Timing isn’t everything in employee engagement research, but it’s definitely important to consider. The best time to send out employee surveys varies according to each organization’s culture, history, and goals. If your firm has never conducted research before, an initial wave of surveys will set a starting point for employee engagement and any other factors you may choose to measure. As the results of this first survey will serve as a compass for future research, it’s a good idea to include as many employees as possible. Create a specific, generous time window for returning the surveys. A reminder email in the middle of fielding the survey will help garner additional responses. After your first round of research, your action plans, among other factors, will dictate when to survey your employees.
Most companies administer surveys according to a specific, predetermined time schedule. The advantage of this approach is that it highlights changes over time. For instance, if your first batch of surveys indicated that 35% of employees were engaged, you may choose to survey the same workforce again in six months to measure whether your efforts to boost engagement are actually working.
If you’re interested in how individual employees’ opinions change during their time with your company, it’s a good idea to schedule surveys around important employee events. For instance, if you onboard a large group of employees, you may choose to interview them after thirty days, after six months, and so forth. Timing surveys around these events will yield insight into your onboarding process and how engagement shifts over time.
Employee feedback is invaluable during company-wide shifts. For example, if the company is rebranding, you may choose to survey your workforce before and after the shift. Employee responses will help you understand the impact on employees and what you can do to make the new brand more successful.
Regardless of the timing you choose, the most important thing is to ask your employees for feedback and take action on that feedback. To learn how some of our clients have conducted employee surveys, see our Employee Engagement Resources Center.
Topic: Employee Experience