These days, the success of an organization is even more dependent on having a stable and committed workforce whose contributions coalesce into productive ...
Employee Satisfaction Surveys CSS Corp Employee satisfaction surveys help employers measure and understand their employees' attitude, opinions, motivation, and satisfaction. Communicate the Fact That While Employee Responses Are Confidential, the Data Gathered Will be Used to Improve the Workplace It helps in Individual assessment, Group / Teams perception, Serves also to identify the introduction of such assessment tools High employee satisfaction levels can reduce turnover
There is substantial research indicating that employers can favorably influence how their employees feel by taking positive steps to create a work environment that indicates, by action, that the employee is valued. Although important, pay is only one part and employers must also address fairness, quality of supervision and support for employees to successfully achieve a work/life balance. The following specific factors and initiatives have been shown to positively affect employee satisfaction: • • • • • • • • •
Clearly stated guidelines defining appropriate work behavior and job requirements. Supportive communications with immediate supervisors and senior management. The quality of the supervisory relationship. Favorable developmental training and experiences. Clearly-defined career goals and paths. Frequent recognition, both formal and informal. Fair and objective feedback on performance, provided on a regularlyscheduled basis. Personal and family-oriented policies and actions. Sufficiency of pay, benefits and rewards.
The strongest organizations are able to successfully develop the ideal combination of (1) quality products and/or services, (2) economic viability and (3) a positive work environment based on fairness, recognition of employee needs and adherence to the organization's values. Such combinations are not easily created and need to be carefully nurtured if the organization is to continue to thrive. The importance of these factors and policies are the basis behind Satisfaction
Survey, with the four key drivers being Commitment, Culture, Communications and Compensation. Adopting a deliberate focus on Commitment requires organizations to recognize the fundamental role that employees play in the success of the organization. This means thinking beyond the traditional emphasis on physical and investment capital and incorporating the value of "human capital" into the calculation of success, especially with the development of the knowledge economy. Commitment is one of the factors that can help "inoculate" an organization against turnover, at a time when there is an increasing need for companies to find and hold onto their most talented employees. These days, the success of an organization is even more dependent on having a stable and committed workforce whose contributions coalesce into productive group actions. An important contributor to this need is the fact that it is becoming more difficult to replace employees because their knowledge and skills are often more refined and specialized than in the past. Finding and keeping good employees in this environment is imperative but it is not going to be easy - according to Satisfaction Survey Employee Norms for 2005, three-in-ten employees do not expect to stay at their current organization for more than 2 years. As noted earlier, although six-in-ten employees see themselves as being generally committed to their organizations, almost the same proportion do not believe that their organization is committed to them. Although external factors, such as the health of the economy and the availability of work, influence the level of turnover, many organizations fail to recognize that employer/employee relationships are often weak and that it is up to organizations to demonstrate, in a very real way, that they are serious and committed to their employees. In order to achieve and maintain success, organizations need to recognize the following three components of building and managing a truly committed workforce: 1. Attracting qualified employees 2. Developing those employees over time 3. Building a bond of trust and commitment with those employees Organizations necessarily need to establish a "reservoir" of prospective, talented employees and a very important element of this is how attractive the organization is as a "mate" (building on the notion of a "marriage" between employers and employees.) The organization's reputation, to those outside of the organization as well as inside it, has a vital impact over its ability to continually attract talented employees. It is very well established that, if an organization treats employees well, they will give back as much or more in terms of both physical and emotional commitment. Corporate respect for employees is manifested in a wide variety of ways,
including fairness in the application of company policies, opportunities for growth and development, recognition of employee needs and a clean, safe working environment. A good relationship is exciting and it develops and grows. There is camaraderie around shared values and interests and the enduring sense that each will "be there" for the other when needed. Organizations that are able to create commitment among their employees realize that commitment is ultimately personal. This is the hard part of commitment that has profound implications for corporate conduct. It requires consistency in action at the same time as recognizing the need for flexibility and requires making decisions about what employees are prepared and not prepared to do. It requires the patient and concerted attention of the whole organization. Some of the essentials for building commitment include communicating with employees in an honest and open way, realistically assessing their capacity to engage in various initiatives, giving worthwhile feedback, making effective decisions and taking chances. Every organization needs to enhance the capabilities of its workforce over time, which is why many organizations offer both formal and informal training. However, employees themselves also have to be willing to make the effort needed to improve their skills to help them better meet organizational goals. Commitment to one's occupation is a helpful stimulus for personal growth and Satisfaction Survey Employee Norms suggest that this level of commitment is quite high, since almost seven-in-ten agree that they are committed to their careers and the type of work they do. However, the organization must foster the type of environment that encourages and facilitates the "natural" desire on the part of the part of employees to continually refine and develop their skills and knowledge. Importantly, this should include having clear career development plans for employees, since lack of such opportunities is an important contributor to employee turnover. Organizations need to avoid creating a scenario in which their employees act and are treated more as a collection of independent contractors rather than as a united and cohesive group. Or, to continue the marriage analogy, employees who see their relationship with their employers more as "dating" than as "marriage" are, by definition, not going to be as committed or willing to go "the extra mile" for their employers when necessary. Daters have relationships that are transient with no substantive long-term obligations and do not engage in activities that would be part of a more enduring relationship. On the other hand, "marriage" infers a strong expectation of permanence and a range of obligations on both sides that are intended to improve the quality of the relationship over time.
