Customers Discovering Insights, Delivering Impact

ABC Fitness’ December 2024 survey demonstrated the positive effects of this strategy. Cross-functional cooperation rose 3%, while leadership relationships showed strength — 91% of employees felt comfortable approaching leaders with ideas or concerns, and 95% reported respectful treatment from managers.

The global hackathon united 194 participants across departments, while 22 regional events created local community bonds. When describing their workplace culture, employees consistently highlighted five qualities: inclusive, innovative, collaborative, supportive, and diverse.

By year-end 2024, Advocate Health had achieved an 85.8% recommendation rate as a great place to work, while 82.3% of teammates would recommend their direct leaders.

Leader trust ratings showed considerable strength, rising to 82% — surpassing the previous year's performance. The organization exceeded the 75th percentile healthcare benchmark in three key areas while maintaining above-average performance across all six survey dimensions.

Local success stories reinforced the effectiveness of their approach. The Wisconsin market's focus on psychological safety and generational differences in the workplace yielded significant improvements. By identifying high performers and sharing best practices, they created a model for engagement that could be replicated across the organization.

The transformation of Advocate Health's feedback system delivered impressive results across multiple dimensions. The reduction from 250 to 49 survey questions represented an 80% decrease in survey burden, while maintaining the depth of insights needed for effective decision-making. The streamlined process attracted participation from 86,000 teammates, providing a comprehensive view of employee sentiment across the organization.

Leadership engagement was equally impressive, with 6,000 leaders completing action plan training. The simplified approach — reducing up to five action plans to just one — allowed leaders to focus their energy on implementing meaningful changes rather than managing multiple improvement tracks.

The unified platform achieved what had eluded many organizations: true data integration across all verticals. This comprehensive view enabled more informed strategic decision-making and helped bridge cultural gaps between different parts of the organization. The success of this integration was particularly noteworthy given that it represented the first comprehensive survey covering both regions in about two years.

Advocate Health's transformation demonstrates how thoughtful consolidation of feedback systems can drive both efficiency and effectiveness. By streamlining their approach while maintaining focus on critical areas like psychological safety, they created a more responsive and unified organization better equipped to support both their teammates and their mission of delivering exceptional healthcare.

Voluntary turnover dropped dramatically — from 20% in early 2022 to 14% in 2023, and further down to 9% by the end of 2024. Employee intention to stay increased steadily, rising from 73% in 2022 to 82% in 2024, while willingness to recommend Ambry as a great place to work climbed from 70% to 77%.

Each year's focused initiatives delivered significant improvements in their target areas:

• Performance management favorability rose substantially, with manager communication of expectations increasing from 78% to 84%
• Company-wide communication effectiveness jumped from 67% to 79%
• Senior leader communication showed marked improvement, increasing from 69% to 81%

The organization's methodical approach to rebuilding engagement proved particularly effective in its performance management initiatives. Understanding of performance evaluation increased by 8%, while regular feedback satisfaction rose by 5%. The overall Performance Management category saw a 5% improvement, reaching 81% favorable.

Subsequent surveying showed that Amtrak’s data-driven actions yielded substantial gains in workforce stability. Overall retention strengthened by 1.5%, while voluntary turnover decreased by approx. 2%. The impact on new employees proved particularly significant, with first-year turnover dropping by approximately 7%. These improvements, combined with a 40% increase in internal mobility, led to $2 million in reduced hiring costs.

Survey response rates increased 6% across all segments, pushing the engagement index to 80%. Agreement employees, representing the majority of the workforce, saw a 2% rise in engagement. This translated directly to customer experience, with the Customer Service Index on long-distance trains lifting 2.6%. Intent to stay held strong at 89%, while satisfaction with benefits rose by 10%.

Professional development initiatives resonated with employees, as Growth and Development scores increased 4-7% in four of five survey categories. The new recognition platform's impact manifested in concrete numbers as well: 16,485 employees logged in, generating 21,963 e-card interactions and 14,240 service pin distributions in just nine months.

Since launching this holistic strategy, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages has witnessed improvements in both survey and business outcomes. Over five years, overall engagement favorability rose by 19.2%, reaching an 85% favorability score in the most recent survey. Leadership effectiveness metrics have climbed steadily, with a 0.7% gain year-over-year, and 70% of leaders consistently adopting nudges as part of their day-to-day routines.

