Why You Should Undertake International Employee Engagement Research

The MRS has designated July as an International Research Month culminating in the UN International Day of Friendship on 30 July.  As part of our employee engagement research, we often work with multinational companies, and we regularly run employee engagement surveys in different languages as part of this.

In an increasingly connected world and a global economy, employees who feel connected to their company, and its mission, are more likely to perform at a higher level. Although organisations may have different views on what “engagement” looks like, it boils down to having employees who feel they are a part of something bigger than themselves. Engaged employees are more productive, collaborative, innovative, loyal, and trusting of their leadership team. An employee engagement program can help your organisation continue to grow and thrive in today’s competitive marketplace. International employee engagement research is one tool that can help you gain insight into how engaged your employees are and how you might be able to increase that engagement.

Why do you need international employee engagement research?

Organisations are made up of individuals with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. It is important to understand and reflect on these differences in order to create an inclusive environment where everyone can feel valued and respected. By doing so, organisations can maximise their potential and better meet the needs of their diverse stakeholders.

Companies that have interests abroad should make sure they do not forget to include international employees in engagement surveys because they may have different needs.  For example, you may want to offer different types of benefits to your employees based on their country of origin i.e. offering additional holiday to employees based in the U.S. – where there is no statutory minimum.

How can you use the results of your research?

Employee engagement surveys can help you understand areas for improvement. If you don’t currently have an employee engagement program in place, employee engagement research can help you understand the areas your employees value most and how important each area is to them. It can also help to understand how they want to be engaged, and how your company can better meet those needs.

You can use the engagement survey results to map out an engagement strategy and determine what steps you can take to improve employee engagement levels. For example, if employees are feeling overworked, you might need to employ additional staff or reduce the amount of work each person is responsible for. If international employees aren’t feeling connected to the company or its mission, you might need to hold more company-wide events to help employees understand how their work contributes to that mission. The results of your engagement research can help you make informed decisions about how to improve your current employee engagement levels.

How to conduct effective international employee engagement research?

At The Survey Initiative, we use native translators to ensure that the survey isn’t lost in translation. Native speakers of the target language are more likely to be familiar with the cultural nuances and idiomatic expressions that can be lost in translation. They can provide feedback on the clarity and tone of the questions to ensure that the survey is easy to understand and answer.

Finally, make sure you communicate the results and the action plan and promote it to all employees. Only then will your employee engagement surveys provide you with the most benefit. If you would like to know more about how we can help your organisation with employee engagement – including international teams, then call us on +44 (0)1255 850051.