something with what you learn.

Anticipate the Feedback

Even before the survey goes live, there are likely themes you already expect to hear. Maybe employees will ask for more career path clarity, clearer priorities or stronger manager support. Maybe there's burnout, or a need for more recognition.

Thinking through what you might hear gives you a head start on planning how you’ll respond.

For example, if you’ve heard informal comments about unclear career paths, start thinking about what conversations or resources you could offer. If manager consistency is a concern, consider what tools or trainings you could introduce to upskill all of your people leaders.

Keep reading to find out a way to get an extra tip on this in my weekly Manager Method Minute email.

Ask Yourself: What Are We Ready to Do About It?

This is a big one. In addition to asking why you're doing the survey, ask: What are we prepared to act on? Because asking for feedback without taking visible action is worse than not asking at all.

Not every piece of feedback can result in a change - but employees need to know they were heard and that something is happening as a result.

Talking points for leaders:
“We won’t be able to tackle every issue overnight, but we’ll be upfront about what we heard and what we’re prioritizing. This isn’t just an information-gathering exercise. We don't expect our team members to be the ones to grow and improve. We want to do the same as an organization, including as leaders."

Start small if you need to, but pick a few areas you can address and be ready to communicate them clearly.

Invite - and Initiate - More Conversation

A survey is great, but it can be hard to act on receiving an 8.7 out of 10. So, in addition to asking questions and looking at overall trends, go deeper. Some of the most valuable input can come after the survey - by asking people to talk more about what they shared.

Don’t just say, “We’re open to feedback.” Proactively reach out and thank people who shared thoughtful input, then invite them to share more in a safe, low-pressure setting.

Example message or talking point:
“Thanks for your feedback in the survey. If you’re open to chatting more, we'd love to learn more about the perspective from different team members - we want to make sure we’re hearing what matters most.”

In this week's video, I talk more about how to do this (see the 8:55 mark), including a Harvard Business Review article about customer surveys that's true for employee surveys as well.

But taking the time to have these conversations - and asking things like, “Can you walk me through what this is actually like for you? What might others not see?” - can give you a clearer picture of the real impact your policies and processes are having. You'll likely get ideas for small changes that can lead to big improvements in productivity, engagement and retention... which are likely all part of the "why" you're doing the survey.

Communicate What You Heard - and What You’re Doing

After the survey closes, many organizations send nothing. Others send a single email with "we'll let you know the results" or broad themes. But strong communication happens in layers.

Start with all-employee communication: share the themes and top priorities. Be honest about what you can act on now and what may take time.

Then, go deeper with manager-specific communication. Equip managers to reinforce the message and what's happening, and answer questions. Give them tools to talk about it in 1:1s and team meetings.

And finally, follow up directly with those who gave individual or group feedback. If someone shared something thoughtful or raised a concern, reach back out and let them know how it’s being addressed - or where it’s headed.

Talking points for your org-wide email or all-hands:
“Here’s what we heard - and here’s what we’re doing.”
“Your feedback shaped our next steps. Here’s what's in motion in response.”
“We’ll keep checking in so we can grow together, not just react.”

When employees can visibly see the line between their input and visible changes - even small ones - it builds a culture where people feel safe to speak up. And share ideas. And get the results every leader is expected to achieve.

What If You Already Sent the Survey and Didn’t Do This?

If you're reading and watching and think, "We did our employee survey... is it too late to do something about it?" No! It’s better to do something about it now than never. Here’s how to get back on track.

First, acknowledge it: “We sent out the survey but realized we didn’t set clear expectations or follow up as well as we should have. That’s on us, and we want to do better.”

Reopen the conversation. Invite people to share more and explain why their input still matters.

Pick one or two quick wins. Take action where you can now, then communicate clearly what you’re doing and what’s next.

And start preparing now for next time. Use these steps to rebuild trust and set a stronger foundation for your next survey round.

Bottom Line

An employee engagement survey can be a powerful tool - not just for leaders to get a peek into how employees are feeling, but also for employees to know what the organizatio's doing. It’s a chance to build trust - and keep it.

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If you want weekly tools, tips and language to help your team turn survey feedback into real action, subscribe to my Manager Method Minute. It’s quick, practical and lands in your inbox every Thursday, with a bonus tip to go along with each blog.

And if your engagement survey highlights the need for manager development, we’ve got you covered. Our Manager 101 program makes it easy to roll out practical support for leaders, combining on-demand learning with live internal cohorts that bring the content to life. We even include tools for HR - like ready-to-go survey language - to help you show the impact and build on the progress you’ve started.