A great presentation from my colleague, Jack Kennedy.

1. Employee Surveys:
Pitfalls and Promise
The Current State of Employee Surveys and
Keys to Implementing an Effective Survey Process

2. Today’s Business Situation

Complexity

Rapidly changing competitive environment

Re-organizations, mergers, acquisitions



Emphasis on business processes as key to competitive
advantage
Interdependence — need for cross-functional,
cross-boundary problem solving
HR needs to add value
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3. Premise
In order to succeed in today’s environment,
organizations must:



Communicate the organization’s vision, values and
objectives to all employees
Engage the workforce behind the priority objectives of
the organization
Build commitment in the workforce in order to retain key
employees
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4. How Surveys Contribute
Assess
Employee
Engagement
Predict
Readiness
to Change
Institutionalize
Values
Identify
Barriers
Link to
Business
Outcomes
Build Ownership
for Outcomes
Track
Progress
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5. How Surveys Contribute

Provide organizational assessment

Create a catalyst for change

Provide structure for problem identification and action planning

Encourage accountability

Build teamwork and commitment

Open lines of communication
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6. Employee Perceptions are
Linked to Business Outcomes

Employee opinions and customer satisfaction
−
−

Schneider, Parkington & Buxton (1980)
Schneider & Bowen (1985)
Employee opinions and business performance
−
−

Tornow & Wiley (1991)
Wiley (1991)
“Lagged” effects and causation
−
Ashworth, Higgs, Schneider, Shepherd & Carr (1995)
−
Rucci, Kern & Quinn (1998)
−
Wiley & Brooks (2000)
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7. The Link is Indirect
+
Customer
Data
Employee
Data
+
Financial
Data
+
Quality/service impact on
business performance
Employee impact on
quality/customer service
+
Impact of employee engagement
directly on business performance
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8. Conclusions from the
Literature



Employee and customer satisfaction are strongly and positively
linked
A leadership value-system that emphasizes product quality and
customer service is fundamental to this linkage
Practices derived from this value system include:
−
−

Involving them in decisions that affect their work
−

Providing employees with the necessary support, resources & training
Empowering them to do what is necessary to meet customer expectations
Employee retention is positively related to customer satisfaction
Quality and customer satisfaction have long-term, positive
relationships with customer retention, market share and
profitability
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9. Conclusions from the
Literature


Certain practices that increase short-term sales and profits may
do so at the expense of employee and customer satisfaction
Investment in practices that support quality, employee and
customer satisfaction is a long-term business strategy, not a
quick fix
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10. Evolution of Employee
Surveys
Previously
Today
Topics
Morale
Engagement
Purpose
Assessment
Problem-solving
Information
flow
Upward
Multi-directional
Scope
Broad, long
Short, focused
Action
responsibility
Management
Everyone
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11. The Survey Process
Linking the Survey to Strategy
Data Collection
Value-Added Data Analysis
Utilization
Follow-up
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12. Linking Surveys to Strategy
Successful surveys are action-oriented and focus on
issues clearly related to the organization’s success

Clear priorities and agenda

Limited survey scope

Behavior/outcome-oriented questions
−

Ensure that the data reflect employees’ actual experiences
Focused at multiple levels
−
Responsibility and authority can be pushed to the lowest appropriate level
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13. Data Collection
Successful surveys are action-oriented and focus on
issues clearly related to the organization’s success

Process clearly communicated to all employees
−
Steps
−
Dates
−
Expectations

Appropriate administration process and technologies

Limited administration period
−

Frequently determined by administration process
Rapid data turn-around
−
“Survey data are not fine wine -- they don’t get better with age”
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14. Value-Added Data Analysis
Key-driver analysis: Employee Engagement
Clear Strategic
Vision
0.32
Opinions Are
Valued
0.28
0.22
Development
Encouraged
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Employee
Engagement

15. Value-Added Data Analysis
Strategic Priority Analysis
High
Performance
•
Employee
Favorablility
Strategy &
Values •
Line •
Management
Culture
Working •
Environment
•
•
Reward
•
Recognition
Comm.s
•
•
•
IT
Key Strength
Areas
Leadership
Critical
Improvements
•
Development
Low
Impact on Employee Motivation
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High

16. Value-Added Data Analysis
Linkage Research



Integrating and correlating survey data with other important
organizational data
Goal is to identify elements of the work environment that “link” to
key organizational outcomes (e.g., customer satisfaction,
quality, turnover, etc.)
The stronger the linkage between employee survey results and
measures of organizational effectiveness, the greater the value
of the survey
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17. Value-Added Data Analysis
Linkage Research

Linkage research is difficult to do well
−

Need a fairly large number of similar units (e.g., branches, stores, etc.
Linkage research may change priorities
−
−

Typically focus on lowest rated issues/topics
Linkage research helps focus on empirically-identified “predictors” of
organizational outcomes
Content affects the likelihood that results will predict outcomes
−
Survey measures of “Organizational Effectiveness” more likely to link to
outcomes
−
Traditional “Employee Relations” topics conspicuously absent
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18. Utilization
The most critical step...
The transition from collecting data
to actually doing something about it
“Survey Data Never Changed Anything”
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19. Utilization
Or, put another way:
“Surveys are like hand grenades.
Once you pull the pin,
you really have to do something with
them!”
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20. Utilization
Communicate results
“This is what you said.”
Understand the data
“Tell us what you mean.”
Prioritize
issues
“We can’t fix
everything. What’s
important?”
“What are we going
to do about it?”
Transition to action
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21. Utilization
Feedback and Action-Planning Model

Takes place at multiple levels
−
Company/business unit
−
Function
−
Work group/department

Managers trained to conduct meetings

“Trickle-up” of issue specifics

Employees involved in developing & implementing actions
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22. Follow-Up
Feedback and Action-Planning Model

Ongoing monitoring of action-implementations

Continuous communication linking actions to the survey process

Make surveys a regular part of your business measurement
Surveys are not opinion polls.
They are a process!
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23. Best Practices in Surveys

Line ownership of the process

Executive buy-in and commitment

Focused on strategic/operational issues

Integrated with other organizational processes

Accountability for action

Communication, communication, communication
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24. Survey Pitfalls

Unclear survey objectives

Insufficient planning/resources

Poor questionnaire design

Inappropriate administration methodology

“Paralysis by Analysis”

Failure integrate link survey with standard business practices

Lack of accountability for survey-based improvements

Poor follow-up communication
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25. Contact Information
For more information, please contact:
Jack Kennedy
Executive Director
Half Moon Consulting
JackKennedy@Half-MoonConsulting.com
(914) 923-5051
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