LONDON, UK. June 16th, 2026 – Only 53% of employees believe action will be taken after they give feedback, according to new global benchmark data from People Insight, highlighting a growing gap between listening and action in organisations.
The report warns that many organisations are “listening loudly but acting quietly”, putting employee trust, engagement and future participation at risk.
The findings come from People Insight’s new report, The senior leader’s role in employee surveys, which argues that employee feedback must be treated as a core leadership responsibility, not a one-off HR initiative.
The report highlights a common pattern in organisations: senior leaders approve surveys but step back from the outcomes, HR teams are left responsible for decisions they cannot make alone and managers are expected to act without sufficient authority or support.
This disconnect can erode trust over time, reduce participation in future surveys and weaken the impact of employee listening programmes.
The report also cautions against overpromising. Instead, organisations build trust by clearly communicating what will change, what will not and where progress may take longer.
According to People Insight, effective employee listening depends on visible and sustained leadership involvement beyond survey launch.
This includes setting clear priorities based on results, taking ownership of decisions and trade-offs, and regularly communicating progress to employees.
Without this, organisations risk creating a “belief-in-action gap”, where employees continue to share feedback but lose confidence that it will lead to meaningful change.
“Employees are not expecting everything to change overnight, but they do expect honesty and visible progress,” said Tom Debenham, Managing Director at People Insight.
“When only 53% of employees believe action will follow a survey, it is a clear signal that something is breaking down. If people repeatedly give feedback and see little change, they will question the value of speaking up.
“Leadership buy-in has to go beyond approval. It means making decisions, focusing on the right priorities and showing progress over time. The organisations that get this right treat employee feedback as a leadership responsibility, not an HR exercise.”
The senior leader’s role in employee surveys explores what leadership buy-in really means, why it often fails and how organisations can create the ownership needed to turn employee feedback into meaningful action.
The report covers visible sponsorship, decision-making pathways, accountability and governance, communication strategies, and measurement and action planning.
Read the full report at peopleinsight.co.uk/senior-leadership-employee-surveys.
ENDS