Over the past 18 months, something encouraging has been unfolding across Housing Associations, and we’ve had a front-row seat.
As an employee voice platform, Hive partners with organisations across the Housing Sector to help them listen to their people, act on feedback, and build stronger workplace cultures. That means we’re lucky enough to see a wealth of engagement data from real employees across dozens of Housing Associations. And the trend over the last year and a half? It’s all pointing in the right direction.
From January 2024 to June 2025, employee engagement metrics from Hive customers in the Housing Sector have steadily improved. In a time where many industries are grappling with retention, wellbeing, and burnout, Housing Associations are proving that a long-term investment in employee engagement really does pay off.
We love seeing these numbers rise, but they don’t rise on their own. They reflect the smart, consistent effort of organisations using Hive to turn employee voice into real, lasting change.
Understanding the data behind engagement
Before we dive into the numbers, it’s worth explaining the key metrics we benchmark and what they mean for organisations:
employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) measures how likely employees are to recommend their organisation as a great place to work. Scores above zero are positive, and a higher score reflects stronger employee advocacy and satisfaction.
Engagement Index captures employees’ emotional connection to their work and commitment to the organisation (measured on a scale of 0 to 10 with a result of 7 and above indicating a positive score).
Pride reflects how aligned and proud employees feel about their role and employer.
Loyalty indicates how likely employees are to stay with the organisation long-term.
Advocacy measures how willing employees are to promote their organisation externally.
Together, these metrics offer a comprehensive picture of how employees feel, and when they improve, it’s a strong signal of a healthier, more motivated workforce.
In fact, Gallup research shows that highly engaged teams see 17% higher productivity, up to 10% better customer satisfaction scores, and as much as 43% lower turnover, outcomes that matter deeply in a purpose-driven sector like housing.
The numbers tell a story of progress for Housing Associations
Let’s take a look at the actual data, collected from Hive customers operating in the Housing Association sector:
Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) climbed from 0 to +28 between January 2024 and June 2025. That’s a huge shift in how likely employees are to recommend their organisation as a great place to work.
The Engagement Index rose from 6.7 to 7.6, reflecting a stronger emotional connection and commitment to work.
Pride increased from 7.0 to 7.9, showing that people are feeling more aligned and proud of what they do.
Loyalty went up from 6.2 to 7.2 reflecting greater intent to stay and a stronger long-term commitment to the organisation.
Advocacy improved from 6.8 to 7.9, suggesting that employees are increasingly willing to speak positively about their organisation—both inside and outside of work—which reflects growing trust, pride, and belief in the mission.
These steady improvements over 18 months aren’t just numbers, they represent real shifts in how employees experience their workplace.
In practice, this means Housing Associations are seeing better retention, higher morale, and stronger advocacy, which ultimately benefits the quality of services delivered to tenants and communities.
How Wythenshawe Community Housing Group is turning listening into lasting culture change
A brilliant example of this in action is Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG), a Hive customer that’s made employee voice central to their people strategy.
During a time of rapid growth, WCHG knew their culture needed to keep up with their expanding operations. They used Hive’s platform and teamed up with our employee voice experts to dig into the most important insights by:
- Tailoring surveys to capture meaningful feedback
- Partnering with leadership and managers to help interpret results
- Identifying the key drivers of employee engagement
- Using regression analysis to understand exactly which aspects of work life influence engagement most, so leaders can focus their efforts on factors truly have the biggest impact
This data-driven approach made it easier to focus on what would really move the needle. It helped them shift from just collecting feedback to actually acting on it, and building a culture where decisions are backed by real evidence. Best of all, they got leadership fully on board every step of the way.
“The survey helped us sharpen our focus. Instead of guessing what employees needed, we had clear, data-backed insights to drive meaningful improvements. We’re making big changes as a business, and the survey has helped us check in with our people along the way, making sure they feel supported and heard.”
– Laura Heron, Head of People
This proactive, people-first approach is exactly the kind of commitment that sits behind the rising metrics we’re seeing across the sector. WCHG’s results speak volumes: they achieved a +44 increase in eNPS (employee Net Promoter Score), an improvement in Engagement Index from 7.9 in 2023 to 8.1 in 2024 and an impressive 78% survey response rate.
