If you know anything about Millennium Omaha, you know that we are the biggest fans of feedback loops.
You ask for feedback, you get it, and then you make changes based on said feedback. You’re happy, your employees are happy — it’s a win-win.
But, what if your employees aren’t giving you feedback. You send out survey links, but they go untouched? If that’s the case, this blog will teach you how to encourage employees so that they complete their surveys.
Why Employees Don’t Fill Out Surveys
It’s important to figure out what’s stopping your employees from completing surveys in the first place. The most commonly accepted answer is that employees are just too busy. But, this is rarely the case. There are other, bigger factors that prompt employees to not fill out their surveys – here’s what they are:
- Employees don’t feel secure in their anonymity: Your survey can claim to be anonymous, but employees are still hesitant. That’s because organizations tend to send out and record their own survey results. If an organization really wanted to, they
can back-track and find out who said what. - No previous engagement with feedback: If you’ve sent out feedback surveys in the past, but didn’t act on any of the mentioned feedback – employees may feel that the surveys are pointless. You need to communicate the results of each survey, and take action.
- Surveys aren’t easy to complete: Maybe your surveys are too long, or you distribute surveys too frequently? It’s important to create surveys that are accessible and fit alongside your team’s workflow. For instance, if you have a team that’s constantly on the move, you want to create a survey that’s quick and optimized for mobile.
Tips to Increase Employee Survey Participation
Below, we’ll take a look at some best practices to increase click-through and completion of feedback surveys:
- Remind employees what’s in it for them: Rally your employees behind a why so they are more inclined to get on board. Explain what you intend to do with employee feedback, and note past examples of when surveys led to positive change for the entire company.
- Set a time and place to take the survey: Because a survey isn’t mandatory, it’s usually placed on the backburner. Rather than expecting employees to find time to complete a survey, carve out time for them instead. This works to reduce employee procrastination and helps to get you valuable information, faster.
- Set frequent, multi-channel reminders: The first step is to make a formal announcement that a survey is out. Then, keep your survey top of mind by reminding your team frequently. Mention the survey briefly during a company meeting, send a reminder memo, or even shoot your employees a text about the survey.