ENGAGEMENT SURVEY ANALYSIS & ACTION PLAN

Company: 180-Person SaaS Company
Survey Period: Q3 2025
Responses: 95 out of 180 (52.8% response rate)
Survey Type: Quarterly Pulse Survey

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Overview: Q3 pulse survey reveals significant tensions around remote work management and collaboration. While employees value remote flexibility (65% positive mentions), systemic issues around manager effectiveness, isolation, and collaboration gaps require immediate intervention. The data shows a bifurcated management quality issue - some managers thrive remotely while others struggle with adapted leadership approaches.

Top 5 Critical Themes:

1. Manager Quality - Positive (16.8% of responses) - HIGHEST PRIORITY

   • Root cause: These managers have adapted to remote leadership successfully

2. Work-Life Balance (14.7% of responses) - HIGH PRIORITY

   • Root cause: Lack of boundaries enforcement, ‘always on’ culture, no guidance on sustainable remote work

3. Manager Communication (13.7% of responses) - HIGH PRIORITY

   • Root cause: Inconsistent 1:1 cadence, managers treating remote same as in-office, no async communication training

4. Manager Quality - Negative (12.6% of responses) - MEDIUM PRIORITY

   • Root cause: Some managers lack remote leadership skills, no accountability for management quality

5. Remote Work Isolation (11.6% of responses) - MEDIUM PRIORITY

   • Root cause: Remote-first model lacks intentional connection rituals, no structured social touchpoints

Overall Sentiment: 15% positive, 61% neutral, 24% negative
Risk Status: YELLOW - Manager quality variance and isolation concerns require swift action

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DETAILED THEME ANALYSIS

Manager Quality - Positive (16.8% of responses, n=16)

Sentiment: Positive

Example Quotes:

• “My manager is supportive but we only have 1:1s every two weeks, I need more frequent check-ins”
• “My manager is great at giving positive feedback but avoids difficult conversations”
• “Manager doesn’t advocate for our team, we’re always last priority for resources”

Root Cause Analysis:

• Symptom: Trust, autonomy, advocacy, recognition, mentorship
• Root Cause: These managers have adapted to remote leadership successfully
• Systemic Issue: Success patterns not documented or scaled across manager population
• Urgency: LOW - Leverage for training, but celebrate and retain these managers

Work-Life Balance (14.7% of responses, n=14)

Sentiment: Mixed

Example Quotes:

• “Remote work flexibility is great for work-life balance but team collaboration has suffered”
• “I feel disconnected from the company culture. Hard to build relationships over Zoom”
• “Timezone differences make collaboration difficult, always waiting for responses”

Root Cause Analysis:

• Symptom: Burnout, always feeling ‘on’, lack of boundaries, mental health strain
• Root Cause: Remote work blurs work/life separation without company-enforced boundaries
• Systemic Issue: Cultural expectation of 24/7 availability, no ‘right to disconnect’ policy
• Urgency: HIGH - Burnout leads to attrition and decreased productivity

Manager Communication (13.7% of responses, n=13)

Sentiment: Mixed

Example Quotes:

• “My manager is supportive but we only have 1:1s every two weeks, I need more frequent check-ins”
• “Manager doesn’t provide clear feedback on my performance, unsure where I stand”
• “My manager micromanages on video calls but is unavailable when I actually need help”

Root Cause Analysis:

• Symptom: Infrequent 1:1s, lack of timely feedback, feeling out of the loop
• Root Cause: No company-wide standard for remote management cadence and practices
• Systemic Issue: Manager training hasn’t adapted to remote context, inconsistent expectations
• Urgency: HIGH - Direct impact on performance, retention, and employee development

Manager Quality - Negative (12.6% of responses, n=12)

Sentiment: Negative

Example Quotes:

• “My manager micromanages on video calls but is unavailable when I actually need help”
• “Manager plays favorites with people in the office, remote employees get overlooked”
• “Manager doesn’t understand my workload, keeps adding more without removing anything”

Root Cause Analysis:

• Symptom: Micromanagement, favoritism, lack of support, inconsistent behavior
• Root Cause: Some managers lack remote leadership competencies; no accountability mechanisms
• Systemic Issue: No manager performance tracking, 360 feedback, or coaching for struggling managers
• Urgency: CRITICAL - Poor managers are primary driver of attrition (30-60 day flight risk)

Remote Work Isolation (11.6% of responses, n=11)

Sentiment: Mixed

Example Quotes:

