Yelp’s employee listening strategy has helped improve employee satisfaction, boost learning and development efforts, and enhance engagement and productivity.
By Maggie Mancini
It’s clear: The last several years have been plagued by uncertainty. From the rise of remote work during the pandemic to the period of widespread employee turnover known as The Great Resignation, economic volatility has had a significant impact on employees and employers alike. Now, a cooling job market has resulted in a period of low turnover, which has been called The Big Stay. Many employees are opting to stay in their current roles even if they’re disengaged or lack motivation at work. These workers are often deeply uneasy, with 81% fearing job loss and 92% fearing a possible recession.
But rather than viewing The Big Stay as a challenge to overcome, HR leaders should take the opportunity to invest in the growth and development of their stable, existing workforce, says Brad Auernig, senior director of HR business operations at Yelp.
Rather than constantly reacting to turnover, companies can shift their focus to developing a stronger, more connected culture where managers can more effectively listen, learn, and lead with intention, Auernig explains.
The secret? At Yelp, it’s the power of employee listening. The company’s employee listening strategy focuses on what matters most to employees — purpose, growth, and well-being. He says their strategy is grounded in three main strategies.
- An annual survey that provides a comprehensive understanding of employee sentiment, guiding us in taking meaningful action.
- Event-based listening, in which the company checks in at key moments — like onboarding or role changes — to continuously improve those experiences.
- Flexible as-needed listening approaches, which include quick surveys, focus groups, and Slack chats. These methods can help the organization hear and respond to employees in real time.
“We’ve continued to see strong employee satisfaction as a result of our commitment to continuous listening and our adaptability in the face of evolving workplace trends,” Auernig says. “In our 2025 employee survey, 89% of employees said they felt confident in their ability to make career progress while working remotely, 87% reported they felt equipped to manage both personal and work life demands, and 85% would recommend Yelp as a great place to work.”
Keeping employees engaged and productive at work is crucial to reap the benefits of reduced voluntary turnover. During this time, it’s essential for HR leaders to prioritize visible and ongoing growth opportunities so that long-tenured employees stay motivated, Auernig adds.
These employees need meaningful ways to grow their skills and careers, as promotions aren’t the only path to career progression. This could mean offering more gig-style projects, cross-functional work, mentorship, shadowing opportunities, courses and certifications, or AI tools that personalize development paths, he explains.
“At Yelp, we’ve introduced new learning and development initiatives driven by employee feedback,” Auernig says. “We’ve also found that it’s critical for organizations to recognize employee achievements from skill-building, stretch assignments, and progress along the way.”
To understand and address the needs of a more tenured workforce, Auernig stresses that it’s important to utilize a variety of listening strategies, such as:
- annual surveys;
- check-ins at key career milestones; and
- real-time feedback channels.
For these efforts to be effective, organizations must view employee feedback as the start of a continuous, two-way commitment and avoid inaction fatigue — the risk that employees disengage when they don’t see results from their input.
“By creating a clear connection between feedback and action through ongoing communication, HR leaders can measure engagement, quickly identify concerns, and course correct,” Auernig says. “At Yelp, we encourage leaders to select one focus area, create two remedies and follow-up three times. This simplicity is key to shifting from action planning to action taking.”