In 2024 alone, more than 900 engagement action plans were created by leaders at every level — driving localized improvements and strengthening trust across the organization. A 91.7% favorability rating affirms employees feel respected in the workplace, while the 11% jump in employee referrals signals that the culture of growth resonates with both current and prospective team members.

The enhanced strategy sparked improvements across multiple dimensions. Exit survey completion rates doubled after moving to the new platform, providing clearer insights into retention drivers. Employee experience and belonging indices showed five consecutive years of improvement, while participation rates reached their highest levels in company history.

Survey results revealed strong organizational commitment. Intent to stay metrics maintained high levels, while pride in working at Booz Allen showed consistent strength. These insights enabled leaders to make data-driven decisions about culture and business direction.

The program generated concrete operational changes:

• Expanded internal mobility support,
• Launched strategic learning sessions,
• Created manager connect training programs,
• Scaled mentoring initiatives,
• Enhanced junior leadership development, and
• Streamlined goal-setting processes.

Business outcomes similarly reflected these improvements. Since going public in 2010, Booz Allen achieved record metrics across key performance indicators including revenue, hiring, and employee referrals. Collectively, this strategic approach to listening unfolded alongside the strongest financial growth since the organization’s IPO.

Citizens achieved their highest-ever participation rate of 87% in their annual survey — a level they maintained for two consecutive years. Their inaugural pulse survey achieved a 63% response rate, significantly outperforming their previous business unit survey average of 35%.

The enhanced analytical capabilities provided valuable insights that drove meaningful changes throughout the organization. The comparison of exit survey results with incumbent survey data revealed important patterns — while respect for employees remained consistently high across all groups, areas like career opportunities and belonging showed significant differences between current and departing employees.

The improved speed and quality of insights led to several concrete actions:

• Leadership development programs were modified to emphasize innovation and well-being,
• A new 360-feedback initiative was launched for their top 150 executives,
• Technology satisfaction data was shared directly with the CTO to drive improvements, and
• Action planning efforts reinforced strengths in people management and inclusion while highlighting opportunities for leadership in innovation.

Most importantly, the new strategy enabled Citizens to be more responsive to emerging challenges. When a major reorganization occurred, their pulse survey quickly identified increased stress levels among employees, leading to enhanced change management questions in subsequent surveys and more targeted support for affected teams.

In just one year, Emerson’s well-being index score increased by 12%, rising from 71% to 83%. This improvement reflected the success of their holistic approach to employee wellness.

The impact was particularly visible in the creative and engaging wellness initiatives that emerged across global locations. In Toluca, Mexico, the Wellness Committee organized a reforestation event that brought together 270 employees and family members to plant 1,300 trees. In Marshalltown, IA, 450 employees participated in "WellnessLand," an innovative health education event featuring 30 vendors and interactive learning opportunities.

Mental health awareness spread across the Middle East and Africa region, with impactful sessions conducted in the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa. The program's success was evident in increased utilization of the Employee Assistance Program and growing comfort with mental health discussions across all levels of the organization.

Employee testimonials captured the profound impact of these changes. One employee shared, "I feel very lucky to work for a company that genuinely cares about the physical and emotional health of their employees." Another expressed gratitude for the support received during personal challenges, noting how Emerson's orientation towards employee well-being made a real difference in their life.

Through their Mental Health Awareness Basics program, 111 Champions participated in Train-the-Trainer sessions, creating a multiplier effect that helped normalize these important conversations and created a more supportive workplace culture.

The 2024 Culture Survey found gains across multiple areas:

• Growth in 8 of 10 survey categories
• Improved scores in 78% of all survey items
• Cross-departmental collaboration 15% above high performing benchmark
• Job energy up 6%
• Workplace inspiration rose 5%
• Professional development opportunities increased 5%
• Organizational pride lifted 2%

Analysis of 5,000+ employee comments showed "culture" as the dominant theme, with 30% highlighting organizational strengths. Decision-making metrics improved 1-4%, while speaking-up indicators rose 2-3%.

FINRA's methodology for measuring and strengthening culture yielded tangible results. The 93% survey response rate — their highest ever — reflected growing employee investment and trust in the feedback process.

