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People Insight has launched The future of employee listening in HE, a new report designed to help universities replace slow, annual surveys with more agile feedback processes that convert insights into improvements far more quickly.
The whitepaper reviews a range of listening practices currently used across higher education and explains how institutions can improve credibility by visibly acting on the feedback staff provide.
Based on survey input from over 75 Higher Education Institutions, including members of the Russell Group, the report provides a clear view of staff sentiment and the challenges leaders must address.
One of the most significant insights is low trust in action. Just 40% of staff in the sector expect change to follow survey feedback, falling to 36% among academics and rising slightly to 42% in professional services roles.
Jane Tidswell, HE Director at People Insight said: “When only 40% of your employees believe action will be taken, the priority is closing the loop. This guide helps HE leaders move from comment overload to two or three clear steps per team, so employees see change and action, rather than just another survey.”
The report also showed that leader visibility matters to staff, as 46% feel senior leaders make an effort to listen. The results suggest managers are the primary listeners and where managers are supported, institutions see quicker progress. One London university lifted response rates by 11 points and engagement by 5 points with stronger manager involvement in action planning.
The findings suggested that a broader mix of listening methods works best. Universities are combining check-in surveys, one-to-ones, focus groups, anonymous routes, town halls and digital Q&A to reach different roles across faculties and services.
Results also showed that AI can turn comments into clarity. The paper explains how AI and natural language processing group themes and sentiment so issues like workload or burnout risk are easier to spot and address.
The report sets out employee listening trends that are making a real difference to universities and highlights the shifts that will shape 2026 and beyond. It includes advice on strengthening listening strategies to drive meaningful organisational change and improve employee engagement and motivation, with case studies and client examples throughout.
A copy of the report can be downloaded from peopleinsight.co.uk/future-employee-listening-he.