Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS): Formula and Example

Employee net promoter score, or eNPS, measures how likely employees are to recommend the company as a place to work. Employees answer one question on a 0 to 10 scale, and the score is the percentage of promoters, who answer 9 or 10, minus the percentage of detractors, who answer 0 to 6, giving a number between minus 100 and plus 100.

Formula

eNPS = Percentage of promoters minus Percentage of detractors, where promoters answer 9 or 10, passives 7 or 8, and detractors 0 to 6

Term	Meaning
Promoters	Respondents who answered 9 or 10 to the question: how likely are you to recommend this company as a place to work?
Passives	Respondents who answered 7 or 8. They count in total responses but in neither percentage.
Detractors	Respondents who answered 0 to 6.
Total responses	Everyone who answered the question, the base for both percentages.

Worked example

A hospitality group in Goa ran an anonymous survey in August 2026. 250 employees answered the eNPS question: 95 gave 9 or 10, 90 gave 7 or 8, and 65 gave a score between 0 and 6.

Total responses = 95 + 90 + 65 = 250
Promoters = 95 / 250 x 100 = 38%
Detractors = 65 / 250 x 100 = 26%
eNPS = 38 minus 26 = +12

Result: The eNPS is +12: promoters outnumber detractors, but a quarter of respondents are unhappy enough to discourage others. The comments behind the detractor scores matter more than the number.

How to read the score

eNPS runs from minus 100, when everyone is a detractor, to plus 100, when everyone is a promoter. A positive score means promoters outnumber detractors. The absolute number means little on its own, because culture, industry and survey timing all affect it. What matters is your trend: ask the same question at the same point each year or quarter, compare the results, and compare departments within the company.

Running the survey well

Keep the survey anonymous and say so clearly, or people will score higher than they feel. Add one open follow-up question, such as what one change would make this a better place to work, because the number alone cannot tell you what to fix. Report results only for groups large enough to protect anonymity, for example ten or more respondents, and share the results and one or two actions with employees within a few weeks.

eNPS by department and location, for groups large enough to stay anonymous.
Response rate shown beside every score.
Top themes from the follow-up comments.

Pitfalls with eNPS

A low response rate makes eNPS unreliable, because the people who answer may be the happiest or the angriest. Changing the wording or the scale breaks comparison with past surveys. Running the survey right after increments or layoffs produces a score that reflects the event more than the workplace. And making eNPS a target for managers invites pressure on employees to score high, which defeats the purpose.

How to improve it

Act visibly on the top one or two themes from each survey and report back to employees.
Ask managers to discuss team results openly without trying to identify respondents.
Fix everyday irritants that employees notice, such as late salaries, unfair rosters and slow approvals.
Recognize good work regularly, not only in annual reviews.
Run the survey on a fixed schedule so the trend stays comparable.

Tracking it in ZeniaHR

ZeniaHR does not have an eNPS survey, so collect the 0 to 10 answers anonymously in a survey form outside the system. ZeniaHR helps around it: active headcount by department from employee records gives the invited base, the Company Wall can announce the survey and share results, and anonymous single-choice polls on the wall suit short follow-up questions.

See it on your own data

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Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate eNPS?

Ask employees how likely they are to recommend the company as a place to work on a 0 to 10 scale. Work out the percentage who answered 9 or 10 and the percentage who answered 0 to 6, then subtract the second from the first. For example, 38 percent promoters and 26 percent detractors give an eNPS of +12.

What is a good eNPS score?

Any score above zero means promoters outnumber detractors, but there is no universal good score, because industry, culture and survey timing all shift results. Track your own score over time with the same question and timing, compare departments, and read the comments to understand what drives the number.

Why are passives left out of the eNPS calculation?

Passives, who answer 7 or 8, are counted in total responses but in neither percentage, because they are neither likely to recommend the company nor likely to discourage others. They still matter, since passives are often the easiest group to turn into promoters with a few specific improvements.