What is an Employee Attitude Survey?

Often an essential component of organizational training and development, Employee Attitude surveys provide a picture of your organization's needs. These surveys can be used to solicit employee opinions on a variety of issues such as the company's success in communicating its mission to employees, or local issues such as quality of the working environment.

These surveys often contain a series of multiple choice items grouped along one or more dimensions of the organization.

The types of items included in these surveys may concern areas such as:

Creativity
Innovation
Satisfaction
Senior Management
Interpersonal Relations
Functional Expertise
Compensation
Ability to Listening
Customer Service
Communication
Obtaining Results
Analytical Thinking
Mentoring
Strategic Leadership
Teamwork
Adaptability
Staff Development
Leadership

The results of this type of feedback process provide an understanding of how the employee perceives the organization along different dimensions.

This feedback:

is essential to facilitating development and organizational change
allows the organization to focus on needs and leverage its strengths
informs the organization on which actions will create problems for the employees
provides management with employee feedback (both positive and negative) on the internal health of the organization
measures the impact of current programs, policies and procedures
can be used to motivate employees and improve job satisfaction

The purpose of this document is to provide a guide to assist those who are conducting an employee attitude (employee opinion) survey.

Chapter Highlights

Uses
Benefits
How it is conducted
Requirements
Benefits of using the Internet
Demos
Item Bank
Related Pages

Principle of Employee Attitude Surveys: Provides an understanding how how the employee perceives the organization and work groups.

Employee Attitude Survey: Uses

Uses for Employee Attitude Surveys include:

Focusing of Employee Development Programs
Enhancing Management/Employee Relations
Training Needs Assessment
Evaluation of Training
Organizational Climate Survey
Customer Satisfaction Survey

This process can also be a motivator of performance since it shows the employee that their opinions and views are considered important.

Benefits

Provides a direct means of assessing employee attitudes that would otherwise be unreported.

How it is conducted

Checklist of what to do when conducting an employee survey.

Needs Analysis

Why is the survey being conducted? Meetings are held to determine the goals and objectives, as well as the content of the project. Whether implemented through individual interview or focus group this needs analysis will ensure that the critical information is gathered in the manner that best fits the customer need and will assist in determining the best method of collecting the data.

Focus Groups

Structured meetings to gather qualitative information relevant to the survey development.

Survey Design

Develop survey instrument by synthesizing the information gathered from needs analysis, focus groups and other documents available

Determine the rating scale to be used:

Strongly agree | agree | (neither agree nor disagree) | disagree | strongly disagree.
Excellent | good | fair | poor
All of the time | most of the time | some of the time | hardly ever | never
To a very great extent | to a great extent | to some extent | to a very little extent | to no extent at all
Very satisfied | satisfied | (neither satisfied nor dissatisfied) | dissatisfied | very dissatisfied

Develop questionnaire

A questionnaire used for Employee Attitude/Opinion Surveys typically contains items that are rated on a 5 point scale. These items may be developed to measure different dimensions of the organization (e.g., communication, teamwork, leadership, initiative, management, compensation, ...). Questionnaires also typically include one or more open-ended questions to solicit written feedback.

Questionnaires typically include from 50 to 100 items. When estimating the amount of time to complete the questionnaire you should estimate about 1 minute per questionnaire item.

If using a printed questionnaire form, you should consider using forms that can be scanned into a computer.

It should be noted that the design of a questionnaire is usually an iterative process -- questions are formulated, tested, reformulated, tested, and so on.

Questionnaire Review

Examine and critique of an existing survey. The review is conducted to improve the quality of the survey, and to increase the likelihood the customer receives actionable information. Critiques are also performed to increase the probability of high response rates.

Instrument Pre-Test

Conduct an instrument pre-test, which is an examination of the data collection instrument by potential respondents. It can be completed for paper-based, as well as electronic and phone based data capture. This may include a series of telephone interviews or focus groups designed to gather feedback on the content, clarity, readability, relevance, length, and comprehensiveness of the item set, as well as the overall experience of completing the instrument.

