An employee satisfaction survey finds out how people perceive the work, management, conditions and direction of the company. To have value, it must meet three conditions. It must be genuinely anonymous, otherwise people answer in whatever way feels safe. It must also include open-ended questions, because it is precisely there that what the company did not think to ask about will show up. And above all, it must be followed by concrete steps – a survey after which nothing changes damages trust more than if it had never been held at all. The results should therefore be published together with what the company will not do and why. A frequency of once a year with a short interim measurement in between is adequate for most companies; long questionnaires run more often stop being filled in.
See also: Company culture, Exit interview, Employee evaluation.
