Legendary innovator Henry Ford once said, “If there is one secret to success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as your own.” This viewpoint allowed Ford to empathize with the consumer and, perhaps more importantly, his employees. Ford is remembered for putting the majority of Americans behind a steering wheel, but he also paid his workers extremely well for the time. Thanks to this “wage motive,” the Ford Company enjoyed low turn over and lower training costs over time. Henry Ford found that by figuring out what motivated employees, he could keep them around longer, resulting in a better overall product for consumers.
Plenty has changed since Ford’s heyday, especially in the workplace. Like consumers, many employees now seek an emotional connection with their employer. Moreover, today’s employees value career progression and a pleasant working environment as much as they value their paychecks. Still, despite these shifts, Ford’s focus on communication is still relevant eight decades later. PeopleMetrics has found that internal communication is a key component in Employee Engagement. Employee surveys are a great tool for understanding what your employees really want.
One thing is clear: they want more communication. According to BizReport, a recent study found that 65% of employees want increased in-person communication from their employer. Surveys facilitate such communication, since they gather employees’ opinions and allow management to share results.
Motivating your employees to actually take surveys can be tricky, especially initially. Here are a few tips:
1) Anonymity. All survey results should be completely anonymous to allow employees to be as honest as possible without fear of retribution. This is often best achieved through partnering with an independent, third party to administer and analyze employee survey responses.
2) Convenience. Make it convenient for your employees to give feedback. Online surveys are an ideal way to make this happen as employees can take the survey in their own time (24/7) at any location with an internet connection.
3) Importance. To demonstrate leadership’s commitment to the survey effort and the importance of gathering feedback, the organization can do small things to show how they view the value of the effort. First, don’t ask employees to complete the survey on their own time or during the lunch hour, carve out time in the work day for them to do it. If your professional employees are expected to account for their time, provide a separate billing or project code for the survey so the activity is perceived to be legitimate and supported by management.
4) Inclusion. Following your survey of employees, share the results with participants as soon as possible. This will speak to an intrinsic reason for completing your survey; namely, they wonder what others think and experience in the workplace.
5) Change. Don’t let the survey results linger on your desk. Use what you learn to make changes. Then hand out another survey. Consistent, long-term surveying techniques will ensure that you have the most complete picture of your employees’ opinions. Results may be used for human resources, product development, adjusting procedures, and improving the customer experience. (After all, your employees are the ones working with customers on a daily basis, so they have an insiders’ view of what your customers want.)
6) Treats. Avoid bribing or mandating that employees take surveys, as doing so may influence survey results. Instead, provide group incentives (e.g., a pizza party or ice cream social) to thank employees for their time and effort. A simple thank you email highlighting the participation rate goes a long way as well in recognizing employees contributions to the survey effort.
Top photo by Wasim Raja.
Tags: employee motivation, employee surveys, employees, Ford Company, Henry Ford, surveys
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