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Employee net promoter score (eNPS) is a simple yet powerful way to measure how much your employees truly love working at your company. It all comes down to one question:
Based on their answers, employees fall into three groups:
- Promoters (9–10): These are your biggest fans—employees who are excited about their job and actively recommend your company to others.
- Passives (7–8): They’re satisfied but not enthusiastic. Passives won’t actively promote your company, but they’re not unhappy either.
- Detractors (0–6): These employees are less satisfied and may even discourage others from joining your organization.
This breakdown gives you a clear snapshot of employee engagement and loyalty. Originally adapted from Bain & Company’s customer NPS, eNPS delivers honest, real-time feedback on your workplace culture.
Why Does eNPS Matter?
When employees feel good about where they work, they’re more likely to stay, do great work, and help your company grow. A high eNPS means your team is engaged, loyal, and proud of your workplace culture.
When your team feels this way, your business sees better results—plain and simple.
Engaged employees drive profits: companies with highly engaged teams are 21% more profitable.
What’s more, happy employees create happy customers. By tracking eNPS, you can spot issues early and build a stronger, more motivated workforce.
How to Calculate eNPS Score?
eNPS is calculated by using the formula:
eNPS = % of Promoters - % of Detractors.
Here's how to calculate each part.
% of Promoters: Count the number of employees who scored 9 or 10 on the eNPS survey. Divide the number of Promoters by the total number of respondents, and multiply the result by 100 to get the percentage.
% of Detractors: Count the number of employees who scored 0 to 6 on the eNPS survey. Then divide the number of detractors by the total number of respondents, and multiply the result by 100 to get the percentage.
The final eNPS score can range from -100 to +100.
1. Categorize Responses
Promoters (9-10). Employees who'd happily recommend your company as a workplace.
Passives (7-8). Satisfied, but not enthusiastic.
Detractors (0-6). Those who might not recommend your company.
2. Calculate the eNPS score
eNPS = (% of Promoters) - (% of Detractors)
Example 1:
Let's say you surveyed 120 employees, and out of them,
Promoters: 75 respondents (62.5%)
Detractors: 15 (12.5%)
Passives: Aren't counted.
The eNPS score is - 62.5% - 12.5% = 50
50 is a strong score and it means that your team is engaged and your workplace culture is on point.
Example 2:
Surveyed: 500 employees
Promoters: 150 (30%)
Detractors: 250 (50%)
eNPS: 30% - 50% = -20
This means that there are more detractors than promoters, and its time to focus on listening and improving.
How to Interpret Your eNPS Score?
1. Positive eNPS (Above 0) 👍
What it means: More promoters than detractors. Your team is generally happy, engaged, and proud of your workplace culture.
Example: An eNPS of +40 means most employees would recommend your company as a great place to work.
2. Neutral eNPS (Around 0) ↔️
What it means: Promoters and detractors are about even. There’s room to boost engagement and loyalty.
Example: An eNPS of +5 signals it’s time to listen to your team and make improvements.
3. Negative eNPS (Below 0) 👎
What it means: More detractors than promoters. This highlights real issues that need attention.
Example: An eNPS of -15 suggests a significant portion of your team is unhappy or disengaged.
eNPS Industry benchmarks to know
Comparing your score against industry benchmarks help you set realistic goals and understand if your employee engagement efforts are hitting the mark.
- +41 and above: Outstanding—your team is highly engaged and loyal.
- +21 to +40: Very good—strong engagement, but there’s always room to grow.
- -10 to +20: Typical—some employees are happy, others less so; look for ways to improve.
- -11 and below: Low—time to dig into feedback and take action
What's a Good Employee Net Promoter Score?
The more favorable and engaged your employees are, the better will the score be.
Typically, any score above 0 is considered satisfactory, while a score of 50 or higher is excellent.
However, we don't recommend aiming to reach those standards as every organization has its own strengths, and weaknesses.
For example, if your organization recorded an eNPS score of 20 in the year 2025, then it should aim for a score of 25-30 in the year 2026.
But keep in mind that eNPS is not only about the figures.
It's crucial to dig into the narratives and insights behind the ratings. Consider using open-ended questions in your survey to get more detailed insights.
With the help of these questions, employees may give insightful feedback, explaining the rationale behind their ratings and making recommendations for improvement.
This additional input is essential for identifying the underlying reasons for the results and for directing your activities to raise employee engagement and satisfaction.
eNPS Survey Questions
The key to calculating eNPS lies in crafting survey questions that can provide valuable insights into the loyalty and satisfaction levels of your employees.
