The “Why” Factor in Employee Engagement Surveys
Most people would agree that conducting an employee opinion survey can be broken down into two major portions: design and administration of the survey, and what you do with the results. We would also argue that the second half is the more important portion. If you are not going to communicate the survey results to employees and create action plans that address the lower rated questions, you are better off not doing the survey at all. We realize that this may sound odd coming from a company that does employee surveys. However, the last thing we want to do is see an organization move their culture backwards by conducting a survey and then placing it on the shelf to collect dust.
There is one step that most organizations leave out or overlook when it comes to their survey. Some people get so focused on what questions to ask and how to word them, that they forget to address the “why” factor. Finding the true “why,” whatever it may be, is the difference between just conducting a successful survey and conducting a culture changing survey. A successful survey will help you identify problem areas in the organization. Conducting the survey tells employees that you care, however, the asking alone won’t help you achieve your organizational objectives. Knowing why you are conducting the survey, and identifying your desired outcomes, will help you formulate a plan that strategically details what you intend to do with the data once the survey is conducted.
Remember, you can’t hit the target if you don’t know the goal. You need to have a clear picture of why you want to conduct a survey, as well as the strategic outcomes that will result from the survey. Anyone can conduct a survey. However, if you don’t have the desired outcomes crystallized before designing the survey, the results can be disappointing and actually lower, not boost, morale. When employees have been asked for their opinions, then realize that nothing has changed, they actually think less, not more, of the organization.
The next time you start your survey process or embark on a first time employee opinion or engagement survey, begin by asking yourself, “Why do we need to do this survey?” and, “What outcomes do we hope to realize by conducting this survey?” Knowing the answers to these questions will help utilize the resulting data to target actions that will lead to the right outcomes. The perspective you gain will result in a survey that not just measures engagement, but positively changes your organization’s culture.
