What is Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)?

You’re pretty sure your employees are happy with the way things are run at your organization, but how can you be completely confident in that? Even if you ask them directly, you may receive less-than-candid responses from employees hesitant to rock the boat.

Tracking employee engagement is an ongoing process and it can be tricky to do. But it’s worth the effort, as engaged employees are more productive and likely to stay on staff. 

Lucky for you, there are tools you can use, like an Employee Net Promoter Score, or eNPS. Don’t worry if this term is completely foreign to you — we have all the answers about what it is and how you can use it below.

What Is Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)?

This scoring system is based on the Net Promoter Score, which was created by Fred Reichheld from Bain & Company to measure customer loyalty. The adapted eNPS focuses on employee satisfaction and engagement. It’s a simple two-question survey, but it offers a lot of insight into employee loyalty within the organization and the effectiveness of company culture initiatives.

The first question asks, on a scale of zero to ten, how likely is that employee is to recommend the company as a place to work to their friends and family. The second question is an open-ended question that encourages responders to elaborate on their rating. This elegant and easy-to-implement survey is a great way to track employee engagement over time. 

How to Calculate the eNPS

Because the survey is so simple, you have plenty of options about how you gather feedback for your eNPS. That being said, a survey software is typically ideal as it will make it easier to gather and analyze the numbers. 

The question’s zero-to-ten response scale can then be broken into three sections: promoters, passives, and detractors. Promoters are people who rate their response as a 9 or 10, passives rate it a 7 or 8, and detractors are any responses of 6 or below. Promoters are employees that are likely to recommend your organization as a place to work, while detractors are unlikely to do so. Passives are typically content with the organization as is, but they are not particularly engaged in the company culture. 

To calculate the eNPS from these groups, subtract the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters.

Benefits of eNPS

The biggest benefits of this scoring system are its ease and effectiveness. With just two simple questions, it’s easy for employees to respond quickly. This can produce a higher participation rate than other surveys. 

The single number that is produced makes it easy for employers to understand how employees really feel about their company and identify areas for improvement. It is also a cost-effective method of measuring employee satisfaction as it does not require a complicated or expensive system to distribute the survey to employees.

You can use your company’s eNPS to compare to the competition, as well as increase employee retention. As you identify areas of weakness, you can create a better culture that employees want to stick around for and to give your company an edge over the competition. 

Difference Between eNPS and NPS

The eNPS scoring system is based on NPS, so there are a lot of similarities between the two. They are each two-question surveys that measure the satisfaction of a specific group. The main difference is the participants of the two surveys. The NPS scale is used to measure customer satisfaction. NPS questions focus on whether customers are likely to recommend products or services to their friends and family, and the scoring is typically connected to the customer’s data history with the company. 

On the other hand, eNPS measures the likelihood of employees recommending the organization as a workplace. Unlike NPS, eNPS is typically anonymous and not connected to specific responders. While the two surveys target different audiences, the scores are often correlated. If your company has a high NPS, you will likely have a high eNPS.

How to Use eNPS Effectively

Okay, now that you understand how to find the eNPS and its benefits, how do you most effectively utilize the numbers? 

The first thing to do is find the right eNPS survey software for your needs. This helps ensure that the data you gather is accurate and easy to analyze. 

It is also important to implement measures that maintain employee anonymity so that you can receive honest feedback. Along with that, be transparent with your employees and let them know that you want honest responses so that the company can continue to improve. 

The most effective way to track progress is to run the surveys continuously and gather data on a regular basis. This helps you to determine your employee wellbeing or engagement initiatives are having a positive impact on your workforce. 

Improving Employee Retention

eNPS is a great way to measure your employee satisfaction, a key variable for talent retention. Satisfied staff are far more likely to stay than those who feel disgruntled. And for many employees, their professional satisfaction is inseparable from their wellbeing – nearly four out of five of workers believe their wellbeing is just as important as their salary.

Wellbeing programs can institutionalize your support for employee wellness. After all, there’s a reason 100% of HR leaders say wellness programs are important to employee satisfaction!

If you want to boost employee satisfaction and retention through wellness, speak with a Wellhub wellbeing specialist about how we can help!

References

• Davies, J. (2020, September 17). Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) in 2022. Qualtrics. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/employee-net-promoter-score-enps-good-measure-engagement/ 
• eNPS: What Employee Net Promoter Score Is & Why It Matters. (2023, March 24). Leapsome. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://www.leapsome.com/blog/employee-net-promoter-score-enps-what-is-it-why-should-you-measure-it-and-why-does-it-matter 
• Harter, J. (2021, December 15). Struggling, Suffering Employees Twice as Likely to Leave. Gallup. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://www.gallup.com/workplace/358082/struggling-suffering-employees-twice-likely-leave.aspx
• Officevibe & Steben, R. (2022, November 3). A complete guide to the employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS). Officevibe. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://officevibe.com/guides/employee-net-promoter-score 
• What is employer net promoter score (eNPS)? BambooHR. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/hr-glossary/employee-net-promoter-score-enps