Action planning case study: How organisations deliver meaningful change

Action planning is the step that turns survey results into meaningful progress. Employees lose confidence if feedback isn’t followed by action. This case study shows how organisations like Wolseley, King’s, Gleeson and RNCM worked with People Insight to embed action planning and create lasting cultural change. 

Employee surveys are powerful. But without action planning, they risk being seen as just another exercise. What makes surveys credible is what follows: results shared openly, managers taking ownership of local actions, and employees seeing visible progress. Done well, action planning builds trust, strengthens engagement and makes feedback a genuine driver of change. 

At People Insight, we’ve seen that organisations who commit to action planning gain the most from their surveys. Wolseley, King’s College London, RNCM and Gleeson each approached it differently, but all created measurable improvements by embedding action planning at the heart of their survey programmes. 

Wolseley’s journey with People Insight shows how action planning creates visible progress. Three years into the partnership, they introduced annual and six-monthly pulse surveys to track impact. One bold addition was asking, “What difference have you seen since the last survey?”. And the data confirmed employees were seeing change. 

Between surveys, overall engagement increased by 6%, employee development scores rose by 12% and favourable responses to “The business provides me with opportunities for learning and development” jumped by 15%. Pride improved by 3%, advocacy by 4% and employee retention by 9%. 

Participation remained high at around 75%, supported by strong communications, videographic summaries and monthly “Let’s Act!” features in the We Are Wolseley newsletter. Managers with ten or more reports were given dashboard access — a “game changer” that drove ownership of results and accountability for follow-up. 

Survey feedback also inspired lasting initiatives. The Wolseley Talent Guild, an award-winning career development programme, grew directly from calls for clearer career pathways. More recently, feedback informed new company values and an internal awards scheme, proving that action planning continues to shape the business year after year. 

When King’s College London ran its first all-staff survey in six years, more than 6,400 employees took part, and they had an impressive 60% response rate. The scale of the feedback was significant, but the real breakthrough came with action planning. 

With People Insight’s support, King’s developed 180 local action plans and 12 organisational-level ones. Laurie Gallagher, staff survey and data manager, explained how workshops helped leaders focus on the areas with the biggest shifts in sentiment, rather than spreading their efforts too thin. This gave managers clarity and made action achievable. 

Leadership visibility was also critical. Roadshows led by the Vice Chancellor showed staff that feedback was taken seriously at the highest level. Together, local ownership and senior accountability created measurable improvements, with cooperation and change management scores increasing after action planning was introduced. 

For Gleeson, action planning has been at the centre of a transformation in engagement. Back in 2019, survey participation was 44%. By 2024, it had grown to 91%. 

Alice Best, head of organisational development, highlighted the importance of “shared action”. Using the People Insight dashboard, managers across six regions developed their own action plans, supported by central oversight. This balance allowed local tailoring while keeping the organisation aligned. 

Communication was simple but effective. Updates were delivered through roadshows, newsletters, posters and even QR codes on site, making action visible to a dispersed workforce. “you said, we did” became a clear signal that survey results were not being filed away but acted on. The outcome was growing belief in the value of surveys and stronger employee confidence in leadership. 

The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) has also shown how action planning creates meaningful change. Following its staff survey, the College achieved a 69% response rate and an impressive 88% engagement rate, 15 points higher than the sector benchmark. 

The most striking outcome was a 23-point lead over the sector average in belief that RNCM would act on survey results. This came from a deliberate focus on openness. Results were shared on the staff intranet with clear “what happens next” updates, while managers led discussions within their teams to agree local actions. Progress was monitored via dashboards and discussed with both trade unions and the Staff Engagement Group. 

Over two years, scores improved steadily in areas such as equality (+4 points), cooperation (+9 points) and change management (+10 points). Recognition scores were also 13 points higher than the sector average. These improvements were directly tied to RNCM’s commitment to transparent communication, inclusive action planning and consistent follow-up.

Across Wolseley, King’s, Gleeson and RNCM, one theme stands out: belief that action will follow survey results. At RNCM, this figure is 23 points above the sector average. At Gleeson, trust in action planning helped deliver record-high response rates. At King’s, belief grew as staff saw both senior leaders and local managers acting on results. At Wolseley, visible initiatives such as the Talent Guild provided proof that feedback shaped decisions. 

Belief in action matters because it drives participation and strengthens culture. When employees know their feedback leads to change, they are more engaged and motivated. Action planning is what sustains this feedback loop and cycle of listening, acting and improving. 

Turning survey data into practical action can be daunting. Thousands of comments and scores can leave managers unsure where to start. That’s where People Insight supports organisations with a blend of technology and consultancy. 

Prism, our revolutionary AI, highlights priority themes, pointing leaders to the areas where action will have the most impact. The action centre within our platform gives managers practical guidance, suggested actions and trackable steps. Dashboards provide visibility across teams, so progress is clear and accountability is shared. 

Our consultants run action planning workshops that help leaders set realistic goals and avoid the trap of trying to fix everything at once. The combination of platform and human expertise ensures that action planning becomes part of the organisation’s culture, not just a one-off activity. 

Wolseley, King’s, Gleeson and RNCM demonstrate that action planning is not something to tick off after a survey. It is an ongoing process that builds trust, strengthens engagement and delivers lasting results. 

Each organisation shows how consistent follow-up transforms survey results into meaningful change. Surveys provide the insight. Action planning makes it real. 

Surveys are only the first step. Action planning is where employee voice becomes visible progress. With People Insight’s employee survey platform and consultancy, your organisation can take feedback and turn it into meaningful change that builds trust, strengthens engagement and delivers lasting results.