How can we improve staff survey responses?

Question

We're currently looking to improve the response rate of staff surveys for this year. We have a section on the intranet for managers, in which we're hoping to include a 'top tips' for improving responses section which they can use to encourage their team to return the surveys.

Does anyone have any top tips we can use, or know of any articles etc that I can obtain some from?

Thanks

Answer 1

How about saying all respondees will be entered into a prize draw and offer a reasonable prize everyone would want? That should encourage them and you don't need to spend much on the prize - could be something like a meal out - theatre vouchers - an iPod. Worth a try.

Answer 2

Its unlikely you will get higher responses if issues that the staff raise are never adressed - which is always the case where I work. Managers have personal vendettas and senior managers decide who will be getting jobs just becasue they play golf with them outside of work. and managers are mates with some other workers and for this reason they will always give them a high mark at performance reviews and no matter how other staff work their butt off if your manager doesn't like your face then thats just tough. and no staff surveys will ever solve these peoblems hence why hardly anyone in my workplace can be bothered to fill them in anymore

Answer 3

1. Give a $100 gift certificate to one of the respondants, chosen at random.
2. Give a free lunch to the team that has the highest return rate (one team chosen at random among tying teams).
3. Have the senior manager send out an email encouraging reponses and promising to implement the three best ideas that come in.

Answer 4

Survey response rates are influenced by so many factors ...

• Your invite copy
• Your invite subject line
• Whether you offer an incentive to complete
• The size of your survey (eg. time commitment)
• The user friendliness of your questionnaire
• The time of day and day of week you send the invite out.
• Whether you send a reminder.
• Confidentiality assurances - and how well you allay these concerns
• How often you survey, and whether you have acted on the feedback received in previous surveys
• The employee's relationship with / respect for the person managing the survey process.

... our company runs online staff surveys for Australian firms and I have researched all of these areas above and tried to summarise them in an article hosted on our website. I hope you find it useful:

http://www.peoplepulse.com.au/Survey-Response-Rates.htm

Good luck,
Des

Answer 5

Just add "anyone failing to respond within seven days will be sacked" that should get 'em going!