A key advantage of the Engaged Index over a more traditional NPS question is the ability to take your score to the next level. To explore the four scores that make up the Engaged Index to learn more about what is influencing your employees' engagement. Here is an overview of the four Engaged Index indicators and what you can learn from the average score or the trend over time.

People will often ask, "What is a good score?" We try to give you a sense of what we tend to see across companies, but much of your insight will come from comparing groups within your organization. Where is the score higher or lower than your company average?

Willingness to Go Above and Beyond (Measures: Enthusiasm or Burnout)

"I am motivated to go above and beyond what is expected of me in my job."

This indicator is almost always the highest of the four by average. Often at the high end of 8's or a low 9. People tend to believe themselves to be hard workers. 

When it is Higher/Going Up:  This can indicate energy or enthusiasm for the work. It can also acknowledge there is a need to step up. In early days of the pandemic, we often saw this indicator tick up as people prepared to do the work needed to help their colleagues and customers make adjustments.

When it is Lower/Going Down: When people are willing to admit they are less likely to go above and beyond it indicates they are tired or resigned. In early 2021, when groups were burnt out from putting forth an extra effort we often saw this score go down a bit from previous surveys.

Willingness to Stay if Offered a Similar Job Elsewhere for Slightly Higher Pay (Measures: Loyalty or Turnover Risk)

"I would stay with this company if offered a similar job elsewhere for slightly higher pay."

This indicator is almost always the lowest of the four by average. Often a high 6 or 7. Scores may be especially low in entry level or minimum wage roles where a small variation in pay can make a big difference to standard of living.

When it is Higher/Going Up: This can indicate that people are--not just satisfied with their jobs and the company--but more loyal. It has also shown a rise when the job market isn't favorable. Conversations can help determine if you are earning increased loyalty, or if you are simply people's best option at the time. 

When it is Lower/Going Down: While a downward shift in this metric can be scary for a group or organization - indicating the potential for costly turnover in the future - it is also better to know there is a risk before you get an increase in resignations. Conversations can help to uncover employee concerns. Listening (and then taking real action on suggestions) is a great strategy to build relationship and loyalty in order to reverse a downward trend in this indicator.

Willingness to Recommend as a Place to Work (Measures: Team Pride)

"I would recommend this company as a place to work."

This indicator is usually scored lower than people's willingness to recommend products and services. It can feel like a bigger commitment to recommend someone for employment vs. a transaction with a company. 

When it is Higher/Going Up: This metric is also a strong indicator of loyalty. Even if someone is considering a career change and rated their willingness to stay as lower, this is an opportunity to give credit to the work environment. The score can also be influenced by an increased need for staffing. Do you need more people to spread the workload? That may make it more likely that people will recommend the company. 

When it is Lower/Going Down: A lower or decreased score usually indicates that employees wouldn't trust the work environment to support others. If this is the case for a group, it is helpful to ask for ideas for improvement that are both short-term and long-term fixes. Give yourself some "low hanging fruit" that you can pick to make quick, visible adjustments as well as learning if there are longer-term changes that can be made to increase satisfaction. Keep in mind that if a company is in an hiring freeze, this score will fall as the more analytical employees may think, "Why recommend when we aren't hiring?"

Willingness to Recommend Products and Services (Measures: Service Pride)

"I would recommend this company's products and services."

This indicator is usually the second highest by score. Most employees are naturally focused on service and are more likely to be proud of the customer experience than the harder-to-maintain employee experience.  

When it is Higher/Going Up: This would indicates increased confidence in products and/or services. It would be interesting to ask what is leading to this increased confidence. There may be an opportunity to celebrate that success or learn and grow further confidence in the future.

When it is Lower/Going Down: This could indicate decreased confidence in products and/or services. It can also indicate lack of knowledge. Groups that are further away from the customer experience may rate this lower due to lack of knowledge. Discussions can help to determine if education or cross training would increase confidence and make your team better advocates for the company in the marketplace.

Remember that regardless of the actual scores, they are a snapshot of your current employee experience. By focusing on sharing those results, celebrating wins, and determining ways to improve you can make progress over time towards the culture you and your teams need to delight customers and grow your business.