Four Keys to Designing a Great Employee Satisfaction Survey

In conducting interviews with executives, the feedback is split almost fifty-fifty between those executives who love Employee Satisfaction Surveys and utilize the results to build an even more successful organization, and those executives who have had a bad experience with surveys and hope to never participate in one again. When Employee Satisfaction Surveys are conducted correctly, they become a valuable resource for leaders and their organizations. In designing your Employee Satisfaction Survey, follow these four keys for best results:

  1. Customize your survey to meet your organization’s needs
    There are many generic surveys available. Interview employees prior to designing your survey so that management will be asking the questions that help make the organization even more competitive. In one set of interviews we recently conducted, we found out that many employees did not receive their performance review on time. You can be guaranteed that the item “I received my performance review on time” showed up on their customized Employee Satisfaction Survey. In other interviews, we have found that the organization has a great reputation for exceeding customer expectations. It will also be important to ask questions that demonstrate the organization’s greatest strengths.

  2. Break down the feedback by department or areas of influence
    Some organizations have asked us to interpret Employee Satisfaction Survey data conducted by in-house staff or by another consulting firm. Many of these surveys are generic or too general. It is almost impossible to write definitive recommendations without having data broken down by department or area of influence. The results of a good survey should provide you with an EKG of your organization’s heart. Our rule of thumb is that as long as there are five or more employees in a department, you can have a separate category for that department. John Campbell, General Manager of the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, states, “It is essential that I know the culture of every department and each shift in the organization.” Campbell finds that reviewing and interpreting data department by department has helped define each team’s uniqueness. Now, using their data as a basis for action planning, each department in the organization can better establish their goals for the coming year.

  3. Take action within a reasonable time period
    The one thing that guarantees that the survey was a waste of time in everyone’s mind is when managers put the Employee Satisfaction Surveys results on the shelf behind their desks and never look at them again. It sends out a huge message that says, “Thanks, but we really do not care about your opinion.” Accountability needs to be built in so that every manager and supervisor is required to submit an action plan to both their employees and their boss. When this happens, most employees we interviewed have stated that the Employee Satisfaction Survey has made a positive impact in their organization.

  4. Use an outside consulting firm
    Employee feedback, when not interpreted correctly and presented properly, can actually hurt or anger managers and destroy relationships with employees. The goal of an Employee Satisfaction Survey is to build relationships with managers and to help the organization become even more competitive. Employees will participate freely and provide more candid insights and opinions if they feel that their confidentiality will be respected. Utilizing the services of an outside management consulting firm raises employees’ levels of confidence in the Employee Satisfaction Surveys process and demonstrates that the employer is committed to both knowing the opinions of the employees and respecting their confidentiality. When properly conducted, an Employee Satisfaction Survey can make a positive difference!

Effective leadership cannot happen if leaders are out of touch with those they lead. Knowing the opinions of employees will help leaders better create, shape, and define the quality of their products and services. All information collected during the Employee Satisfaction Survey process can help leaders create a more positive, motivating, and productive work environment for their employees.

For more information on Employee Satisfaction Surveys, please visit www.EmployeeOpinionSurveys.com.

If you have completed an Employee Satisfaction Survey and would like to learn how to turn the survey responses into results, take a look at our book, How One Leader Can Make a Difference: The Only Guide to Employee Opinion Surveys You’ll Ever Need.


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Filed Under: Leadership, Leading Change, Peter's Blog on October 22nd, 2009

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