Elected Member Briefing Note - Employee Engagement Survey 2025

About this Briefing Note

Report by: Greg Boland, Strategic Lead - Strategic Planning, People and Performance

Date: 3 March 2026

Subject: Employee Engagement Survey 2025

Responsible Officer: Lisa Potter, Service Manager - Strategic Communications and Engagement

Details

Purpose

This briefing provides an update on the Employee Engagement Survey which was open for responses to all Perth and Kinross Council staff from 3-30 November 2025. Health and Social Care Partnership team members take part in the NHS iMatter Survey instead.

An Employee Survey Working Group supported the development of the questions and approach to the survey. Members included trade unions, managers, staff, IT and People and Culture teams ensuring key occupational groups were represented. 

Briefing Information

In total there were 1,971 responses received, a response rate of 38.1%. In comparison the previous survey received 2,466 responses, a 47% response rate. However, the 2024 survey ran for six weeks in the spring, whereas in 2025 the survey ran for only four weeks in late autumn. It is difficult to say, based on only two surveys, whether either the period of time the survey ran for or the time of year it ran in influenced the response rate, but timing of the next survey will be part of the early considerations of the Employee Survey Working Group.

Overall, the responses received were positive with high levels of agreement on many of the 'statement' questions in the survey, many of which stayed steady or increased in comparison to the 2024 responses. Highlights include:

• 97% agree/strongly agree that the team they work with embodies the Council's values and behaviours (up 5.5 percentage points since 2024)
• 93% agree/strongly agree that they feel a sense of personal achievement and satisfaction from the work they do (up 3 percentage points since 2024)
• 92% agree/strongly agree that their line manager values, listens to, supports and recognises their knowledge, skills and the work they do (up slightly from 91.4% in 2024)
• 93% agree/strongly agree that Perth and Kinross Council encourages, recognises and celebrates diversity and inclusion (also 93% in 2024)
• 90% agree/strongly agree that their manager is approachable and supportive (up 7 percentage points from 2024)

Whilst most responses were positive, there are a number of areas for improvement. Most notably, while 81% of respondents said they felt supported to maintain a healthy work-life balance (staying steady from the 2024 results), only 62% either agreed or strongly agreed that their wellbeing was a priority for the Council. This was a 10.5 percentage point decrease compared to the same question in 2024, the biggest decline in agreement with any question in the survey, and comes despite 80% of respondents saying that they were aware of wellbeing support and resources available to them as Council employees. Open text comments within the survey include references across teams to workload pressures and staffing levels and relate these to wellbeing responses.

Other improvement areas include:

• 89% agree/strongly agree that they feel safe at work (including physical and psychological safety). This is a 4 percentage point increase compared to the 2024 results, but there are still pockets of concern in some parts of the organisation.
• 89% agree/strongly agree that they are provided with opportunities for learning and development. This is a 6 percentage point decrease compared to the nearest comparable question in 2024, although the change of focus from 'I seek out opportunities' in 2024 to 'provided with opportunities' in 2025 may explain the difference.
• 85% agree/strongly agree that they have opportunities to get involved and influence change. This is a 15 percentage point increase on the 2024 response, however, there is clearly still room for improvement.
• 71% agree/strongly agree that they feel valued and recognised by the communities they work with, an 11 percentage point increase on 2024, but 20% of respondents did not think this question was applicable to them.
• 34% agree/strongly agree that they feel valued and recognised by elected members, a decrease of 3.5 percentage points since 2024. There was also a 13 percentage point increase in the number of respondents who felt that this question was not applicable to them.

The survey results have been shared to team level using a PowerBI dashboard and to protect anonymity the results are only shared with Team Leaders where there are 5 or more responses. However, these responses and comments are included in the wider service results so are listened to and acted upon. Guidance has been shared with Team Leaders, Service Managers and Strategic Leads along with an Action Plan template to discuss and agree with actions in response to the comments received.