Getting to know employee surveys

Employee survey - more than just procedure

In order to understand employee surveys, one must also know their ideal and conceptual bases.

Variety of employee surveys

Hardly two employee surveys are identical. They can vary in their guiding principle, their concept or on all levels to a greater or lesser extent. Prospective customers can choose from manifold forms of appearances and options.

Dynamic of an employee survey

The dominant guiding principles, concepts and procedures of employee surveys have changed a lot over the last decades and are subject to permanent adjustments and advancements.

Definition of employee surveys

In the following, ISPA consult defines an employee survey as

1. a systematic, anonymous survey of employees of a company or an administration
   
2. with the aid of a print or online questionnaire
   
3. on one or more aspects of the working situation and their evaluation
   
4. by use of a fully or partly structured questionnaire
   
5. based on a top management decision
   
6. with the aim to identify internal strengths and weaknesses or development potentials from the perspective of the employees, to detect need for action as well as to commence measures for managing/eliminating this need for action.

Multipurpose practicability of the employee survey

Nowadays, one has to attest employee surveys a high multipurpose practicability.

-   Employee surveys in research

• research through/with employee surveys (e.g. empirical hypothesis study)
• employee surveys as research subject (e.g. implementation research)

-   Employee surveys as a management tool in practice

Heads of personnel departments aim to achieve something by the use of the employee survey.
easons/benefits of the employee survey are:

• improvement of the work climate
• ontinuous internal improvement measures initiated by the survey
• improvement of the workflow management
• increased employee motivation and satisfaction as well as stronger employee dedication with positive impacts on the performance, connection to the company, fluctuation and absence from work due to illness

In the operational practice employee surveys are applicable, for example, as an instrument of personnel and organisational development, as an instrument of the Balanced Scorecard or as an instrument of quality assurance according to EFQM or DIN ISO 9001:2000.

ISPA consult stands for substantiated and field-proven provision of employee surveys on a professional and at the same time cooperative level.

ISPA consult advises companies and administrations on the implementation and handling of employee surveys and how to make the best possible use of the survey results.

Subsequently, ISPA consult executes and evaluates the employee survey and actively participates in implementing actions and recommendations for action.