Gannett’s survey data reflected the clear progress made across all focus areas. Manager effectiveness scores surpassed benchmarks by 6+ points in key areas: treating employees with respect (+6.6), showing individual care (+7.4), and providing performance feedback (+9.2).

Employee sentiment showed substantial gains:

• Optimism rose 16%
• Confidence in senior leaders increased by 9%
• Company competitiveness perception improved by 13%
• Belief in survey feedback utilization grew 6.4%

DEI initiatives yielded positive results, with belonging scores rising 13 points since 2021. Perceptions of fair treatment (+9) and diversity value (+8) exceeded benchmarks.

The comprehensive approach to employee experience produced lasting organizational improvements. Turnover fell from 23.4% to 11.7%, while internal mobility reached 44% — significantly above the LinkedIn benchmark of 25%. Survey participation increased by 11% over the three-year average, indicative of growing employee trust in the feedback process.

Wellness program adoption rates significantly exceeded industry benchmarks — Calm achieved a 33.5% enrollment rate, more than double the typical first-year rate, while Spring Health saw 14.4% utilization, nearly five times the industry average of 3%. Omada Health engagement exceeded their benchmark by 14% for preventative care.

The impact extended beyond program adoption to fundamental changes in employee sentiment. Work-life balance comments showed a dramatic shift, with positive sentiments increasing from 10% to 35%. The workload category saw a 63% increase in positive sentiments year over year. Employee empowerment scores rose by 8%, with some regions showing improvements of over 20% in survey response confidence.

These improvements in employee experience translated into business results, with administrative staff attrition dropping by 4%. Their pulse survey revealed a 10% increase in employees believing their feedback would drive real improvements. The transformation was perhaps best captured in employee comments, with one noting, "After the last survey there was change...Talk backed up by action, even if incremental, feels empowering!"

Horizon achieved an 8.1% voluntary turnover rate — nearly half the national average of 15.5%. This wasn't just a number; it represented hundreds of experienced healthcare professionals choosing to stay with Horizon, maintaining continuity of care for patients and preserving institutional knowledge.

The organization's expansive approach to feedback also led to the creation of "Our Promise," a comprehensive retention program that was a direct response to employee input. This initiative became a tangible symbol of leadership's commitment to acting on feedback, not just collecting it.

Leaders across the organization began using their new dashboard to track and respond to employee feedback in real time. Each department now had clear visibility into their engagement drivers and could create targeted improvements based on their specific challenges. Horizon’s designated listening champions became advocates for their new approach, helping to ensure that feedback led to tangible actions.

HVMG's transformed approach to employee listening delivered results across all key metrics. Their well-being scores surpassed the Perceptyx benchmark by more than 11 points, while their belonging scores exceeded the benchmark by over 6 points. Even in areas where year-over-year improvements were modest, such as engagement, they still outperformed industry benchmarks by more than 4 points.

These improvements in employee experience translated into tangible business outcomes. HVMG's turnover rate tracked 2% below the Bureau of Labor Statistics average for the Hospitality & Leisure industry, a significant achievement in a sector known for its high turnover. Their scores on intent-to-stay measures exceeded the Sub-sector Accommodation Benchmark, validating their comprehensive approach to employee engagement.

The success of their community initiatives, such as the corporate team's volunteer event at a local food bank farm, demonstrated how listening and action could create positive impacts beyond the workplace. These activities, born from employee feedback, helped strengthen team bonds while contributing to their communities.

Inari’s turnover rate plummeted from 21% to 7% in just two years — a transformation that enhanced their ability to retain top talent. Survey participation rates told an equally impressive story, rising from an already high 91% in their first year to 94% in their second year.

Inari achieved statistically significant improvements in growth and development opportunities in areas related to DEI, with a 6.4% increase for women and an 8.9% increase for employees identified as BIPOC. Their working groups achieved an 80% participation rate among randomly selected employees, demonstrating strong buy-in across all levels of the organization.

Beyond the metrics, the initiative transformed how the organization approached decision-making. Employee feedback became a cornerstone of strategic discussions, with insights regularly referenced in senior leadership meetings. The program's success led to the creation of more than 20 categories and 60 individual items for measuring employee experience, providing granular insights into organizational "pillars of success" and areas needing attention.

