The Risky Business of Employee Surveys: Do’s and Don’ts ... · true do’s and don’ts for...
Transcript of The Risky Business of Employee Surveys: Do’s and Don’ts ... · true do’s and don’ts for...
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 1
The Risky Business of Employee Surveys: Do’s and Don’ts for Getting it Right
White Paper
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© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 2
The use of employee surveys within organizations has become a common practice. The good
news is that the majority of organizations no longer wonder if they should obtain employee
feedback, however many organizations mistakenly overlook the vital steps of how to effectively
set-up, implement and act on survey results.
The undertaking of a survey initiative can be risky business for organizations when a strategic
plan based on a clearly defined process and specific goals are not in place. Utilizing tried and
true do’s and don’ts for getting a survey right will alleviate this risk and raise the likelihood for a
successful survey which will ultimately increase performance.
Do: Understand Why Employee Surveys Matter
We all get that we need to listen to the Voice of the Customer to achieve organizational
success. Yet, recognizing that the Voice of the Employee is equally
as important provides benefits to both the employee and
organization. Employees want to feel cared about, empowered
and valued.
Asking for their opinion satisfies these needs, as well as, helps
employees feel part of the organization’s operational processes
for decision making and improvement. Further, there is a
cascading effect for accountability when employees see
commitment for change from senior leadership.
From an organizational perspective, increases in levels of
engagement and retention occur by asking, listening to, and taking appropriate action from
employee feedback. The talent management industry defines engaged employees as those who
willingly give “discretionary effort” – going beyond what is typically required in a position to
help an organization succeed.
At TalentKeepers, we describe an engaged workforce as having a heightened level of ownership
when each employee wants to do whatever they can for their team, their customers, and the
organization.
82% of organizations
agreed that employee
engagement is a strategic
priority in 2015 based on
TalentKeepers’ annual
Workplace America research
study or employee
engagement and retention
trends
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 3
There is an engaged employee behind every happy, fulfilled customer. This is reflected in the
improvement of two key performance metrics for organizations with an engaged workforce:
increased financial results (e.g. increased profitability, increased sales volume) and higher
customer satisfaction (e.g. overall satisfaction, willingness to recommend the
company/product).
Of the more than 800 respondents to the TalentKeepers 2015 Workplace America Survey of
Employee Engagement and Retention Trends 56% of employers tied employee engagement
metrics to Organizational Performance and Profitability. And note that 100% of Best-in-Class
employers do so.
Employee surveys are a key step in creating an engaged workforce!
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 4
Do: Understand the Process for Success
The TalentKeepers’ process for success encompasses five components of a survey initiative: set-
up, survey administration, data analysis, results delivery, and action planning. Understanding
each step will help create the path of least resistance during survey implementation.
There are to-do tasks within each of these components that, if not addressed, can put the
success of your survey initiative in danger. It is important to have a checklist for each phase to
ensure all critical elements are addressed:
Set-Up: Needs Analysis, Customization, Data Grouping Design, Pre-Survey
Communications
Survey Administration: Multi-Media Response Options, Step-by-Step Instructions,
Invitations, Reminders, Participation Reports, Customer Support
Data Analysis: Quantitative and Qualitative Analyses, Timely Results (Less than 30 days
from survey close), Easy-to-Access Results, Detailed Report Generation, Benchmarking,
Observations/Recommendations
Results Delivery: Prescriptive Executive Presentations, Action-Oriented Front-Line
Leader Presentations, Organizational Group Results, Individual Leader Reports
Action Planning: Executive Coaching, Individual Leader Coaching, Online Action
Planning, Focus Group Facilitation, Skill Building, Goal Setting
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 5
Do: Understand Your Resources
A common question around survey implementation is whether to use an external partner or
complete the undertaking internally. A witty response from the world of survey providers is,
“Having the tools doesn’t guarantee the desired result, take TV commercials for example, you
have a video camera, so why don’t you just make a commercial?” In truth, there are a lot of
moving parts when implementing a survey initiative that can be difficult for someone to
manage if that is not his/her full-time job.
Yet, with all of the options available for
online survey administration, it can be
enticing to go it alone.
There is no doubt that one can implement
an effective survey without the help of an
external partner, but confirming internal
resources is a must.
