Company Culture, Employee Survey
Article Highlights
- Employee Listening: Understanding your people’s everyday experience is the first step to aligning leadership intentions with reality—and building a workplace where everyone can thrive.
- Anonymous Feedback: Employee surveys go beyond opinions. They offer consistent, anonymous insights that uncover patterns, reveal blind spots, and guide culture strategy with real data—not assumptions.
- Culture Strategy: Culture isn’t static—your strategy shouldn’t be either. As your workforce evolves, feedback helps you adapt. Surveys act like a GPS, guiding change and measuring progress.
- Reduce Turnover: The culture gap often hides costly problems. Low engagement and high turnover are symptoms—measuring culture helps you catch and fix them before they hurt performance.
In any organization, workplace culture does more than define how people interact—it shapes how they show up, work together, and pursue shared goals. It’s woven into everyday moments, from how feedback is given to how decisions are made. While many leaders are genuinely invested in building a strong culture, there’s often a gap between their intentions and the experiences of their people. That difference is what we call the culture gap.
Although culture might seem hard to measure, it can be understood more clearly—and improved—by using the right tools. The first step is simple: listen carefully and regularly.
Understanding the Culture Gap
A culture gap arises when an organization’s stated values don’t match what employees experience on a day-to-day basis. These disconnects can exist between frontline staff and executives, across different teams, or among underrepresented groups. The signs often include rising turnover, disengagement, and drops in productivity—and when left unaddressed, these issues cost everyone: individuals, teams, and the business as a whole.
According to the Harvard Division of Continuing Education, poor workplace culture can undermine employee wellbeing, reduce productivity, and increase turnover. In contrast, organizations that foster positive cultures see healthier, more satisfied, and more committed employees. These cultural strengths not only support individual wellbeing but also enhance overall business performance. In fact, supporting data shows that companies with strong workplace cultures achieve significantly higher average annual returns compared to their peers.
Where Listening Falls Short
Many companies believe they’re listening. Leaders may hold town halls, encourage open-door discussions, or conduct occasional one-on-ones. But these efforts can fall short. Informal feedback is often filtered—either by social dynamics or power structures—and some employees may not feel safe speaking up. That’s why structured, anonymous feedback matters. It gives every employee the opportunity to share their perspective, honestly and without pressure.
How Surveys Help Identify Culture Gaps
A well-designed employee survey gives companies a clearer view of what’s really happening across the organization. The Trust Index™ survey, developed by Great Place to Work®, evaluates key elements of company culture— trust, respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie. Based on these results, leaders gain insight into what’s working and where improvements are needed.
For instance, based on the research conducted by Great Place to Work®, only 53% of employees at a typical Canadian company feel that politicking and backstabbing aren’t used to get things done—compared to 88% at top Great Place to Work-Certified™ companies. While 92% of employees at leading workplaces feel trusted by management to do their jobs independently, that number drops to just 70% in typical Canadian organizations. These differences highlight why it's so important to collect clear, data-backed insights.
Surveys also help companies see how experiences differ across departments, demographic groups, or locations. Segmenting this data helps surface patterns that might otherwise stay hidden—especially around inclusion, opportunity, and recognition.
One of the most valuable aspects of survey data is its consistency. Anonymous responses create a safer space for employees to be candid. And over time, survey data becomes a powerful tool for leaders. It reveals your culture’s strengths and challenges, so you can compare progress against internal goals or external benchmarks. Since culture isn’t static—it shifts with workforce changes, leadership transitions, and economic pressures—the Trust Index survey acts like a GPS, helping you monitor how your culture evolves. With that clarity, you can decide whether to double down, change course, or invest in areas that need more attention. Most importantly, you’re making decisions based on real insights—not assumptions.
How to Turn Employee Survey Insights into a Strategy?
Listening is just the beginning. What comes next is how the feedback is used.
Great Place to Work® outlines a clear process to help organizations act on what they learn. First, review results from a broad perspective. Don’t just look at averages—explore how employee experiences differ by team, level, or identity. This helps identify where the organization is strong and where it needs work.
Next, give leaders time to reflect. Some of the results may affirm what they’ve sensed already, but others may surprise them. Use that reflection to align on one or two top priorities. It’s better to act meaningfully in a few areas than spread efforts too thin.
Transparency is critical. Share key findings with your teams. Let people know what stood out and what will happen next. Thank them for sharing their perspectives, and keep the conversation going. Listening sessions or team-based discussions can build on the survey and create shared ownership of next steps.
Finally, make the work manageable. Define clear goals, assign responsibilities, and create a timeline to measure progress. Keep employees in the loop through small updates or short follow-up surveys. This sends a powerful message: your voice matters, and we’re acting on it.
Learn more about turning employee feedback into strategy
Why It Matters Now
The workplace is evolving. Employees expect more than a paycheque—they want flexibility, wellbeing support, and a culture that reflects their values. And in a world where things can shift quickly, culture must keep pace. Real-time feedback helps leaders understand how people are doing right now—not based on outdated assumptions. When employees see that their voices shape real decisions, trust grows.
And when people thrive—companies shine.
Final Thoughts
Workplace culture shouldn’t be left to chance. It needs to be measured and shaped with intention. When feedback is treated as an essential input, organizations can respond with clarity and consistency. Employee surveys are one of the best ways to understand the workplace as it truly is. And the better you understand the gaps, the better you can address them—with care and practical action.
Let’s connect to explore how we can help you understand what your employees are experiencing—and work with you to build a culture where everyone thrives!
FAQs
- What is the Trust Index™ survey mentioned in the article?
The Trust Index™ survey is Great Place to Work® Canada’s signature employee feedback tool, backed by decades of global research. These insights help leaders understand how employees experience trust and where culture can be strengthened. Click here to learn more about the Trust Index™ survey and how it can support your culture strategy. - How do I know if there’s a culture gap in my organization?
You might not—until you ask. Anonymous employee surveys are the most reliable way to uncover gaps between leadership’s perception and employees’ actual experiences. - What should I do after collecting employee feedback?
Start by reviewing results across teams and groups, communicate findings openly, and prioritize one or two areas for improvement. Keep listening and sharing progress to build trust over time. - How often should we survey employees about culture?
Culture isn’t static. It’s best to survey regularly—annually or biannually—to track shifts over time, especially during major changes like growth, restructuring, or leadership transitions.
Tools & Resources
- Employee Survey – Trust Index™: Measure what matters most with our research-backed survey. It captures how employees experience trust, fairness, and pride—offering a clear view of your culture and where to improve.
- Culture Consulting: Our expert consultants help you turn feedback into strategy. Get support in interpreting survey results, identifying cultural gaps, and creating action plans that lead to lasting change.
- Leadership and Development: Build leadership behaviours that foster trust, fairness, and connection. We help organizations assess and strengthen leadership effectiveness using direct employee feedback and proven development strategies.
- Company Culture: Understand and improve your culture using employee insights. Benchmark against Canada’s Best Workplaces™, identify your strengths and gaps, and build a workplace culture rooted in trust and belonging.
Feedback
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