Leadership became so invested in this process that they chartered a team to identify and define the values and cultural attributes needed for the company's future. This commitment to continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making has changed how Inari operates, making them, in their own words, "a different company as a result of this work."

The pilot results revealed improvements across both workforce segments. Frontline teams, with 280 participants and a 91% response rate, saw increases in nine of ten leadership metrics. The 4.2% average improvement pushed this location 10% above other manufacturing sites. The non-frontline group managed a 3% increase in favorability overall compared to other corporate functions. A solid communication campaign and the desire of employees to provide feedback helped the team to reach a high response rate.

The pilot program's participation rates told a clear story: 82% response for Pulse 1, climbing to 85% for Pulse 2, and sustaining 83% for Pulse 3. These numbers aligned with the 88% response rate from the 1,800 properties that participated in the annual survey format.

The operational benefits proved substantial. Previously, HR leaders spent up to a week organizing survey logistics: renting computers, converting ballrooms into survey spaces, and manually tracking responses. The new mobile-friendly format, utilizing QR codes, cut completion time from 7.5 to 3 minutes while maintaining comparable engagement scores (90% favorable) to properties still surveying on an annual basis (91%). Leadership index scores for pulse properties rose to 88%, against 87%, for annual survey locations, both surpassing Perceptyx global benchmarks. Exit surveys saw notable gains, too: management response rates jumped from 4.8% to 22%, while non-management responses increased from 11% to 13%.

Based on these results, Marriott plans to expand the program globally in 2025 to all managed properties. This expansion will provide a comprehensive view of the employee experience, equipping leaders with valuable data on key moments that matter and actionable insights to maximize their results.

The strategic alignment between survey insights and 2025 priorities created a clear chain of accountability. Each executive's ownership of specific initiatives ensured sustained attention to key focus areas: well-being, recognition, and supervisor development. This top-level commitment supported property-level teams in implementing meaningful changes.

The supervisor training program had immediate results. Among participants, 96% reported positive experiences, while 91% felt well-prepared for their leadership roles following completion. The enhanced focus on recognition and development contributed to a significant reduction in voluntary turnover through 2024. Local engagement flourished through the "You Said It, We Did It" campaign, which proved to be a highly effective way of connecting employee feedback to visible workplace improvements. Regular roundtable sessions maintained strategic momentum while ensuring initiatives remained relevant to team needs.

Team members embraced the new approach across all levels. INSPIRE Entertainment Resort achieved a 96% survey response rate, while Mohegan Pennsylvania's "Talk with Tony" general manager videos saw participation from more than 60% of team members on social media.

The focus on exceptional guest experiences yielded tangible results. Niagara Casinos saw their GX metrics rise by 2.8 points year-over-year. New ERGs fostered cross-functional collaboration and deepened team members' connection to guest satisfaction.

A guest testimonial about the security manager at Mohegan Pennsylvania exemplifies these principles. After learning about guests unable to secure a restaurant reservation, the security manager personally arranged their dining experience, coordinated team support, and engaged with them throughout their visit — thus creating their own "Hot Dog Moment."

Within twelve months, Noridian's investment in employee well-being yielded returns. The proportion of employees affirming that "Noridian cares about my health and well-being" reached 81.8% — setting a new high-water mark for the organization. This enhanced connection between employees and organizational support helped drive retention above 90% in 2024.

Engagement metrics told an equally compelling story. The 2,000 employees of Noridian charged 7,259 hours to Well-being Wednesday activities. These are company-paid hours that enable focus time for employees to attend well-being webinars, review available company resources, or coordinate appointments. The main rule is to respect colleagues’ well-being by not scheduling meetings or interrupting this set-aside time for non-critical matters.

This represents a significant corporate investment in employee well-being, and employees noticed. Noridian didn’t stop with just setting aside focus time for Well-being, they listened to direct employee feedback and increased the amount of bereavement time available. Both of these key initiatives led to the increased employee understanding that ‘Noridian cares about my well-being’ and helped drive retention to an extraordinary 90% in 2024.

Employee voices best captured the cultural advancement. "Having flexibility and a good work-life balance has improved my overall well-being and keeps me motivated to do a great job," shared one team member. These sentiments appeared repeatedly in Glassdoor reviews, confirming that Noridian's commitment to employee well-being had become a defining feature of their workplace culture.