The big question
"On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our company as a place to work?"
This is the central query that underlies eNPS. It captures the entire attitude of your staff and provides you with a crystal-clear picture of how willing they are to speak up for your company.
Follow-up question for promoters
If an employee gives a high rating of 9 or 10, you might follow up by asking,
"What do you love most about working at our company?"
Promoters may share their good experiences with this question, which also exposes the areas of your business that are functioning effectively.
Further question for detractors
If an employee gives a poor rating of 0 to 6, it's critical to go deeper and comprehend their issues. You might inquire,
"What do you think needs to be improved, and what are the main reasons for your rating?"
Detractors might air their frustrations and offer you particular insights into areas that need your attention by answering this question.
Additional open-ended questions
You may add additional open-ended questions that invite employees to offer detailed input in addition to the main query.
You may inquire, for instance,
"What recommendations do you have for enhancing our work environment?"
or
"Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience working here?"
These inquiries invite employees to express their ideas, opinions, and worries in their own words.
Are there Benefits to Calculating eNPS?
Absolutely! It brings about several advantages. Let's examine some of the main benefits
1. A closer look at employee sentiment.
eNPS offers a glimpse of how your employees feel about working for your company, and provides insight into their sentiment.
It provides you with information on their loyalty and satisfaction levels in addition to simple numerical data.
You may determine their strengths and opportunities for development by paying attention to how they feel.
2. Identify issues early on
Monitoring employee satisfaction scores over time enables you to identify patterns and shifts in employee attitudes. It acts as a good early warning indicator if you detect a sharp decline in performance or a trend of persistent unhappiness.
This presents an opportunity for rapid problem-solving before problems worsen and lower general staff morale.
3. Actionable feedback
The qualitative input gleaned from eNPS questionnaires is priceless. eNPS survey questions gives employees a forum to express their ideas, worries, and suggestions for change.
This feedback is like a gold mine of information that may inform your choices and assist you in implementing specific adjustments to improve the working environment.
4. Strengthened employee engagement
Employees who are engaged are more inclined to support your company, go above and beyond, and work for its success.
You show your dedication to employee happiness and engagement by measuring eNPS and acting on the input you get. This, in turn, promotes a happy workplace, cultivates loyalty, and tightens the connection between employees and the company.
5. Talent attraction and retention
A high eNPS score conveys a favorable message to potential workers. Your employer brand is strong, and top talent is attracted when your present employees are happy and eager to endorse your business.
Additionally, contented employees are more likely to remain with your business, lowering turnover and related expenditures.
Leveraging eNPS surveys is an excellent approach to gauging employee loyalty and lower the turnover rates in your organization.
How to Improve eNPS?
If your employee net promoter score (eNPS) isn’t where you want it, you’re not alone. With a targeted, proactive approach, you can turn feedback into action and build a workplace where people want to stay and thrive.
1. Collect and Respond to Feedback Consistently
- Conduct regular eNPS surveys (quarterly, biannually, or as appropriate) to track changes in employee sentiment and spot trends based on real data.
- Don’t just collect scores—analyze both quantitative and qualitative feedback to identify key issues.
- Address detractor concerns first—focus on the reasons why some employees wouldn’t recommend your company. Prioritize these for action, as resolving them yields the greatest positive impact.
2. Actively Engage Employees in Solutions
- Invite employees to participate in crafting solutions to concerns raised in the surveys. Use task forces or cross-functional teams to address major themes.
- Seeking their input enhances idea quality and fosters teamwork and a sense of ownership, showing you value their contributions.
3. Build a Culture of Recognition, Growth, and Transparency
- Recognize and celebrate wins—big and small. Publicly acknowledging contributions boosts engagement and signals that employees are valued.
- Invest in employee development by offering training, upskilling, and clear career pathways. Employees who see a future at your company are more likely to promote it.
- Keep communication transparent—update your team regularly on company goals, changes, and improvements arising from their feedback. Transparency builds trust and deepens engagement.
4. Track Progress and Celebrate Success
- Monitor your eNPS over time and share improvements with your team to demonstrate the impact of their feedback.
- Host celebrations for milestones or positive changes, recognizing individuals and groups who contributed. This encourages ongoing participation and reinforces the value of employee input.
By acting on feedback, involving employees in decision-making, recognizing achievements, and maintaining open communication, you can drive substantial improvements in eNPS—building an organization where employees are proud to contribute and stay.
What's the Relation Between eNPS and Employee Engagement?