As a first step towards improving employee retention, conduct an employee opinion survey (OES). Such surveys are conducted for many reasons, from measuring the overall employee experience to finding out their feelings on a particular issue, plan or change within the organization. How well do employees communicate with each other and with management, what's hurting or helping their morale, how do they feel about the pay and benefits provided and how committed are they to the organization as a whole? These are only a small sample of the questions that can be addressed with a survey. More importantly, a company's culture has a very powerful influence over its work environment, which means that culture directly impacts employee satisfaction, morale and the level of commitment they will feel towards that company. � �
Demographic Questions General - Personal Questions
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Work Related Questions 1. Please describe your position with the company. 2. How long have you worked for this company? 3. I have ready access to the information I need to get my job done. 4. I am familiar with the mission statement put forth by my department. 5. I agree with the mission statement put forth by my department. 6. I am involved in decision making that affects my job. 7. Management has created an open and comfortable work environment. 8. I know my job requirements and what is expected of me on a daily basis. 9. I have received the training I need to do my job efficiently and effectively. 10. Training is provided to enable me to do my job well. 11. Management recognizes and makes use of my abilities and skills. 12. I am treated with respect by management and the people I work with. 13. I am encouraged to develop new and more efficient ways to do my work. 14. Employees work well together to solve problems and get the job done. 15. Management is flexible and understands the importance of balancing my work and personal life. 16. I would recommend others to work for this company. 17. What changes, if any, do you feel need to made in your department to improve working conditions? 18. What changes, if any, do you feel need to be made in the company to improve working conditions?
The Objective of the Survey is to identify the following for the Organization • • • • • •
What are the most important challenges facing our staff today? What changes do employees believe need to be made within the company? What percentage of our employees are satisfied in their current positions? Do our employees have the right skills for the roles they perform? Do our team members feel supported and rewarded for their contributions? Does our performance reflect our employees’ potential?
Linkages of Satisfaction survey with the following Career Opportunities
Organizational Structure
Compensation and Benefits
Recognition
Coworkers
Safety and Working Environment
Culture and Climate
Senior/Top-Level Management
Diversity in the Workplace
Team Dynamics
Human Resource Functions
Training
Job Security
Work/Life Balance
My Manager/Supervisor
Workplace Ethics
Employee satisfaction surveys provide the information needed to improve levels of productivity, job satisfaction, and loyalty. Organizations can identify the root causes of job issues and create solutions for improvements with an accurate perspective of employee views. These root causes can be identified using employee satisfaction survey. Discover what motivates people, what drives loyalty, and what genuinely makes and keeps your employees happy. Satisfaction levels will increase when employees know that their issues are being addressed. There is a direct link between employee satisfaction and financial results.
Employee satisfaction survey covers each employee & customized to meet your organization's specific needs.
