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♟️ From Surveys to Strategy
👂 Listening That Feels Human
📌 Turning Feedback into Action
🤝 Building Trust Through Transparency
📈 Results Day Excitement
💡 Lessons for Every Organisation
〜 The Ripple Effect
At Butlin’s, their purpose is simple — create a more fun and entertaining break for their 1.4 million visitors each year. But behind every smile created on their three resorts lies a story of listening, learning, and leadership.
In a recent WorkBuzz webinar, Nick Searing, Head of Internal Communications at Butlin's, shared how his team turned a traditional “tick-box” employee survey into a thriving culture of listening that’s transforming how leaders connect with their people.
From Surveys to Strategy
Butlin's has always taken employee feedback seriously. With a strong response rate and a culture of openness, surveys had been a fixture of its people strategy. Yet, something was missing.
“We were great at collecting data,” Nick explained, “but not as strong at doing something meaningful with it. We needed a way to turn insight into action — not just posters on the wall.”
That’s where Butlin's partnered with WorkBuzz to reinvent their approach. The goal was clear: make surveys easy, engaging, and most importantly, actionable.
For a workforce largely made up of frontline, guest-facing team members, accessibility was key. “It had to be simple,” Nick said. “Our people aren’t sitting behind laptops all day, so we needed a way to reach them wherever they were.”
Listening That Feels Human
Working with WorkBuzz, Butlin's introduced new survey questions shaped directly by leaders and frontline teams. Instead of generic metrics, they focused on real conversations — questions like:
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What does your leader do well?
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What would you like to see your leader do more of?
“The power of those questions was phenomenal,” Nick shared. “They helped leaders see not what was ‘wrong’ but what people wanted more of. It turned feedback into something positive, developmental, and human.”
It’s a shift that aligns perfectly with findings from the People Priorities: Future of Work 2026 report, which highlights how communication, leadership behaviours, and action planning are the biggest differentiators in engagement success.
Turning Feedback into Action
With WorkBuzz’s ACT tool, Butlin's leaders now receive personalised action plans that recommend focus areas based on data. Gone are the days of static PowerPoints — now, teams can see what matters most to their people and respond quickly.
And the results? Leaders who once viewed surveys as admin tasks are now asking for more action plans. “They’re breaking things down by venue and really owning it,” Nick said. “We’ve never seen that level of enthusiasm before.”
Building Trust Through Transparency
Of course, change comes with challenges. Moving from open survey links to unique access codes initially raised concerns about confidentiality. But transparent communication turned uncertainty into trust.
Nick’s team produced videos, worked with WorkBuzz’s people science team, and kept repeating a clear message: your voice is confidential, and your feedback makes change happen.
The effort paid off. Employees began to see the tangible impact of their input — from recognition initiatives to wellbeing improvements — and engagement in the process grew stronger.
Results Day Excitement
When survey results landed, the energy was electric.
“It felt like results day at school,” Nick laughed. “Leaders were huddled together comparing insights, talking about next steps. We’ve never had that kind of buzz before.”
Butlin's leadership team went one step further, inviting WorkBuzz to present findings at their exec session. Having an external voice helped leaders digest the results with fresh eyes — turning data into dialogue and insight into impact.
Lessons for Every Organisation
Nick’s advice for others looking to transform employee listening is simple:
“Know what you want to get from it. You can run surveys every day, but if you don’t act on what you hear, people will stop believing in them.”
This mirrors what WorkBuzz research consistently shows: when employees believe their organisation will act on feedback, participation and trust soar.
Key takeaways for success:
✅ Bring leaders and operators into the process early — don’t make listening a “People Team” project.
✅ Prioritise action planning and communication just as much as collecting feedback.
✅ Celebrate what’s working — not just what needs improving.
The Ripple Effect
For Butlin's, employee listening has become more than a survey — it’s part of the company’s DNA. By combining technology, behavioural insight, and genuine care, they’ve created a listening culture that fuels smiles not only for guests, but for the people behind the magic too.
As Nick summed up:
“When you give your teams a great experience, they’ll give your guests a great experience. That’s what this is all about.”
