eNPS benchmarks: measure and improve employee engagement

Understanding employee satisfaction is critical to building a successful business. The employee Net Promoter Score® (eNPS®) measures how likely employees are to recommend their workplace, thus helping leaders improve employee engagement and workplace culture.

In this guide, we’ll review 2024 eNPS benchmarks to consider as you calculate your score and we’ll provide best practices for improving your score. 

The employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) is a tool for gauging employee sentiment by means of a single question:

“On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely is it that you would recommend working at this company to a friend or colleague?”

Employees respond by awarding a score of between one and ten via an employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) survey, which categorises them into three groups:

You calculate your eNPS by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. Passives don’t have a direct impact on the score.

This metric simplifies employee feedback, giving a quick snapshot of overall satisfaction and engagement. It’s a starting point for deeper insights and action, helping companies improve the employee experience.

eNPS helps HR professionals and leaders understand how employees feel about their workplace. It’s a direct indicator of employee engagement and can help reveal the root causes of dissatisfaction.

Here’s why measuring and improving your eNPS matters:

Your eNPS provides actionable insights to build a stronger, more engaged workforce. HR teams can use eNPS to proactively address issues, improve retention and cultivate a positive work environment.

According to Hive HR’s research, the overall eNPS benchmark for Q3 2024 reached 27, reflecting a growing willingness among employees to recommend their workplace.



Here are the current eNPS benchmarks by industry:

Smaller companies (0–250 employees) earned an average eNPS of 30, while larger organisations (5,001+ employees) saw their eNPS increase to 9. 

SurveyMonkey Benchmarks make eNPS benchmarking easy. You can see how your eNPS stacks up against other companies globally or within your industry, allowing you to set accurate goals and expectations based on actual data.

Measuring eNPS is straightforward:

Here’s a quick example of how to calculate your eNPS:

eNPS = 60% (Promoters) - 15% (Detractors) = 45

Your eNPS score would be 45, which indicates solid employee satisfaction.

Employee sentiment can change, so it’s essential to measure eNPS regularly; quarterly or biannually works well for most companies. After gathering the data, follow up with open-ended questions to understand why employees gave the scores they did. Combining eNPS with qualitative research provides a clearer picture of what’s driving your eNPS score.

A ‘good’ eNPS score varies from one industry to the next, but here’s a general breakdown:

While the above ranges provide a foundational understanding of a ‘good’ eNPS score, there are nuances and differences across industries. For example, some industries don’t score above 20 or 30, whereas others score over 50.

Several key factors shape employees’ feelings about their workplace and these have a direct impact on your eNPS. We have listed these below along with some tips on how your HR team can conduct further research and analysis to improve each aspect of the workplace and boost eNPS scores.

A strong, positive culture is the foundation of employee loyalty. It’s likely that people will stay engaged when they feel connected to the company’s values and see them in action. On the other hand, a toxic or unclear culture will drive disengagement and turnover.

How to improve company culture: Regularly assess your culture by means of pulse surveys and focus groups. Encourage open communication and ensure that your company embodies its values daily.

Leadership sets the tone for culture and employee loyalty. Employees look to leaders for guidance, support and transparency. When leaders are effective, honest and approachable, this boosts trust and morale. But when there’s a need for more communication or visible support, it drags down engagement.

How to improve leadership: Invest in training emphasising clear, consistent communication. Consider 360-degree feedback to help leaders understand how their actions are perceived and where to improve.

Opportunities to grow and advance are essential for employee satisfaction. If employees see a clear path for development, they’re more likely to stay motivated and invested. Without it, they’ll look elsewhere.

How to improve career development: Regularly discuss career goals with employees. Offer training programmes, mentorship and pathways for promotion. Make it clear how employees can grow within your organisation.

According to Deloitte’s Workplace Burnout survey conducted among U.S. employees, 77% of respondents had experienced burnout at their current job, with a poor work-life balance being a significant contributing factor. Employees who had a good work-life balance reported higher levels of engagement and job satisfaction. If employees feel overworked or unsupported, this is reflected in low eNPS scores.

How to improve work-life balance: Implement flexible working arrangements where possible. Regularly check in on workload and stress levels and encourage employees to take time off to recharge their batteries. LinkedIn is famous for its flexible work environment and has a comprehensive guide for HR teams.

