Employee surveys are a valuable tool for measuring and improving employee engagement, satisfaction, and performance. However, if your survey is not inclusive, you might be missing out on important insights, feedback, and perspectives from diverse groups of employees. In this article, you will learn how to make your employee survey more inclusive by following these five tips.
One of the most basic ways to make your employee survey more inclusive is to use clear and simple language that everyone can understand. Avoid jargon, slang, acronyms, and technical terms that might confuse or alienate some employees. Instead, use plain and direct words that convey your meaning and intent. For example, instead of asking "How do you rate your alignment with the company's vision and mission?", you could ask "How well do you understand and agree with the company's goals and values?".
Another way to make your employee survey more inclusive is to avoid biased or leading questions that might influence or limit the responses of some employees. Biased or leading questions are those that imply a certain answer, suggest a preferred option, or make assumptions about the respondents. For example, instead of asking "How satisfied are you with the current diversity and inclusion initiatives?", you could ask "What are your thoughts and feelings about the diversity and inclusion initiatives?". This way, you give employees more freedom and space to express their opinions and experiences.
I would like to include that none of the questions must be "MUST" answerable. For example, in some questionnaires the questions are marked with *, meaning they MUST be responded to. This can make an employee defensive if they really don't want to respond.
To make a survey inclusive: - bring together a diverse group of employees and test out the survey - listen to their feedback and insights - always rich and a learning experience - make changes to the survey based on their insights - when deploying the survey, let all employees know the approach you took and how you integrated employee feedback Employees are the heart of the organization. Always listen to them.
A third way to make your employee survey more inclusive is to offer multiple and diverse response options that reflect the diversity of your employees. This means providing enough choices and categories that cover the range of possible answers, as well as allowing employees to select more than one option or write their own answers if they prefer. For example, instead of asking "What is your gender?", you could ask "Which of the following best describes your gender identity?" and provide options such as male, female, non-binary, transgender, or prefer not to say. You could also add an open-ended option such as "Other (please specify)".
A fourth way to make your employee survey more inclusive is to ensure accessibility and usability for all employees, regardless of their abilities, preferences, or devices. This means designing and delivering your survey in a way that is easy to access, read, navigate, and complete for everyone. For example, you could use a responsive and user-friendly survey platform that adapts to different screen sizes and browsers, provide alternative formats such as audio or video, use appropriate fonts and colors, and test your survey for any errors or glitches.
One might even look at AI assisted platforms that offer participants the freedom to respond in their own mother tongue... If appropriate and/ or applicable. For example, in a diverse organisation, not many might know how to read and understand ENGLISH. In these cases language translation could help translate the questions in their own mother tongue, thereby helping the participants respond more freely.
A fifth way to make your employee survey more inclusive is to respect the privacy and confidentiality of your employees. This means ensuring that your survey is voluntary, anonymous, and secure, and that you communicate clearly how you will use and protect the data you collect. For example, you could explain the purpose and benefits of the survey, assure employees that their responses will not be linked to their identities or affect their employment, and follow the best practices and regulations for data privacy and security.
If relevant, incorporate questions related to diversity and inclusion in your survey to gauge employees' perceptions of the organization's efforts in this area. Ask about inclusivity in hiring practices, opportunities for career advancement, and the overall sense of belonging within the workplace. These insights will help you identify areas for improvement and measure progress over time.