Some things to consider when lining up
resources are the development of survey
items, selecting the survey takers,
administering the survey itself, analyzing
the data, presenting the results and action
planning. (Phew!) Let’s not forget
implementing this paper’s “dos” while
avoiding the “don’ts”.
Further, “do” keep confidentiality in mind
when making the “internal versus external
partner” decision as confidentiality is a key
benefit to utilizing an external partner.
First, internally administered anonymous surveys pose a problem for tracking participation. An
external partner is able to track participation without breaking confidentiality. External survey
providers are also able to tie an individual’s survey results to their operational performance
metrics and then report these relationships, through the use of group reports.
This maintains the confidentiality of the individual’s responses but still leverages the ability to
see survey results for certain groups of respondents such as high performers. Internally
administered surveys cannot provide this vital information without violating confidentiality.
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 6
Do: Determine the Purpose of the Survey
There are two common “don’ts” made at the onset of survey development: “failing to clarify
purpose prior to survey design” and “trying to create a single survey that addresses all purposes
at once but does not adequately address any in depth”. (Wiley, 2012, p. 18)
It is tempting to eagerly jump into a survey initiative before determining the purpose of the
survey, but don’t do it! Understanding the type of survey that the organization should
implement sets the foundation for the entire process. There is a spectrum for survey type,
spanning from defensive to offensive. The defensive category includes “warning indicator” and
“program evaluation” surveys, while the offensive spectrum includes “employer of choice” and
“drive high performance” surveys. (Wiley, 2012, p. 18-19)
Make sure to understand the goals of the organization and what types of questions the survey
results should answer: Are there safety concerns? (Warning Indicators) Is a certain job group at
risk for leaving? (Employer of Choice) By working backward from what successful survey
deliverables look like, the purpose of the survey and the most appropriate survey type will be
discovered.
It is important to keep in mind that each survey type requires different action steps and follow-
up, which must be factored into the decision of which survey type to choose. For example, the
“drive high performance” survey type is most successful when correlations of survey results to
performance metrics are analyzed. These statistical analyses will help to determine the survey
items that most strongly correlate with performance, and in turn, should help increase financial
worth and customer satisfaction when improved upon.
Strategic Survey Model
Model taken from: Wiley, J.W. (2012). Six things you need to know about strategic employee surveys. People & Strategy The Professional Journal of HRPS, 35 (1), 16-23.
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 7
The second “don’t” when determining your survey type is selecting a type and not sticking to it.
To be successful in business, one must be an effective multi-tasker; to be successful in surveys,
one must show restraint with a singular focus. It is an attractive proposition to try to get all of
your questions answered from one survey administration. Unfortunately, what seems attractive
at the start often leaves an end result of unclear action steps and no true answers on any one
subject. The “jack of all trades” survey is a recipe for disaster.
Don’t: Believe Surveys are One Size Fits All
After determining the purpose of your survey, content is the next major obstacle on your path
to survey implementation. There are all kinds of considerations: How long? Should items be
indexed? If so, what indices? It can be overwhelming, especially when a successful survey for
one organization may not be as effective for another.
The length of traditional surveys varies greatly across the industry. It is important to strike a
fine balance of getting the information you need without creating a burdensome experience for
the survey taker. When developing the content “do” include topics deemed effective by
research and add custom items that are geared to the workings of the particular organization.
Don’t: Ignore Research Findings when Determining Content
Many research studies have shown that certain items tend to bubble to the top for producing
effective survey outcomes. Sometimes a common theme emerges from a group of survey
items. Responses to these items can be grouped into an index. The benefit of combining similar
items into an index is that it can be used as a key metric.
TalentKeepers’ TalentWatch® Survey includes four key indices to drive employee engagement
and better understand why employees choose to join, stay with, and leave an organization. The
four indices are: Leadership Engagement Index (LEI), Co-Worker Engagement Index (CEI),
Organization Engagement Index (OEI), and Job/Career Engagement Index (JEI).
One of the main reasons employees stay with organizations is the people that they work with. It
is all too common to hear employees say I would leave if it weren’t for so and so. The two
indices that address “people” issues are the LEI and CEI.
