How to Create a Change-Making Employee Survey

If it’s been a while since you asked employees how they feel about a range of topics related to working at your company, now’s a good time to create a survey. But before you dust off a prior one, consider the pandemic’s seismic shift in how we feel about work and give your employee survey the modern makeover it needs to resonate with your team. 

Check out these best practices that can help you curate the right questions, and most importantly, take action to show your employees just how much their voices mean to you.

Touch Upon the Topics That Matter Most

A lot has changed in the past two years, including workers’ priorities when it comes to companies they’re willing to stick with. While it may be tempting to glaze over hot-button topics like pay and remote-work options, leaving them off the table could send your all-stars out the door. And just because you ask these questions doesn’t necessarily mean you need to upend your salary budget or announce a fully-remote policy overnight. It’s all about starting a conversation.

Consider these questions to help you get started:

On Career

• What are your career goals?
• How can we help you achieve your career goals (mentor, internship, training, etc.)?

On Pay

• On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your pay? (1 = Very dissatisfied, 10 = Very satisfied)
• Please elaborate on your answer. 

You may also want to use this format to ask about their benefits package. 

On Work-Life Balance

• On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate work-life balance? (1 = Terrible, 10 = Awesome) Please describe any specific contributors and detractors to your score.
• Which type of schedule do you prefer? (A. Hybrid  B. 100% in office  C. 100% remote) Please 

On Engagement 

• Do you feel engaged at work? Why or why not?
• What would increase your level of engagement?

On Belonging

• Have you been recognized for your contributions within the past three months?
• Would you describe our company culture as inclusive? Why or why not?

The Questions You’ll Wish You Asked Before the Exit Interview

• Have you considered looking for a new job in the past six months?
• What are three reasons why you would consider moving to another company?

Rather than assuming you’ve covered all the bases, give employees a space in the survey to bring up concerns, ideas, thoughts, or suggestions your questions don’t address.

Boost Participation with These Team-Minded Tweaks

Whether it’s a matter of time or overall comfort level, chances are not every employee will want to answer all of your questions. With that in mind, forego mandatory questions and fields in favor of allowing for flexibility. 

In the same way, some employees may feel apprehensive about being candid if they’re required to give their names. By allowing anonymity, you’re bound to gain more feedback and honest feedback at that. Understandably, you may want the ability to address issues within particular teams. Instead of requiring names, you could request that survey takers list their department or team name as an alternative.

Dole Out Survey Rewards to Respondents

Your employee surveys offer a goldmine of information that can transform your culture for the better. Generate buzz around your survey initiative by offering digital gift card rewards that your employees can spend at their favorite retailers. Whether you offer a five or ten-dollar reward for each completed survey or hold a raffle to award a single respondent a $150 gift card, a prize factor can make your survey request feel more fun than formal.

Follow Up with a Game Plan

Remember, the goal of any employee survey is to ensure that your staff members feel heard, which means a prompt follow-up is an absolute must. Look at it this way: imagine if you took the time to answer a survey only to wonder if your well-thought-out replies were even considered, or worse, read in the first place. 

As a company leader, your response to the survey can make or break the effort altogether. After all, it’s not about what your employees have to say. It’s what you do with the valuable feedback they’ve given you. It takes a certain level of trust to keep it real with your employer, so honor that trust and vulnerability with a response that shows you're listening and you genuinely care.

Your game plan can consist of a company presentation that addresses:

Patterns in employee responses

• Displaying aggregate data that shows overall survey results 
• Pinpointing specific areas in need of improvement

Next steps

• Establishing working groups to hone in on problem areas and develop solutions
• Connecting one-on-one with employees and teams who addressed specific issues
• Recruiting employees to join working groups to address issues they care about 

Communicate Progress and Follow Up Regularly

When you bring employees into the loop, your working groups are sure to make a powerful difference. Communicate that progress loudly via company-wide presentations and leave a few minutes to allow other employees to respond to what you’ve done. In addition to open-forum time in meetings, follow up with surveys that specifically address the changes you’ve made so you’ll know whether or not you’re hitting the mark, along with what you can do to keep the momentum going.

Manage Employee Survey Rewards with Giftogram

Take the hassle out of finding that perfect gift card with Giftogram. Giftogram’s corporate gifting platform empowers you to give gift card survey rewards that always delight.

• Employees can redeem their gift card at their choice of over 200 popular retailers
• Work within your budget by choosing gift card denominations from $5 to $500
• Personalize your survey rewards by choosing a design and adding your logo
• Send your gift card survey rewards in a flash for free via email

To get started, create a free account online or call the Giftogram Team at (973) 887-1600 and we’ll help you get started