We always get a reasonable employee survey response rate, but this year I am concerned about some groups have "surveyitus" and not being engaged. Historically we have also had a lower response rate from our field based employees compared to those in the office or manufacturing sites. I am looking for any ideas to "promote" this year's employee survey, particularly for those people who are home/field based. What creative suggestions do you have to motivate them to do it ? (It is confidential so I can only see numbers completed not who).
5 Responses
Surveys
You might have done this already but if not I can vouch for its effectiveness.We have been running some very successful equality law and diversity issues training courses in the steel industry. They are run against the backcloth of the clients dignity at work policies/protocols/core values etc etc
The courses are very lively and interactive.We cameo extracts of the policies/protocols at appropriate points in the days session.We have a final plenary which asks the open question -well that’s the policy here,that’s the modern workplace today -but how does the POLICY etc actually work in your part of the organisation. You need a supplementary but short survey sheet to flesh out what you are seeking-give people to collect or agree a deadline.Best to collect.Hey preston you buy one, you get one free.Ie the training event is also a consultative event.And it lives on because you keep your promise to report back publicly to everyone.A dialogue begins and the genenis can be seen to have been the training course -round and round it goes
QED Training qedworks.com
Not promotion
Hi – I think I’d approach this from a different angle. Rather than how can you promote the survey, how can you address the reasons why people are not responding?
Do people see any action based upon their responses? Are results fed back? Is the survey and it’s questions credible? Do they trust that their responses are confidential? Are survey results used to ‘punish’ managers with ‘low scoring’ or dissatisfied teams? Is the survey easily accessible and easy to complete – particularly for those home and field based? These factors and many others will undermine your efforts to drive completion rates up.
You don’t say whether your survey is paper or electronic – easy of access is often a big driver of completion.
In my experience ‘promotion’ (other than good employee communications around what, why and when) often isn’t that successful. Employees need to see value in completing the survey – results are communicated back, listened to and acted upon.
Mark
Survey feedback
Yes we do follow up and feedback results. This includes setting up action teams to look at areas for improvement and these are done departmentally to ensure relevance to the particular site/department. How much improvement or changes are made does vary. We do engage with staff at all levels but as with many "voluntary" activities it is often the same people that volunteer to get involved. On a positive note the results have improved year on year but many respond in the middle ground (neutral) rather than being positive.
can you make it a conversation rather than a questionnaire?
I did a big "survey" for a client a few years ago and they had had difficulties getting people to complete the questionnaire…..I actually visited people (some by appointment and some as a drop in and had a chat with them from which I completed the questionnaire myself (I had no vested interest) This worked very well for the client and I was able to get them a very useable collection of data. The personal touch made it seem less like a data gathering exercise and more like a we-give-a-damn-what-you-think approach
Rus
Nothing better than those kitchen conversations!
I’d agree with Rus. Often, asking people face to face is really useful.
A couple of years ago, our company updated its performance management process, based on feedback collected at a series of fcous groups and casual conversations in the kitchens etc.
We had found in the past, for other topics, that questionnaires gave us answers to the questions we asked but did not necessarily give respondents the opportunity to answer the questions they wanted us to ask.
We now have a much better response to requests for feedback for annual reviews, people are much more comfortable about the whole process and from what we hear (which I accept is not necessarily the whole story) most people are happier with the results. My feeling is that the process of involving people in the whole change process has made them more supportive of the changes.
I can guarantee that it was harder work than the questionnaire would have been, but the outcome has been proportionately more successful.
Good luck with yours,
Sophie