Employee engagement and eNPS work in tandem to build a supportive and effective workplace.
- High eNPS scores signal strong employee engagement and job satisfaction.
- High eNPS implies employees are engaged, motivated, and passionate about their work.
- Low eNPS suggests declining employee engagement, leading to disengagement and demotivation.
- A low eNPS serves as a warning to investigate the causes of disengagement.
Employee disengagement, demotivation, and a decreased propensity to exert extra effort can all result from unsatisfaction.
It acts as a warning indicator that urges further investigation into the causes of the disengagement.
You can spot trends and patterns in employee sentiment by measuring eNPS and monitoring it over time. This enables you to solve any problems or difficulties before they affect engagement levels. Employee engagement takes constant care and nurturing; it is not a one-time accomplishment.
How Does eNPS Contribute in Lowering Turnover Rates?
Leveraging eNPS surveys is an excellent approach to gauging employee loyalty and lower the turnover rates in your organization.
1. Identifies and address issues early-on
When eNPS scores are low, organizations can run additional pulse or engagement surveys to really understand what's wrong and what can be improved. This is because an eNPS survey contains a standalone question mark that isn't enough to tell you how immersed or committed one is towards his role.
2. Measures the impact of HR initiatives
eNPS surveys can be used to measure the effectiveness of initiatives before and after implementation. This helps guide an organization's efforts in reducing turnover rates, and improving morale.
3. Tracks progress against industry benchmarks
Tracking and measuring eNPS scores over time against industry benchmarks, organizations can measure the impact of their efforts to bolster employee engagement and retention.
4. Leverages employee advocacy
Organizations can collaborate with promoters of the company to build positive experiences that aids in attracting new talent and retaining existing ones.
Utilize the Power of eNPS With ThriveSparrow
The golden metric that unveils the loyalty and happiness of your workforce, eNPS, stands as a vital tool for successful organizations.
By implementing eNPS, you obtain useful insights into employee opinion, the ability to spot problems before they become serious ones, and the ability to affect real change.
Remember, your company thrives on the dedication of its staff. You can encourage a culture of cooperation, trust, and empowerment by acting on their suggestions and including them in the development of solutions.
While eNPS is a crucial metric, it's just the tip of the iceberg! Consider asking additional open-ended question to gain more insight into employee sentiment.
ThriveSparrow complements eNPS with beautifully crafted engagement surveys pinpointing the key drivers of engagement and job satisfaction.
Create stunning surveys in under 2 minutes and capture that feedback data and take actionable steps based on that data. And help managers gain a clear picture of their team's engagement with dynamic reports and heatmaps.
Help your managers leverage accurate data to make strategic and actionable decisions, and boost their team's engagement! > Book your free demo now, and get a complete walkthrough of enhancing your organization's loyalty score.
FAQs
1. What Is a Good Employee Net Promoter Score?
NPS scores, which can range from -100 to 100, are a valuable indicator. If your score is above 0, that's a good sign. However, hitting the mark above 30 or even 50 is even better! Remember that industry standards can vary, so it's worth checking out the benchmarks to see where you stand. This can help you fine-tune your efforts in boosting employee satisfaction and loyalty.
2. What Is the Difference Between NPS and eNPS?
NPS (Net Promoter Score) measures customer satisfaction, while eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) measures employee satisfaction.
NPS focuses on customers' likelihood to recommend a product or service, while eNPS focuses on employees' likelihood to recommend their workplace to friends and family.
3. What exactly is the employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)?
The employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) is a metric that measures employee loyalty and engagement. It's based on a single question asking employees how likely they are to recommend their company as a place to work, on a scale of 0-10. The responses are categorized into promoters, passives, and detractors to calculate the final score.
4. How is the eNPS calculated?
The eNPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. Promoters are those who score 9-10, passives 7-8, and detractors 0-6. The final score can range from -100 to +100, with any positive score indicating more promoters than detractors.
5. How often should eNPS surveys be conducted?
Most experts recommend conducting eNPS surveys quarterly. This frequency allows you to track trends in employee sentiment over time without causing survey fatigue. Some organizations opt for biannual surveys, especially if they have a more stable work environment with fewer changes.
6. How can companies improve their eNPS score?
To improve eNPS, companies should focus on acting on feedback, not just collecting it. This includes addressing common complaints from detractors, engaging passives with growth opportunities, and learning from promoters. Implementing targeted improvements, communicating changes, and creating a feedback loop are crucial steps. Remember, the goal is to create a workplace where employees genuinely want to be and recommend to others.
