Employee satisfaction surveys are a device used widely by many businesses as they provide priceless insights into the outlook of employees. These surveys can either be quite general or they can have a distinct theme such as wellbeing, reward and recognition or teamwork and communication within a business. The information and data generated by these surveys is invaluable and can be instrumental in shaping a productive and positive workplace culture. Employee satisfaction surveys go way beyond simple metrics; they are vital tools for understanding employees’ experiences, what is going well, what isn’t and what could be done differently. The Harvard Business Review summarise three key reasons for using employee satisfaction surveys which they say are because surveys are great predictors of employee behaviour, they give employees an opportunity to feel heard and they can be used as a vehicle for changing employee behaviour.
Let’s take a more in depth look at the importance of employee satisfaction surveys.
Identifying Areas for Improvement
One of the principal benefits of employee satisfaction surveys is their ability to pinpoint areas requiring improvement. Employees often feel more comfortable expressing their true feelings anonymously than in face-to-face meetings and so you get more candid feedback. Employee satisfaction surveys can reveal issues related to management practices, workplace conditions, communication gaps, and more. Sometimes these areas for improvement can be holistic across the whole company or isolated to individual teams or departments and by setting up the parameters of your survey correctly any particular team hot spots can also be identified. Once areas of improvement are identified it is important to then address them and the survey data may also guide you in what steps to take.
Enhancing Employee Engagement
It is widely accepted and supported by a raft of data that engaged employees are more productive, motivated, and committed to their work. Employee satisfaction surveys not only measure engagement levels but by the same token identify factors contributing to disengagement. Disengagement among your staff can lead to significant difficulties for a business so it is crucial that companies understand if staff are disengaged and what the reasons for that are so that they can be addressed and improvements can be made. By addressing these factors, companies can foster a more engaged workforce, and with everyone bought in and engaged this will help to drive the success of the business.
Improving Retention Rates
High turnover rates are undoubtedly costly and disruptive for a business. Information produced by the CIPD estimates that the average cost to fill a vacancy is £6125 so if your turnover is high those costs will stack up quickly. Employee satisfaction surveys help a business to understand any particular reasons why employees might be considering leaving the organisation. By addressing these issues proactively, companies can improve their retention rates and build a more stable workforce which will again assist the business to grow successfully. High staff turnover also impacts on clients and customers and can lead to a company gaining a poor reputation so it is critical that any retention issues are nipped in the bud.
Building Trust and Transparency
Conducting regular satisfaction surveys demonstrates that the organisation values employee opinions and is committed to listening. This practice can build trust and transparency within the workplace, making employees feel more valued and respected. It is important though that an organisation is seen to actively do something with the survey results. Simply gathering data is not enough, for trust and transparency to be built employees want to understand what has happened to the information they have provided, have action plans be formed, are changes being made and if not, why not? Not everything will be possible but by providing feedback, engagement will be maintained and if possible employers should look to take a “you said, we did” approach to demonstrate that staff have been listened to and changes have taken place. If nothing changes and staff see no follow through on a survey then the process quickly loses credibility and staff will simply disengage from any future surveys.
Driving Organisational Change
Employee satisfaction surveys provide data-driven insights that can steer strategic decisions and organisational change. They offer a clear picture of what is working well and what needs to change, guiding leadership in making informed decisions. Those decisions might be around changes and improvements to company culture, training and development opportunities, salary and reward or anything else relating to the employee lifecycle. Using the data from surveys in this way means that decision making is targeted and will make a positive impact that will benefit employees, rather than decisions being made blindly in the hope that they might be effective.
Benchmarking Progress
Conducting employee satisfaction surveys periodically allows companies to review and benchmark their progress over time. By comparing results from different survey periods, companies can assess whether the changes they have implemented are effective or if further adjustments are needed.
By regularly conducting employee satisfaction surveys and acting on the results, companies will create an environment where employees feel valued, heard, and motivated to give their all each and every day. These surveys are therefore fundamentally important to any business and if used correctly can be a powerful tool in supporting the growth not only of the business but also its employees.
Do you have any questions about todays blog, need help in becoming legally compliant with contracts/policies or can we support you in taking away any people pains to give you peace of mind?
If you answered yes to any of the above, just give us a call at CUBE HR on 01282 678321, or book in a FREE 30 Minute HR Health Check here FREE HR Health Check and we’ll happily give your business a full HR overview with our personal recommendations absolutely FREE!
Why not also check out our blog on a similar topic Measuring Employee Engagement
We also have a YouTube channel with loads of handy videos outlining various HR related scenarios.
