How is eNPS calculated?

Employees answer how likely they are to recommend the organisation as a place to work on a 0 to 10 scale. The percentage scoring 0 to 6 is subtracted from the percentage scoring 9 or 10, giving a score from -100 to +100.

What happens to scores of 7 and 8 in eNPS?

They are counted in the total responses but not in either group, so they pull the score towards zero without adding to or subtracting from it.

Should the eNPS survey be anonymous?

Generally yes, because people are less likely to give a low score if they can be identified. Report results only for groups large enough that individuals cannot be picked out.

Is eNPS enough on its own?

No. It shows sentiment but not the reason for it, so it is usually paired with an open follow-up question asking what drove the score.

HR & payroll glossary

Employee net promoter score (eNPS)

Companies on HRMagix: 120+
Employees managed: 9,000+
Integrated modules: 12
Free trial, no card: 14-day

Definition

A measure from one question: how likely an employee is to recommend the organisation as a place to work, on a scale of 0 to 10. Those scoring 9 or 10 are promoters and 0 to 6 detractors; the score is the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors, so it ranges from -100 to +100.

In practice

HR usually runs eNPS as a short pulse survey once or twice a year, often with one follow-up question asking why the person gave that score. The survey is kept anonymous, and results are reported only for groups large enough that individuals cannot be identified.

Illustration: of 200 responses, 70 are promoters, 90 passives and 40 detractors. Promoters are 35% and detractors 20%, so eNPS is +15. If a department of 30 shows -10, the comments from that group are where HR starts its conversations with the team's manager.

The common mistake is treating the number as the outcome. The score moves when something changes for employees, so the follow-up action, shared back with the teams that responded, matters more than the next survey. Comparing scores between companies is also unreliable, as response rates and timing differ.

Treated in depthEmployee Engagement Guide

FAQs

eNPS: common questions

Employees answer how likely they are to recommend the organisation as a place to work on a 0 to 10 scale. The percentage scoring 0 to 6 is subtracted from the percentage scoring 9 or 10, giving a score from -100 to +100.
They are counted in the total responses but not in either group, so they pull the score towards zero without adding to or subtracting from it.
Generally yes, because people are less likely to give a low score if they can be identified. Report results only for groups large enough that individuals cannot be picked out.
No. It shows sentiment but not the reason for it, so it is usually paired with an open follow-up question asking what drove the score.

HR & Payroll Glossary

Book a demo

See HRMagix run on your own payroll month

Book a demo See pricing

14-day free trial · Full access to all 12 modules · Zero implementation fee · Cancel anytime

Keep exploring

Where to go next

In practice