Most companies track profits and customer feedback but neglect to measure a crucial driver of success: employee happiness. Ignoring morale can hurt productivity, increase turnover, and damage customer relationships, ultimately affecting the bottom line.
The data is clear—90% of UK employees are disengaged with work (Gallup). Disengaged employees are less productive, more likely to leave, and can negatively impact customer satisfaction. Businesses focused on high growth need to recognize that happy employees drive better results.
However, traditional methods like annual surveys are outdated and ineffective. By the time results are analysed, it’s too late to address disengagement. The solution? Real-time tracking of employee happiness using the Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS).
What Is the Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)?
The eNPS is a variation of the Net Promoter Score (NPS) used to measure customer loyalty. Instead of asking customers if they would recommend your business, eNPS asks employees how likely they are to recommend their workplace.
The key question is:
“On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend this company as a great place to work?”
Alternatively, businesses can ask:
“How happy are you working here?”
The survey collects quantitative scores and qualitative feedback through comments. The goal is to identify patterns in employee concerns, helping leadership take action before disengagement becomes a bigger issue.
How Often Should You Measure Employee Happiness?
The right frequency for eNPS surveys depends on your company’s size and culture. Some companies, like Apple, run eNPS surveys quarterly, while others ask monthly. Regular check-ins allow businesses to gather real-time feedback and address morale issues early.
Frequent surveys help leaders stay connected to their teams and prevent small problems from escalating. A client of mine complements its monthly eNPS surveys with additional questions like:
- “How likely are you to stay with the company for the next year?”
- “What’s one thing we should stop doing to be more successful?”
Three Ways to Track Employee Happiness Using eNPS
Tracking employee happiness doesn’t need to be complicated. Here are three ways to implement eNPS effectively:
1. Automate Surveys with Tools
Automated tools like TINYPulse or Align make it easy to send recurring eNPS surveys. These platforms gather anonymous feedback and allow leaders to track morale trends over time. Regular surveys help leadership stay proactive, addressing issues before they affect performance.
2. Make Feedback a Two-Way Conversation
Gathering feedback is only valuable if you act on it. Companies that are transparent about survey results build trust and improve engagement.
May be share your eNPS results during all-hands meetings, encouraging employees to discuss feedback openly. Leaders take immediate action on suggestions, whether it’s improving internal processes or adjusting employee benefits.
This two-way dialogue reassures employees that their opinions matter, creating a culture of trust and accountability.
3. Conduct Real-Time Mood Checks
For companies seeking daily morale insights, real-time mood checks can provide valuable data. For example, Atlassian developed a MoodApp that asks employees simple questions like:
- “How are you feeling today?”
- “Do you think this company is a fun place to work?”
These quick check-ins allow leadership to catch morale dips before they become serious issues. If daily surveys seem excessive, weekly or bi-weekly pulse checks are a good alternative.
Acting on Feedback Is Critical
Gathering feedback without taking action is counterproductive. Employees will disengage if they feel their concerns are ignored. Even low-tech approaches, like bulletin boards for anonymous suggestions, can be effective if leadership commits to acting on feedback.
Why Employee Happiness Is a Leading Indicator of Growth
Most businesses rely on lagging indicators like profit margins and turnover rates to measure success. However, these metrics only reflect what’s already happened. Employee happiness is a leading indicator that predicts future performance.
When employees are happy, they are more engaged, more innovative, and more likely to stay. Happy employees also provide better customer experiences and contribute to long-term growth.
Companies that measure and act on employee happiness see lower turnover, higher productivity, and greater customer satisfaction—all key drivers of high growth.
Start Measuring Happiness to Drive High Growth
Employee happiness isn’t a “nice-to-have”—it’s a key metric that directly impacts your company’s performance. By tracking employee sentiment with eNPS, businesses can stay ahead of morale issues, improve culture, and drive sustainable growth.
When your team is happy, your customers are happy—and that’s when high growth becomes inevitable.
