Boosting Employee Feedback: How Can We Encourage More Participation in Surveys?

Hi, it is a usual practice for us to receive feedback each year from our employees. The number of responses has not been up to our expectations so far, and we are looking at ways to enhance participation. We have been using the survey model of Gallup. Need suggestions, ideas, or thoughts on what can be done to muster full participation.

Thanks in anticipation!

Dear Prakash, you have not given any indication of the size of the company, the nature of work, or the level of employees. Do you have any rewards for employees offering suggestions when their suggestions are taken up and acted upon? Do they have any role in implementing the suggestions? How long does it take for the suggestion maker to know what you did with the suggestion? Not knowing all this, we can only give you theoretical ideas and not practical suggestions, which depend upon a thorough investigation of why there is a lack of participation.

Kindly see http://www.bpclub.com/_Attachments/Resources/413_S4.pdf found on Google.

Have a nice day.

Regards, Simhan

Dear Prakash,

I fully agree with what Simhan has said. To make the suggestion scheme successful, according to me, the following things need to be taken care of:

- Employees should be assured that their suggestions, in their original form, will reach a senior unbiased person who will truly value the suggestions.
- All the suggestions that favor the organization should be implemented as quickly as possible to boost employee morale. The names of such employees should be displayed on the notice board to give them recognition.
- If possible, some cash awards should be announced for good suggestions.

However, I feel that the first two points are more effective than the third one.

Warm Regards,
Shreyas Dave
HR Consultant
Al Turki Enterprises LLC
Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Mob: [Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Dear Simhan,

Some valid questions you have posed indeed. Here are the details:
Company: In the service industry employing about 20,000 employees, including 1,000 staff members.
Reward: Current cash rewards are provided for the best suggestions.
Role: They have no role in the implementation, a good thought though!
Time: It takes about a month for the person to know the status of his/her suggestion.

T/C