• “Working from home is isolating - I miss the spontaneous conversations and brainstorming sessions we used to have”
• “I feel disconnected from the company culture. Hard to build relationships over Zoom”
• “Missing social connections with coworkers, feels like I’m working alone”

Root Cause Analysis:

• Symptom: Employees miss spontaneous conversations, feel disconnected from company culture
• Root Cause: Remote-first transition eliminated organic connection moments without replacing them with intentional alternatives
• Systemic Issue: No structured rituals for relationship-building, social connections left to chance
• Urgency: MODERATE - Affects engagement and retention over 90-180 day window

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PRIORITIZED ACTION PLANS

Priority 1: Manager Effectiveness & Accountability

Why This First: Poor management is the #1 driver of attrition. Remote context has exposed manager skill gaps.

Action	Owner	Timeline	Impact
Implement manager 360 feedback (anonymous upward feedback)	Head of People	Week 1-2	HIGH
Create ‘Remote Manager Excellence’ training program	Head of People + External Coach	Q4 (launch in 3 weeks)	HIGH
Mandate weekly 1:1s with all direct reports (30 min minimum)	All Managers / CEO enforces	Week 1 (immediate)	HIGH
Establish manager accountability metrics (engagement, retention, 360 scores)	Head of People	Week 2-4	HIGH
Create manager peer learning cohorts (monthly shares)	Head of People	Q4 Month 2	MEDIUM
Implement ‘Manager Office Hours’ for employees to escalate concerns	CHRO	Week 2	MEDIUM

Quick Win: Announce mandatory weekly 1:1 standard this week, share 1:1 template for managers.

Priority 2: Combat Remote Isolation & Build Connection

Why This Matters: Isolation drives disengagement and turnover. Culture is eroding without intervention.

Action	Owner	Timeline	Impact
Launch ‘Virtual Coffee Roulette’ - random 1:1 pairings weekly	Head of Culture / HR	Week 1	HIGH
Create monthly virtual all-hands with breakout rooms for small group interaction	CEO + Events Lead	Week 2 (next month)	HIGH
Implement quarterly in-person team offsites (by department)	Department Heads + Ops	Q4 Month 2	HIGH
Launch Slack channels for non-work topics (#pets, #cooking, #fitness)	Community Manager	Week 1	MEDIUM
Create ‘Async Standup’ ritual - daily team updates in Slack	Team Leads	Week 1	MEDIUM
Offer stipend for coworking space memberships	Finance + HR	Q4 Month 1	MEDIUM

Quick Win: Launch Virtual Coffee Roulette and social Slack channels this week.

Priority 3: Remote Collaboration Infrastructure

Why This Matters: Collaboration gaps slow velocity and frustrate employees daily.

Action	Owner	Timeline	Impact
Audit and consolidate collaboration tools (reduce tool sprawl)	IT + Ops	Week 2-4	MEDIUM
Create ‘Async-First Communication Guidelines’ doc	Ops + Marketing	Week 2	MEDIUM
Implement ‘No Meeting Wednesdays’ for focus time	CEO (company-wide policy)	Week 1	MEDIUM
Invest in digital whiteboard tool (Miro/Figma) training	IT + Design	Week 3-4	MEDIUM
Create timezone-aware meeting scheduler with ‘core hours’	IT / Ops	Q4 Month 1	LOW

Quick Win: Announce No Meeting Wednesdays this week.

Priority 4: Work-Life Balance & Boundaries

Why This Matters: Burnout is real and mentioned by 40+ employees. Proactive intervention needed.

Action	Owner	Timeline	Impact
Implement ‘Right to Disconnect’ policy (no Slack after 7pm/weekends)	CEO + HR	Week 1	HIGH
Increase home office stipend to $1000/year	Finance + HR	Week 2	HIGH
Offer mental health days (5 per year, separate from PTO)	HR	Week 1	HIGH
Train managers on recognizing burnout signs	Head of People	Week 3-4	MEDIUM
Encourage PTO usage - track and nudge employees with unused days	HR + Managers	Week 2 (ongoing)	MEDIUM

Quick Win: Announce Right to Disconnect policy and mental health days this week.

Priority 5: Career Development Visibility

Why This Matters: 25% of responses mentioned career concerns - retention risk.

Action	Owner	Timeline	Impact
Publish transparent career ladder frameworks (all roles)	Head of People + Leadership	Q4 Month 2	HIGH
Mandate quarterly career development conversations (separate from performance reviews)	All Managers	Q4 Month 1	MEDIUM
Launch internal mentorship program (cross-functional pairings)	Head of People	Q4 Month 2	MEDIUM
Create promotion criteria transparency (how decisions are made)	Leadership Team	Week 4	MEDIUM

Quick Win: Share interim career ladder drafts for feedback this month.

