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Why (and how) to do employee surveys
Because the CEO is always last to know.
Michael Girdley
January 21, 2025
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Hi folks!
Here’s a quick hit on something your business should be doing:
Employee surveys — why they matter, and how to do them
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Why do employee surveys?
You probably think you know your business inside and out. But I hate to break it to you: if there’s a problem, the CEO is usually the last to know.
That’s a good reason to run structured employee surveys. It lets you take the temperature of the business and gives employees a chance to voice honest feedback.
And over time, you can see whether you’re tracking in the right direction… or not.
What to ask
Here’s my go-to set of questions — Gallup’s Q12 — and what each one teaches you about your company.
Ask your employees how much they agree with each of these statements.
1. I know what is expected of me at work.
Have you clearly defined your roles and responsibilities? While it’s easy to do this when you first hire someone, expectations can get muddy as time goes by.
2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
This doesn’t just mean laptop or company phone. This could be software, training, or information. Globally, only 1 in 3 employees strongly agree with this statement.
3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
“Right butts, right seats” is crucial to your company doing its best. Slow career paths or misaligned priorities will slow everything down.
4. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.
This gives you a sense of your real company culture today. Encourage managers to provide specific and timely praise to employees.
5. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
Feeling valued personally fosters loyalty and engagement at work. Another revealing one for company culture.
6. There is someone at work who encourages my development.
Career paths and advancements don’t happen automatically. If you’re not intentional in setting them up from the top, then don’t expect your team to be doing it for you.
7. At work, my opinions seem to count.
Does your company have channels for open communication? How is honest feedback received? Seeking employee feedback in decision-making processes goes a long way for morale.
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8. The mission or purpose of my organization makes me feel my job is important.
As leader, it falls to you to clearly communicate your mission. It can’t come from anybody else. You may feel it, but does everybody else?
9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
A culture of quality promotes high performance. Set high standards — and hold yourself to them as stringently as everyone else.
10. I have a best friend at work.
Strong workplace relationships make for better retention. If your team doesn’t feel social connections, consider investing in some team-building activities.
11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
Without structured feedback and performance conversations, employees likely won’t set goals for personal growth. Encourage a culture of continuous improvement.
12. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.
Beyond personal improvement, make sure your company supports people to climb the ladder. Whether that’s promotions, upskilling, or coaching, give your team something to strive for.
A few notes on how to do it
Make sure the survey is anonymous.
Tell your team why you’re doing the survey.
Afterwards, make sure you take action based on the results.
Conduct the survey twice a year to keep tabs on your progress.
Interpreting all the data can be complicated. I just hire Gallup to do it. It’s a self-serve digital product that costs $20/employee, to conduct the whole survey and crunch the numbers afterwards.
You can buy it here — I don’t get a kickback or anything, just sharing what I do.
There’s my playbook for today!
What do you think? Hit reply and let me know.
Michael
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