Standard Employee Satisfaction Survey Topics Autonomy Compensation Job Satisfaction Management Style Recognition Working Relationships
Benefits Culture Job Training Organizational Change Supervision
Communications Engagement Life Balance Performance Evaluations Work Life
Employee Survey White Papers Employee Satisfaction Survey Related Topics Managing Job Satisfaction - Employees with higher job satisfaction typically believe that their organization will be satisfying in the long run. They will care about the quality of their work, will be more committed to the organization, will have higher retention rates, and will be more productive. Employer of Choice - Fairness - Prudent organizations will carefully manage fairness. They will understand that there are different factors related to fairness. This will not only create a more satisfied workforce, but will make genuine contributions to the bottom-line while positioning your organization as an Employer of Choice. Employer of Choice - Opportunity - The level of opportunity within an organization directly affects satisfaction (a response to current job conditions) and expectations about job conditions in the future. What else can be done to increase employee satisfaction? An employee satisfaction survey can help your company make this important assessment
Commitment to assess employee engagement, Culture to gauge leadership and accountability, Communications to identify bottlenecks to effective management and Compensation to measure employee perceptions of pay and benefits. Utilization of Survey results According to research, there are five primary reasons that make employees stay with employers long term: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Challenging and interesting work Opportunities to learn new skills and grow in their jobs Good relationships with co-workers Fair pay A great boss
Now that you know what your top performers are looking for, you need to learn how you can give it to them. Doing this may be easier than you think. Here are five guidelines to follow.
1. Talk to your employees. While you may be nervous about the answer, the best way to find out what it will take for an employee to stay is to ask them outright. Once you've asked them, encourage them to list every factor that they can think of. It's rare that someone will say 'money' and stop there. Your real high performers are looking for growth, development and responsibility. 2. Challenge your employees with goals. Although a great boss is last on the list of what employees are looking for, it is primarily this person who can influence all of the other factors. Hence the need for good, effective management. In your position as a leader, you have the opportunity to set goals for your employees that help both of you realize a shared vision for the company. Ongoing discussion about these expectations will help to ensure that employees are inspired and positively motivated to work toward these goals. 3. Don't micro-manage. Top performers will rebel if you try to micro-manage them. Most topperforming employees need the flexibility and independence to make their own decisions. When businesses create a bureaucracy of rules and procedures which takes autonomy away from people, in time they create working environment where even though they say they respect people, they don't demonstrate that they trust them. And a lack of trust is a sure way to drive people away. 4. Keep the lines of communication open. As your company grows bigger, you must find ways to continue to communicate. Employees will start to feel separated from your business if they're hearing about major company changes through the grapevine, or reading about them in the newspaper, rather than getting it first-hand from their internal leaders. That means setting up a very efficient information flow from the top down, making sure that communication is accurate through each level. They should hear it from you first. 5. Recognize the importance of your company culture. Developing a company culture that top performers want to be involved in also is critical to retaining them. Employees will remain in a work environment where they feel they are contributing and building something that is bigger than them. Together with the team, get everyone to buy into and evolve that culture. The culture dictated from above becomes a
meaningless mission statement. A culture that has benefits for the people in it, motivates and rewards everybody is what then drives your success.
People don't leave their jobs, they leave their managers." Although committed and loyal employees are the most influential factor to becoming an employer of choice, it's no surprise that companies and organizations face significant challenges in developing energized and engaged workforces. However, there is plenty of research to show that increased employee commitment and trust in leadership can positively impact the company's bottom line. In fact, the true potential of an organization can only be realized when the productivity level of all individuals and teams are fully aligned, committed and energized to successfully accomplish the goals of the organization. As a result, the goal of every company should be to improve the desire of employees to stay in the relationship they have with the company. When companies understand and manage employee loyalty - rather than retention specifically - they can reap benefits on both sides of the balance sheet i.e., revenues and costs. On the revenue side of the balance sheet, loyal and committed employees are more likely to go "above and beyond" to meet customer needs and are highly motivated to work to the best of their ability. Both of these traits are crucial for continued customer commitment and ongoing revenue and growth for the company. On the cost side, loyal employees stay longer, resist competitive job offers, do not actively look for other employment and recommend the company to others as a good place to work. These four behaviors positively influence the cost side of the balance sheet because they are leading indicators of employee retention. The longer companies keep their employees, the longer they can avoid having to pay to replace them. In other words, rather than focusing only on retention (that is, trying to retain employees who have already decided to leave), organizations should proactively recognize the benefits of understanding, managing and improving employee loyalty. The most successful organizations are those that can adapt their organizational behavior to the realities of the current work environment where success is dependent upon innovation, creativity and flexibility. Additionally, the dynamics of the work environment have to reflect a very diverse population comprised of individuals whose motivations, beliefs and value structures differ vastly from the past and from each another. Arguably, the most valuable, but also volatile, corporate asset is a stable workforce of competent, dedicated
