What leaders actually want after an employee survey

Leaders want different things after an employee survey; a quick way to limited effectiveness is treating them all in the same way. Your job as a engagement, experience or HR lead is to understand the type of leader you are working with and communicate in a way that supports their expectations. 

We present here a framework to use when thinking about the different types of leader.  

Most leaders (“The Disinterested” being the exception) will want to understand the results and what they need to do next, but they each have different preferences. 

Type 1: The Strategist

Strategists focus on how survey results connect to business and divisional strategies. They evaluate insights against planning cycles and current priorities. Focused on planning cycles and project management, they take what they’re told in meetings and weigh it against current plans. 

How to support them:  

• Give them results aligned to business and people strategies. 
• Highlight where results indicate the need to adjust plans. 
• Describe the key stakeholders you’re working with to alter those strategies. 
• Bring a clear plan for local-level action, positioned as part of delivering business outcomes rather than a separate HR process. 

Type 2: The KPI Devoted

These leaders focus on corporate dashboards, financial reporting cycles and evidence of performance impact. They can quote performance numbers backwards and sideways, and will ask for ROI or business impact evidence. 

How to support them: 

• Provide benchmarking (that you can answer follow up questions about 
• Connect results directly to business performance indicators.  
• Share specific feedback examples/ideas that could improve performance or past survey actions that have done so.   

Type 3: The People Person

People‑focused leaders prioritise the lived experience of employees. They pay closer attention to negative sentiment, especially issues involving bullying, leadership and management. They often read all free‑text comments 

How to support them:  

• Step away from percentage scores, use raw free text responses to bring the findings to life. 
• Frame negative experiences that need action in number format rather than as percentages (e.g. 300 employees have experience bullying at work). 
• Makes sure you come with a plan for communicating the results to the rest of the organisation and local level action planning. 

Type 4: The Disinterested

These leaders question the value of surveys and may see them as a distraction. They can appear disengaged during planning processes, especially where budget is required. Their language often simplifies the people experience into generalised statements such as “you just treat people well and they do the work” or “that’s what the money is for, work is meant to be hard”. 

How to support them:  

• Keep language practical and free of emotional framing. 
• Focus on operational improvements rather than broad cultural initiatives. 
• Where possible, engage efficiently with their direct reports and local managers as well. 

Understanding the type of leader you are working with helps you position survey results in a way that accelerates action. This framework supports tailored conversations that increase clarity, reduce resistance, and ensure leaders receive what they need to move forward. Your job as the owner or champion of employee listening is to influence people to change based on the results, meet people where they are and you will be more successful. 

Making Employee Voice Work Guide

A straightforward guide for responding to feedback quickly, communicating honestly, and building a more trusting culture.

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If you want help turning this into a structured approach or want to talk about my experiences, drop me a note at Jordan@pxhub.io. 

If you want to work with an employee listening provider that gets it and won’t drag you through a thousand weekly meetings just to launch an engagement survey, book a demo...