Taking Your HR to the Bank

Employee Surveys

Employee attitude surveys are valuable tools when they are designed, implemented, and followed up on correctly. They can be much more than just an opportunity for employees to let off some steam. Surveys should ask straightforward questions, provide easy-to-use response scales, and ensure complete confidentiality. A well-done survey that does all three gives you good information about how your employees really feel.

Surveys produce return on investment when your organization uses the survey information to take appropriate action. For example, a survey may help you find and address the root causes of low job satisfaction among employees. Here are some links between employee attitudes and valuable outcomes that CMI and others have identified:

Job satisfaction reduces intention to quit. An insurance company found that 30% of its dissatisfied employees intended to quit their jobs while only 10% of its satisfied employees intended to quit.

Studies in various industries (e.g., government, retail clothing, education) have shown that as the average level of job satisfaction across employees increases, group level performance increases.

Guest Quarters Suite Hotels has a regular employee survey program that they credit in part for a turnover rate that is less than half the industry standard.

Employee attitudes influence customer satisfaction and financial outcomes. For example, a Fortune 50 company found that through improving employee attitudes, customer satisfaction went up 4%. This, in turn, produced $200 million in revenues.

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