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COMMUNICATION TEMPLATES

Template 1: All-Hands Communication

Subject: You Spoke, We Listened: Our Q3 Survey Action Plan

Hi team,

95 of you (53%) shared honest feedback in our Q3 pulse survey. Thank you for your candor - we heard you loud and clear.

What You Told Us:

1. Remote work flexibility is valued, but isolation and disconnection are real concerns
2. Manager quality is inconsistent - some are thriving, others need support and training
3. Collaboration and communication need better frameworks for remote context
4. Work-life boundaries are blurring, burnout is creeping in
5. Career development paths need more visibility and structure

What We’re Doing (Starting This Week):

Manager Accountability (Week 1):

• Mandatory weekly 1:1s for all employees (30 min minimum)
• Manager 360 feedback launching next week
• Remote Manager Excellence training starting in 3 weeks

Connection & Culture (Week 1):

• Virtual Coffee Roulette launching Monday (random 1:1 pairings)
• Social Slack channels created (#pets, #cooking, #fitness)
• Quarterly in-person team offsites planned (budget approved)

Work-Life Balance (Week 1):

• ‘Right to Disconnect’ policy: No Slack expectation after 7pm or weekends
• 5 mental health days per year (separate from PTO)
• Home office stipend increased to $1,000/year

Collaboration (Week 1):

• No Meeting Wednesdays starting next week (focus time)
• Async-first communication guidelines being drafted

Career Development (Q4 Month 1-2):

• Career ladder frameworks published by end of Q4
• Quarterly career development 1:1s starting next month

How We’ll Track Progress:

• December: Follow-up pulse survey (5 questions)
• Q1 2026: Full engagement survey to measure improvement
• Monthly manager accountability metrics review

My Commitment:
I’m personally reviewing manager 360 feedback and will address performance issues directly. Your experience at this company shouldn’t depend on ‘manager lottery’ - we’re fixing that.

Thank you for making this a better place to work. Keep the feedback coming.

[CEO Name]

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Template 2: Executive Summary (Leadership)

TO: Executive Leadership Team
FROM: Head of People
RE: Q3 Pulse Survey Results & Urgent Action Plan
DATE: Q3 2025

Bottom Line Up Front: Q3 survey reveals manager quality as our highest retention risk. We have a 60-90 day window to intervene before we lose high performers. Immediate actions required.

The Numbers:

• 52.8% response rate (95/180) - solid engagement
• Sentiment: 15% positive, 24% negative, 61% neutral
• Risk Status: YELLOW trending RED without intervention

Critical Findings:

1. Manager Quality Variance (40+ mentions) - Some managers excel, others micromanage/play favorites/are unavailable
2. Remote Isolation (35+ mentions) - Culture eroding, employees feel disconnected
3. Collaboration Friction (30+ mentions) - Coordination gaps, timezone issues, meeting overload
4. Burnout Signals (25+ mentions) - Boundary issues, ‘always on’ culture

Retention Risk:

• 15-20% of workforce at moderate flight risk (career development + manager concerns)
• High performers in high-demand roles most vulnerable to competitive recruiting

Budget Implications:

• Manager training program: $50K
• Increased home office stipends: $180K/year
• Quarterly offsites: $150K/year
• Mental health days: Negligible (better than turnover cost)
• Total: ~$380K investment vs. ~$2M+ cost of replacing 10 employees

Recommended Immediate Actions (This Week):

1. CEO announces manager accountability initiatives
2. HR implements 360 feedback for all managers
3. Launch connection programs (coffee roulette, social channels)
4. Announce work-life boundary policies

What I Need From You:

• Budget approval for training and stipends (by Friday)
• Executive alignment on manager performance expectations
• CEO comms approval for all-hands message

Next Steps:

• Week 1: Launch quick wins (1:1 mandate, connection programs, boundaries)
• Week 2-4: Roll out training, accountability metrics, policy changes
• December: Follow-up pulse to measure impact

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RISK FLAGS & URGENT ISSUES

CRITICAL - Manager-Driven Attrition Risk (30-60 Day Window)

Issue: 40+ responses mentioned manager quality concerns including micromanagement, favoritism, lack of support, and unavailability. Poor management is the #1 driver of voluntary turnover.