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 8
Leadership Engagement
Index (LEI) First, the LEI is
composed of leader-
specific items that are
asked of team members
about their leader.
Leadership items within
the LEI include
communication, trust,
coaching and recognition.
The LEI provides leaders
with direct feedback about
the behaviors that are, and
are not, working for their
particular team.
The greatest benefit of a leader-based key metric is the ability of the leader to instantly
improve upon behaviors that greatly affect the performance of a team. The LEI index does not
include items that a leader does not directly influence. Therefore, when acted upon a leader
has the opportunity to immediately impact employee engagement by enhancing leader-to-
employee experiences and interactions.
Co-Worker Engagement Index (CEI) The second index within TalentWatch® which deals with
people is the CEI. Supportive co-workers play a vital role in enhancing workplace experiences
through work relationships and interactions. The CEI measures these elements by how the
leader and/or organization support a positive co-worker environment. The last thing an
organization wants is an employee who loves their job, but cannot stand their co-workers.
People relationships are hard to replace while jobs for top performers are readily replaceable.
Organization Engagement Index (OEI) It is also important to understand how employees
perceive the organization, as well as, their current and future opportunities. The OEI is
composed of survey items that address how employees perceive their tangible rewards and the
fairness of processes and outcomes. Perceive is a key word when discussing items around being
a high performing organization since many organizational issues are not easily changed.
However, organizations must address these tough topics, such as compensation, in order to
educate employees on the organization’s position on the issue instead of keeping them
guessing and perhaps perceiving the topic as unfair.
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 9
Job/Career Engagement Index (JEI) The JEI measures facets of job and career satisfaction.
Items included in this index are clarity of job roles, job responsibilities, accountability for goals,
opportunities to utilize skills and career growth. It is important for organizations and employees
to understand their current place within the organization and the possibilities of where they
can go. Employees who understand their options for development and growth are more likely
to be engaged and stay longer.
Asking the right questions and forming appropriate indices greatly affects the ability of survey
results to help the organization improve performance. When survey results are effectively
acted upon, TalentKeepers and numerous other researchers have documented increases in
various organizational performance metrics, such as sales, service, productivity, and earnings
per share. Demonstrating the link between survey metrics and performance metrics is vital to
getting senior staff and employees on-board and truly committed to acting on survey results.
Do: Use Items that are Organization Specific
The second key “do” when determining survey content is the addition of items that are
organization specific. Custom survey items allow organizations to gauge what employees are
thinking about organizational objectives and “hot topics”. Custom items also work for company-
wide initiatives and can measure unique elements within different job groups. One example of
customized survey items are on the topic of safety. To remain in business and avoid major
financial repercussions, organizations must know if precautions and proper processes are being
utilized, especially in labor intensive industries. Further, employees need the opportunity to
express if they do not feel safe in their work environment.
Do: Determine Survey Takers and Communicate to Them
The most effective survey initiatives include participation from
every aspect of an organization. Therefore, cross functional
inclusion, where all departments are included is a definite “do”.
One exception to including all employees is those who have only
been with the organization for 90 days or less. New employees
need the opportunity to understand their role and the organization
before providing input in an all employee survey.
If including the entire organization is not an option the best practice is to select a
representative sample from each department and attribute group (i.e. tenure, generation,
performance). A well selected cross section will provide a snapshot to the overall picture of the
organization.
Implementing regular
communications about the
purpose of the survey, how to
take the survey and
reminders to complete the
survey are vital to gaining a
high participation rate
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 10
When implementing a survey initiative, a communication plan is vital to success. Employees
need to understand the process, who is involved, and the purpose. Even more important is
demonstrating the support of senior leadership for the survey so that participation is seen as
important.
A communication plan is a major “do” when only a representative sample of employees can be
surveyed. A clear communication as to why some employees were and were not selected must
be given to avoid employees feeling devalued. Further, all employees must be involved in the
results and action planning process.
Don’t: Be a “One and Done” Surveyor
How often do
managers and senior
staff members look at
their organization’s
performance metrics?
The most common
answer is at least once
a week. How often do
those same groups
look at engagement
and retention
statistics? – Long
pause.
Don’t make a common mistake of doing one survey and then stopping. Building momentum is a
key “do” for survey initiatives to create sustained positive change.
