Identify the engagement signals that drive retention and performance.
3 TYPES OF ENGAGEMENT SIGNALS
Momentum Signals
Momentum Signals
Momentum Signals
Shows where systems or practices are strengthening engagement.
Examples:
Strong teamwork
Supportive managers
Meaningful recognition
Momentum signals reveal what should be protected and expanded.
Friction Signals
Momentum Signals
Momentum Signals
Reveals shared challenges that may be constraining performance.
Examples:
Workload pressure
Communication breakdowns
Unclear expectations
Friction signals highlight where improvement is needed.
Silence Signals
Momentum Signals
Silence Signals
Indicates areas where employees may be hesitant to speak openly.
Examples:
Low survey participation
Skipped survey questions
High drop-off rates
Silence signals may reveal hidden risk or lack of psychological safety.
Understanding the Employee Experience
Employee engagement is shaped by three everyday work experiences:
The Organization
Leadership, culture, recognition, values, and growth opportunities
The organizational experience influences how employees feel about the direction of the company and the leadership guiding it. Signals in this area often reveal levels of trust, alignment, workplace culture, employee recognition, and confidence in the future.
The People
Managers, communication, teamwork, and belonging
Relationships play a significant role in the employee experience. Signals within this area help organizations understand manager effectiveness, communication quality, collaboration, psychological safety, and employees' sense of connection and belonging.
The Work
Role clarity, resources, autonomy, and workload
The work experience affects employees' ability to perform at their best. Signals here often highlight opportunities to improve operational effectiveness, decision-making, accountability, workload balance, and the overall sustainability of performance.
Employee engagement signals emerge where these three experiences overlap.
Signal Map & Workforce Listening scale
SIGNAL MAP
SIGNAL MATURITY SCALE
SIGNAL MATURITY SCALE
The Signal Map helps leaders visualize how employee engagement signals are distributed across the organization.
Rather than relying solely on averages, it highlights both the strength of employee sentiment and the breadth of employee participation.
By examining these two factors together, leaders gain a clearer understanding of where workforce experiences are consistent, where concerns may be concentrated, and where opportunities for improvement exist.
Employee Sentiment
How employees feel about a specific aspect of their workplace experience, including leadership, communication, recognition, culture, and the work itself.
Participation
How broadly employees share a particular experience or perspective across the workforce.
Why It Matters
The Signal Map helps leaders identify patterns that may otherwise remain hidden. It provides a more complete view of employee engagement, allowing organizations to focus their efforts where they will have the greatest impact on retention, performance, and culture.
SIGNAL MATURITY SCALE
SIGNAL MATURITY SCALE
SIGNAL MATURITY SCALE
While the Signal Map identifies what employees are experiencing, the Signal Maturity Scale helps leaders evaluate how effectively their organization listens, responds, and acts on workforce feedback.
Organizations typically progress through four stages of workforce listening maturity.
Level 1: Reactive
Workforce challenges are typically identified after they have already affected engagement, retention, morale, or performance.
Level 2: Aware
Employee feedback is collected and reviewed, but actions are often inconsistent or delayed.
Level 3: Responsive
Leaders actively listen to employees and take visible action to address workforce concerns and opportunities.
Level 4: Signal-Driven
Workforce insights are embedded into leadership decision-making, helping shape strategy, culture, communication, and organizational improvement.
Why It Matters
The Signal Maturity Scale helps organizations understand where they are today and identify practical opportunities to strengthen leadership listening, employee engagement, and organizational effectiveness over time.
Pam’s friendly, good-humored approach fosters an atmosphere that brings down walls and allows participants to comfortably share their work experiences.
