Get survey responses that’ll tell you something: 3 tips

Companies say getting useful info from employees on healthcare surveys can be like pulling teeth (pun intended).

That’s often true for other kinds of surveys: company benefits/401Ks, facility satisfaction, charity participation, etc.

Keep in mind that employee surveys can reveal potential problems that may be flying under the radar.

So it’s worth crafting a survey that will entice employees to think critically for five to 10 minutes and provide their honest opinions.

Here are three steps that lead to higher response rates and useful data:

1. Keep it brief. Short, simple questions are a must.

With your team, write questions that let employees give equally short and clear answers. Read the questions aloud first. If there’s any confusion about how someone could interpret it, then re-write it.

2. Be up front. It’s inevitable. About halfway through a survey, most folks will think, “How much longer will this take?” And many of them will quit instead of wrapping it up.

So put your most pertinent questions that you need an answer to most at the beginning of the survey, and less important ones further down.

3. Offer a small incentive. No need to break the bank here.

Consider providing coffee and donuts in the break room for those who take the survey on a certain day. Have any company swag lying around? Offer a giveaway item.

It’s not critical, but some folks respond best to incentives. And you will boost participation.