L
Catalyst | Last Word
Master of all you survey
The humble employee satisfaction survey is still one of the most efficient and effective ways of gauging employee
engagement. In a 2018 Harvard Business Review article, Adam Grant joined forces with Facebook’s Scott Judd
and Eric O’Rourke to launch an unequivocal defence, claiming that, in a company awash with algorithms and
data, “running a survey can signal that Big Brother is still human”. Here are our tips on getting surveys right.
1
Check your attitude
Rather than seeing surveys as
an annual chore, think of them
as a real chance to reach out to your
people and test the temperature on
the front line. You’ll always learn
something. At Facebook, for example,
they learned that people who
don’t respond to surveys are 2.6
times more likely to leave in the next
six months.
2
Be clear what you’re trying
to achieve – and why
You can’t design and
implement a survey without knowing
what data you’re trying to collect, and
why. Are your surveys fit for purpose?
Could they be more effective? Take
time for a strategic review of what
you want to achieve, and design your
surveys accordingly.
3
Get the methodology right
In-house or outsourced?
Annual or twice a year? More
frequent, shorter pulse surveys? To
fill in the gaps between the bigger set
pieces, or to test reaction to change/
large projects? Online or paper-
based? Who will tabulate and analyse
the data? There’s no one-size-fits all,
so think carefully about all the
options and tailor
what you do to your
organisation and
your people.
4
It’s all about the
questions, stupid
Survey design matters, and
will impact hugely on response rates.
Think carefully about the number
of questions and their sequence,
their length and use clear wording.
Vary the style of question (binary
yes/no; scale 1-10; open ended)
depending on whether the feedback
you want to collect is purely factual or
attitudinal. Open-ended prompts can
result in surprisingly useful business
suggestions. Some continuity
across surveys will help long-term
trend spotting, but don’t be afraid
to mix it up with fresh questions
too. Organisations are dynamic and
surveys need to reflect development.
5
Communicate,
communicate,
communicate
Transparency is crucial. Asking
staff for their input and insights is
naturally exposing, so communicate
clearly and regularly about the
purpose and benefits of the
exercise, how the process will work,
timescales and intended outcomes.
Good communication will improve
response rates. Look out for possible
response gaps: busy high-achievers;
the disaffected; the sceptical;
the ‘don’t want to rock the boat’
people and find ways to encourage
their participation.
6
Anonymity should
mean anonymity
Don’t be tempted to include
detailed questions which make
respondents feel their anonymity
will be compromised, especially in
smaller organisations. Surveys need
to be as ‘safe’ a space as possible for
honest feedback.
7
Look for trends and patterns
Once the results are in, the
real work starts. Take feedback
seriously and analyse it carefully,
looking for any trends or patterns –
organisation-wide and by department
or group. Take note of questions that
have elicited useful responses and file
them away for next time. And take the
long view: a rolling survey process,
properly embedded, can really start
to influence engagement – and
contribute to strategy more generally.
8
Follow up
Employee surveys
only work if staff
know – and can see – that their views
have been heard and considered. This
doesn’t mean that every criticism
and suggestion must result in action;
but it does mean that people need to
feel confident that their views are
being taken seriously. Be as open
as possible when sharing survey
results, warts and all. Honesty around
shortcomings and honest attempts
to address them are as important as
celebrating success.
Issue 3 - 2019
71