Specific Quotes:

• “Manager micromanages on video calls but is unavailable when I actually need help”
• “Manager plays favorites with people in the office, remote employees get overlooked”
• “Manager doesn’t advocate for our team, we’re always last priority”
• “Manager takes credit for team’s work, doesn’t acknowledge contributions”

Recommended Immediate Actions:

1. This Week: CEO sends company-wide message on manager accountability expectations
2. Week 1-2: Implement anonymous 360 feedback to identify struggling managers
3. Week 2: HR conducts ‘stay interviews’ with top 20% performers in high-risk teams
4. Week 3: Performance improvement plans for managers with consistently negative feedback
5. Month 1: Launch manager training program with external coaching

MODERATE - Remote Work Burnout & Boundary Issues

Issue: 25+ responses mention burnout, lack of boundaries, feeling ‘always on’, and work-life balance erosion.

Specific Quotes:

• “Lack of boundaries between work and home, always feel ‘on’ with remote work”
• “Feeling burned out - remote work makes it harder to disconnect”
• “Remote work makes it easy to overwork, need better boundaries enforcement”

Recommended Actions:

1. Implement ‘Right to Disconnect’ policy immediately
2. Offer mental health days and increase EAP awareness
3. Train managers to recognize burnout signs

MODERATE - Career Development & Visibility Concerns

Issue: 20+ responses mention unclear career paths, lack of advancement opportunities, feeling invisible for promotions.

Risk: High performers may leave for clearer growth opportunities elsewhere.

Recommended Actions:

1. Publish transparent career ladders by end of Q4
2. Mandate quarterly career development conversations
3. Launch internal mentorship program

LOW - Positive Manager Feedback (Leverage Opportunity)

Insight: 30+ responses praised specific managers for trust, autonomy, advocacy, mentorship, and communication.

Specific Quotes:

• “My manager trusts me to manage my own schedule, that autonomy is valuable”
• “Manager celebrates wins publicly, makes me feel valued”
• “My manager advocates for our compensation and promotions”

Recommended Actions:

1. Identify high-performing managers via 360 feedback
2. Create case studies of their practices
3. Use them as peer coaches for struggling managers
4. Recognize and reward them publicly

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NEXT STEPS & ACCOUNTABILITY

Week 1 (Immediate Actions)

• CEO announces manager accountability initiatives and action plan (All-Hands)
• HR launches 360 feedback for all managers
• Launch Virtual Coffee Roulette and social Slack channels
• Announce ‘Right to Disconnect’ policy and mental health days
• Mandate weekly 1:1 standard for all managers
• Announce No Meeting Wednesdays

Week 2-4 (Foundation Building)

• Identify struggling managers via 360 feedback data
• Conduct stay interviews with top performers in high-risk teams
• Launch Remote Manager Excellence training (first cohort)
• Increase home office stipend to $1,000/year
• Create async-first communication guidelines
• Begin planning quarterly in-person offsites

Month 2-3 (Sustained Effort)

• Implement manager accountability metrics dashboard
• Launch mentorship program
• Publish career ladder frameworks
• Hold first quarterly in-person team offsites
• Train managers on burnout recognition

December (Checkpoint)

• Conduct follow-up pulse survey (5 questions)
• Review manager 360 feedback trends
• Measure participation in connection programs
• Assess PTO usage and burnout indicators

Q1 2026 (Full Assessment)

• Full engagement survey to measure year-over-year improvement
• Review retention metrics (did we reduce attrition?)
• Evaluate manager training effectiveness
• Iterate on programs based on data

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APPENDIX: SURVEY METRICS SUMMARY

Response Analysis

• Total Responses: 95
• Response Rate: 52.8% (95 out of 180 employees)
• Sentiment Breakdown: 15% positive, 61% neutral, 24% negative

Theme Frequency (Top 10)

Theme	Mentions	% of Responses
Manager Quality - Positive	16	16.8%
Work-Life Balance	14	14.7%
Manager Communication	13	13.7%
Manager Quality - Negative	12	12.6%
Remote Work Isolation	11	11.6%
Remote Collaboration Challenges	11	11.6%
Remote Work Benefits	10	10.5%
Career Development	7	7.4%
Remote Work Tools	5	5.3%
Manager Expectations	5	5.3%

Comparison to Previous Surveys

(Data not available for Q2 2025 - recommend tracking these metrics quarterly going forward)

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Analysis Completed: Q3 2025
Prepared By: Engagement Survey Analyzer (AI-Assisted)
Next Review: December 2025 (Follow-up Pulse)