The HR director of a $6,000-$employee hospital is meeting with the hospital$$s CEO about potentially conducting an employee engagement survey, which the hospital has never done. The hospital$$s turnover is low, and it pays competitive wages and benefits. It is nonunion except for $200$ employees in its food service department. There is a sense that a baseline assessment of employee work environment perceptions and the employees$$ commitment to serving patients is needed.

Despite anecdotal evidence that employees are relatively satisfied with the work environment and committed to serving patients, employees have complained through the organizational hotline about lack of management support in some areas. Since other hospitals in the market have experienced union organizing activity, there is concern about possible unionization. While the CEO is interested in the survey, there is fear that it will raise employee expectations that the organization cannot meet, increasing employee dissatisfaction.

The HR director is planning a follow$-$up meeting with the administrator and an external consultant. The goal is to share with the CEO best employer practices in conducting engagement surveys, the positive benefits of using surveys to improve morale, and appropriate engagement strategies and practices to support managers in improving performance and productivity.

In developing the business case for the CEO in collaboration with the external consultant, which is the best action for the HR director to take?