Pre-testing can show:

poor question wording or sequencing, as well as errors in layout
problems caused by the length of the questionnaire or the respondents' inability or unwillingness to answer the questions
additional questions or response categories that can be pre-coded on the questionnaire
non-response problems
any negative repercussions the survey may have on employees

Ensure confidentiality of participants

Steps must be taken to ensure the confidentiality of the feedback results. For example, the feedback ratings from several employees should be combined (averaged) to mask the identity of an individual employee. Comments or written answers to questions may be summarized in the results to mask the identity of the author. The confidentiality helps ensure that the results are genuine.

Administer the questionnaire

Distribute questionnaire forms (if using printed copies) with instructions. May want to prepare answers to common questions if other employees will be assisting in the administration. If possible, post the questions and answers to your website for easy access.

Administer it to everyone? Or, just a sample?

Advantages of administering it to everyone:

All employees are given the opportunity to express their opinions

Advantages of administering it to only to a sample:

Reduced time to collect and process the data

Less data to collect

Analyze the data

Basic data analysis would include averages of ratings. More complicated analyses may include item-analysis and/or factor-analysis. Types of analyses include: Performance Dimension Summary; Summary-Performance vs. Expected; Individual Item Ratings; Item Ratings-Performance vs. Expected (normed); Highest- or Lowest-Rated Items (shows individual's strengths and weaknesses); Group & Organizational Ranking, and Recommendations for Development.

You may want to analyze the data by organizational division or department to assess group and organizational strengths and weaknesses. This can be used to support or promote training and organizational development.

Written Interpretive Reports

Examine data through written interpretive reports, which summarize the results of your study. We can provide reports that identify themes in the data, and provide conclusions and recommendations.

Presentation of Survey Results

The analysis of data in report format, or on a variety of other media, such as CD-ROM, diskette, or Internet.

Develop and Distribute Results

Feedback results should be shared with the employees.

You may want to provide individual review sessions or group workshops conducted by a facilitator to help individuals review and understand the results and develop appropriate goals and objectives.

Requirements?

An Employee Attitude Survey process requires a coordinated effort to collect hundreds, or even thousands, of pieces of data. In addition, the validity of the results is enhanced by ensuring confidentiality of the participants.

The survey administration may require time (to complete the questionnaires) and computer resources to analyze the data.

Benefits of using Internet

Fortunately, there are many software companies that offer tools to assist you in conducting this type of feedback process. Some links to these companies can be found at the HR-Software network.

Web Access Are your employees scattered throughout the globe? Or, across different states? No problem, just use the Internet as the medium through which your feedback process is conducted.
Confidentiality Although the data is collected by a third-party, the confidentiality is enhanced in that fewer internal employees have access to view the data.
Simplified Data Analysis Spending time entering data into a spreadsheet or database for analysis? Use web based tools to collect, store, and analyze data.

Demos

Request a customized free online demo from HR-Survey.com

Item Selector

If you are interested in developing an employee opinion survey, this would be a good place to get started. Click the link below to access our Item Selector program. This will display a form containing a list of items. Just select the items you want included on your questionnaire and follow the instructions on the form.

Item Selector

Item Bank

Here are a list of general items:

[Company] does a good job communicating information about changes or that may affect employees
[Company] has a clear corporate "culture" and values
[Company] has a strong focus on the customer service and satisfaction
[Company] is a catalyst of change and innovation
[Company] makes good use of my skills and abilities
[Company] offers career paths in my job
[Company] offers me the necessary training to do my job well
[Company] offers real opportunities to improve my skills
[Company] offers technology to meet my needs and those of my customers
[Company] provides me with the necessary resources to do my job well
[Company] supports my ability to deliver high standards of quality to my customers
[Company] values diversity.
[Company]'s has high standards for business ethics
[Company]'s image is that of a "high quality" Company
At [Company], I am recognized for my accomplishments
At [Company], I have opportunities to improve my job skills
At [Company], managers communicate a clear sense of direction
At [Company], promotions are fair and equitable
Career moves at [Company] are handled fairly
Decisions are made in my department without unreasonable delay
Employees are committed to [Company]
Employees in my department participate in deciding how the work gets done
Favoritism is not a problem at [Company]
I am able to get the information I need to do my job well
I am able to meet customer needs
I am aware of the available training and development opportunities at [Company]
I am encouraged to come up with better ways of doing things
I am free to use my own judgment in getting the job done
I am given the freedom to find new and better ways to get the work done
I am held accountable for the work that I do

