I read the following article it helped me to design a questionnaire for my organisation. Hope it will give you some insight
The value to the employer of employees participating in surveys cannot be overstated. The primary objective of the survey process is to gather information the employer can use to develop programs and coach management to improve employee retention through improved practices and enhancement of the work environment. In recognition of these goals, an employer must commit the resources to encourage employee participation in general climate, or specific-purpose surveys. Many companies spend thousands of dollars to reward employees for taking the time to complete surveys. The return on investment is notable. Danbury (CT) Health Systems (DHS) reports that in 1999 half of new employee’s left in the first year of employment. Moreover, each lost employee cost the hospital system an average of $85,050 in replacement employee, recruitment, orientation, and training costs.
Once committed to gathering employee opinions, an organization must assign accountability, select quality survey tools, and then encourage employee’s involvement. Procedures may need to be introduced or changed to enhance participation. For example, an employer should channel employees to locations where surveys can be easily completed to quickly drive up participation levels. However, leadership of changes in organization practices requires a program coordinator, specific policies and/or procedures, and collaboration between multiple-employer departments. Again, commitment to attracting employee’s participation is essential to recognize the financial and retention benefits the survey report information will render. Publicity is key. Announce the survey is coming, reward participation with contests, and publicize contest winners and survey results. Ultimately, publicizing new programs that emanated from employee-provided data will demonstrate to employees that survey participation can make a difference.
Start with assigning a Retention Programs Coordinator (RPC). For most organizations, this will be a collateral responsibility for a human resources (HR) staff member. The Retention Programs Coordinator will perform such assignments as:
• Creating announcements, promotional contests, prizes, and publicity
• Ensuring employees have opportunities to complete surveys
• Creating reward programs for manager survey participation and employee retention
• Acting as the system expert for computer programs supporting retention surveys
• Working with others to redesign existing programs such as orientation to create stronger relationships and enhance loyalty to the organization
• Making recommendations to management on new programs and processes
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Select the right employee survey
There are valid questions to be answered.
What do we want to learn from the survey?
The most common goals are to gather employee opinions related to the attractiveness of the work environment. This general objective will fall well short of what the employer can gain from surveys. Remember, research shows that new employee’s loyalty stems from issues that vary significantly from longer-tenured staff members (See Hardwiring Employee Retention, “On Boarding”, Advisory Board Company 2000). Seek surveys that will provide data associated to various stages of the employee work-life cycle, such as new hire, existing employee and exit interview surveys. Be sure the surveys are well researched and focus on relevant issues. Beware of survey partners offering surveys where you select the questions, or reports fail to provide results by individual managers and/or organization segments, oftentimes these are not well-researched survey specialists.
How will we employees complete the survey?
Be sure the survey can be completed electronically, ideally on the internet; this will cut costs and allow flexibility. But few companies have the luxury of having all employees on line. Your survey should also be available telephonically and on paper to fit all job types
How and when will we get survey results?
It is amazing that many employers still wait weeks or months to get employee feedback from surveys. In the modern internet world, results should be real-time, available in a secure environment, continually updating, and accessible immediately as the employee’s responses are received.
Increasing participation in retention surveys
Attaining participation of employees is a challenge for employers. However, the strategies of process optimization, announcing upcoming surveys, rewarding participation, publicizing rewards and contest winners, and following through with communication of survey results and resultant workplace changes, will ultimately positively affect employee participation.
Process focus is essential.
Give HR opportunities to implement new retention-related policies and procedures, such as issuing numerous publicity approaches including poster boards, emails and announcements. For exit interviews, allow HR to cancel any employee direct deposits of final paychecks. Then require employees to complete out processing through HR, resulting in the chance to ask the employee to sit at a computer and complete an on-line survey. If applicable, paper or telephone survey procedures can be explained. At this point, HR can also communicate about and provide the employee any rewards or drawing opportunities in appreciation for participation. Some organizations elect not to use on-line survey processes, and HR can use the out processing opportunity to review the importance of the survey as a means for improving the work environment for themselves, friends and coworkers.
Interview the employee to gain information beyond the survey process.
Many organizations have discontinued the personal interview. Quality survey services will provide employees the opportunity to provide comments to open-ended questions during the survey process. Other organizations continue to interview to have the benefit of evaluating the employee's verbal and non-verbal feedback, as well as to be able to ask clarifying questions.
The final ingredient to a successful employee retention program derived from survey data rests with the organization’s leadership in partnership with the HR Leader and PRC. Survey reports and associated data gives an organization the information needed to impact retention. Executives are aware that if you survey employees and ask what they need for a better workplace you set an expectation that leadership will respond to survey results with new programs and improve the management team and work environment resulting in fewer employees considering alternative employment. It is imperative that survey results be shared with current employees and plans for environmental improvements be publicized. This tells employees that their opinions count and that leadership is listening and responsive. The PRC may have the opportunity in concert with the HR leader to champion this effort.