DecisionWise Newsletter Article

Which Employee Survey is Best?

Q. I understand that there are several different types of employee surveys. Which kind should I use?

A. That depends on what you are trying to measure. Employee surveys come in many varieties, but generally there are three main types: employee satisfaction, organization climate, and employee engagement. Each survey serves a distinct need in the organization. As each of these may be important to the strategy of the organization, it's important to use the right type of survey for what you're trying to measure.

The following provides a guide to identify which survey may be most appropriate for your organization.

1. Employee Satisfaction Survey
(a.k.a. employee survey, employee opinion survey, or employee morale survey

The purpose of this type of survey is to provide general feedback to management to evaluate items that relate to some, or all, of the following:
  • Satisfaction with Job
  • Perception of HR
  • Perception of Pay/Compensation/Benefits
  • Causes of Turnover or Retention
  • Perception of Policies
  • Perception of Diversity
  • Intent to Stay/Leave
Because of the number of topics addressed, surveys like this tend to be longer - often 65-120 questions. The results are analyzed and an interpretive summary is prepared and presented to senior management. Summary results are presented to all employees, but generally little action planning is done by employees based on the results. This survey is best used as a tool to better understand employee perceptions for strategic planning purposes.

2. Organization Climate Survey
(a.k.a. culture survey, cultural alignment survey, climate survey)

This type of survey is usually driven by the business need to change or align with a new vision. They are helpful to measure employee perceptions after a merger, change in management, or a change in the structure of the organization. They are useful indicators of how well employees know and are committed to the values of the organization. These surveys usually measure one or more of the following:
  • Vision/Mission
  • Cultural differences between groups (for mergers or acquisitions)
  • Perception of Pay/Compensation/Benefits
  • Perception of Business Results
  • Innovation
  • Teamwork
  • Employee Perceptions of Managers
These surveys vary in length from 20-70 questions depending on how targeted the questions are and how many areas need to be evaluated. The results are analyzed, and an interpretive summary is typically delivered to a broad level of management.

3. Employee Engagement Survey
(a.k.a. employee involvement survey, employee empowerment survey, employee commitment survey)

This type of survey measures the components most important to employee performance in the organization. It is best used as a tool to promote organizational change and increased performance. The survey items are well-researched to measure the components of engagement and what makes an employee truly committed to the organization. These surveys usually measure the following factors of engagement:
  • Resources/Workload perceptions
  • Job-Person Fit
  • Role Clarity
  • Manager Relationship
  • Recognition
  • Empowerment/Accountability
  • Cross-Dept. Cooperation
  • Fairness and Equity
  • Growth Opportunities
These surveys are short, no more than 30 questions, and work best when they are customized to the organization. Because each organization is different, the factors that motivate employees are different. We have found that these factors can even vary within an organization, in which case we have developed two versions of the same survey to accurately measure engagement. Results are rolled out to all managers and action planning sessions are held by all workgroups in the organization. The focus of the process is on organizational change and improvement.

Conclusion
We often find organizations using the wrong type of survey to assess the areas they are looking to address. This may result not only in a poor outcome in terms of data, but has also proven to be frustrating to employees. By ensuring the right type of assessment is used, you will stand a much better chance of getting data that will provide strategic value.