HR Professional - February/March 2008 - (Page 61)

HR 101 B Y D E A N W I LT S E AVOIDING THE SEVEN SINS OF ONLINE EMPLOYEE SURVEYS ore and more Canadian companies are using online surveys to solicit employee feedback. Unfortunately, response rates are often low because of poor design, lack of style and the “what’s in it for me” factor. By avoiding the seven deadliest survey sins, companies will increase response rates, get quality employee feedback and maximize survey return on investment. M 1. Your bias is showing Survey administrators often act as if they are interrogating employees rather than simply asking straightforward questions. Common mistakes include asking biased questions (Are you very happy with our health beneﬁts or just happy?) or using judgmental language (How do you feel about these unfair practices?). Often this bias originates because administrators believe they know the answers to the questions. To ensure survey objectivity, get a third party to review the questions or perform a pre-survey test on a small pool of candidates. The Columbo condition The Columbo condition results from too many questions coupled with a lack of survey focus and the absence of a unifying theme. By focusing on a central and unifying theme such as employee satisfaction or employee benefits this condition can be eliminated. Make sure the questions are concise, and the overall survey length is limited to a maximum of 30 questions. w w w. HRT houghtLeader. c om 3. 2. Field of dreams fallacy The ﬁeld of dreams fallacy assumes that sending a survey out to employees ensures an adequate response rate—if you build it, they will come. This never happens—online surveys have a historically low response rate, combined with an extremely high mid-survey abandonment rate. Companies can drive higher response rates with clear and compelling invitations to participate in the survey. A concise and honest e-mail subject line—containing no more than 60 characters, accurately reflecting the survey’s purpose—is critical to luring the employee. Use HTML format—it’s visually appealing and the survey’s purpose and incentive are easier to comprehend. Remember that Mondays and Fridays are not good days to send survey requests, as are days directly before or after F e b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 0 8 61 IL L US T R AT ION: C JA F F E http://www.HRThoughtLeader.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Professional - February/March 2008

HR Professional - February/March 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Contributors Leadership Matters Boards By the Numbers Did You Know Sustainability Education News: E-Recycling Communications News: HR Study FYI Ethics World Watch News: Legislation Legal Compensation Focus Strategy The Colour of Money Sustainable Skills From Brown to Green HR Trends: From Winners to Also-Rans Branding Human Capital HR 101 Interview with David Suzuki Off the Shelf The Last Word

HR Professional - February/March 2008

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