Tip #469: 4 Employee Engagement Survey Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them)

Knowing how many employees are engaged is an important component for any size company.
 

To help you quantify your company's employee engagement issues, many leaders tend to survey their employees; however, if this is survey is done incorrectly, it could cause many issues internally. 
 

4 Employee Engagement Survey Problems (And Solutions).

Problem #1: Your Responses To Surveys Is Negative - If employees point out an inefficiency in production and you respond by giving them more unpleasant work, that does not provide much of an incentive for them to give positive feedback.

Solution #1: Promote Positive Results - Instead of issuing negative responses, try addressing the concerns in a positive and enthusiastic way. If production results are inefficient, offer a reward or bonus for the team showing the most improvement. 

Problem #2: Disengaged Employees Ignore The Survey -Chances are your disengaged employees already feel like you do not care about how they think. You've already lost them - so why are they going to take the time to fill out the survey? This means you do not hear from those who you need to hear from the most - your disengaged employees.

Solution #2: Provide An Incentive For Taking The Survey -Offer something extra - and make sure it is something that will be appreciated by engaged and disengaged employees alike, such as leaving a half hour early on a Friday.

Problem #3: You Distribute The Survey At The Wrong Time -Most employees are familiar with the ever-popular "exit interview," which usually occurs when an employee is leaving your company. If you find out why the employee was disengaged only at that point, then you have obviously already lost your chance to engage them.

Solution #3: Actively Encourage Feedback At All Times - It takes work to have an open door policy, but it pays off if a disengaged employee speaks up and you can assist them with their problems. This will help productivity, profit and team morale as well.

Problem #4: Your Survey Is Too Limited - If your survey simply requests yes/no responses or asks for ratings on a scale, you are actively disengaging everyone who takes the survey. While these tools will help you obtain solid metrics, it looks like a cold ploy to figure out engagement numbers.

Solution #4: Ask Open-Ended Questions - Ask questions that will encourage employees to think in ways they have not before. You could ask questions such as:

• If you could make one change in the culture of our company, what would it be?
• If you had the power to change one process, what would it be and why?
• If you could pick who to work for in this organization, who would you pick and why?

Executive Summary: Employee engagement requires constant focus. It takes time (and resources, such as your employees' time) to distribute an employee engagement survey and analyze the data. Make sure you use effective tactics that allow you to further engage your employees. The wrong survey could create more disengagement.

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