Why Aren’t Point-Scale Surveys Working?
The Dehumanising Effect of Traditional Employee Engagement Surveys
Quarterly employee engagement surveys are a staple in many companies’ routines. They serve as a valuable instrument for collecting anonymous, comprehensive feedback from employees — a crucial step in enhancing workplace culture. Yet, despite their importance, our research at L10.tech indicates a baffling trend: less than 25% of companies see an upward trend in their survey results. The majority remain stagnant, or even show a decline. This poses a substantial question: Where might things be going awry?
The Drawback of Current Survey Methods
Surveys commonly utilise a 5-point or 7-point scale, which is convenient for basic analysis. However, it falls short when we aim to deeply comprehend employee sentiments, as with questions like, “Do you feel valued and appreciated by your manager?”
Imagine an employee whose manager is kind and supportive, but isn’t helping them establish clear goals or make progress towards them, thus hampering productivity and stifling innovation. This employee might answer “Agree” to the above question, as they feel appreciated but are not given room to grow or operate at full productivity.
Using a 5-point scale in this instance would oversimplify their experience, leaving leadership to speculate about the problem — and here’s where important subtleties are lost. Management, merely observing a high or low score, might not fully grasp the unique blend of emotions and fail to formulate effective strategies. This approach treats the survey as a tool for collecting impersonal data, rather than understanding human sentiments. Therefore, a refined approach is needed to accurately encapsulate these mixed emotions.
The Shortcomings of Point Scale Questions
In employee engagement surveys, the limitations of the point scale questions become glaringly clear:
- Absence of Context: When an employee indicates ‘disagree’ on their role satisfaction, what exactly does that ‘disagree’ denote? The vital context that underlies this score often gets lost in the mix.
- Lack of Qualitative Data: While the point scale produces quantitative data, it fails to shed light on the emotions, thoughts, and opinions that led to this rating.
- Limited Answer Choices: Even when bolstered with multiple-choice questions, this method falls short of capturing the full range of employee experience. People’s feelings and perspectives cannot be neatly pigeonholed into predefined categories.
- Potential for Confusion: The distinction between “Agree” and “Strongly Agree” or “Disagree” and “Strongly Disagree” is subjective, differing from one individual to another. This variability can lead to skewed data that may not truly represent the collective sentiment.
- Bias Hazards: The manner in which questions and scales are presented could unintentionally influence employees’ responses. The fear of offending superiors or appearing negative might also lead to a bias towards positive responses.
- Lengthy Surveys: In an attempt to capture comprehensive data, surveys using 5-point scales typically comprise 30–50 questions. This is notably longer than open-ended surveys, which usually have only 5–7 questions. The exhaustive nature of such surveys can dissuade employees from fully engaging, thereby reducing the survey’s overall effectiveness.
The Unseen Consequences
Navigating the landscape of survey feedback is rarely a plain sailing process. Having spent more than a decade designing employee experiences, I’ve encountered significant risks that can veer us off our intended course:
- Overlooking Minority Voices: A heavily quantitative approach might overlook the concerns of a few because they don’t significantly impact the overall scores. However, these minority voices can represent critical issues that require addressing, despite not being widespread.
- Feeling of Being Ignored: When a survey doesn’t allow employees to explain their scores, those who rate aspects of the workplace poorly might feel their issues are being overlooked. This can lead to heightened frustration and reduced morale, especially if they see no changes being implemented based on their feedback.
- Deferred Decisions: Without detailed, qualitative context to the quantitative survey results, management could be slow to react. Small issues can mushroom into major problems over time, and the delay in response might lead to misguided strategies to tackle them.
- Reliance on Personal Conversations: Even with approachable HR staff or leaders, employees might hold back on sharing their concerns and feelings. Although point-scale surveys do offer a degree of anonymity, they may not facilitate the depth and detail of expression needed to genuinely voice an employee’s concerns and feelings.
Reevaluating Our Approach to Employee Engagement Surveys
This realisation calls for a rethink of our survey methods. It’s not just about gathering data; it’s about treating our employees as humans and striving to connect with them on a deeply personal level. It’s about ensuring our staff members feel heard and valued, gathering significant, actionable insights, and empowering management to make well-informed decisions.
We need to look beyond the 5-point scale and incorporate open-ended questions into our surveys. These permit employees to articulate their thoughts, feelings, and experiences, providing us with a more authentic and nuanced portrayal of the workplace atmosphere. Thus, it is time we reassess our approach concerning employee engagement surveys:
- Incorporate More Open-Ended Questions: By using open-ended questions, you can streamline your surveys and capture genuine feedback. Moreover, platforms like L10.tech can automatically analyse these responses and generate effective, personalised solutions.
- Update Surveys with Experts: Bring in external survey design experts for fresh perspectives to enhance survey effectiveness. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me or other professionals for support.
- Co-Design Your Surveys: Encourage employee involvement in crafting survey questions. This ensures coverage of their concerns, creates a sense of ownership, and potentially boosts response rates.
- Promote Transparency: Respond to feedback with clear, tangible actions and regularly update employees on the progress and outcomes. This transparency shows your commitment to their input and fosters participation in future surveys.
- Promote a Culture of Continuous Feedback: Beyond the annual or quarterly surveys, foster an environment where employees can share their thoughts and ideas freely. It keeps the dialogue open and helps promptly address any emerging issues.
- Leverage Technology: Use AI tools like L10.tech to automate the collection, analysis, and formulation of personalised action plans. They discern sentiments, transform responses into measurable metrics, and spot easily missed patterns, for a thorough understanding of your employees’ experiences and sentiments.
A Call to Action
As we strive for a more human-centred approach to employee engagement surveys, we must remember that the ultimate goal is to ensure that our employees feel heard, understood, and valued. Let’s evolve our surveys to be more reflective of our employees’ experiences, fostering a work environment where everyone can thrive.