Recognition is a simple yet powerful motivator. If employees feel appreciated, they’re more likely to promote the company. A lack of recognition leads to disengagement and can quickly turn promoters into detractors.

How to improve employee recognition: Establish a consistent recognition programme in the form of shout-outs in team meetings, rewards or company-wide announcements. Make sure recognition is specific and meaningful; generic praise doesn’t have the same impact.

To truly improve your eNPS, you need to dig deep into these areas. Use employee feedback surveys, focus groups and one-to-one interviews to gather insights. Analyse feedback patterns to spot recurring themes and don’t just listen; take action. Employees need to see that their input leads to real change.

Addressing these core factors will create a more engaging work environment, boosting loyalty and your eNPS.

To improve your eNPS, you must understand what drives employee engagement. Here are some actionable strategies that HR teams use to boost eNPS scores.

Frequent feedback keeps you in tune with employee sentiment. Regular eNPS surveys provide a snapshot, but you need more detailed insights to make real improvements. Supplement eNPS with pulse surveys, stay interviews and focus groups to build up the full picture.

How to implement:

Why it helps: Regular feedback creates a culture of listening. If employees see you consistently gathering their thoughts, they’re more likely to feel valued and engaged. Dennemeyer Group demonstrated this by launching its first company-wide employee survey, which allowed it to gather over 7,000 comments from its global workforce.

By using feedback to understand regional differences and prioritise new initiatives, it successfully aligned its internal efforts with employee needs, driving engagement and retention.

It’s no good gathering data and not acting on it. Employees need to see changes based on their input; otherwise, they’ll stop engaging: “Why do they waste our time with these surveys and nothing ever changes?”

How to implement: After each survey, analyse the results and identify key themes. Hold a follow-up meeting to discuss findings and share planned actions with the team. Give employees regular progress updates to create a transparent feedback loop.

Why it helps: Taking action builds employee trust. If employees see their concerns lead to tangible changes, they are more likely to participate in future surveys and remain engaged. A 2019 McKinsey report found that 70% of change programmes fail due to a lack of employee engagement, showing that acting on feedback is crucial for driving improvements.

Employees want to grow. Providing them with training and development opportunities will keep them engaged and motivated. Without these, they may look elsewhere for career advancement.

How to implement:

Why it helps: Learning opportunities improve job satisfaction. According to LinkedIn’s 2024 Workplace Learning Report, 90% of organisations see providing learning opportunities as their top strategy for improving employee retention.

Employees need to see a clear path to growth within your organisation. Without it, even the most engaged staff will consider other options.

How to implement: During one-to-one meetings, discuss career goals and outline potential pathways for advancement. Define clear criteria for promotions and communicate these across the company. Encourage managers to hold regular performance reviews to track progress.

Why it helps: Career growth boosts retention. A 2023 Work Institute study revealed that 18.7% of employees in the U.S. leave their jobs due to a lack of career development. Showing employees how they can grow with your company will help you retain top talent.

Recognition is a powerful motivator. Employees who feel appreciated are more likely to stay engaged and recommend your workplace to others. Recognition can turn passive employees into promoters.

How to implement:

Why it helps: Recognition boosts morale and loyalty. According to O.C. Tanner’s 2025 Global Culture Report, companies with integrated recognition programmes see a 15-fold increase in the likelihood of employees thriving at work. Frequent, meaningful recognition helps employees feel valued and connected, which fosters a positive culture.

Boosting your eNPS response rate is similar to the best practices for achieving higher NPS responses.

These strategies help to ensure that eNPS surveys are easy to engage with, clearly purposeful and respectful of employee time and opinions, therefore resulting in higher response rates and more meaningful insights.

SurveyMonkey makes it easy to boost your eNPS and gather valuable employee feedback. Customisable survey templates allow you to quickly create and send eNPS surveys that satisfy your company’s needs.

Use automated tools to help you track responses, analyse results and spot trends. These tools make it easier to act on feedback, while advanced reporting allows you to share insights with teams and leadership. Use employee pulse and recognition surveys to dive deeper into engagement and drive meaningful change. Sign up for free today to improve your eNPS with SurveyMonkey.