How can surveying employees’ views help?

An employee attitude or opinion survey is a systematic investigation of employees’ opinions, behaviour, feelings, attitudes or beliefs. There are many reasons why organisations need to gather this information, the list below is by no means exhaustive, but it does serve to illustrate the many ways that gaining insight into employees views helps an organisation to design initiatives, focus effort and target resources.

Baseline Survey - a measure of the state of organisational attitudes or perceptions at the beginning of some major organisational change initiative. Provides a ‘stake in the ground’ against which to measure progress.

Evaluation Survey – surveying to help evaluate the effectiveness of such change programmes, either at the end of a period of change or in the interim. An evaluation survey would aim to show changes in views over time and to provide more detailed information on areas where further improvement is needed.

Comparative Survey – a measure of the differences between any identifiable group of employees, divisions, departments, project teams etc. Or even comparisons between groups of people sorted by length of service, sex or work hours.

Quality and Customer Service Surveys – measuring employee experiences and perceptions of level and quality of service to internal or external customers.

Communication Survey – used to assess the level and effectiveness of communication received by employees, the extent to which messages are distorted and the extent to which employees feel able to feedback their views. Surveys may be used to gain insight into…

• Personal or team performance (e.g. 360° measurement)
• Training needs
• Cultural merger or acquisition compatibility
• Employee turnover or recruitment difficulties
• Management and supervision issues
• Work structures, systems and work flow
• Organisational image – internal marketing
• Company Values and operating principles
• Remuneration and working conditions
• Supporting people and focusing the organisation through major change, such as closure, relocation or re-structuring

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