Leaders identified through the program achieved an average engagement score of 90.5% favorable among their teams. These Champions demonstrated exceptional commitment to employee connection, performing 1,180 unique employee rounds and generating 2,591 recognition moments through their own recognition platform.

The impact on team sentiment was equally impressive. Teams led by Culture Champions reported leader trust ratings 13.2% higher than the rest of the organization. Intent to leave scores among these teams were 22% lower than their peers, demonstrating the program's direct impact on retention. Safety Culture Champions drove equally impressive results, achieving an average patient safety score of 81.8% favorable.

The program's success has led to concrete organizational changes. Best practices identified through Culture Champions have been integrated into system-wide initiatives, including enhanced recognition tools, improved well-being support, and a revised attendance policy.

At Perficient, ERG participation increased from 20% in 2020 to 35% in 2023, with remarkable engagement across all groups: over 1,000 members in Women in Tech, 575+ members in Perficient Giving, 400+ members each in Cultural Connections and LiveWell, and 230+ members in PRISM (LGBTQ+).

The impact on workplace culture was equally significant. 90% of colleagues reported that Perficient encourages a culture committed to diversity, inclusion, and belonging. 90% of colleagues also strongly agree that individual differences are respected at Perficient — 17% above the Perceptyx benchmark. Collaboration metrics were also strong, with 93% of colleagues indicating they work well together across global teams — 32% above the Perceptyx overall benchmark.

Perficient’s commitment to community impact was equally strong. Through Perficient’s 2024 Hunger Action Month campaign, colleagues donated more than 11,000 pounds of food and 46,000 meals to local food banks. After launching in 2024, Perficient will make $5,000 donations to 10 charitable organizations as part of the Perficient Gives Global Grants Program with additional nominations accepted throughout 2025. Since 2022, Perficient and its colleagues have contributed more than $300,000 through the company’s charitable match program.

The strategy has also driven meaningful progress in equality and representation. Women now comprise 30% of Perficient's workforce, including leadership positions, reflecting the organization’s ongoing commitment to gender equity. On top of that, 92.8% of colleagues report feeling comfortable sharing ideas and feedback, indicating that Perficient’s DEIB initiatives have created an environment where authentic self-expression is valued.

Analysis revealed that when employees experienced strong inclusive behaviors, their engagement levels were twice that of peers who lacked a sense of belonging and psychological safety. This finding validated Prudential’s investment in leadership training focused on inclusive behaviors.

The impact was visible across multiple metrics:

• Manager trust ratings showed steady improvement, increasing by 6 points over five years
• The percentage of employees who felt their perspectives were welcomed and valued rose by 5 points
• Their inclusion index consistently outperformed external benchmarks
• The organization saw growing numbers of employees willing to self-identify across diversity segments
• Voluntary turnover reached an all-time low, significantly below industry norms

As a result, Prudential succeeded in narrowing the gaps in engagement and inclusion scores between diverse segments of their population over the past two years. This achievement demonstrated that their comprehensive approach to inclusion wasn't just improving overall metrics — it was creating a better workplace experience for all employees.

The enhanced measurement framework also enabled more targeted interventions. By identifying areas where belonging or psychological safety were lacking, they could implement customized local interventions. This data-driven approach to inclusion helped ensure that resources were directed where they could have the most impact.

The results of Prudential's data-driven approach to retention were dramatic and swift. Within six months, they achieved a 25% reduction in the voluntary turnover rate among top talent, with the absolute volume of departures dropping by 40%. These improvements were particularly significant given the challenging context of organizational change.

The impact extended beyond retention metrics. The organization saw an increase in internal mobility among their high-potential employees compared to the previous year, suggesting that their enhanced focus on career development was helping retain talent by creating new opportunities within the organization.

The success of their approach validated the power of combining predictive analytics with targeted interventions. By allowing data to guide their retention strategy, they could focus resources where they would have the greatest impact. Local leaders could make precise adjustments to their talent strategy, team design, and objectives based on specific risk factors identified through the analysis.

The 2024 survey data validated PSEG’s approach. Employee engagement reached 85% favorability, up 3%, reflecting heightened workforce commitment. The rewards and recognition category rose 5%, while employee value ratings increased 7% — the second-highest improvement across all metrics.