And the results don’t stop there:
WCHG’s focus on employee engagement has led to external recognition, with the organisation winning:
- Northern Housing Award for Excellence in Company Culture & Employee Development
- Women in Housing & Housing Hero Awards – Employer of the Year
Why engagement equals better business performance
It’s easy to view employee engagement as a “soft” metric, but the reality is, it has a direct and measurable impact on organisational performance.
Engaged employees are more productive, take fewer sick days, deliver better service, and stay longer in their roles. That’s not opinion, it’s backed by research and reflected in business results. In fact:
- Companies with highly engaged teams see 17% higher productivity (Gallup)
- Organisations with high eNPS scores tend to have lower turnover rates and stronger employer brands, helping them attract top talent
- In purpose-driven sectors like housing, engaged employees drive better outcomes for tenants and communities through stronger service and more consistent care
When employees feel connected to their purpose and heard by their organisation, they bring more energy and care to their roles, creating a positive ripple effect across the business and community.
Common challenges Housing Associations face
Of course, achieving and sustaining engagement in Housing Associations isn’t always straightforward. These organisations often operate under unique and complex conditions:
- Dispersed teams working across multiple sites or in the field.
- High emotional labour, especially for frontline staff supporting vulnerable communities.
- Resource constraints—both in time and budget that make traditional engagement strategies harder to scale.
- Difficulty gathering honest, actionable feedback at regular intervals.
These challenges can make it difficult to hear every voice, and even harder to act on what you hear.
So how are Housing Associations turning the tide?
The key is a consistent, meaningful employee voice. The organisations we work with aren’t just sending out an annual survey, they’re embedding listening into the everyday fabric of work. They’re:
- Checking in regularly with customisable surveys that reflect what matters most to their teams.
- Using always-on feedback tools to capture what people are thinking in real time so they can respond to queries, thoughts and feelings consistently and immediately.
- Celebrating effort and culture with peer-to-peer recognition.
- Analysing sentiment with help from employee voice experts, who translate feedback into clear, actionable steps.
- Bringing employee feedback to life by turning insights into clear, trackable tasks with ownership and deadlines, helping teams stay accountable and make real, lasting change.
- Conducting pulse surveys on the regular to keep their finger on what’s going on throughout the year to identify more opportunities from employee voice insights.
At Hive, we’re proud to provide the tools, but the real transformation comes from within. It’s the Housing Associations themselves that are asking better questions, acting on insights, and doing the hard work of closing the feedback loop.
Berwickshire Housing Association: +20pt eNPS , 80% response rate.
“The high response rate is a testament to the trust our employees have in Hive. They know their voices will be heard.” – Lynne Bryce – People and Culture Lead
The real heroes of this story
While we love seeing these positive numbers, we know they don’t belong to us, they belong to the organisations we support.
This data reflects the ongoing effort, care, and attention that Housing Associations are putting into their people. It’s the result of leaders choosing to listen, teams choosing to engage, and HR professionals driving change in the face of complex challenges.
And it’s a model that many other sectors could learn from.
So we’ll leave the final word to someone who works closely with these organisations every day, Hive’s employee voice expert, Patti Turfrey:
“It’s an absolute privilege to work alongside our Housing Association customers. The people I get to support are some of the most passionate and dedicated I’ve ever met—genuinely driven by a desire to do right by their colleagues and the communities they serve. There’s a real, shared belief that employees are not only the heart of an organisation, but also the key to driving it forward.
Despite the immense challenges these teams face, they continue to show up with care and commitment every day. The cost-of-living crisis has only deepened the pressures, and employees are increasingly finding themselves on the front line of incredibly complex and emotionally demanding situations—from supporting tenants with mental health issues, drug and alcohol dependencies, to stepping into roles that, in the past, may have been handled by more specialised public services like the NHS or police. Many are being asked to do more with less, and the emotional toll of that cannot be underestimated.
And yet, it’s clear from the feedback we see that people aren’t walking away—they’re staying because they care deeply about making a difference. It’s genuinely uplifting to see organisations recognise that dedication, and give back by listening, supporting, and building cultures that help their people thrive. What shines through, time and time again, is the care employees have for the work they do and the people they support. To play a part in helping these organisations capture, understand, and act on that voice is something I feel genuinely proud of.”
Start making data-driven decisions about the future of your organisation
Written by:
Beth Halliday
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