So, you’ve decided to implement employee surveys, to establish what your team thinks.

 

That’s great news, but how can you be sure you are going to get the best out of the results?

 

Here are some tips:

 

  • Consider doing short sharp surveys – one long survey that feels like it is going forever can distort responses, is only a snapshot in time, and people may not answer them as seriously as they should
  • Focus on one specific topic at a time – this will achieve better responses, and give you more clarity
  • Frequency – doing regular surveys allows you to quickly identify how feelings have changed, and whether any improvements you have implemented have worked. Doing it on an annual basis, means you have a long time to wait to measure the impact of any change
  • Review the results – don’t just tick the box to say you’ve done the survey. And by doing short surveys it won’t feel like you are wading through mountains of information – it will be much quicker.
  • Create an action plan – there’s no point in conducting surveys if you aren’t going to do anything afterwards. Pull together an action plan focused on improvements or changes that are needed – try to implement these as soon as you can
  • Communication – share with your team what the results were, and what actions you are taking as a result. One common complaint from staff is that they don’t hear back after completing surveys – leading them to question what is the point?
  • Follow up – make sure you conduct a further survey to measure the impact of your actions, and check to see if your team have noticed improvements

 

If one of your surveys is to measure staff morale and happiness, it is a good idea to follow up with specific individuals who have indicated they are not happy. The best way to handle this is a one to one with their manager, or another member of your leadership team, if the problem is their line manager.

Above all, follow up with your team regularly. They will be far more engaged in the process if they can see improvements and you share what is happening with them.

 

If you would like help with conducting staff surveys in your business, please contact us on 01256 328 428.