Namely

It’s no secret that high turnover and low productivity can be costly, and it often falls on HR to address these problems. Measuring eNPS is the first step in proactively identifying any signs of workplace dissatisfaction. A high eNPS score can also be a huge boost to your employer brand. If you’re not tracking eNPS, now’s the time to get started.

How to Measure eNPS

eNPS is a unique metric because it allows you to get a quantitative read on a qualitative datapoint. It poses this simple question to your workforce: “what is the likelihood that you would recommend [company] to a friend or colleague?”

Employees can respond by selecting  a number from 0 to 10. Here’s how the scale breaks down:

• 9-10 = Promoters
• 7-8 = Passive
• 0-6 = Detractors

To calculate your company-wide score, simply subtract the percentage of employees who are detractors from the percentage who are promoters. As a result, you’ll have a read on the overall employee satisfaction at your company.

Scores can range from a perfect 100 to worst-case-scenario -100. Because of the NPS scale’s narrow definition of “promoters,” seemingly low scores are still favorable—an eNPS of 50 is considered high, and anything between 10-30 is average. However, anything below zero is typically seen as problematic. Use industry benchmarks to help you understand where you fall.

Collecting Responses

Hopefully you already administer an employee engagement survey on a regular basis. If not, eNPS is a perfect place get you started. Based on what feels most natural for your organization, survey employees on a monthly or quarterly basis with a modified version of the question: “What is the likelihood that you would recommend [company] to a friend as a great place to work?”

Give employees at least a week to submit their responses, then use the above formula to calculate your score. While responses should be anonymous, consider tracking your results by department so you can follow-up with managers.

I Have My eNPS Score, Now What?

Your score gives you a great pulse check on employee happiness, but the work doesn’t stop there. eNPS lays the foundation for thoughtful follow-up to pinpoint what’s working and what isn’t. Including your eNPS question on a survey with a broader set of employee engagement questions is a great way to link the score to the feedback you receive. Rather than tackle every issue on your own, consider starting a focus group or committee to own improving the company culture.

Along with these initiatives, it’s also crucial to benchmark your score and track improvements or decreases over time. eNPS touches every part of the HR function, from recruiting to retention, and your score will help identify what factors drive the highs and lows of your employee experience.