Choose from our list of strategies to improve your employee net promoter score. Find out which ones work best for your organization
With just one number, potential hires and other organizations can get a sense of how employees feel about working at your company. That’s what an employee net promoter score (eNPS) is all about. If your score isn’t great based on industry standards or your previous performance, what steps can you take to improve it?
In this article, we’ll go over a variety of approaches for making your eNPS better. You’ll also find an easy-to-use eNPS calculator and industry benchmarks to see how your organization stacks up.
How to improve employee net promoter score
The employee net promoter score (eNPS) is a simple way to measure how likely employees are to recommend their workplace. They answer a single question:
“On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend this company as a place to work?”
Employees who answer 9 or 10 are called promoters, those who answer 7 or 8 are passives, and those who answer 0 to 6 are detractors. Your eNPS is low when you have more detractors than promoters.
Here are 35 strategies you can use to increase your employee net promoter score:
Leadership and management
1. Empower managers to take action
Train managers to address feedback and support their teams. When leaders are proactive, employees feel heard and valued. When leaders are disengaged, their teams disengage as well.
2. Encourage leadership visibility
Have senior leaders interact with all levels of staff. Visible, approachable leadership builds trust and connection.
3. Involve employees in decision-making
Invite staff to participate in decisions that affect their work. Hold employee surveys, town hall sessions, and focus groups to get their input. These actions build ownership and commitment among your people.
4. Act on employee feedback
Show employees you value their input by acting on survey results. When staff see real changes based on their feedback, trust and engagement grow.
5. Address detractor concerns directly
Address challenging issues head-on. Listen to detractors and address their concerns; they have as much to say as your promoters do. How to do this? See #10.
6. Address issues quickly
Respond to problems and complaints as soon as they arise. Fast action prevents small issues from becoming big ones.
7. Be transparent about the process
Explain how eNPS works and how you’ll use the results. Transparency increases participation and trust.
Communication and feedback
8. Communicate survey results and action plans
Share eNPS results and your next steps with employees. This transparency helps build trust and shows you are committed to improvement.
9. Conduct regular feedback surveys
Run eNPS and pulse surveys regularly. Frequent check-ins help you spot trends and address issues before they escalate.
10. Use open-ended survey questions
Add probing questions and free text boxes to your eNPS survey. This helps you understand the reasons behind the scores.
11. Communicate effectively and often
Keep employees informed about company news and changes. Open communication helps staff feel included and valued.
12. Track and benchmark progress
Monitor your eNPS over time and benchmark against your own past scores. Continuous improvement is more important than comparison with others.
13. Segment and study results
Break down eNPS by department, tenure, or other groups. This helps you spot problem areas and tailor solutions.
14. Gather feedback after major changes
After big changes like restructuring or introducing new tech, ask for feedback. This shows you care about how transitions affect your people.
15. Monitor employer reputation online
Keep an eye on reviews and comments about your company on sites like Glassdoor. Address negative feedback and highlight positive stories.
16. Keep surveys anonymous
If you truly want honest answers, make sure that surveys remain anonymous. This helps you get a true picture of employee sentiment.
Recognition and culture
17. Celebrate and recognize employees
Acknowledge and reward employees who go above and beyond. Recognition boosts morale and encourages positive word-of-mouth.
Read our special report on award-winning employee recognition programs if you’re looking for inspiration!
18. Encourage peer recognition
Set up systems for employees to recognize each other’s achievements. Peer recognition builds camaraderie and a sense of belonging.
19. Celebrate milestones and successes
Mark work anniversaries, project completions, and company wins. Celebrating together builds pride and loyalty.
20. Foster a positive workplace culture
Promote a culture of respect, inclusion, and positivity. A healthy work environment makes employees more likely to recommend your organization.
21. Support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
Promote DEI through training, policies, and leadership commitment. Employees who feel respected and included are more likely to recommend your workplace.
22. Make onboarding a positive experience
A strong onboarding process helps new hires feel welcome and supported from day one, setting the stage for long-term engagement.
Employee growth and development
23. Invest in training and development
Offer learning opportunities, mentorship, and career growth paths. Employees who see a future with your company are more likely to be promoters.
