Introduction to Surveys for Human Resources
Most companies use surveys for some type of customer research. Customer satisfaction and market research are incredibly common, because surveys give you insight into the mind of the customer like no o...
Introduction
Most companies use surveys for some type of customer research. Customer satisfaction and market research are incredibly common, because surveys give you insight into the mind of the customer like no other method of data collection – all at a comparatively low cost. But customer research is not the only way that surveys can be used to improve your company. You can also use surveys to better understand your employees. While there are some experts that disagree in some aspects of employee research, one thing is clear – your employees make your company successful, and it’s in your best interests to find the best people, retain them, and find ways to make them as productive as possible.
The Role of Human Resources
HR is one of the most interesting fields within an organization. In healthy companies that take human resources seriously, they play two roles: They're the voice of the employee, defending them like a lawyer against management. They're a tool of the employer, in charge of finding out the best ways to improve employee productivity and retention. These are both competing roles and complementary roles. On the one hand they’re there to make the business better, but on the other hand they are there to make sure that the employees have a real voice within the company – and a wing of the company that is dedicated to their needs. It’s with that in mind that internal HR research is so valuable, and one of the more popular ways to take advantage of survey research. Successful companies use HR surveys to improve nearly every aspect of the human resource process, from application to satisfaction to exit surveys. There are countless opportunities for research, and countless opportunities for the company to learn a great deal about the needs of the employees.
Types of Human Resource Surveys
Human resource surveys come in many different shapes and styles. We’ve mentioned in the past on this blog how surveys can actually be used simply as an application tool – force individuals to fill out a brief survey with some of the more basic interview questions before they even interview, when all they’re doing is sending in their resume. This will allow you to filter out those that aren’t a good fit, dissuade resume spammers that apply to every job regardless of passion, and improve the efficiency of the hiring process. This could be considered an HR survey. Human resource surveys are a common way that good companies improve the overall satisfaction, quality, and longevity of the employees within the company. There are so many different types of HR surveys available, and it’s not uncommon for human resources to come up with their own survey ideas in order to learn as much as possible about the employees and their dynamic. Below are the different types of human resource surveys your HR department may want to consider. Benefits Satisfaction Surveys There are two parts to choosing effective benefits for your company. The first is, of course, to choose the best benefits. The more benefits your company offers, the better. The second part, however, is how your benefits are perceived. Two identical benefit packages at two different companies may be perceived differently, and if one is seen as less adequate it’s likely that employees will be dissatisfied. Employee benefits satisfaction surveys are designed to capture how the employees feel about their benefits in general. New Hire Surveys The hiring process is designed to help your company discover the best employees for an open position. It involves both attracting and identifying the best applicants. So skilled HR departments look to enhance their hiring process – finding out what works, what doesn’t work, and how attracted the employee is to working at the company. From the data, they can refine their processes to see what works best, as well as get an idea about the overall thoughts of the employee when they first start their job. New Employee Orientation Surveys The long-term success and satisfaction of new employees is often based on how they were trained and introduced to the company during their first few days at the job. Did they receive the right amount of training? Were they taught where the supplies were? Do they understand their benefits? Do they know who their supervisors are? It’s important for those starting within the company to have this type of knowledge at the end of orientation, because without it they may make poor first impressions or be working from behind during their first few months in the position. New employee orientation surveys help ensure that orientation is training these employees appropriately in what they need to know about the company. Employee Reference Checks At some point it becomes necessary to check the references of your company’s applicants. In the past this involved a phone call, but these days with lawsuits and the trouble that some businesses have surprising/getting hold of references, a reference survey may make far more sense. You can send the survey instead of putting the reference on the spot or surprising them at a time when they’re busy. The reference takes the time to fill out the survey and send it back to you, and you can read what they say and analyze it, rather than depend on your memory and conversational skills. Employee Wellness Evaluation Many companies have decided to take advantage of employee wellness programs. These programs are a great way to reduce sick days, improve the health of your employees, increase satisfaction and so on. But they can only be effective if they’re being used, and if they meet the needs of the employees. Using these surveys, you can analyze how the employees really feel about their wellness programs and see if there is anything else your company needs to add to improve their use. Event Evaluations There are often events that are designed to benefit the employees. No matter how important or casual the event, it’s vital that your company handles its events as perfectly as possible. That’s why it’s so important to gain feedback on past events. Event evaluations get you feedback on the quality and message of each event, and helps your company handle any problems and improve future events based upon the feedback.
HR Surveys within Your Company
The above represents just a small sample of the types of human resource surveys that your company can utilize to find out more about the state of your employees. HR, when correctly valued by the company, is one of the most important departments your business employs. Their surveys can drastically improve the way your company evaluates talent, trains employees, and improves satisfaction, and there are plenty of opportunities for those working within the HR department to take advantage of the data supplied by HR surveys. At SurveyMethods, we provide affordable survey software to ensure that you are able to run your HR surveys correctly, and analyze the data accordingly. We have templates available, online reporting and sharing services, anonymity and best practices research options, and so much more. To find out more, contact SurveyMethods today. Related Articles:</strong Human Resource Survey Questions and Templates Event Evaluation Survey Employee Exit Survey
Key Takeaways
- Introduction
- The Role of Human Resources
- Types of Human Resource Surveys
- HR Surveys within Your Company
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