Across KPMG, we conduct an annual Global People Survey (GPS). This survey measures employee engagement, as well as our performance in other areas from career growth and collaboration to innovation, clients, leadership and work environment. Our annual survey is supported by regular pulse surveys to ensure we can take quick action, if required, throughout the year.
Our last annual GPS took place in October 2021 – before the war in Ukraine and the sharp rise in energy prices. Results for the Netherlands showed an overall engagement rate of 79%, broadly in line with 2020[1]. Audit quality, career growth and learning all scored particularly well – above group and external benchmarks. There were lower scores for well-being, reward & recognition and corporate citizenship. Employees also voiced concern about work volumes – a finding borne out by a separate culture survey carried out for the first time this year[2].
Based on these results, we set four priorities for the Board of Management:
Work volume management (with attention to individuals’ work-life balance and well-being as part of culture of inclusion)
Leadership behaviors (based on company’s vision, values and strategy)
Innovation and delivering excellence to clients
Reward and recognition
These priorities were integrated into our 2022 Engagement Plan and measures taken to further strengthen employee engagement, including the launch of our Psychological Safety initiative and a significant investment in rewards and benefits. Our 2022 survey went live in October – we will publish the results in our 2022/2023 Annual Integrated Report. This was the first survey since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic and the switch to our hybrid working program, with employees dividing their time between home, office and client visits[3].
- 1Please note we introduced a new methodology for the 2021 survey, which means the scores are not directly comparable with the previous year. For reference, our engagement score for 2020 was 83%. On a like-for-like basis, our score for 2021 would have been 84%.
- 2Carried out in cooperation with Barrett CVA. The survey measures the degree of alignment between employees’ personal values and the firm’s current and target cultural values.
- 3As part of this, we have issued a ‘Five-point promise of hybrid working’ and introduced a new mechanism to allow remote working from outside the Netherlands.