Using Employee Surveys to Build and Sustain an Engaged and Loyal Workforce
Case Study: EHOB

The Client
EHOB, an Indianapolis-based manufacturer of positioning and support surface products used by patients nationwide.

The Situation
Founded in 1985, EHOB has grown steadily over the past two decades, but management still hopes to maintain a positive and welcoming environment for its employees. The company provides benefits such as flextime, compacted workweeks, telecommuting, summer hours, and a robust wellness program that includes health club benefits. To ensure that its programs are effective and that it remains a desirable place to work, EHOB asked FlashPoint to survey its employees.

FlashPoint's Approach
FlashPoint worked with company leaders to develop an employee survey in 2006. The survey asked for input in a variety of areas, including working conditions, manager-employee relations, and rewards. We handled employee communications related to the survey, which included a series of pre-survey meetings with employees to make sure that they understood its purpose and were prepared to take it. We administered English and Spanish versions of the survey in both web and paper format, then we analyzed the results, prepared a report, and presented recommendations to EHOB based on our findings. We worked with senior management to develop an action plan that addressed issues raised in the survey (for example, we recommended that EHOB establish a formal performance-review program, and we worked with managers to develop and implement one), and two years later we conducted a follow-up survey to check on progress.

FlashPoint's Impact
FlashPoint found that overall satisfaction scores increased by 4 percent between 2006 and 2008 and that a greater percentage of employees felt favorable about working conditions, the organization of the company, the opportunity for personal improvement, and the rewards the company offers. In the case of the performance-review program, we learned that the tools we developed helped in part to raise employee’s overall favorable view of management in the 2008 survey. The end result is an engaged and loyal workforce that is contributing to the company’s success; EHOB has become an important player in the health-care manufacturing industry and continues to expand and thrive.