CHRO Corner: Leveraging Employee Feedback

Chief People Officer Doug Hoffer shares ways that Access utilizes engagement surveys and other benchmarks to identify areas of improvement and support employee well-being. 

By Debbie Bolla

HRO Today: What’s the biggest challenge you are currently facing and what are your plans to overcome it?  

Doug Hoffer: Access is a highly acquisitive company. To date, we have completed nearly 200 acquisitions. Maintaining our culture, while helping Access team members learn how to better navigate and manage change, can be challenging. However, it’s also an opportunity and has been critical to our success over the past 20 years and as we look forward. We manage change by consistently communicating at every level, providing relevant training, and offering opportunities for team members to provide feedback. For example, Access conducts an annual engagement survey that roughly 80% of our team members participate in. The results provide the insights we need as leaders.  Transparency in leadership is important and letting team members know that their voices are heard and their input matters helps to create a supportive and healthy working environment. 

HROT: In what ways do you leverage continuous feedback loops and what changes have they driven?  

Hoffer: Continuous feedback loops are instrumental in establishing an honest and collaborative culture where employees feel respected and engaged. As I mentioned, for three years in a row now, we’ve conducted an employee engagement survey, hosted roundtables and one-on-one meetings, and shared insights to gauge Access employees’ sentiments on DEI, job satisfaction, and more. The leadership team uses these surveys to benchmark against industry and global peers, as well as benchmark our own progress over previous years, giving us the ability to track the impact of our changes and identify areas of improvement. One example of a change we made based on employee feedback was to increase communications from senior leadership. As a result, our CEO now leads quarterly all company meetings, will host quarterly leadership calls in 2025, and we’ll be publishing an internal newsletter three to four times annually. Another way Access uses our employee feedback every year is as a metric to measure the success of our leaders and identify and recognize our best leaders. 

This is where I think some HR leaders may fall short: Conducting a survey or focus group is not where the input ends, but rather where it begins. Taking the lessons from employee feedback and creating initiatives to improve areas of weakness shows employees that their voices are heard and valued. Our turnover rates at Access have continued to improve year over year since we began these surveys because of the changes we have made to improve the lives of our employees. Our teams see these efforts and feel empowered that they are helping to build a culture they want to be part of.   

HROT: How are you helping employees manage their well-being?  

Hoffer:  Well-being is another area where employee feedback helps guide our strategy and benefit plans. Especially with many unknowns and changes happening in the world around us, prioritizing mental, emotional, and physical well-being has never been more important. In addition to providing employees with some of the more traditional benefits, Access also offers helpful resources, such as including access to our employee assistance program (EAP), where our team members can obtain mental health support for themselves and their families.  We also train our leaders on the benefits of the EAP so they can refer team members when the need arises. Access is pleased to offer memberships to the wellness app, Burnalong, which provides a variety of exercise classes, healthy recipes, and tips and tricks for better wellness, along with some supportive resources and tools that can help regulate mental and emotional health, financial wellness, and stress management. Our wellness newsletter helps destigmatize discussions about mental health services and support, and we offer 24/7 resources to help manage ongoing stressors. Above all, we communicate to our employees that Access is a safe space where they can seek help and feel supported.  As leaders, it is just as important to care for our employees when they leave Access, as when they are with us during the workday. 

HROT: What is your favorite way to spend free time?  

Hoffer: Family is very important to me. My wife, Andrea, and I enjoy spending time with our adult daughters when we can, especially our annual family vacations. This year, we had an incredible time hiking and kayaking in Norway. I am also blessed to be an ordained Deacon at my parish and diocese, where I enjoy leading and supporting my faith community in this capacity. . 

Doug Hoffer is chief people officer at Access.