Listening to our 11,000 Volunteers and Employees - Cats Protection

Supporting Cats Protection’s people-first approach

Cats Protection are committed to listening to their people so that their voices shape organisational priorities as well as locally led improvements.

The charity ran its first organisation-wide people survey in 2019, then again in 2022, and most recently in 2025. Each survey provided rich insights, and the Cats Protection team ensure the results are meaningful, acted upon, and clearly communicated.

Julie Meredith, Associate Director of Volunteering, People Engagement and Inclusion, explains: “We know that when our people feel engaged and valued, they bring much more discretionary effort—the magic dust—which means we can do even more for cats.”

Establishing a robust people listening strategy

Cats Protection’s listening strategy incorporates feedback at pivotal moments of the employee and volunteer lifecycle:

• Organisation-wide people surveys for both employees and volunteers.
• Action planning at organisational and team levels, ensuring both “big ticket” priorities and local improvements are addressed.
• Exit surveys to generate data to inform retention strategies.
• Online platforms to engage our people and create meaningful conversations
• Leadership presence and visibility

Turning feedback into action

• Organisational priorities identified through surveys and follow up engagement are linked directly to strategic planning and budgets.
• Local team action planning empowers managers to take meaningful, bespoke action.
• Sharing best practice by mapping local action plans happening across the organisation in a “heatmap” style, to identify where there are common issues and initiatives to be addressed at an organisational level.

Keeping communication alive

• Results and actions are consistently communicated year-round through blogs, newsletters, and CEO webinars to maintain trust and visibility.

"With Agenda, we feel supported and understood. Add WorkBuzz to the mix and we’ve now got a platform that’s easy to use, fast, and flexible. Reports are clear, quick, and engaging, giving us what we need almost instantly. Together they give us the tools and confidence to listen to our people and act on what we hear."

Improving the engagement survey approach with the combination of Agenda and WorkBuzz

• Sector expertise: Agenda’s deep understanding of the voluntary sector means Cats Protection feels “in safe hands.”
• Partnership approach: Years of collaboration have built trust, consistency, and confidence.
• Cutting-edge technology: WorkBuzz delivers the speed and accessibility the charity needs, without compromising on personal, down-to-earth service.
• Future flexibility: Cats Protection plans to expand use of WorkBuzz for pulse surveys and local initiatives.  
  Julie Meredith, Associate Director of Volunteering, People Engagement and Inclusion, explains: “We know that when our people feel engaged and valued, they bring much more discretionary effort—the magic dust—which means we can do even more for cats.”

Looking Ahead

Cats Protection plans to continue building momentum in its people listening strategy—improving response rates, strengthening trust in leadership, and connecting engagement more closely with outcomes for cats.

With Agenda and WorkBuzz alongside them, the charity is well placed to keep making those “one step at a time” improvements that add up to lasting cultural change.