24. Personalize employee development plans
Work with employees to create tailored growth plans. This includes having a solid career mentorship program for emerging leaders in the organization.
Personalized development shows you care about each person’s future, not just their current job.
25. Provide clear career pathways
Show employees how they can advance within the organization. A good starting point is having a clear, well-defined job architecture. This helps employees see where they fit in, how they can advance, and what growth opportunities are available.
26. Promote internal mobility
Some people may not want to move up the corporate ladder; make sure they have options to move to other roles or departments. Internal growth opportunities keep staff engaged and loyal.
Offering roles within the organization helps prevent turnover. Find out more about the cost of turnover in our special report.
Well-being and support
27. Provide competitive salaries and benefits
Review and adjust compensation packages regularly. Offering attractive pay and benefits shows employees they are valued.
28. Provide mental health and wellness support
Offer programs and resources for mental health and well-being. Supporting wellness shows you care about employees as people, not just workers.
29. Set realistic workloads
Monitor workloads and staffing levels to prevent burnout. Overworked employees are more likely to become detractors.
30. Offer flexible work arrangements
Allow remote work or flexible hours where possible. Flexibility supports work-life balance and boosts satisfaction.
31. Regularly review and update policies
Make sure workplace policies are fair, up-to-date, and reflect employee needs. Outdated or unfair rules can quickly turn promoters into detractors.
Engagement and involvement
32. Encourage cross-functional collaboration
Invite employees to join projects with colleagues from other departments. This builds new connections and sparks fresh ideas, making people feel more engaged and valued.
33. Focus on promoters, not just detractors
Understand what makes your promoters happy and reinforce those positives. Don’t ignore your most engaged employees.
34. Share eNPS progress
Share your eNPS journey and improvements with staff. Celebrating progress together keeps everyone motivated and invested.
35. Use technology to enhance communication
Leverage tools like intranet, chat apps, or video updates to keep everyone connected, especially in hybrid or remote settings.
These 35 strategies help contribute to a better employee experience at work, resulting in a happier, more engaged workforce.
NPS for customers, eNPS for employees
The idea behind employee net promoter scores (eNPS) comes from net promoter scores (NPS), which organizations use to measure customer satisfaction.
Both use a rating scale and assign a score to measure how satisfied customers (NPS) or employees (eNPS) are.
These scores offer a glance at how a company is doing, but more context is needed for a full understanding. That’s why open-ended questions – one or two at most – are often included to provide background and insight behind the numbers.
How to calculate employee net promoter score: use our eNPS calculator!
To get your organization’s eNPS, use this formula:
eNPS = [(Number of promoters – Number of detractors) ÷ (Number of respondents)] × 100
Let’s say you have 20 promoters and 10 detractors out of a total of 50 respondents. Your eNPS would be 20:
eNPS = [(20 – 10) ÷ 50] x 100 = 20
You can use the formula we shared or, better yet, use this calculator we’ve created for you:
Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) Calculator
What is a good employee net promoter score?
Employee net promoter scores can be anywhere from -100 to 100. An eNPS of 30 is considered good, with 50 being an excellent score. Anything below zero needs improvement.
Having said that, what’s considered a good eNPS varies by industry. Here’s a look at industry benchmarks based on 2024 figures:
| Industry | eNPS score |
|---|---|
| Education | 0 |
| Entertainment & Recreation | 5 |
| Government | -15 |
| Health | 15 |
| Hospitality | 30 |
| Housing Associations | 11 |
| Manufacturing | 15 |
| Non profit | 10 |
| Retail | -5 |
| Technology | 28 |
To find out if your organization has a good eNPS score, measure it against these industry benchmarks. Another approach is to compare it against your previous scores. Higher eNPS scores over the years show increased employee satisfaction. Declining scores call for urgent action.
Why having a good eNPS matters in the workplace
Think of your employee net promoter score as a report card – it gives you a snapshot of how you’re doing as an employer. But a single number never tells the whole story. Real insight comes from gathering feedback and understanding the reasons behind that score.
A stronger eNPS benefits both your people and your organization. Happier employees are more engaged and productive. They’ll be proud to recommend your company, boosting your reputation and brand. That’s a win-win for everyone.
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