The following blog post was written by Josh Elander, Research Associate at RMS.

Surveys are a premier research method for obtaining honest and effective feedback from consumers, but they’re also a valuable way to gain insights from your employees. We have a long history of conducting employee surveys for companies looking to gauge the satisfaction among employees on several workplace factors. Here’s what you can expect when you make the move to conduct an employee satisfaction survey, and why you should.

Your Employees Will Appreciate the Effort

One of most important aspects of the survey is to keep it anonymous. If you’re wondering why a survey of employees is necessary when you always tout an open-door policy with the management, it’s likely because giving feedback without anonymity may deter employees from speaking out. For this reason, collecting anonymous employee feedback through a third-party research firm gives them a chance to provide thoughts without any fear of repercussion. They’ll appreciate the chance to speak anonymously, and are more likely to give insightful feedback that is invaluable to your organization.

Identifying Areas of Strength

Employees have as much to benefit from offering feedback as the employer. By giving their take on what’s good, they can benefit from management building on it. Perhaps that Cinco de Mayo party was the highlight of the month – why not another fun event to boost morale? That new initiative to streamline meetings and conferences implemented a few months ago – turns out the employees find themselves more productive and appreciate the willingness to change the workplace environment for the better. These are the insights that will gauge what’s working, and what you can expand on.

The Good from the Not-So-Good

A reality of employee satisfaction surveys is that it may include constructive criticism. The fear of negative feedback often causes employers to question whether or not to pursue this type of research. While we realize it’s not easy to hear what employees would like to improve, it provides the organization with an opportunity to let employees know that their voice has been heard, and demonstrate the dedication of the company to improve their workplace environment. These are your employees, the lifeline of your organization. They’re willing to give insights into what frustrates them or makes their job more difficult, which should be interpreted as the prime opportunity for improvement. More often than not, these are minor issues that are simply overlooked. We have found that addressing these minor issues can lead to higher employee satisfaction and retention, ultimately boosting the company’s bottom line.

When your organization is ready to conduct employee satisfaction research, look for a team of experienced researchers who can provide actionable reporting from the results. The data should provide your organization with the recommendations needed to develop the next steps in enhancing your employee satisfaction and morale.

RMS is a full-service market research firm located in Syracuse, NY. If you are interested in learning more about our research capabilities, please contact Sandy Baker, our Senior Director of Business Development & Corporate Strategy at SandyB@RMSresults.com or by calling 1-866-567-5422.