Perceptyx, the global leader in employee experience (EX) transformation, has released the results of its third annual State of Employee Listening. For the third year running, businesses have increased investment in their listening programs. But this year’s survey indicates that employers are using employee feedback, not only to improve employee experience but to help them address top issues concerning boards today: profitability and efficiency.
Approximately 78% of organizations now survey their employees at least once a quarter, compared to 70% in 2023 and 60% in 2022. And 76% plan to invest more in listening in the next year, up from 68% last year. Perceptyx categorizes employee listening programs into four stages of maturity:
- episodic listening;
- topical listening;
- strategic listening; and
- continuous conversations at scale.
This year’s survey shows a dramatic leap in the number of organizations with strategic and continuous programs.
Businesses that practice continuous listening at scale are now seven times as likely to hit their financial targets as those who only engage in episodic listening, and three times as likely as strategic listeners, suggesting that adopting best practices for listening and action can deliver a disproportionately large return on investment. In 2022, those with the most mature listening programs were just five times as likely to hit their financial goals.
Businesses are clearly recognizing the value of employee feedback in helping them pinpoint solutions to critical challenges and are orienting their listening programs accordingly. Perceptyx’s survey finds that improving profitability and efficiency is the top challenge organizations seek to address with their listening program. Other prioritized business-critical challenges include transformation and change, hybrid work experience, employee retention, and career progression.
The study reveals that HR leaders with strong listening programs feel they have greater impact and are less likely to quit. And 74% of HR professionals who have implemented continuous listening at scale strongly agree that they are having a meaningful impact in their job and 81% intend to stay at their organization for the next 12 months. By contrast, only 22% of those with episodic listening programs feel they’re having an impact and only 35% of them plan to stay.
“Employers have recognized that listening closely to the people on the front lines can unlock extraordinarily valuable insights,” says Emily Killham, senior director and head of the Center for Workforce Transformation at Perceptyx. “Those employees know which processes are inefficient and what’s preventing them from being productive. Creating an environment where employees can be effective—and showing them you’re listening and acting upon their feedback—is what creates a competitive advantage.”
