Survey to gauge satisfaction

ACROSS the globe companies are beginning to recognise the merit of implementing employee surveys to gauge levels of satisfaction and commitment within their workforce.

Keeping staff happy and committed has been proven to yield flow-on benefits for businesses of all kinds and sizes.

According to Gallup Organisation research conducted with 300,000 businesses, 75-80 per cent of employees achieve less and feel less enthusiastic than they could be.

The report states that if employees had greater work satisfaction, staff turnover would drop by 70 per cent, customers would be 70 per cent more loyal, and profits would increase by 40 per cent.

Outstanding results but how can businesses pinpoint what they do wrong and do right?

Searching for guidance further afield than human resources companies, management increasingly look to employee surveys to help find out how they can attract and retain good employees.

Research firm Market Equity is a West Australian company that has begun applying its skills in market and customer research to employee surveys. Director Julie Beeck said the principles of market research and employee research were similar as both involved measuring and analysing data.

Surveys can be used to identify where a company has strengths and weaknesses in its human resources management.

“It can be a bit of an awakening for a company, it really is a brave thing to do to find out what areas your weaknesses are,” Ms Beeck said.

She said Market Equity had used an employee survey internally for several years, to set targets and focus on any weaknesses in the company.

Market Equity has designed the employee survey used in the recently launched WA Business News quest for Best Employers in Western Australia.

Through responses to an online employee survey, participating employers will be able to measure their performance as well as have their results benchmarked against the combined scores of other participating companies.

Ms Beeck said Market Equity would determine the top West Australian employers by examining overall job satis-faction. Employee commitment is a secondary factor that will be used to pinpoint businesses which excel at looking after staff.