For a company of the appropriate size, an employee survey can provide a great deal of valuable information, George Rede of the Oregonian writes, as long as you do it correctly.
After speaking to two large West Cost HR companies, Mr. Rede posits six tips for higher-ups to make the most out of internal studies:
1) Provide anonymity
"Companies fail when surveys are not anonymous enough. Employees don't feel comfortable to be truly honest in their answers."
2) Share the data
"One of the most important aspects is taking it and not keeping it in closed doors. Instead, communicate to employees the key things that came out of it and what steps are being taken, ideally involving employees."
3) Act on the findings
"If you're not going to consider, evaluate and implement changes, then it can be a detriment. Employees feel their time was wasted and the company truly is not interested in what they have to say. It can be a morale bust instead of a morale boost."
4) Drill down
"If a survey is done properly, it captures enough information to where you have actionable data. That means you're drilling down enough to know you have a problem specific to this department or that location."
5) Don't procrastinate
"Don't wait for a year. It's no different than doing an annual performance review and not talking to your employee about what they're doing right or wrong."
6) Keep the dialogue going
"When the economic downturn came along, a lot of employers stopped asking because they just felt like they couldn't do anything. Communication stops during bad times. Now that we're coming out of that, employers are feeling more comfortable asking."
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