A well-run employee feedback initiative can help your organisation keep a step ahead of employee gripes and potential issues that might increase attrition. But understanding how staff feel about their work and organisation is just the start - it's the actions and communications that follow feedback that really count. HRM takes a detailed look at employment surveys and strategies
With staff spread over fifty countries in several continents, Olam International considers employee surveys to be an essential tool for monitoring its organisational health and retaining staff. But Joydeep Bose, President and Global Head of Human Resources, warns they should only be attempted for the right reasons. He says many companies fail to understand how important it is to follow up and implement changes that consider the survey results. And more companies simply ignore unfavourable results.
"Companies do not implement surveys because they know they will get information they don't really want," he said.
That attitude can be seen in the large proportion of companies that do not attempt to survey their staff in the first place. Opinion Research Corporation, an international market analyst, has found some 40% of companies worldwide do not have any system in place for regular employee feedback. Its most recent annual survey of businesses also found 46% of companies that do survey staff, don't act on the results.
Unfortunately, not knowing what staff are thinking can lead to a damaging increase in employee turnover. To avoid losing valuable employees, Bose says companies need to provide their people with a way of communicating with management without worrying about a negative backlash. Surveys are a well-tested means of providing that opportunity. They give staff the chance to demonstrate their interest in the company and allow employers to evaluate their corporate culture and adjust plans if necessary.
Strategic planning is another key reason to undertake staff surveys. Even a general standardised employee questionnaire of around 100 questions will provide a rich source of information about the organisation itself. Bose says HR professionals need to be well prepared to follow through. Olam International gives each country involved in its general survey 30 days to review the results and come up with a plan of action. The plan should be concise, directed, and most importantly, achievable. "If a plan is suggested that takes more than six months, it is tossed out," Bose said. "Employees need to know that the survey will lead to results."
Employee Participation
Paul Connolly, President of US-based consultancy Performance Programs, says a survey should work to create a picture of the organisation. "The best a survey can do is to provide a profile of what you have," he said. The way to achieve that is to get feedback from every employee, including part time and temporary staff. Participation rates will depend largely on the company and the type of survey being used. "Most of our online surveys have up to 80% participation while paper surveys may have up to 100% participation if everyone is at one location," Connolly says. Sometimes labour unions get involved to ensure the research is anonymous and the feedback is acted on. This can often help to encourage employee participation.
Bose says Olam International achieves an average of 94% participation for its annual online survey. By working with staff even before the survey is distributed, he is able to ensure questions are clearly understood and culturally appropriate. The company then hires an external consultant to ensure the anonymity of participants and help analyse the results as quickly as possible.
Olam International also makes its managers responsible for employee involvement, with departmental participation rates included in performance evaluations.
Innovative Surveys
Once a company has implemented a general survey and started working on an action plan, further surveys may be needed to ascertain if progress is being achieved. These types of surveys are called spot, or 'pulse' surveys. A spot survey is sent to random employees to check if specific points are being acted on by management. According to Connolly, this type of employee research helps to ensure that the general survey is being used effectively. "In one company, the survey was placed with employee paycheques," he said. "The responses brought the head of the company to the local office twice to enforce the necessary changes."
A general survey doesn't need to be an elephant-sized task. Gallop Inc, a polling company, has created a list of 12 basic questions to help determine the level of employee engagement in any organisation. Bose says the short and simple test may help to encourage higher and more active participation. "This survey may be able to replace the large surveys currently used for strategic planning," he said.
Not only are surveys getting smaller, technology now offers companies various options in gathering survey data from employees and utilising the information more efficiently.
Tapping into your employees with a survey is useful but it is not a magic cure for retention. Connolly warns HR professionals to be realistic with their expectations. But most of all, they should plan the follow-up before the results are in hand. "If you can't share the outcomes or take action on the results, don't do the survey."
1. Don't put too many points into one question. If you are struggling to write questions, purchase pre-written questions or hire a consultant to write the questions for you.
2. Don't ask satisfaction questions. Make sure your questions are 'agree or disagree' because these are the issues you can do something about.
3. Advertise your survey well in advance so that all employees know about it and will be able to participate.
4. Give employees enough time to fill out the survey. If you are asking several pages worth of questions, give employees up to three weeks to complete it.
5. Use surveys sparingly. General employee surveys should be done every other year and spot or pulse surveys should be utilised only when necessary. Surveying your employees too often may lead to boredom or even avoidance.
6. Share your survey information with all employees. Make sure that the information gathered by the company is available for employees to review. Employees want to know the results and will appreciate the information.
7. Analyse the information. If you do not have time to do it in your department, use specialist research firms to host the survey and analyse the data.
8. Make sure you respond to the survey. Spend a few weeks discussing the results and create a plan of action. Following through will ensure greater participation the next time you survey your staff.