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 11
According to the TalentKeepers’ 2015 Workplace America research survey only 5% of
organizations currently implement surveys more than once per year while 13% of Best in Class
do. Yet, conducting surveys every six months for all employees improves the odds of “getting it
right” due to:
Receiving Honest Feedback: Respondents need to be comfortable with being honest on the
survey. When employees see that their responses are used for a positive, organizational
change they become more and more willing to voice their true opinions each
administration.
Collecting Performance Metrics: The first administration establishes a baseline for the
organization. Subsequent administrations allow senior staff, leaders, and employees to
measure changes in the survey metrics. Often times a large focus is placed on benchmarking
against other organizations. After the initial administration the most valuable benchmark is
against one’s own organization.
Increasing Accountability: Two administrations per year holds the organization accountable
for making steps toward change quickly. A “one and done” mentality only fosters an
environment where employees use their voices, but do not feel heard. It is risky business to
ask and not act!
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 12
Don’t: Let the Results be Senior Staff’s Little Secret
Results need to be socialized to everyone in
the organization. It is common, especially
when results are unfavorable, that senior
leaders shield the data from lower levels.
This is similar to taking a test in school, but
never receiving your grade – frustrating!
When employees have taken the time to give
their feedback, organizations must give the
same respect in return.
The most valuable outcome of survey results
is the opportunity to learn something new.
Don’t provide leaders with their individual
results prior to providing guidance around
the report itself and next steps.
For example, TalentKeepers advocates
asking leaders to look for gifts, affirmations
and surprises in their data. Gifts are results
that are better than expected and should be
leveraged by leaders to engage and retain
employees. Affirmations are results that are
right about what the leader expected, while
surprises are results that are worse than the
expected.
The most valuable of these results are often the “surprises” because, without the surprising
survey data, leaders would not spend any time working to improve in an area in which they
think they are already strong.
It is important that leaders avoid guessing on how to change their “surprise” results, especially
since it is hard for them to see what may not be working when they believe it is an area of
strength. Encourage leaders to ASK their team members for feedback through a powerful
“start, stop, and continue” technique. This allows their team to explain behaviors that the
leader should start, stop, or continue doing in order to be more effective.
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 13
Do: Hold Leaders Accountable for Communicating and Acting on Results
One of the greatest measures of how well the organization and its leaders communicated and
acted on survey results is the participation rate of the subsequent survey. If employees never
hear the results or see action taken, they are much less likely to spend their time on another
survey. Yet, when leaders and organizations are accountable for results, discuss the results, and
take action on the results, a culture of engagement is created where employees are excited to
voice their opinions.
The first step to accountability is communicating both the results of the survey and the action
plan for change. Many organizations and leaders think it is enough to explain the results and
stop; employees need to understand the plan for action. Next, employees must actually see
those plans implemented. One key way to measure this process is the addition of a custom
item to a second administration. Ask survey takers whether they feel their leader and the
organization acted on previous survey results. No leader wants to explain why they did not
follow through on their survey results and action plan.
Do: Integrate Survey Metrics into Standard Performance Reporting
After reviewing and socializing key
engagement and retention metrics
from the survey, the organization
must integrate the metrics into their
standard performance management
metrics.
Once employees are held
accountable for these metrics their
focus on improvement will grow. Key
methods for integration are adding
the new metrics to regular reporting,
as well as, making them a consistent talking point during meetings.
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 14
Don’t: Think Anonymous Surveys Reign Supreme
When discussing employee surveys it is true that anonymity is crucial to a successful
implementation if the survey is asking employees to evaluate people, policies and procedures.
Remaining anonymous allows employees to feel comfortable providing honest feedback,
especially if they are rating things negatively.
Yet, there is a world of surveys out there that are more effective because we know who is
responding. Determining whether to use a non-anonymous or anonymous survey is based on
the audience and the result the organization is trying to achieve.
The table below provides a summary of the features provided by both anonymous and non-
anonymous surveys.
