How we use an employee Net Promoter Score to drive improvement

Ewa Skorek‑Pawlowska, our Group HR and Compliance Director, shares why we’ve embraced this simple, yet powerful way to gauge how our people feel about working at ABEC.

Much like how businesses use a Net Promoter Score to understand customer loyalty and satisfaction, we use a similar method internally to measure employee engagement and satisfaction. The Employee Net Promotor Score (eNPS) is a metric that measures how likely they are to recommend their employer to others, offering a clear snapshot of how people feel about working at ABEC. The score is calculated by subtracting those who would not recommend the business (detractors) from those who would (promotors) based on scale.

The eNPS is a key part of ensuring that our people have a voice. Close monitoring of the scores is very important to the leadership team as a measure of success as well as a benchmark for comparing ourselves with others. We are pleased to say that our results track well above the UK average.

First introduced in 2018, the eNPS was championed by Matthew Morrall, our Chief Executive Officer. He had been introduced to it through a business coaching scheme he was involved in, immediately recognising the potential benefits it could bring to ABEC and its employees.

How it works

We use the eNPS to measure two aspects of employee satisfaction: whether they would recommend ABEC as an employer and how supportive they feel their line manager is. We also ask for comments and feedback, which are passed anonymously to the leadership team to action. The questions are asked quarterly to a sample of ABEC employees, with the aim being that each person is asked for their score at least once a year.

Although the results are anonymous, we understand that some people may feel uncomfortable giving their answers to someone within the business. So, to ensure we get honest and open answers, we utilise an independent person, to collate the feedback from a sample of people from each department, across all offices globally. This has proved to be a very successful approach, with employees engaging positively with the process.

How is it used

The eNPS allows us to accurately track the attitudes and satisfaction of employees, particularly when the business has gone through changes. Using this additional benchmark to monitor how employees are responding to it, we can also address any concerns that come to light through the process.

In addition, any comments and feedback from the most recent survey are included in the monthly board meeting, with a discussion of progress made or changes implemented. We also share the feedback and scores with employees in internal newsletters, as well as outlining what has been done to address previous feedback.

As an example, one of the pieces of feedback we had was that people would be interested in additional training. At the time, our training was focused on ensuring our people had the required qualifications for their roles. Based on this feedback we started a conversation with our team to understand what else we could provide. As a result, we have implemented a dedicated learning management system providing employees with access to an extensive library on topics from health and safety and governance to wellbeing and soft skills.

Since we began tracking employee sentiment, the results have climbed considerably – clear proof that this approach helps to make a real impact. When our people thrive, so does the business and our leadership is deeply committed to creating an environment where every team member feels supported, motivated and empowered to do their best work.

This score is just one way we hold ourselves accountable. Alongside it, initiatives like our pursuit of the Investors in People certification reflect our ongoing commitment to building a culture rooted in care, growth and continuous improvement.