What is an employee census and what insight does it provide?

What is an employee census?

An employee census captures demographic and employment data for each team member in your organization. It’s often used to support an organization’s overall benefits administration system. HR and benefits teams typically rely on this report when designing employee perks programs and insurance policies. It can also offer valuable insights into how staffers feel about the workplace and where there may be room for improvement.

An employee census generally includes basic demographic details such as each employee’s name, date of birth, contact information, and dependent information. It also covers employment history such as hire date, job titles, locations, and more.

Now that we better understand what an employee census is, let’s find out about the common types.

Types of employee censuses

There are two key types of employee censuses your business can use:

1. Pulse surveys: A pulse survey is a brief questionnaire used to collect employee information. These surveys are designed to be short, which helps with completion rates. Pulse surveys can also support employee engagement and continuous improvement.
2. Engagement surveys: Annual employee engagement surveys collect basic information while assessing your team members’ engagement and satisfaction. They can be used in conjunction with shorter pulse surveys to identify areas of potential improvement and growth, while supporting HR initiatives and productivity.

Going forward your business can use surveys to capture information, assess engagement, and drive employee motivation and productivity going forward. You can also use an employee census for payroll to help calculate wages, withdrawals, contributions to retirement plans, and more. These surveys can support specific initiatives within your business and general HR compliance.

Key components of an employee census

There are three key components to consider with an employee census:

1. Demographic information: Your business must keep an accurate database of employee demographic information. This can include the employee’s name, date of birth, address, gender, contact information, Social Security number, marital status, and number of dependents. To that end, you will also want to have each dependent’s name, their Social Security number, and relationship to the employee.
2. Employee data: This portion of your employee census should cover each team member’s hire date, employee ID, status (full-time or part-time, exempt or nonexempt), titles, compensation information, and union status, if applicable. It can also include contributions to your organization’s benefits plans.
3. Employee experience metrics: Finally, your employee census can include key experience metrics, such as employee satisfaction, productivity, longevity, promotions, absenteeism, and feedback. Some organizations use a net promoter score, which asks each employee, “How likely are you to recommend our company to a potential recruit?”

This collective census data can provide an accurate annual picture of your business and inform your benefits, insurance programs, and employee engagement initiatives.

Benefits of conducting an employee census

As you may have already determined, there are significant benefits to creating and conducting an annual employee census:

• Improvement in retirement plan administration: Collecting accurate employee information will help your benefits team optimize retirement plans for team members, delivering programs your employees both want and need
• Optimization of benefits renewal processes: By tailoring benefits to your team members and ensuring fair and competitive programs, you can streamline and optimize your benefits renewal processes
• Enhanced employee satisfaction: Employees appreciate being seen and heard. Your annual surveys can capture information that leads to improvements in company culture and workplace programs, driving increased employee satisfaction and longevity
• Data-driven decision making: When you obtain current information on every employee in your organization, you have a wealth of useful data to update everything from benefits to employee wellness programs and more. Data is a valuable currency for businesses looking to save time, money, and make smart decisions
• Strategic planning for growth: Last but definitely not least, employee census information will give you a wealth of input to drive strategic planning for growth. It can also help with workforce forecasting, succession planning, acquiring and retaining top talent

Annual employee surveys can also support annual compliance testing and follow-through.

Challenges of implementing an employee census

This is a case where the pros outweigh the cons. That said, implementing an employee census can present a few roadblocks.

• Employee nonresponse: You might struggle to get some employees to complete a survey, no matter how short, and may need to make this a mandatory task
• Privacy concerns: Some employees may be concerned that their information will be used against them or become public. Strict privacy controls are essential
• Massive amounts of data: If your organization is new to data-driven decision-making, the sheer volume of information you receive can initially be overwhelming

You will need to train staff on delivering and communicating the value of your employee census. A third-party vendor can help you create and launch an effective annual survey.

Best practices for conducting an employee census

To support your success, here are three key best practices for conducting an annual census:

1. Pay attention to timing and frequency: As a general rule, your census should be administered at the same time each year. Make sure you aren’t sending it out immediately after a major holiday or during a hectic business season.
2. Focus on sound data collection: How are you collecting employee data? Your data collection and recordkeeping should be flawless to ensure the data’s accuracy, privacy, and usefulness.
3. Maintain confidentiality and compliance: Confidentiality and compliance are the keys to a successful process. If you have concerns about either, a partner can help streamline and secure your process from conception to analysis.