Employee survey in Switzerland: the most important questions and answers

Frequency and planning of surveys

How often should an employee survey be conducted?
A good survey is not a one-off project. It should take place regularly, approximately every 2 years, depending on the number of employees, level of maturity, culture and change dynamics in the company. This allows developments to be tracked and measures to be taken in good time.

What influences the right interval between surveys?
How often an employee survey should be conducted depends, among other things, on how quickly an organization can actually implement measures. The company should not be overwhelmed. Conducting surveys every two years ensures that there is enough time in between for implementation and impact. This is the only way to make long-term developments visible.

Contents and questioning techniques

What topics are covered in an employee survey?
There are usually two central topics in surveys: On the one hand, employees are asked how satisfied, loyal and committed they are. Secondly, the conditions that need to be created in the working environment in order for this employee satisfaction to develop. This includes, for example, questions about leadership, communication, development opportunities, teamwork and remuneration.

How is the questionnaire structured?
The questionnaire mainly contains closed questions with answer scales. In addition, there are some open questions where you can freely formulate your own assessments.

How are the questions formulated?
As a rule, questions are formulated as simple statements, for example: "I am satisfied with my job." You can then mark on a scale how strongly you agree with this statement (e.g. 1 = strongly disagree, 6 = strongly agree).

How many questions does a typical survey contain?
Usually between 80 and 90 questions. That sounds like a lot, but it can easily be done in around 15 to 20 minutes.

Are short surveys or pulse surveys an alternative?
Yes, short surveys or pulse surveys can be useful as a supplement. Short surveys on current topics or after major changes can help to quickly obtain an initial picture of the mood. However, pulse surveys are no substitute for a well-founded overall survey.

Why are employees addressed as "I" in the survey, even though they are normally addressed as "I" in the company?
Even in companies with a "you" culture, we deliberately use the "you" form in our surveys. As an external and trustworthy service provider, we want to maintain a professional distance and emphasize that the survey is not conducted by the employer itself, but by us as an independent body. Using the form "you" thus strengthens trust in the anonymity and credibility of the survey results.

Implementation and framework conditions of personnel surveys

How is the survey conducted?
Usually as an online survey. Employees receive an invitation via their business e-mail address. In special cases (e.g. in production, construction or logistics), we also send the survey by post. If some of the employees do not have access to a computer, the survey is conducted in a combined form: online for everyone with digital access and a paper questionnaire for everyone else.

Is the survey completed during working hours?
Yes, ideally yes. The company should deliberately make time available for this.

Is participation voluntary?
Participation in employee surveys is generally voluntary. In Switzerland, it is even legally regulated that employees cannot be forced to participate. However, clear communication, transparency regarding the purpose of the survey and a guarantee of anonymity can encourage a high level of participation.

Are there right or wrong answers?
No. These are not questions about knowledge. It's all about opinions and personal perceptions. And there is no right or wrong.

What is a good answer?
A good answer is not necessarily positive, but above all honest. A critical or reserved opinion can be very valuable. The honesty of employees determines the success of an employee survey. Answers that do not reflect the truth, but only say what the employer wants to hear, are less helpful.

Participation and response rate

What is a good response rate?
For office workers, a good response rate is around 80 percent. In areas without direct computer access, it can be somewhat lower.

How can the response rate be increased?
In our experience, there are several factors that have an impact on the response rate. These include, above all, internal company communication, support from superiors, experience from previous surveys and trust in anonymity. But the timing and the current mood also have an impact. If employees are frustrated or overworked, they are less likely to take part.

What to do if the response rate is low?
Managers can take action in advance. They should make it clear that the survey is important, that employees' opinions will be heard and that concrete changes will result from it. If employees have the impression that nothing will happen anyway, they will be less willing to participate. On the other hand, those who are convinced that their voice counts will usually participate.

External support and quality

Why should an external provider be commissioned?
An external provider ensures an independent, methodologically sound survey and guarantees anonymity and data protection. This increases credibility. Employees are more open when they know that their answers will not be analyzed internally. As an external provider, we also have many years of survey experience as well as a large pool of questions and benchmarks to compare your own organization with similar companies.

Is the evaluation by ValueQuest scientifically sound?
Yes, ValueQuest is a recognized market and social research institute. We are committed to the highest standards of methodology, data protection and scientific validity. Our model is backed by more than 20 years of research and practice in the HR sector. All modules are based on recognized constructs with high explanatory value. Each question has been proven to actually measure the intended dimension.

Implementation and impact of employee surveys

What happens after the interview?
The measures are usually defined in one or more implementation workshops. Depending on your wishes, this can be done together with ValueQuest as the implementation partner, by external coaches or by you as the client internally. We offer various formats: from team workshops to coaching sessions and leadership development.

Should employees be involved in the implementation?
Absolutely. A successful survey does not end when you click on "Send response". It is crucial that the results are also translated into concrete measures. Employees should be involved in finding solutions - for example through workshops, feedback rounds or working groups. This creates relevance, acceptance and legitimacy. Some topics (such as better communication by the management) can be tackled centrally. However, separate formats are needed at team level. Topics such as teamwork or mutual support should be dealt with within the team itself.

Offers and cooperation

What does an employee survey with ValueQuest cost?
Please contact us and describe your needs. We will provide you with a customized offer within a short period of time.

Can coaches or consultants also cooperate with ValueQuest?
Yes, cooperation is possible. Please get in touch with us.

Is it possible to book presentations or keynotes?
Yes, researcher and Co-Managing Director Kathrin Neumüller is available for presentations and workshops. Three particularly popular presentations are:
- "Inspiring and empowering employees in times of change"
- "Cross-generational leadership"
- "Successfully implementing employee surveys"