How Can Your Business Benefit From Internal Company Surveys?

Getting The Answers You Need Through Surveys

Consider sending out internal company surveys to give your employees an effective tool to speak their minds.

What Is an Internal Company Survey?

Be honest—do you know what your employees are thinking? Many employees are uncomfortable or scared to share their honest opinions. According to a Quantum Workplace study, about 50% of employees don’t speak their minds to their managers. But why?

Because they aren’t given the opportunity to do so. Most employees won’t march up to their managers and give them unprovoked feedback. Give them a space to provide feedback safely and professionally by using internal company surveys.

Internal company surveys, also called company climate surveys, are questionnaires given to employees to get genuine feedback. These surveys are often anonymous to protect the identity of your employees, so they feel more comfortable being honest. 

Benefits of implementing internal company surveys include:

  • Improved communication between employees and managers
  • Healthier work environment
  • Improved employee satisfaction
  • Positive work culture

Employee Surveys Best Practices

Develop effective employee surveys with the following best practices:

Keep Questions and Surveys Short

Keep your questions and surveys shorter in length. Employees have a lot on their plate, and if you send them an hour-long survey every quarter, they most likely won’t complete it. Plus, most people spend less than 1/4th the time per question on long surveys since they have more questions to answer, so their responses might not represent what they truly feel.

Keep your questions short to keep your employees engaged. Studies show that when internal company surveys take 20 minutes or less to complete, the results are more substantial and accurate.

Ensure Anonymity and Confidentiality

Remind your employees that work environment surveys are anonymous and confidential. Employees may not share their opinions if they think multiple departments or employees will be looking at their responses.

Anonymous surveys have traditionally given more accurate results than identifiable surveys. If you want honest employee opinions, allow them to complete the survey without identifying themselves. Then, make sure everything stays confidential by not sharing the answers with anyone outside HR or other relevant departments.

Establish Clear Objectives and Appreciation

Say what the purpose of the company climate survey is at the beginning of it. No one wants to complete a survey without knowing why they need to.

Explain that you’ll use the survey results to improve the company culture and employee experience. Reiterate that you value their responses, and thank them in advance for completing the survey.

Establishing the purpose of the internal company survey motivates employees to take it. One study showed that only 36% of employees are engaged, so if you’re not giving them a reason to take part in your survey, they likely won’t do so. If you explain that the survey results will help the company improve, they’ll feel better about taking it.

Review and Audit Your Survey Measures

After employees complete the survey, review and audit the results for accuracy and completion. Take note of the percentage of employees that completed the survey, and make sure no questions were missed.

Implement Changes Relevant to Surveys

After reviewing the internal company survey results, start implementing the changes employees want. Employees won’t continue completing the surveys if no action is taken.

If 60% of employees answered “Unsatisfied” on a question regarding the amount of PTO they have, talk with your team about increasing PTO. Act on the answers of your employees to keep them satisfied.

Partner With an Outsourced HR Provider

Some HR providers develop internal company surveys for you. They have experience working with different businesses and know what questions to ask to get the answers you need.

You might not know which employee survey questions to include or how to format them, but an HR professional can create questions that target specific aspects of your business you’re curious about. Your HR partner can develop:

What Are the Different Types of Internal Company Surveys?

There are two main types of internal company surveys that focus on different parts of your company:

Opinion and Engagement Surveys

Opinion and engagement are satisfaction surveys that allow your employees to shape the future and success of your business. These surveys include questions regarding:

  • Career growth and professional development
  • Individual needs
  • Benefits (PTO, sick days, insurance)
  • Trust in leadership
  • Team efficiency
  • Manager effectiveness

After asking about these topics, add a section where employees can leave additional comments about aspects not covered in the survey. This is the space for employees to give personal feedback or constructive criticism of your business.

Compensation Surveys

Use compensation surveys to understand the current salaries of all employees and if they’re satisfied with that pay. Use the results to compare your business’s compensation to companies similar in size and industry.

These surveys guide your future compensation efforts and allow you to pay your employees a fair wage or salary.

How Can I Create Effective Internal Company Surveys?

Partner with AAIM for all of your internal company survey needs. We have over 120 years of experience developing company climate surveys and implementing employee survey best practices.

Our team creates customized, confidential surveys for our members that help you understand the effectiveness of your:

As a third-party HR company, we provide unbiased and accurate survey results. We’ve got you covered whether you need compensation surveys or a comprehensive survey with closed-ended questions. Contact us today to learn more about the benefits of an AAIM membership and our survey services.