Annual surveys are no longer enough for building engaged workplaces

Disengagement in the workplace isn’t only a morale issue – it’s an economic one too.

It is estimated that low employee engagement costs the UK approximately £257 billion annually, equating to about 11% of the country’s GDP.

It’s an enormous problem, and there’s an urgency for UK businesses to rethink their approach to employee feedback and engagement.

Annual employee surveys have been a workplace staple for years, giving companies a broad snapshot of how their people feel, and helping to inform employee engagement strategies. 

But in 2025, relying solely on just one survey a year to understand employees is no longer enough for building happy, healthy workforces.

One of the biggest problems with annual surveys is that they often create an overwhelming amount of data to work with – and take too long to act on.

By the time HR teams have gathered, analysed, presented results and gained approval for next steps – several weeks (sometimes months) have passed by – leaving employees feeling let down by their organisation’s lack of action.

Kieran Innes, CEO of employee engagement software platform Stribe, says this delay in taking positive action leads to dissatisfaction and lack of trust in the workplace.

“The distance between when you ask for employee feedback and when you communicate what you’re doing about it is so critical – because it can either drive a tonne of engagement or disengagement,” Kieran said.

Another issue is that annual surveys don’t always tell the full story.

If employees are having a particularly tough or positive week when a survey lands in their inbox, that’s going to affect how they respond – this is known as recency bias.

And the result?

Companies end up making important decisions based on a moment in time, rather than a true reflection of how their people feel throughout the year.

Stribe recommends that to execute a successful survey strategy, HR teams should run their annual surveys alongside more frequent pulse surveys throughout the year.

Pulse surveys are shorter, more frequent, focused check-ins that give real-time insights into employee wellbeing and engagement, making it easier to spot and solve problems before they grow.

Pulse surveys are also easier to manage, and much quicker for employees to complete because they’re usually only 5 – 10 questions long.

Stribe’s CEO says that by running annual and pulse surveys side-by-side, organisations have a much better chance of capturing data that will lead to meaningful change.

“Let your annual survey inform you of your current benchmarks and goals for the future, and let your pulse surveys be the drivers of action that help you move the needle towards those goals,” says Kieran Innes.

But gathering feedback is only half the battle – what really matters is how and when companies respond.

Employees are quick to lose faith if they take the time to share their thoughts and see nothing happen as a result.

Businesses that succeed in improving engagement are the ones that act fast, communicate openly, and involve employees in shaping solutions.

Kieran says the most forward-thinking businesses are using a mix of surveys, anonymous feedback tools, and encouraging open conversations to create a continuous loop of communication. “Employee engagement and positive culture are built through day-to-day interactions and ongoing, long-term commitments from leadership” adds Kieran.