Union engagement showed particular strength, with pride in working at PSEG lifting 4% and reversing previous declines. Overall survey results improved in 29 of 33 repeat items, with gains ranging from 0.6% to 8.6%.

Beyond metrics, the initiatives fostered deeper connections. The revived Take Our Kids to Work Day program engaged 1,500 children, while new recognition programs empowered employees to celebrate their colleagues' achievements.

UCHealth’s participation rate surged from 44% to 67% during their first unified survey — a 23% increase that demonstrated renewed employee trust in the process. Perhaps more importantly, confidence that feedback would drive real change increased from 47.5% to 60.5% favorable in just eight months.

The October 2024 pulse survey revealed significant improvements in favorability across multiple dimensions:

• Manager feedback effectiveness increased by 4.8% to 76%
• Cross-department cooperation improved by 5.6% to 63.5%
• Recognition of accomplishments rose by 4.4% to 70.3%
• Perception of well-being support increased by 2.5% to 63.3%

Even diversity perception showed positive movement, increasing by 1.8% to 75.6% favorable.

By streamlining its survey process while increasing accountability and transparency with data-driven insights, UCHealth has built a more engaging workplace culture that supports its primary value: patients first.

After combining multiple siloed surveys into a single, focused employee experience survey, UW Health quickly saw a rise in engagement. The unified approach yielded a 4.2% lift in the engagement index from the first consolidated survey to the second — an indicator that employees valued having one clear channel for sharing feedback.

Leaders played a role in making these improvements tangible. In 2023, 38% of them prioritized health and well-being on their action plans, resulting in a 5.4% increase in well-being scores by 2024. Another 21% concentrated on improving senior leadership’s communication of UW Health’s vision, which rose by 5.93% within the same timeframe. These gains showed that when leaders listened to employees and worked collaboratively on focused goals, measurable progress followed.

For nursing teams, the unified survey highlighted concerns around meeting basic needs during the workday, workplace safety, and recognition from leadership. In response, a separate nursing well-being and burnout survey, supported by a dedicated workgroup, allowed frontline staff and leaders to co-create targeted solutions.

Beyond boosting engagement and well-being, the streamlined approach also brought about notable operational efficiencies. Reducing the number of survey questions saved nurses approximately 670 hours of survey-taking time each cycle, allowing them to devote more attention to patient care. Meanwhile, consolidating the entire process within a single Perceptyx platform freed up analytics teams from manual data crunching and gave leaders immediate access to actionable insights.

Veradigm’s LinkedIn Learning course completions surged from 8,000 in 2023 to over 12,000 in 2024, demonstrating significantly increased engagement with development resources. Technical training through Pluralsight saw similar growth, with course views increasing from 576 hours to 716 hours.

Leadership development efforts also showed strong results. The "Leader as a Coach" program engaged over 75 leaders in its first four months, while participants in their comprehensive leadership development program showed improvements: 40% in conflict resolution, 13% in communication, and a significant shift from neutral to positive in coaching confidence.

The impact extended beyond metrics to cultural transformation. Their "Coffee, Tea & Insights" program achieved a 95% satisfaction rate in enhancing cross-functional understanding, helping break down organizational silos. The Emerging Professionals Program demonstrated tangible career impact, with nine participants earning promotions. New leader engagement was equally impressive, with 90% of invited leaders participating in the "Leader Lite Bites" sessions.

Within months, employee confidence in survey-driven improvements rose 13%, placing VNS Health in the 97th percentile industry-wide. Willingness to recommend VNS Health as a workplace increased by 4%, while belief in leadership's commitment to gathering employee input grew 5%.

The strategy yielded tangible operational results. Overall turnover dropped from 20% to 11%. Employee confidence in senior leadership rose 3%, reflecting stronger connections between frontline staff and organizational direction.

The redesigned survey program resonated with employees across Zurich's global operations. Participation rose to 85% in 2024, reflecting growing trust in the feedback process. Survey scores consistently surpassed high-performance and industry benchmarks.

HR and Business Leaders actively engaged with the results platform, averaging four accesses per user in the two months after release. This engagement enabled them to translate data-driven insights into targeted improvements and scaling of best practices across the organization.