Article by Ryan Moore, RMS Research Coordinator
Our client wanted to know: How can we improve our workplace culture and best support our staff?
When a large medical facility partnered with RMS to conduct an employee satisfaction survey, its goal was to assess the needs and values of those employed across nearly a dozen offices throughout Central New York. They wanted to understand better what made their workers happy with their job and what needs were not being met. RMS partnered with the organization to develop a survey that asked employees about the company’s direction, the execution of company plans and policies, and the connection employees have with one another; as well as leadership, their work, and their pay and benefits. The survey also benchmarked against similar employee satisfaction research conducted by RMS and employee satisfaction data collected for the client in 2020.
Insights
RMS created an online survey distributed via email across a list of employees provided by the company. The company first notified its employees that it contracted with RMS to conduct the anonymous survey. The RMS team then sent a survey link invitation to every employee on the provided email contact list. RMS assured that a statistically significant response rate was achieved. Using the data received, RMS was able to determine that:
- Overall employee satisfaction was rated 3.5 out of 5, which had decreased from 4.1 out of 5 in the previous survey conducted in 2020.
- Remote workers were slightly more satisfied than on-site workers.
- Employees hired after 2020 reported stronger satisfaction than those hired before 2020.
- Many of the responses indicated that staff felt that poor performance by some employees were not being corrected out of fears of understaffing.
- Though employees expressed that what they liked best about working at the company were the teamwork and camaraderie, benefits, and flexibility offered by the company, they also said that they are frustrated with poor communication, low pay, and inconsistent management practices.
Impact
The results of the study highlighted several specific areas of improvement and opportunities to enhance workplace culture and experience for employees.
Based on the findings, we were able to make recommendations to ensure that staff feel that they are listened to and can keep an open dialogue to enhance the organization’s culture. RMS has participated in several work group meetings and discussions to help make the survey insights actionable and matter to employees.
Feedback that is critical to an organization can be difficult to hear, but it’s necessary for an organization to acknowledge their employees’ perceptions of their work to make improvements to their communication and engagement, and to measure the success of policies the company has implemented.
It’s important for organizations to rely on third-party surveys to receive honest feedback. The anonymity provided by conducting a survey through a third party gave the company the information they needed to make real changes that help them retain their valuable and experienced workforce. Feedback like this is especially important in a climate where maintaining employee loyalty can be challenging.
Relational RMS Blogs:
How to Overcome Common Barriers to Employee Satisfaction Surveys
Satisfaction Surveys for the Win
8 Benefits of Using an Employee Survey
About the Author – Ryan Moore
As RMS Research Coordinator, Ryan assists the analytic team with managing projects, including designing surveys, survey programming, interviewing, analyzing data, and summary reporting. He works within the research department to interpret primary and secondary data, helping to identify key findings and trends. Ryan also assists in project recruitment.
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About RMS
Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc. (RMS) is a full-service market research firm in Central New York. Formed in 2002, RMS helps organizations that are looking to know more about their customers and/or potential customers. They conduct surveys, focus groups, mystery shopping, studies and analysis. Each project is customized and gets personal attention by the best in the business. RMS has a reputation for getting results and offers an independent means to conduct telephone, on-line and mail surveying, In-depth interviews, intercept interviews, and participant recruitment as well as focus group hosting through QualiSight, its onsite call center and focus group facility. Taking advantage of the region’s reputation for being a great market study barometer, RMS recruits and moderates for focus groups, community forums and town meetings.
