Perhaps one of the most telling tools that we have in the leadership toolkit today is getting knowing our teams; understanding what makes each and every person tick and getting to know them as people. How better to do this but through the employee survey. Many employers are utilizing these as a way to determine what is important to their employees, and to implement a strategy for making changes.
Employee surveys are arguably one of the more tedious and labor-intensive projects you can undertake as a human resources professional, but the results will give you so much in the way of understanding your employees and making solid changes to improve motivation, morale, and overall employee engagement. Finding out areas of strength and weakness across the organization, as well as drilling down into the details per department is a great way to understand what is working and what is not working – and then taking those results to build on strengths and learn form weaknesses is a good approach for success.
Happy employees will be more productive employees! In an article published by inc.com, we learned that “The Harvard Business Review recently published an analysis of numerous studies that showed an average of 31 percent more productivity and 37 percent higher sales when employees are happy or satisfied.”
Given these statistics, it pays employers to invest in an employee survey done right – because if you make mistakes with the numbers, don’t ask the right questions, or focus on the wrong topics based on your own bias as an employee and manager, you may be making a colossal error in understanding what the results of the survey are telling you. You as the employer may be too close to see the situation for what it truly is. That’s where an outside consultant can help! Employees may be hesitant to open up about certain topics if they feel their manager or the CEO is too hands-on with an employee survey. Allowing for anonymity, explaining the process, and reiterating that there will be no adverse impact on any employees for their participation will go a long way in improving the results and validity of your employee survey.
By utilizing the tools available to you, and listening to the most knowledgeable demographic about the strengths and weaknesses of your organization, you can tap into an extremely valuable resource. Listen to your employees, consult with a professional, and start building an employee survey strategy that will go a long way in improving employee morale, motivation, and overall company success!