It can be difficult keeping your employees happy and engaged one hundred percent of every working day of the year, but it’s possible to create a better company. After all, happy employees mean happy customers. Many companies have the dreaded employee evaluations once or twice a year. No one enjoys them, and they could be hindering your business. Instead, have an employee survey.
There are numerous reasons to do away with the employee evaluation and have employees evaluate the business instead.
- It’s not their fault. Remember that old saying, it’s not the child, it’s the parents? Poor employee performance could be directly related to your company. Instead of berating and punishing the employee, give them an opportunity voice their opinions. What they say can be insightful.
- Poor business reviews may be related to poor management. It can be difficult to admit you made a mistake with the hiring of your management team. You can uncover any management issues through an employee survey, as the employee will be more willing to be honest on the questionnaire than if they’re confronted in a boardroom.
- The employee survey can provide insight into how the business is being run, from the employees’ perspective. Perhaps they understand why customers are frustrated or angry, or have great ideas on how to improve workflow. They may also have tips on how to trim a budget, or how to save money on costs.
- Fix what’s not working. If an employee has the solution to a problem, give them credit where it’s due, and implement those changes. You’re there to be a problem solver, and fix any issues that occur.
Fine tune your employee survey so it’s not one-size fits all. Leaving the questions ambiguous or generic will result in respondents giving only standard answers. But if the survey is tailored to the company, they’ll be more likely to respond honestly, and spend time answering the questions, as they understand you’ve already invested time in it.
When you hand out the surveys, ensure that the employee is assigned time to do so. You may even wish to give them a break in the boardroom, with coffee and donuts, or some other type of incentive. You may also wish to select the best idea from the survey, and offer a gift card reward.
Employee surveys can keep them on your side, as long as they understand that you’re listening to what they have to say, and you’re truly implementing the changes suggested.
