To improve the level of satisfaction and commitment, managers and CEOs use employee surveys that collect all the information they need from their collaborators. But their intentions can be hindered if team participation is low or insufficient.
As the person responsible for managing people, you know that satisfaction surveys are important, both for your teams as they serve to improve their performance and create better workspaces, and for the organization, which will benefit from all the improvements.
But do your teams really know about these benefits?
Employees are often very busy performing their duties, why should they stop what they are doing to fill out a survey?
If what you want is to improve the participation rate of teams in these satisfaction surveys, it is not enough just to send them. You also have to do a previous work of communication, transmitting to the staff the importance of filling in the questionnaires so that they really act as a tool for change.
And, of course, it is crucial that you design the surveys according to the objectives you want to achieve.
By applying the following tips, you will be able to improve the participation of your team in satisfaction surveys.
Guarantees anonymity
If employees are afraid of being judged by the answers they can give, they will probably not answer the surveys.
To obtain honest answers regarding how they really feel about their job and the organization, employees should know that they can speak freely, without strings attached.
That is why the surveys carried out through Team Insights are 100% anonymous. Employees can give constructive criticism with a complete peace of mind.
Let employees know the value of their answers
Many times, employees do not participate in surveys because they believe that their opinions will not be taken seriously, or that the information obtained will not be reflected in changes within the company.
To increase the participation of teams, you must emphasized that the company has designed an improvement plan and that the results of the survey are vital to guide the course of decisions, that aim to improve the working conditions.
Also, if employees are aware that they can control the reins of their work, the participation rate will increase substantially.
Make periodic reminders
Your employees are definitely busy people. It often happens that as they are going to complete the survey, some urgent tasks suddenly appear, or they receive a call or an email that must be quickly attended.
It is advisable to send emails remembering that there is an open satisfaction survey process and that their opinions are very important.
With Team Insights, emails are automatically sent as a reminder to all those employees who have not yet completed the survey.
Make it a simple process
Employee surveys should also be attractive and inviting to fill out.
According to an article in the magazine Harvard Business Review, the difference between a good satisfaction survey and a bad one, lies in how it is designed.
In the article, they highlight a number of factors to consider:
- Ask about observable behaviors instead of subjective thoughts.
- Focus the questions on those things that affect the organization and its employees.
- Few questions, short and straight, without any kind of cut or separation between topics.
- Use clear and concise language that does not lead to misunderstandings or cognitive biases.
- Combine questions with a positive statement with others with a negative statement.
In addition, the design not only affects the participation rate, but also the results obtained in terms of quality and utility. You can have a 100% participation rate, but if the data obtained is not relevant when making decisions, the survey will be of no use.
Questionnaires in Team Insights are designed to have reliability and statistical validity. And always with the possibility of being able to adapt to the reality of each organization.
Share the results
Employees have the right to know the results of the surveys and how the data they contribute is being used.
Therefore, it is good practice to share the reports with all the insights obtained, both good and not so good, alongside the measures and actions that will be placed to solve and improve those aspects that are creating disruptions.
If the teams perceive that their voices are really heard and taken into account, they will be more likely to participate in future satisfaction surveys.
Take measures
Last but not least, use satisfaction surveys to make positive changes in your organization.
If your teams see that they participate in the surveys, but there are no visible results, why waste their time?
If you really use employee surveys as a tool for improvement, and this improvement is tangible for others, members of your organization will not hesitate to continue participating in them.
Satisfaction surveys are not merely a bureaucratic process. Companies must be aware that their success depends on their employees. We must value their opinions and encourage all teams to participate to improve the organization to become its best version, while achieving business success.
With Team Insights, improving the participation of your work teams in conducting satisfaction surveys is very easy. Ask for a demo (it’s free!) And find out for yourself.
