|
As the job market widens and the pool of available talent shrinks, employees are demanding more from their employers.
According to a recent study by the Gallup Organization, 40 percent of the work force will reach retirement age by 2010. That’s why employee satisfaction and retention are growing concerns in the workplace. Tapping into what makes employees happy and committing to make changes that will assist in their satisfaction positively impacts recruiting, retention and productivity.
Some employers conduct exit surveys when personnel leave the organization to determine what went wrong or what they can do better. However, these types of surveys tend to be more reactive than proactive.
That’s why many companies are conducting employee satisfaction surveys once or twice a year.
Employee satisfaction surveys benefit employers by giving insight into the working relationships between employees and supervisors, workplace issues, communication styles among employees and any other hot topics employers want to investigate. These types of surveys allow employees a chance to voice their opinions honestly and anonymously.
This gives employees an opportunity to express their thoughts without fear of backlash or harassment from their employers.
When an employee satisfaction survey is done well, employees feel valued, heard and appreciated in their workplace, thus creating higher morale, satisfaction and a stronger sense of loyalty.
Trying to figure out how to conduct an employee satisfaction survey can be challenging and somewhat overwhelming.
By following three steps employers can begin the process of increasing employee morale, retention and productivity:
• Identify problem areas. To conduct a successful employee satisfaction survey, employers must identify the target areas they want the survey to address. Employers then must decide if they would like to use a third-party vendor to conduct the survey or conduct it themselves.
• Communicate with employees. Another key factor to conducting a successful survey is informing employees of the upcoming survey and stressing the importance of participation. Let employees know that the survey is there to help the company make positive changes for the employee and the company.
• Act immediately. Finally, it is extremely important to address the results of the survey in a timely manner. If employers conduct a survey and never respond or act on the information, it is worse than if the survey never happened because now it seems as if the employer does not care.
It also is crucial to share the results with employees and let them know how their concerns are being addressed.
Provide regular feedback on what is being done to improve on certain areas so that employees know that their voices are being heard.
Employee satisfaction surveys are a great tool to increase performance, loyalty and morale. Smart companies recognize the importance of understanding their employees and making sure they are happy.
Linsenmeyer is the owner of Express Employment Professionals
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
