A good questionnaire for employee surveys (continued)

In our last blog post we already pointed out the following important aspects that need to be considered when developing a questionnaire for employee surveys:

• The questionnaire for employee surveys must be based on a clear impact model that has its roots in research (commitment/motivation research)
• Especially for a first survey, the questionnaire should be broader and more complete
  - A good questionnaire contains 50-100 scaled, simple questions
  - The completion time should be approx. 15-20 minutes
• The ^ProMotion© Check from ValueQuest can be used to test how complete and balanced the questionnaire is

There are also a number of other important rules to follow when creating a questionnaire for employee surveys:

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Questionnaire tailored to the company

A tailor-made questionnaire for employee surveys covers the specifics of the respective organization. Employees appreciate it when the questionnaire reflects the specifics of the company and does not simply come across as a standard questionnaire. This has a motivating effect and increases commitment, which in turn has an impact on the quality of the responses.

A simple language

The language should be kept simple and be easily understood regardless of the level of education:

• Short and concise statements in the active form
• Asking projective questions (see also the section "Asking personal questions")
• No negative formulations
• No nested sentences
• No brackets
• No technical jargon (unnecessary technical terms)

The shorter the processing time for a statement, the better the answers. Short statements are read correctly and not just skimmed over.

Content of the questions

A sensible question

• The questions should relate to things that the (typical) employee can observe and specifically assess in their day-to-day work
• The questions must not be overloaded (negative example: My supervisor regularly agrees targets with me and monitors them)
• "Reverse questions", i.e. questions in which a rejection represents the positive result, should be avoided. These cause difficulties both in the evaluation and interpretation of the results

Ask personal questions

• Asking questions that concern the employee personally
• Information on the sensations / feelings
• Statements that you can agree or disagree with
• In the case of social desirability(negative example: I am ready for change and innovation), no one will answer no. It is therefore better to ask projective questions: In our department, employees are open to change and innovation

Observe the time frame

The questions must relate to a specific time period.

Include open questions in the questionnaire

Open questions are a good addition and provide an outlet. However, they should be used selectively. Our experience has shown that the willingness to answer decreases sharply after 3 open questions and people only answer in monosyllables.

The right scale for the questionnaire

Which scale is appropriate for an employee survey questionnaire?

In our culture, the 6-point scale has proven its worth. It is important that positive is always on the same side (left / right). In Switzerland, for example, positive is always on the right, in Germany it is always on the left.

The headings of the scale must match the question. In other words, scales must be the answer to the question. It is sufficient to label the ends of the scale (and no textual pseudo-gradations (e.g. "somewhat dissatisfied"). It is important to know that employees do not use scales linearly. We are all shaped by our school system (and Swiss politeness). A 4 on a scale of 6 is just about acceptable, anything below that is unsatisfactory.

Consistent scales within the questionnaire

Scales should not be changed within the questionnaire. What looks like variety is confusing and makes both answering and interpretation more difficult. It makes sense to have 1 or 2 questions at the end with a different scale.

Easy handling

A good user interface is important, both on the PC and on the smartphone. The question blocks should not be too long; smaller blocks are clearer. Don't forget the progress bar so that respondents can find their way around.