For years, action planning has been the go-to response after employee surveys. HR leaders collect feedback, analyze the results, and craft action plans designed to address workforce concerns. Sounds good in theory, right? In reality, traditional action planning is a slow, cumbersome process that prioritizes checking a box over making real improvements for frontline workers.

Traditional action planning typically involves identifying a workforce pain point, then taking weeks—sometimes months—to develop an action plan, get buy-in and approvals from leadership, roll out the initiative, and wait for results that are difficult to measure or attribute directly to the original issue. It’s a slow, reactive process that lacks the agility needed for today’s frontline environments.

The problem: Action planning is built for HR, not Operations

The biggest flaw in action planning? It was designed for corporate environments, not the fast-moving world of frontline operations. Traditional action plans take months to develop, approve, and implement. Meanwhile, the workforce has already changed—turnover rates have shifted, new challenges have emerged, and the issues flagged in the survey may no longer be relevant.

Workforces on the frontline are dynamic. The employees who submitted feedback in June may not even be with the company in September. So why spend time developing long-term action plans that might not even apply to the current workforce?

Additionally, action plans tend to be overly broad. A single, high-level strategy for the entire workforce fails to address the specific challenges individual employees or teams face. Instead of feeling heard, workers see a generic response that may not apply to their concerns.

Why action planning became a check-the-box exercise

HR leaders adopted action planning for a good reason: they wanted to show employees they were doing something with feedback. But over time, it became just another item on a to-do list.

A typical cycle looks like this:

1. HR runs an annual or biannual engagement survey.
2. Employees submit feedback on everything from safety concerns to leadership communication.
3. Results are compiled, themes are identified, and leaders are asked to submit an action plan.
4. A few months later, HR checks in—Did you complete your action plan?

And that’s where the process ends. There’s no real accountability, no mechanism for measuring whether the actions taken made an impact. Most importantly, no ongoing iteration.

The result? A workforce that quickly learns their feedback leads to plans, not progress. Over time, employees disengage, and response rates decline.

The alternative: Less planning, more action

Instead of lengthy action plans, organizations should focus on immediate, continuous action. Here’s how:

1. Use AI to identify and prioritize actionable insights
   Not all feedback is created equal. AI-powered tools can identify trends and urgent issues that require immediate attention. For example, WorkStep uses AI to surface key workforce concerns, helping leaders know exactly where to focus their efforts—whether it’s fixing a safety issue, addressing communication gaps, or solving operational bottlenecks.
2. Take quick, targeted actions
   Instead of waiting for an approved action plan, leaders should be empowered to respond in real time. Small, frequent improvements, like fixing a broken process, addressing a common scheduling complaint, or improving equipment availability, create momentum and build trust with employees.
3. Measure and iterate in real time
   Rather than relying on year-over-year survey results, organizations should track workforce sentiment continuously. If an action is taken, how do employees feel about it? Did their feedback lead to meaningful change? By measuring in real time, companies can adjust their approach based on what’s working (and what isn’t).
4. Close the loop with employees
   Employees need to see that their feedback matters. Instead of silent improvements, organizations should communicate the changes they’ve made and invite continued input. This creates a positive feedback loop—good feedback leads to action, which encourages more honest, useful feedback.

The future: Action as a click-button process

At WorkStep, we believe in making frontline engagement seamless. That’s why our platform transforms feedback into immediate, trackable actions. Leaders log in and see exactly what steps to take, no waiting for approvals or lengthy plans. It’s about empowering frontline managers to fix problems today, not months from now.