Popular Survey Features Provided by Anonymous and Non-anonymous Surveys
Survey Feature Anonymous
Survey
Non-Anonymous Survey
Ask sensitive questions Yes No
Track participation Rarely Yes
Tie results to performance Rarely Yes
Tie results to department, tenure, gender, age Yes Yes
Allow leaders to see individual team member’s responses and ask follow-up questions
No Yes
Evaluate leader performance Yes No
Results can feel threatening to leaders & team members
Yes No
Useful when on-boarding new employees No Yes
To understand if a non-anonymous survey is the right fit, it is important to understand what
benefits this type of survey brings to the table.
First, knowing who is completing the survey allows for accurate tracking of participation.
Next, leaders are able to see individual team member responses and ask specific follow-
up questions.
Finally, non-anonymous surveys give organizations the ability to tie results to
performance metrics.
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 15
One example of a non-anonymous survey and its use is TalentKeepers’ FirstFit® Survey. This
survey asks employees to rate and rank the leadership attributes they value most in any leader,
share their engagement and recognition preferences, and the career drivers that are most
important to them now. Since the survey is non-anonymous, it helps leaders learn and
understand each team member’s individual needs and preferences at work.
A second example of using a non-anonymous survey is TalentKeepers’ Co-Worker Connection™
tool. This survey is taken by co-workers to measure their preferences on seven drivers of co-
worker engagement. Upon completion, their preferences are compared to the preferences of
another co-worker within a report so that co-workers can have conversations about how to
effectively work together. The purpose of the tool is to create support and mutual respect
among co-workers, which is why non-anonymity is vital for success.
Do: Go the Extra Mile with Hybrid Surveys
Hybrid surveys allow the survey taker to specify his/her identity or remain anonymous. By
giving the participant the option to identify, the full benefits of the survey being completely
anonymous or non-anonymous are lost. Yet, in certain circumstances this tactic is the best
option and provides information that helps organizations reach the extra mile on their road to
improvement.
One example of the appropriate use for a hybrid survey is an exit survey. TalentKeepers’
PartingWords® exit survey uncovers the true reasons why team members leave an organization
through four turnover categories: organization, job, co-worker and leader. There are two main
reasons to use the hybrid approach with exit surveys.
First, some employees do not feel as comfortable being honest when they are identified. The
option to remain anonymous can get the most accurate feedback for the organization as to why
the employee left. The second reason for a hybrid approach is for those who do identify
themselves. If a top performer leaves for reasons that the organization is willing to change
(based on the survey responses) then there is an instant ability to win him or her back.
Don’t: Be Afraid to Check the Pulse of your Organization
If time is an issue for your organization a pulse survey is a viable option. While it does not offer
the in-depth detail of a traditional survey, pulse surveys provide a quick check-in. Typically
consisting of around 5 to 10 items, Pulse surveys often serve as indicators for areas an
organization needs to take a deeper dive into understanding. Pulse surveys are also very
effective to use between full survey administrations as a progress check.
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 16
At the end of the day, engaged employees improve performance for organizations by keeping
customers coming back for more. The only way to know how engaged employees are is to ask
them. In the same breath, asking employees for their feedback is not a simple process. There
are many hours and obstacles involved in the implementation of an effective survey initiative.
Understanding the process of survey implementation is the first step of many. Equally as
important is defining the survey purpose, type, and content so that the end result matches the
beginning expectations.
Viewing a survey as an initiative instead of a one-time administration will help create a culture
for action. Bi-yearly administrations where all employees participate, receive results, and are
held accountable for change is vital. One key element in establishing the value and importance
of a survey is linking survey key metrics to operational performance outcomes such as sales or
service. Once the survey metric to performance connection is established, it is important to
drive performance improvements by holding stakeholders accountable for improving the
survey metrics.
Further, understanding that not all surveys fit into one mold is crucial. In certain instances
knowing who said what is more powerful than remaining anonymous and is a key to delivering
a survey that makes an impact.
Overall, surveys are complicated. Yet, following the do’s and don’ts will put any organization on
a fast track for “getting it right” by avoiding the risky business involved with survey pitfalls.
References
TalentKeepers. (2012). Talent engagement and retention trends 2012: Pushing employee engagement
to the next level. Winter Park, FL.
Wiley, J.W. (2012). Six things you need to know about strategic employee surveys. People & Strategy
The Professional Journal of HRPS, 35 (1), 16-23.
Conclusion
© TalentKeepers® All Rights Reserved. Page 17
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