As measuring employee engagement has risen to the forefront of executives’ minds, several companies have come up with novel approaches. This has made it difficult for businesses to settle on a methodology and survey provider that is tailored to their specific requirements. We’ve outlined the six distinct categories of suppliers available to you, ranging from do-it-yourself software and online tutorials to comprehensive consulting firms. With the information in this guide, you’ll be able to compare and measuring employee retention rate and make an informed decision about which option is best for your business.
There are six basic kinds of companies that conduct employee engagement surveys.
- Online Polling Systems:
Survey creation and analysis applications are way over on the left. These companies provide a generic DIY survey platform suitable for a wide range of uses. Market research, customer feedback, employee opinion polls, etc. The tool typically offers a variety of pre-made survey templates that can be modified to suit the individual’s needs. Some vendors offer more advanced reporting features than others, while others stick to simple pre-defined templates. Organizations with in-house I/O psychologists or other experts familiar with survey methodology would benefit most from these kinds of survey instruments. They are also efficient if the company has enough people to manage the process internally and enough time to train them on the software.
- Human Resource Information Systems:
An employee survey module is available as an add-on in some HRIS and PMS platforms. The functionality of these programs is typically limited in comparison to more advanced survey tools, but they are sufficient for managing simple surveys. Common uses include gathering feedback from staff on things like benefits and training programs. However, they are not ideal as a comprehensive survey tool for conducting annual employee engagement surveys.
- Platforms for Real-Time Polling:
The use of pulse surveys as a regular and targeted means of gathering feedback from staff members has grown in recent years. Typically, they serve as a medium for employers to monitor the mood of their staff in real-time.
All employees should have corporate email accounts, and managers should be committed to getting the most out of the platform. One difficulty with pulse surveys is that they tend to produce inconsistent results because the people most likely to participate are either the most satisfied or the most dissatisfied customers. We suggest pulse surveys supplement an annual comprehensive employee engagement survey to target specific initiatives and gauge action planning progress.
- Systematic Methodologies for Collecting Participant Feedback:
These resources are often referred to as “survey-in-a-box” because they provide a pre-packaged solution consisting of a pre-designed employee survey, pre-formatted reports, pre-established comparisons to industry standards, and pre-determined next steps.
This option is useful for businesses that prefer a streamlined procedure with minimal oversight. Organizations with large and/or complex organizational structures, as well as those seeking more in-depth analysis and guidance on their survey results, will likely not find these tools to be useful.
- Experts in Conducting Opinion Surveys:
Typically, the services provided by these providers include the creation of a survey based on the client’s specific needs, in-depth online reporting, industry benchmarks, in-depth analysis, action planning tools, and professional consulting.
Also, the provider stores the survey data on their servers, so no one at the company can access an individual’s responses. These service providers are committed to not only implementing change within an organization but also providing distinctive insights and recommendations. These businesses are trusted allies who offer advice based on extensive experience in the field and industry standards.
- Enterprise Advisory Services:
Big management consultancies, on the other hand, offer a wide range of Human Resources (HR) and Talent Management (TM) services, including employee surveys, and thus sit far to the right of the spectrum. Oftentimes, these companies have extensive experience conducting employee surveys and have published studies on a wide range of related topics.
They also assist with M&A, compensation, workforce, and benefits planning, among many other services. Large companies often use vendors like these to conduct employee engagement surveys, whether because of an existing relationship or a need for expanded human resources offerings.
How do you know which vendor to choose for an employee engagement survey?
An employee engagement survey is a high-stakes undertaking. When executed properly, it yields invaluable information that can boost employee retention and productivity. If not handled properly, it can damage rapport between management and staff and lead to more questions than solutions.
Which vendor is best for your company’s employee survey depends on factors like your company’s size, budget, internal resources, and desired results. It’s possible that a Survey Platform would be the best option for a small company’s first employee survey due to its low cost and relatively low expectations.
Working with an employee engagement surveys specialist is your best bet if you have a large workforce and want to use the results to drive change. You can make a “apples-to-apples” comparison and choose the best provider once you’ve settled on the best type of provider for your company’s employee survey needs.
