Organisations are struggling with engagement survey response rates and qualitative research has been argued as the solution. Though, there are many reasons companies continue to use engagement surveys.

Are Staff Engagement Surveys Still Relevant?

Employee research by Michael Silverman for Outsource Magazine showed that, “Just over half of participants believe that the traditional employee survey is dead.” Yet companies continue to conduct engagement surveys.

Their research argues that engagement surveys are obsolete and continue to be used out of ignorance and habit. Though, staff surveys still have their uses and are still used for good reasons.

The Benefits of Engagement Surveys for Companies

1. Quantitative Data

One of the main benefits of quantitative data is companies know how to deal with it. Facts and statistics allow for quick reactions and indisputable evidence.

Engagement surveys also allow for free form qualitative questions which allow for more opinions to be given. Entirely qualitative data, on the other hand, can be difficult to deal with.

Qualitative data can be contradictory and makes the participants a tricky variable. Answers can reveal which employees said certain remarks. This can be taken personally by management or contradict their beliefs for the company.

Moreover, you need to be sure there is a high level of buy-in among employees. The opinions given need to be a cross-section of the staff due to demographic differences.

Read: How to Create an Employee Engagement and Performance Management Strategy.

2. A Third Party

Engagement surveys are often conducted by a third party. Survey experts know the right language for questions so there is little chance of ambiguity or misunderstandings.
A third party can also collate data quickly. This leads to quick follow-up actions, results and benefits.

The faster a company’s reaction to employee engagement measures, the more engagement takes place because it’s fresh in people’s minds. If too much time passes, employees can lose interest.

Furthermore, a third party don’t have any bias. They won’t overlook issues or take them personally. This allows the data to be collected objectively.

Read: Staff Retention and Informatica.

3. Anonymity

A third party increases the anonymity of staff engagement surveys though most employee surveys try to maintain anonymity of participants. This allows employees to give honest responses.

Plus, companies like great{with}talent offer the opportunity to prioritise top talent engagement while retaining anonymity. Each organisation has certain employees who they have invested more time and resources in. By prioritising the engagement of top talent, the engagement surveys can have the most beneficial impact for the organisation.

Read: Gen-Y Employees and Staff Engagement Strategy.

The Future of Employee Research

New employee research has suggested social media because people are introducing it into their daily routines more and more. Yet, the popularity of engagement surveys has decreased because the market has become saturated with questionnaires.

Companies need to improve their communication plans for engagement surveys. Alternatively they can adopt social media techniques and be prepared to face the same problems with these engagement measures when the novelty has worn off.

Contact great{with}talent and find out more about their TalentEngage employee engagement surveys.

(Main image from Training Zone)