Surveys as a tool for managerial steering

In a labour market under strain, where employees' expectations are evolving rapidly, active listening has become a pillar of sustainable performance. Yet the polls we conducted on LinkedIn reveal mixed practices: while 70% of organisations give their teams a voice in meetings, only 20% deploy formal surveys, even though these are essential for obtaining a neutral, structured view that can be compared over time. The real challenge, therefore, is not only to offer a space for expression, but to make it a strategic tool for understanding, acting and adjusting.

The different types of survey: choosing the right tool for the right diagnosis

At Valeur Plus, we know that there is no single "satisfaction survey" but rather a range of tools calibrated to address specific issues:

• Satisfaction survey: it measures the overall "pulse", enables year-on-year comparisons and identifies the levers of motivation. It is particularly useful in cases of turnover, to analyse its underlying causes.

• Working climate survey: qualitative and centred on relationships, it aims to understand the perceptions behind tensions. It is systematically enriched with individual interviews to turn complaints into pragmatic courses of action.

• Organisational survey: it sheds light on structural irritants (processes, workload, distribution of roles) and provides the basis for optimising governance or adjusting processes and ways of working.

• Prisme Culture®: it analyses the alignment between the culture as experienced, the values on display and the strategic direction, an essential tool during a period of change.

• Internal audit: it targets a known problem (toxic management, inefficiency, crisis) and proposes rapid, operational adjustments.

How often should you listen? The art of continuous steering

Current practices are uneven, according to the results of our LinkedIn polls: 36% of organisations run an annual survey, 27% every two years and 36%… never.

In our view, the best approach rests on a dual timeframe:

1. The annual survey, a genuine strategic review, provides benchmark indicators, tests the vitality of the culture and measures the impact of the actions taken. Conducted during a quiet period (often summer), it ensures a good participation rate and leaves time to incorporate the results into training plans, budgets or HR priorities.

   
   

2. Continuous follow-up through one-to-ones, team meetings and regular feedback ensures agile listening between two surveys. It makes it possible to identify weak signals, to correct drifts quickly and to embed a culture of transparency. The mistake would be to wait twelve months to discover an issue that has already taken hold.

Listening tools: from everyday exchanges to structured frameworks

There is no perfect tool; what matters is taking the pulse of teams sincerely. But the approach to favour depends on several factors: the organisation's culture, individual personalities, the size of the team and, above all, the trust established with management.

Proximity tools such as team meetings, one-to-ones, suggestion boxes and the like encourage direct exchange and strengthen the relationship. However, they can be biased: social pressure in meetings, the hierarchical relationship in one-to-ones, and the limited recognition of ideas submitted anonymously.

Conversely, a formal and structured satisfaction survey guarantees anonymity and allows for objective, comparative analysis. It is often the space where employees feel most free to express themselves. But anonymity can also generate blunt feedback that needs to be analysed with expertise to avoid emotional over-interpretation.

The challenge is not to choose one tool, but to master the art of complementarity!

Managerial empathy at the heart of listening initiatives

Today's expectations place empathy at the centre of the managerial role. It consists in genuinely understanding the employee, picking up on weak signals and creating the conditions for them to feel heard. Listening tools, from one-to-ones to surveys, enable the manager to objectify perceptions, avoid impulsive reactions and turn listening into coherent decisions.

The result is clear: an employee who is listened to, and whose voice generates visible action, becomes more engaged, more loyal and more effective.

The Valeur Plus expertise: turning data into concrete action

Conducting a survey only makes sense if it leads to concrete action. This is why Valeur Plus supports organisations well beyond the simple collection of data:

• Neutrality and confidentiality: they guarantee sincere expression and a reliable diagnosis.

• Combined analyses (quantitative + interviews): they make it possible to understand the underlying causes and to formulate relevant, tailored recommendations.

• Support with implementation: workshops, support for managers, internal communication and measurable action plans ensure that listening becomes a genuine process of continuous improvement.

When properly conducted, surveys are a bridge between wellbeing, engagement and organisational performance. They make it possible to cultivate a living culture, to retain talent and to guide managerial decisions with clarity.

By calling on Valeur Plus, you choose not only methodological expertise, but above all the assurance that this listening will lead to informed managerial decisions and a return on investment.

Ready to turn your teams' voice into a strategic lever for 2026? Call on the experts at Valeur Plus!

Produced by Cassandra Kunkel & Camille Steininger, consultants