Ten steps to ensure employee surveys produce useful information
Surveys can be an effective tool for gathering facts, opinions, attitudes and perceptions. In recent years, technology has given more and more organizations access to survey tools needed to take the pulse of employees.
But the best technology is useless in collecting information to assist in developing a better workplace if employers don’t ensure the survey is well developed and properly analyzed.
If companies really want to find out what makes employees tick — and what will enhance workplace satisfaction and perceptions — there are common mistakes to guard against.
Errors to avoid
•Assuming that just because you can read and write, you can create a survey questionnaire. Garbage in equals garbage out. If the right questions aren’t asked in the right way, HR won’t collect valuable information.
•Failing to get a commitment from leadership to act. Even though there is authorization to conduct a survey, without authority or commitment from the leadership team to listen or take action on the results, the survey is pointless.
•Focusing on employee happiness. Having satisfied employees is certainly something to aim for, but if the business isn’t a success, no one will be happy for long. It’s essential to link employee satisfaction to business success measures.
•Neglecting to prepare a communication plan and strategy. If employees — and those conducting the survey — don’t understand the goals and objectives of the study and are not prepared for the questions, organizations may have a low response rate and the data may not be useful.
•Failing to realize a survey is a form of communication. When an organization conducts an employee survey, it sends certain messages and raise certain expectations. Think about what you’re saying through this tool before conducting the survey.
•Sampling incorrectly. If you don’t ask the right people or don’t set a large enough sample size, any conclusions you draw may be incorrect.
•Forcing participation. If employees are forced to respond to a survey, rather than encouraging them, it’s unethical and unlikely to produce reliable data.
•Making leaps of logic. Even if conclusions are based on the data, your findings must result from a rational, logical examination of the facts.
•Flawed analysis. Simply looking at the highest and lowest survey scores may provide some interesting information, but may not give the whole picture. You may have to take the data analysis one step further (for example, by using advanced statistical methods or gap analysis.)
•Failing to followup with employees. If a survey report sits on a shelf gathering dust and the results aren’t shared with employees, staff will draw their own conclusions. The result may be that the survey does more harm than good.
Jean Douglas is a consultant in Hewitt Associates’ talent and organization consulting practice in Vancouver. She can be reached at (604) 683-731 or [email protected].
But the best technology is useless in collecting information to assist in developing a better workplace if employers don’t ensure the survey is well developed and properly analyzed.
If companies really want to find out what makes employees tick — and what will enhance workplace satisfaction and perceptions — there are common mistakes to guard against.
Errors to avoid
•Assuming that just because you can read and write, you can create a survey questionnaire. Garbage in equals garbage out. If the right questions aren’t asked in the right way, HR won’t collect valuable information.
•Failing to get a commitment from leadership to act. Even though there is authorization to conduct a survey, without authority or commitment from the leadership team to listen or take action on the results, the survey is pointless.
•Focusing on employee happiness. Having satisfied employees is certainly something to aim for, but if the business isn’t a success, no one will be happy for long. It’s essential to link employee satisfaction to business success measures.
•Neglecting to prepare a communication plan and strategy. If employees — and those conducting the survey — don’t understand the goals and objectives of the study and are not prepared for the questions, organizations may have a low response rate and the data may not be useful.
•Failing to realize a survey is a form of communication. When an organization conducts an employee survey, it sends certain messages and raise certain expectations. Think about what you’re saying through this tool before conducting the survey.
•Sampling incorrectly. If you don’t ask the right people or don’t set a large enough sample size, any conclusions you draw may be incorrect.
•Forcing participation. If employees are forced to respond to a survey, rather than encouraging them, it’s unethical and unlikely to produce reliable data.
•Making leaps of logic. Even if conclusions are based on the data, your findings must result from a rational, logical examination of the facts.
•Flawed analysis. Simply looking at the highest and lowest survey scores may provide some interesting information, but may not give the whole picture. You may have to take the data analysis one step further (for example, by using advanced statistical methods or gap analysis.)
•Failing to followup with employees. If a survey report sits on a shelf gathering dust and the results aren’t shared with employees, staff will draw their own conclusions. The result may be that the survey does more harm than good.
Jean Douglas is a consultant in Hewitt Associates’ talent and organization consulting practice in Vancouver. She can be reached at (604) 683-731 or [email protected].
