Employee surveys – yay or nay?
In order to bridge the gap between what companies offer and what employees expect, the traditional way of putting out an employee survey is still the best way to do it. Here are 5 reasons why:
Assess employee engagement levels
The primary reason is to measure the engagement level of your employees. Use standard key drivers such as career advancement, job recognition, remuneration, staff benefits, roles and responsibilities, development opportunities, work environment and company culture to assess whether your employees are engaged or disengaged. The survey results will tell you how big (or small) that expectation vs reality gap for your employees are – and allow you to see which gaps you should first plug.
Increase employee engagement
Employee engagement drives performance. Once you’ve assessed how engaged your employees are, identify strengths and opportunities for improving engagement in the organisation. You can either develop a generic engagement plan or focus on a particular area where most weaknesses lie. Thereafter, work with the related departments to develop meaningful activities, training schedules or devise strategic engagement programs – and kick start that engagement growth!
Let them be heard
These surveys are as much for employees as they are for employers. They give employees an avenue for open feedback and allow them to feel that the company cares for its people and their opinions. It is a simple yet great opportunity to establish two-way communication, and to let employees feel involved in the company’s decisions, policies, and processes.
Organizational growth
Gleaning insights into employee satisfaction, leadership effectiveness and working environment will provide the company with clearer and more well-defined objectives for change. Through the results, organisations are also able to identify areas of best practices and implement the same methodology across different departments, thereby replicating successes. This in turn, aids greatly in organizational growth.
Find out where you stand
Using the data gathered, compare them with other industry-specific numbers to gain a better understanding of where your company stands, alongside other similar organisations. Look at the results to assess if the issues are typical in the industry, or are they unique to your company? If it’s the latter, why so and how can the company improve?
Most importantly, companies must act on survey results. Actions will provide meaning; otherwise, such surveys will be considered a waste of time and resources, and you can bet your bottom dollar that employees will not take these surveys seriously at the next round!
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