DO I NEED TO DO SURVEYS? I THINK I KNOW MY EMPLOYEES

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2 Every executive wants a stable, loyal base of employees. When asked, employee perceptions and attitudes are typically one of the top areas of concern for most executives. Many companies understand the importance of measuring and managing employee perceptions but most are unsure of where to start. We ve tried to make it simple by focusing on five key things every HR professional should know about conducting employee surveys. WALKER CAN HELP With decades of experience, Walker has worked with hundreds of companies to provide costeffective ways to gather, interpret, and distribute employee feedback. We can help you listen to your employees, identify key improvements, and improve bottom-line results for your organization.

3 1 DO I NEED TO DO SURVEYS? I THINK I KNOW MY EMPLOYEES You probably have a pretty good handle on the thoughts and feelings of your employees. However, there are probably two key reasons you should request their feedback. First, just asking them for their feedback makes a statement about your organization. It says you care and you are interested in how satisfied they are in their place of work. Routinely conducting employee surveys is one way to tell your employees you care. Second, you can t know everything. Every time Walker gathers feedback from employees, some sort of new insight surfaces. This allows you to address issues before they snowball. Yes, you may know most of what your employees are thinking and feeling, but you can t know everything unless you ask!

4 2 WE CONDUCT OUR OWN SURVEY. ISN T THAT GOOD ENOUGH? It s a good sign, anytime you gather feedback. However, choosing the right questions to ask can be difficult. For many years, we ve honed our surveys to the point where we can ask the right questions to generate the most actionable information. We also maintain a database so you can compare your organization to industry norms and best practices. By using a standardized approach, you can generally receive more sophisticated information and important comparisons than by crafting your own survey.

5 3 HOW MUCH DOES A PROGRAM COST? SURVEY PROGRAMS ARE EXPENSIVE, AREN T THEY? Not compared to the cost of high employee turnover. It doesn t take a financial wizard to figure out that employee retention has a bottomline effect on your business. Generally, the return on investment for an employee survey program typically means if you lower your retention rate by only a few percentages, you ve more than paid for the program. If you conduct a good program and follow up on the feedback you receive from employees, you will recognize a return in no time.

6 4 I CAN T GET PEOPLE TO RESPOND. HOW CAN I PERSUADE EMPLOYEES TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY? There are usually two reasons why an employee won t complete a survey apathy or fear. If employees are not answering the survey because they just do not care about the company or do not feel anything will happen with the results, it becomes imperative that any survey conducted be acted upon. By providing reports that are easy to understand and utilize, action can be taken, and in time employees will see the changes made based off of their feedback. If employees are afraid responses will not be kept confidential or they will be retaliated against for responses given, hiring a third party can help alleviate those concerns. Employees generally see a third party as more neutral, and communications can be sent on how the third party will ensure confidentiality.

7 5 WE HAVE A LOT OF FEEDBACK, BUT CAN T SEEM TO USE IT ALL. HOW DO I TURN IT INTO ACTION? That is a problem with many companies today. It s one thing to ask for feedback, but once you receive it, what do you do with all of it? This is where the delivery of the information is most important. We have streamlined our reports to pinpoint ways to improve employee relationships and provide action items you can use right away. Our reports will reveal what percentage of your employees are loyal, trapped, or halfway out of the door. We will tell you the key drivers of the loyalty of your employees and will specify the key areas needing the most attention now. This way, you ll have a to-do list and our consultants will guide you on ways to make the most of the feedback you receive.

8 MORE QUESTIONS? If you are struggling with any of the questions in this booklet, or other questions, please contact us. We help companies overcome these problems, and others, everyday. CHRIS WOOLARD Senior Consultant, Business Development blog.walkerinfo.com/blog/loyalty-in-the-workplace walkerinfo.com/employee-loyalty-retention.asp