employees, since such an employee base gives companies a powerful advantage; depth of knowledge and organizational strength. One of the key steps to understanding and improving employee loyalty is by acknowledging the importance of the following factors in building loyalty and satisfaction: • • • •
Broadly-defined responsibilities rather than narrowly-defined job functions Effective and regular performance evaluations, both formally and informally A corporate emphasis on employee learning, development and growth Wide-ranging employee participation in the organization as a whole
Typically, a combination of factors influences employees' decisions to stay at their current job. Contributing factors include satisfying work, a sense of job security, clear opportunities for advancement, a compelling corporate mission combined with the ability to contribute to the organization's success, and a feeling that their skills are being effectively used and challenged. Specifically, employees who enjoy their work, identify themselves with their employer and perceive that the company is flexible regarding work and family issues also intend to stay with the organization. Today, employee loyalty needs to be earned, rather than assumed, and must be specific, rather than general - employees are looking at their employment as a means of achieving personal goals rather than simply being the "good corporate soldier" of the past. This means that companies need to express and act on a commitment to develop employees' career objectives by introducing initiatives that make employees believe that their current job is the best path to achieving their career goals. In particular, consider the following elements of effective strategies designed to build loyalty and retain key employees: • • •
•
Include opportunities for personal growth and invest heavily in the professional development of the best people in the organization. Provide employees with well-defined career paths (including a succession plan), mentors and tuition reimbursement for job-related education. Train employees, even if it makes them more attractive to the competition. Without seeing an opportunity on the horizon, few high potential employees will stay with a company and allow themselves to grow stagnant. Acknowledge non-work priorities by recognizing and responding to employees' needs for greater balance in their lives, since employees will develop loyalty for organizations that respect them as individuals, not just as workers.
Another approach to the issue of loyalty is to consider the value of the five "I's": Interesting work. No one wants to do the same boring job over and over, day after day. Although any job will require some repetitive tasks, all jobs should include at least some parts that are of high interest to employees. Information. Information is power and employees want to have the information they need to know to do their jobs better and more effectively. And, more than ever, employees want to know how they are doing in their jobs and how the company is performing overall. It is vitally important to open the channels of communication in an organization to allow employees to be informed, ask questions, and share information and to inspire them to share the vision of the company. Involvement. Managers today are faced with an incredible number of opportunities and problems and, as the speed of business continues to increase, the amount of time that they have to make decisions continues to decrease. Involving employees in decision-making, especially when the decisions affect them directly, is both respectful and practical. Not only do those closest to the problem typically have the best insight as to what to do, involving them in decision-making will increase their commitment and improve the success of implementing new ideas or change. Similarly, management needs to follow through on promises and live the values they preach. Independence. Few employees want their every action to be closely monitored. Most employees appreciate having the flexibility to do their jobs as they see fit. Giving employees latitude increases the chance that they will perform as desired, as well as bringing additional initiative, ideas, and energy to their jobs. Employees also need to be encouraged to achieve their best potential. Increased visibility. Everyone appreciates getting credit when it is due. The occasions to share the successes of employees with others are almost limitless. Giving employees new opportunities to perform, learn, and grow as a form of recognition and thanks is highly motivating for most people. Another important strategy for improving loyalty is to implement a systematic process of performance reviews, since effective reviews can simultaneously increase employee morale and productivity. To achieve their primary objectives, such as improving the working relationship between employee and supervisor, performance reviews should be structured so as to: • •
Accurately define the employee's job description, including a focus on the skills most important to the employee's job Discuss the job skills the employee performs well on and identify areas that need improvement so as to fairly summarize their most recent job performance
• •
Set mutual and worthwhile goals, which are the heart of a professional growth plan Provide useful coaching to improve the employee's performance
