We all know the power of data. Everyone is talking about it and everyone, in some capacity, needs it to help make strategic decisions. However, some times the biggest hurdle is being able to put together a processor survey in order to capture the data needed. At times it can be over whelming to find a place to start, but if you start simple, it can be one of the most powerful and effective thing you do for your business.
Here are a few tips and tricks to help get the ball rolling.
1. Keep it short. Simple and concise surveys have a higher completion rate because it is more time efficient. Keep in mind, employees have a laundry list of daily tasks and responsibilities and they don’t always have the time or bandwidth to complete a lengthy survey. Time is money in these scenarios so we advise content writers to keep the surveys at or below 5 questions.
2. We recommend creating questions that yield more than a “yes” or “no.” One way to do that is by using a scaled question with a range of 1 to 5 so that your employees can give a bit more nuance to help you understand things better. This depends on the type of question, of course, but it can pay off to reframe things for a scale. For example, rather than simply asking: ‘Do you feel overwhelmed by your workload?’ - try asking: ‘On a scale of 1 to 5, rate your workload from “I’m on top of it” to “I’m overwhelmed”.’
3. Mix it up! Don’t always ask dry business questions. Occasionally throw in a fun or entertaining question to keep people engaged. How about: “Who do you like in the Super Bowl this year?” Also, when taking pulse surveys, try to inject some emotion to build a connection. That way it does feel so one-sided with “the suits” mining “the grunts” for info, but more of a conversation among teammates.
4. If you really need this feedback (and you do!) then you should offer a spiff to reflect how valuable it is to you. Some people are happy to share their thoughts, while others would never give it away for free. So, say “thank you” with a simple gift, like a gift card, and they’ll appreciate the gesture.
5. Last but not least, act on the results! It sounds obvious but it’s the most common point of failure with employee surveys. Many companies focus all effort on gathering intel and very little effort on using that intel to make things better. You can only do that so many times before employees stop trusting you with their time and input.
We all know the importance of surveys and the value of collecting employee feedback. It could be as simple as getting a pulse on what coffee brand to stock the break room with or more robust to determine what benefits are most valued by your employees. Either way, surveys and feedback are a critical way of collecting data and implementing changes in the workforce.
If you’re looking for samples questions to ask in your survey than contact a Marketing Innovators specialist to discuss your needs.
