Employee Attitude Survey

Knowledge Center

What is an Employee Attitude Survey? Meaning.

A Employee Attitude Survey is an assessment of the opinions and morale of the employees. Most often it is performed anonymously in the form of a self-completion questionnaire. Employees are asked to rate various aspects of the organizations on gradual satisfaction scales. Also there may be a few open questions to allow respondents to give free-style comments.

The data of the questionnaires can be analyzed to get an impression of the overall satisfaction of all employees or within certain groups, Business Units or other organizational entities.

Benefits of Attitude Surveys. Advantages

By conducting employee attitude surveys, employers show they are listening to their staff. Taking actual action on the findings further demonstrates to the workforce that their opinions are important and valued and can help to decrease employee Attrition. This can pay dividends in terms of improved morale and commitment. Moreover, an attitude survey can be used to explore specific issues, such as the reasons for high employee turnover. Furthermore areas of concern can be identified that require attention and offer the greatest opportunity for improvement or attitude change. Also surveys can help to prioritize employee work objectives to improve productivity and performance. Finally these surveys can be used to assess the current perception about certain managers or management in general.

Many organizations opt to use an external supplier to undertake, at least parts, of the survey process on their behalf. By doing so, they can benefit from the supplier's specialist expertise and resources, knowledge of best practice and experience of working with other organizations. Moreover, the independence and objectivity of the third party can help to reassure employees that their responses will remain anonymous and therefore influence return rates.
 

Hints on conducting attitude surveys. Tips

• Include the survey process into the normal business planning cycle.

• Create and communicate clear, specific actions from the attitude survey data.

• Don't ask what you already know.

• Use more then one attitude survey method.

• Keep the attitude survey data anonymous, but communicate the way it is set up.

• Decide how to analyze attitude survey data.

• Create an attitude survey sampling plan.

• Involve influential employees in the attitude survey effort.

• Be prepared to listen and act.

• Commit adequate resources: time, money.

• Use an attitude survey with good reliability and validity.

Compare with: Theory of Planned Behavior  |  Changing Organization Cultures  |  Appreciative Inquiry  |  Hawthorne Effect  |  360-Degree Feedback  |  Pre-Employment Screening  |  Active Listening  |  Empowerment of Employees  |  Illusion of Control Bias  |  Organizational Commitment  |  Efficiency Wage  |  Balance Theory  |  Cognitive Dissonance  |  Congruity Theory

Return to Management Hub: Human Resources

More on Management  |  Return to Management Dictionary  | 

This ends our Employee Attitude Survey summary and forum.