PrintDo you actively seek out employee input in your business? Soliciting feedback from workers can lead to higher retention rates, lower absenteeism, improved productivity, and better customer service. One method for getting feedback is the employee survey.
Employee surveys take time to administer, but they can save big money. The Employee Involvement Association, whose 6,000 U.S. corporate members use employee suggestion programs, found that on average, each employee idea that’s implemented saves companies $6,224 per year.
The more open a company is to hearing what all of it employees think (not just those at the top), the better. Even part-time and temporary workers can lend valuable insight.
Some companies fear that broad surveys open the door to a barrage of petty complaints. But being open to a bit of grumbling is wise; it gives you a feel for what people are experiencing and provides employees with an important outlet to voice their frustrations and concerns. At the end of the process, you’ll be able to sort out valid issues from random venting.
To get the most out of employee feedback, do a general survey periodically, annually or more often, depending on your company’s growth and needs. Ask questions that address employee issues as well as bigger-picture topics such as company strategy and operations. Questions can be as varied as these:
- What if anything could we do to improve our family-leave policy?
- Are our teams as cohesive as they need to be?
- Do our technology functions meet our current needs?
- Where do you think our customer service is the weakest?
During critical times of change, such as a merger, acquisition, or move, or when you suspect problems brewing, send out a targeted survey with specific questions that hone in on the issues and draw out detailed responses. Let’s say you’ve just gone through a move and employees are now working in a new location. Sample questions might include the following:
- Are you experiencing hardship from the move, and how can that be remedied?
- Who on your team was tasked with the transition, and how did this person perform?
- Do you feel your needs to accomplish your job are met in this new facility?
Be sure all survey results are submitted anonymously, and encourage employees to be as candid as possible. Guaranteeing anonymity is the only way to ensure honest feedback.
Once you’ve collected the data, you may choose to compile it and release the results to all employees. They’ll be interested in their colleagues’ responses and will want to see how their assessments stack up with others in the workplace. If you would prefer to keep results private, make sure you take them seriously and act on suggestions wherever possible so employees know you value their input.
As you analyze the survey results, consider organizing small focus groups to gain additional insight into the core issues, potential conflicts, and the possibilities and limitations of implementing reform. Be sure managers and others who can enact change are involved so that practical solutions, not just wish lists, emerge.
Employees want to see action. If they believe their input matters, they will be more likely to participate in the future. Deferring action or failing to act is a sure way to get fewer responses in the next round of surveys and can lead to diminished morale. Make an announcement as soon as changes are being implemented, even to those employees who will not be directly affected by the change.
Ultimately, surveys provide an invaluable window into your workplace and the people who make it run. And perhaps even more important, surveys empower employees. And when employees are empowered, so is your business.
Andrea Poe is the author of hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics including small business.
