The Best Employers Eastern Region 2023 programme is underway, helping businesses create workplaces where their people can thrive.

Firms entering this year’s programme will receive a survey which they can personalise and share with their employees, who can then complete it anonymously.

The results of the survey offer valuable insights on how people feel about working for an organisation – and the actions that companies can take to keep their staff happy.

Achieving a high response rate will ensure businesses get the most from the survey, said Paul Sheldrake, director at Pure, co-founder of Best Employers.

“A high response rate provides a really robust set of survey results and critical insights into your business – and then it allows you to dig into the data and really understand what your people are thinking,” Mr Sheldrake explained.

“There’s a general rule of thumb that 70% seems good, 80% seems great and 90% is seen as exceptional.”

Choosing the right time to launch the survey is key to achieving a good response rate, Mr Sheldrake added.

“Don’t do it at year-end, during the holiday season or when you’ve got other initiatives on the go,” he said.

“Communicate effectively during the lead up to it, make it a great user experience and, if appropriate, incentivise your staff in a way that works for your organisation.”

Dr George Sik, director of assessment at Best Employers co-founder eras, said businesses should decide how to deliver feedback on survey results to employees before they start it.

“The more unusual it can be, the more personal it can be, the more people will feel that they are being respected or valued,” said Dr Sik.

“Anybody who’s filling out the survey will be thinking ‘What am I going to get out of it?’” he added. “The two things they will get out of it are the fact that they’re being listened to – and that something will be done about it afterwards.”

The Best Employers Eastern Region programme was founded in 2012 by recruitment specialists Pure and psychometrics experts eras and is supported by LOCALiQ and full-service law firm Birketts.

For more information, and to register for the 2023 programme, please visit best-employers.co.uk