What are Employee Engagement Surveys?

The Employee Engagement Surveys are a true lifesaver when it comes to revealing the true potential of the employees working in any organization. Let’s take an example — a company named company-z is running fine, all the departments are looking good and all employees are happily working. But still, the output is falling behind expectations. Why could this be happening? Most likely, It is because of the low employee engagement rate.

These employee engagement surveys are conducted to find out how engaged a company’s employees are. Every company needs to run these surveys as it will help them find the shortcomings that might exist in different areas of the corporation. These areas or sectors are company culture, leadership & management, communication, etc.

Companies with engaged employees are most likely to do well in their business and operations. Generally, engagement is often perceived as happiness. Yes, these two terms relate to each other, but the meaning is different altogether.

A happy employee doesn’t necessarily mean that he/she is engaging with the overall vision and mission of the organization.

Engaged employees are self-motivated, work hard, their goals and vision align with that of the organization.

But what does Employee Engagement mean?

To put it into words — Employee Engagement is a concept that tells the level of interest, enthusiasm, and dedication of the employee. The employee’s dedication towards his work, position, and for the organization within which he/she is working.

Engaged employees mean that they are happy and satisfied thoroughly. Do you know what it means for your organization? This would simply imply that the employees are happy, & so are the customers as a result. And I don’t think I need to explain the benefits of having happy customers.

Read this article from Harvard Business Review. The article mentions that the companies with high employee engagement have 22% higher productivity. The study from Gallup Organization in the mentioned article shows it.

Do you know the reason behind conducting Employee Engagement Surveys? No? Then, let’s discuss it:

Why are employee engagement surveys conducted?

Employee engagement surveys are vital for any company that wants to grow its business. Organizations conduct these surveys who value employee engagement.

Let’s have a look at the reasons for conducting employee engagement surveys through the following points:

1. It helps to keep an eye on engagement degree —

These surveys help to find out what are the things that the employees like about the organization which drive them to give their best. It can be the work environment, salary, acknowledgment, growth opportunities, etc.

Build great teams and increase your employees’ engagement with these useful tips.

2. It lets employees express themselves —

This helps to provide a ground where the employees can come and express themselves. These surveys open up the gates of open communication & tell the employees that the company is listening to what they are saying.

This creates a strong sense of belonging towards the organization. It contributes towards building a good company culture.

3. Analysis and comparison of results —

The data which is collected during these surveys are analyzed to see the company’s performance. It is compared with the previous records to see if the company is growing.

The data of your company can also be compared with other competitors as well to see where your organization stands in the industry.

4. It supports organizational growth —

Collecting the employee’s responses is beneficial for any company. It is carried out to assess in which areas the company needs improvements so that they can make positive changes in those areas. This will result in increased employee engagement which results in overall organizational growth.

Some nifty tips to remember while carrying out Employee Engagement Surveys:

1. Maintain Secrecy —

When asking for the responses to your questions to the employees, you must maintain its confidentiality. This will build trust & encourage them to share honest feedback without any hesitation.

2. Notice the overlooked —

You must use these surveys to know about the issues which usually get overlooked. The risk of not utilizing such surveys is generally high & can be experienced dramatically in the form of low employee engagement.

3. Focus on crucial areas —

In the planning stage, focus on all of the crucial areas that make the most impact on employee engagement. Garner the information as much as you can so that you can figure out the ups and downs in those areas.

4. Take action —

Allocate your resources towards the sectors which need changes in them. You need to give priority to those sectors which are not in great shape and then give attention to the others to improve them.

Suggestions for writing the Employee Engagement Surveys:

Keep the questions short, simple, and clear. It makes it easy for the employee to answer them.
The survey length should be short as it makes the process easy for both parties. Keep the number of questions to 30 or below.
Strike a balance between open-ended and closed-ended questions.
Cover all of the important topics while framing the survey questions.

Category wise sample questions for Employee Engagement Surveys

One thing is important to remember that when you’re preparing surveys, break the survey into different categories. Each category should reflect one dimension out of the many of employee engagement. It is because this provides clarity to the employees, and also you will be able to see where the improvement is needed.

Here are some of the questions:

Leadership & management

Do you get proper guidance from your manager?
Does your supervisor provide you with honest and positive feedback?
How often do you receive recognition from your manager?
Does your manager notice the efforts you make for projects and appreciate them?

Work environment & satisfaction

Do you like our company’s culture?
Do you feel comfortable working here?
Are there all the important facilities available related to your work?
Do you feel valued in our organization?

Team harmony

Do your teammates motivate and help when you need them?
Are you comfortable working with your colleagues?
Do you feel a sense of harmony working with your team?
Does your team listen to what you suggest?

Career advancement

Do you see yourself working with us in the long run?
Does our company provide you with training and important courses related to your work?
Are you aware of the path of your career growth in our company?
Suggest us to provide something that you feel is important to improve your work skills?

Communication

Do you feel our organization is transparent in terms of communication?
Does our organization provide you information about the changes in plans and procedures?
Do you feel heard in our organization?
Do you receive important information on time from your seniors?

Work-family balance

Are you able to spend enough time with your family?
Does your work cause unnecessary stress in your personal life?
How often do you need to bring your work to your home?
Do you feel we value your private time and space?

Rewards, recognition, and compensation

Do you feel you are appropriately compensated according to the work provided to you?
Do you receive rewards when you achieve your goals and targets?
Does your manager & teammates applaud you for the contribution you made to important projects?
Is there anything we can do to make improvements in the rewards and recognition program?

Conclusion

So now you know about all of the necessary information regarding Employee Engagement Surveys. These surveys enable companies to keep a track of employee engagement as it is extremely vital to run a business effectively & efficiently. Moreover, It is good for the employees’ growth as well in the long run. Plan, study & fill gaps as you see them in any area, for, they are the reason for low employee engagement. Trust us, these surveys will help you unleash the full potential of your employees.