2.3 Employee Engagement Survey
Daily Operations Guide, Corporate Services
The Employee Engagement Survey measures employees' experiences, perceptions and level of engagement across the organization. Survey findings help identify organizational strengths, opportunities for improvement, and areas requiring additional attention to support employee well-being, organizational effectiveness and long-term workforce sustainability.
Details
| Key Consideration | Employee Engagement Survey |
|---|---|
| Description | Organization-wide assessment of employee engagement, culture and wellbeing used to inform workforce planning, organizational improvement and employee retention initiatives. |
| Work Plan Alignment | Employee Engagement Survey |
| Department | Corporate Services |
| Division | Human Resources |
Why it matters
- Employees are central to delivering high-quality municipal services and positive experiences for residents.
- Provides leadership with meaningful data on employee engagement, workplace culture, communication, wellbeing and organizational effectiveness.
- Identifies opportunities to improve employee attraction, retention, development and overall workplace experience.
- Supports Haldimand County's Net Better Off approach by helping strengthen employee wellbeing and engagement.
- Establishes a baseline for measuring progress and evaluating the impact of future workforce initiatives.
Background
Employee engagement has been identified as a corporate priority for Haldimand County. The County has not conducted a comprehensive employee engagement survey since 2007, making it important to obtain current employee feedback and better understand today's workforce experience.
Since the previous survey, workplace expectations, labour market conditions, and recruitment and retention challenges have evolved significantly. To inform future workforce planning and organizational improvement efforts, Council approved funding in the 2026 Budget for an externally administered employee engagement survey.
Following a competitive procurement process, Metrics@Work was selected to conduct the survey, ensuring a confidential, independent and consistent approach to data collection and analysis.
Current status
The Employee Engagement Survey was conducted between August 10 and August 31, 2026, providing employees with an opportunity to confidentially share feedback on their workplace experiences.
Following completion of the survey:
- Metrics@Work compiled and analyzed the results.
- Key findings and themes were presented to the Senior Management Team in October 2026.
- Results are being reviewed with divisional and departmental leaders to identify opportunities for improvement.
- Human Resources is supporting the development of both corporate-wide and division-specific action plans.
- Survey findings will be shared with employees and union representatives.
Future considerations
Over the next term of Council, Human Resources will work with organizational leaders to develop and implement both corporate-wide and divisional action plans based on survey findings. Actions will be prioritized based on employee feedback, operational needs, available resources, and organizational priorities.
Progress will be monitored through ongoing review and reporting to ensure initiatives are achieving intended outcomes and to identify opportunities for adjustment as needed.
The 2026 survey establishes a baseline for measuring employee engagement over time. Future engagement activities, including surveys and pulse checks, will help monitor progress and inform ongoing organizational improvements.
Survey findings will support decision-making but will be considered alongside legislative requirements, collective agreement obligations, operational needs and available resources when determining future actions.
Council Orientation Guide 2026-2030
