Employee Climate Surveys: Ask the Right Questions, Probe the Responses For Insight

A company can ask any number of information sources to rate how well it's doing. Customers, shareholders, the business media and Wall Street all have opinions that they're only too happy to share.

But whether companies really want an honest opinion from their employees is another question. Employee surveys have the power to transform an organization. However, if there's a mismatch between attitudes and policies, productivity can sputter. The challenge is to understand where you're at and what needs to be done to effect change.

It's a quandary that organizations are increasingly attempting to confront. Employee surveys, which have been around in one form or another for the last half-century, have become compulsory. Finding out what is going on in employees' heads and fashioning corporate policy and actions appropriately is a core concern.

The consultants at MuRF Systems have seen a significant uptick in interest in surveys across all industries. MuRF Systems is an Internet -based consulting and assessment company that provides Employee Climate Surveys confidentially via personal computers.

Yet, more isn't always better. While the Web has made it easier to conduct elaborate surveys, many organizations continue to struggle with the process. In some cases, companies ask the wrong questions or do not put the data to full use. In other instances, they overload workers with questions or misinterpret the meaning of results and take the wrong action--such as introducing a new benefit based solely on popularity rather than what's best for the organization.

There are many points where an organization can fall down in the survey process. It's essential to put some structure around all the information. Using an outside consulting firm like MuRF Systems, can offer that professional touch that can make a real difference in outcome.

A growing number of organizations are now questioning the survey process, and many are attempting to turn it into a science. When used effectively, employee surveys can help identify gaps between organizational goals and actual policies.

They can help an organization achieve higher retention rates, lower absenteeism, improved productivity, better customer service and better morale. They also can help ensure that management is getting its message across and that workers are receptive.

A matter of values

The first workplace surveys grew out of the "research era" of the 1940s. At the time, most organizations viewed surveys as little more than opinion polls to provide basic information such as whether employees viewed the employer favorably and found their job satisfying. Over the years, employee surveys have grown far more sophisticated. They've evolved beyond basic tools used to appease employees or predict general outcomes. By asking the right questions, it is possible to gain insights into how employees might behave.

For example, low employee satisfaction levels or mistrust of a company are often a harbinger of poor attendance, high turnover and job actions or strikes. The idea is to connect employee satisfaction with organizational goals. Sometimes it takes a professionally developed and standardized survey to get to the issues of concern.

For example, you might choose to examine how women over the age of 30 with five or more years of service respond to the question on career mobility. This can produce different results than looking at women with entry-level positions.

Developing an appropriate survey requires an understanding of the company's goals, employee population and professional requirements.

Human resources and other departments need to provide input and help frame the most important issues. There should be a core group of questions contained in the survey every year so that you can have means of comparison over time.

In addition to using global surveys, you might want to conduct pulse surveys on a quarterly basis. These measure attitudes about various programs and policies--such as early retirement or how effectively the company is communicating. When combined with external benchmarking data and employee comments, the surveys provide solid information about how to adapt programs and initiatives to fit the organization's needs.

Questioning common perceptions

The surveying process starts with asking the right questions. As the old saying goes: garbage in, garbage out. If the questions aren't framed properly, if they are too vague or too specific, it's impossible to amass any meaningful data. The best surveys don't just identify a problem or a successful initiative, they uncover the reason why employees feel the way they do.

Employees might not be happy with their pay, but there could be reasons other than the actual pay level that have caused the problem. Perhaps HR has not done a good job of communicating that the organization's pay levels are competitive. Just asking about pay satisfaction will not reveal this problem.

Of course, developing highly targeted questions is only part of the equation. Getting employees to take the surveys and putting the data to use also is a challenge. Although some companies rely on incentives and sweepstakes to spur participation, many organizations find that when a survey is framed the right way and the data is put to good use, the opportunity for employees to share their opinions and influence the future direction of the organization is reward enough.

Some organizations post response rates among various departments.

There are many companies that have scored big with surveys. One corporate manager of human resources says his company achieved a 96.3 percent response rate for its 2003 employee survey--despite the fact that many of its employees did not have access to personal computers. He said that they set up rooms where employees could go on company time to take the survey via the Internet.

Examples of statements put to employees include: "I rarely think about looking for a new job at another company"; "I would gladly refer a family or friend to my company for employment"; and "I feel proud to work for this company." With responses to these declarations, the company can begin to assemble a clear picture of its strengths and weaknesses. Then, company leaders scan sit down with employee involvement teams in order to focus on potential changes.

As a result of the survey process, many companies have stated that several programs have undergone change, including performance management, rewards and recognition, tuition assistance, training and communication which has resulted in higher morale, reduced turnover and improved productivity.

In order for a survey to succeed, employees must find the process convenient and feel as though their responses are private. Many workers report that they feel more secure answering questions on a computer than on paper because it's impossible for anyone to identify their handwriting. Since Web-based surveys took hold in the late '90s, participation rates have climbed steadily. A decade ago, a 65 percent participation rate was considered excellent. Today, anything below 75 percent is viewed as mediocre. MuRF Systems has seen that a few companies manage to hit 99 percent. MuRF Systems provides an Internet-based employee climate surveying system.

As surveying techniques have become more sophisticated, so has analysis and reporting. In years past, companies too often conducted surveys and then dumped the data in the laps of human resources executives who weren't prepared to put it to any real use. Today, best- practice organizations are turning to analysts like MuRF Systems who can make sense of the material. They're also deploying software that produces highly targeted reports.

Other organizations are posting results on enterprise portals and customizing results to fit the particular needs of senior executives, middle-level managers, line employees and all the various departments and work groups. That way, employees receive only targeted information that's relevant to their job. An IT executive, for instance, might benefit from knowing employees' attitudes about computers and technology, with information about different work groups' age segments. Human resources, on the other hand, would likely benefit from information about payroll and benefits policies.

We at MuRF Systems have noticed that a few areas, such as exit surveys, remain largely untapped. Although almost every organization interviews departing workers or they might send out a questionnaire, however, few put the information to any real use. An analysis of this data could be very helpful in betting understanding why employees are leaving a company.

Despite the fact that there's little risk in letting the data sit idle, there are also missed opportunities. It's far more difficult to adapt policies to deal with factors such as stress, tension and turnover--or understand what motivates a well-paid and respected employee to head for greener pastures.

When companies get surveys right, they are able to link employee satisfaction and attitudinal data with internal benchmarks and metrics such as greater productivity and economic value. Ultimately, they are able to open the door to new opportunities, Snyder says. "It gives everyone the information and tools to work more effectively."