With these objectives, performance reviews can make an important and ongoing contribution to furthering each employee's career. Related to the role of performance reviews, another important influence on employee satisfaction is a sense of being led by capable management, with both immediate supervisors and senior management having a clear sense of direction for the organization. One of the forces that disconnects employees from their companies is management's ever-changing corporate focus. By introducing yet another corporate initiative, employees come to question the credibility of management and the focus of the company. They begin to wonder what the company stands for, where it's going, and if the latest initiative is yet another "here today, gone tomorrow" program. Employees are therefore skeptical at best - and cynical at worst - about their company's perpetually shifting focus. Without a constant, long-term strategic vision, organizations risk confusing, bewildering, depressing and disconnecting with their employees. Within an environment of ever-changing focus, employees find it hard to see a strong link between their role and the company's core purpose. Alternatively, communicating a company's shared vision and establishing a shared mission with employees are important means of enhancing employee commitment. Employees feel a stronger sense of job satisfaction when they agree with the strategic decisions, especially when they are involved in developing the strategic direction. In addition to establishing and communicating a strategic vision for the company, loyalty also requires building a partnership between management and employees and creating an environment of mutual respect, involvement and open communication. Maintaining open lines of communication with employees will enable senior management to keep up with their changing needs into the future. Recent studies have shown that managers, whether front-line supervisors, project leaders, team captains or senior management, actually have more power than anyone else to reduce unwanted employee turnover because the most important factors driving employee satisfaction and commitment are largely within the direct manager's control. These include providing recognition and feedback regularly, offering opportunities to learn and grow, helping to ensure fair compensation reflecting an employee's contributions and value to the organization, fostering a good work environment, and above all, recognizing and respecting the uniqueness of each employee's competencies, needs, desires and working style.
At the supervisory level, though, managers also need to strike the right balance of using a more employee-centered leadership style, under which their employees are welcome to participate in making decisions (i.e., "leadership through collaboration"), but without going so far as to abdicate responsibility for decision-making. When the participatory approach becomes excessive, employees may feel that they are being given more responsibility than their positions should require and, thus, can feel overworked or underpaid for the work expected. It is also critically important to recognize that, when employees indicate the intention to leave, they generally do - this means that attrition can be predicted through survey measurement, which gives employers an important "window of opportunity" to foresee and address talent loss within specific departments so as to change the environment that is causing employees to leave. Research has indicated that the biggest gaps between those who intend to stay and those who intend to leave can be best summarized as (1) the opportunity for employees to use their skills effectively and (2) differing perceptions of the leadership ability of senior management. In conjunction with these key differences, projections have shown that improvements in the areas directly related to turnover can lead to a potential 5% decrease in actual turnover, which has real financial benefits for the organization. Did you realize that employees change jobs more for career options and training opportunities than they do for money and benefits? In fact, seeking opportunities for the long term rather than just the current job has much more influence over job change than monetary compensation - it is evident that money is a satisfier, but not a driver, of employee loyalty. Similarly, it is not salary that makes a committed employee. Compensation packages, while important, have become secondary to the employees' desire to be challenged, to contribute, to be recognized and to know how they will fit into the organization. However, this is not to claim that pay and benefits are unimportant. There are strong correlations between compensation, benefits plans and employee commitment. It should not be surprising, though, that the compensation plans with the strongest link to employee commitment are those that give employees a stake in the future success of the organization. Compensation plans in general help drive commitment when employees understand the program and believe it to be fair. It is also worth noting that the way an organization distributes money indicates what management really wants including sending a message to employees as to whether the company truly pays for performance. In short, then, there are five actions organizations should take to reduce attrition and improve employee satisfaction:
1. Demonstrate to employees that the company cares about them, wants them to advance in their careers and will help them satisfy their need for personal growth. 2. "Walk the talk" by not only communicating the corporate strategy but by also ensuring that it is applied consistently throughout the organization, including making the rewards system consistent with strategic goals. 3. Watch for and eliminate all inconsistencies between promoting a belief in employees and managerial behavior or policies that undermines that commitment. 4. Fight attrition with smart training that is not only relevant but helps broaden employee experiences and provides development opportunities. 5. Weed out poor managers because many employees leave their jobs because they are unhappy with their bosses - remember the adage that "people don't leave their jobs, they leave their managers."