I am kept in the loop by my supervisor
I am proud to be working at [Company]
I am rewarded/recognized for good work
I am willing to share the costs of my benefits plan
I believe the HR department listens to my suggestions
I can arrange my work schedule to meet my personal and/or family needs
I can balance work with my personal life
I can contact the senior management if needed
I can get the information I need to do my job well
I can get the information that I need to do my job well
I can get the training that I need to do my job well
I feel [Company] is successful
I feel [Company] needs and values honest answers
I feel [Company]'s benefits plans are able to meet my needs
I feel honored to work for [Company]
I feel I am an important part of [Company]
I feel my job is secure
I feel satisfied with the increases in my pay and benefits
I feel satisfied with the information that I receive about the company
I feel that [Company] is a good company to work for
I feel the benefits offered by [Company] meet my needs and those of my family
I find my job personally satisfying
I have input into decisions that affect me
I have opportunities for job promotions
I have prioritized major goals
I have the materials and equipment needed for my job
I have the tools and equipment I need to do my job well
I know and understand my job responsibilities
I know what my supervisor expects of me in my job
I know what training and development opportunities [Company] offers to me
I like my job. It is enjoyable and challenging
I plan to be working at [Company] a year from now
I receive fair compensation for the work I do
I receive fair pay for my job compared to others doing similar work at other companies
I receive the training and support I need to do my job well
I regularly participate in the company's performance management system
I support the company values
I understand how my job contributes to the company's bottom line
I understand how my job contributes to the success of [Company]

I understand how my objectives are evaluated
I understand how my pay is determined
I understand the company's pay policies
I understand the goals of my department
I understand the link between my job and [Company]'s objectives
I understand the measures used to evaluate my objectives
I understand what issues face our customers
I would encourage friends and others to work at [Company]
In my department, we cooperate to get the work done
Management gives staff a clear vision of the direction in which we are going
My co-workers are committed to doing quality work
My co-workers work well together to accomplish our goals
My department focuses on solving problems instead of finding fault
My department has a strong focus on the customer
My department is aware of what customers require of us
My department looks for ways to improve processes and productivity
My department resolves conflict honestly, effectively and quickly
My manager recognizes me when I do a good job
My manager sets a good example for others to follow
My manager treats employees with fairness and an even hand
My skills are effectively used on the job
My suggestions are given serious consideration by managers
My supervisor encourages professional development of their employees
My supervisor gets my input and buy-in when making key decisions that impact me at work
My supervisor gives me enough resources to get the work done
My supervisor involves other employees in solving problems facing the department
My supervisor is a role model of quality work and a high work ethic
My supervisor is an effective role models for me

My supervisor is available when I have questions or need help
My supervisor is effective in delegating work assignments
My supervisor lets me know what is happening in the organization
My supervisor listens to my suggestions
My supervisor provides me with feedback concerning the job I do
My supervisor regularly talks with me about my progress
My supervisor sets performance goals for my job
My supervisor supports my goals for self development
My supervisor treats me fairly
My supervisor works with me to develop my skills and abilities
My team cooperates to get the work done
My work environment allows me to be highly productive
My work gives me a feeling of personal accomplishment
My work is challenging and interesting
My workload is reasonable
Our company is committed to providing competitive products and services to its customers
Overall, I am satisfied at [Company]
People generally advance here as fast here as they do at other companies
Projects in my department are managed well
Senior leaders have clearly established a direction for [Company]
Senior managers listen to me and care about my ideas
Staff meetings have open and honest participation
The company effectively utilizes my skills and abilities
The training offered by [Company] meets my needs
To better serve our customers, [Company] is committed to excellence in all activities