Stop the presses! If you were planning to roll out an employee survey to coincide with this fall’s open enrollment season, you may want to hold off, survey results show.
Turns out, summer is the hottest time to conduct employee surveys to get the best participation rates, according to HR Solutions Inc. The firm’s examination of employee survey participation rates — focusing on survey methodology, company size and month of survey administration — found that June (79%) and July (81%) have the highest participation rates; lowest participation rates occur in February (71%) and September (72%).
In addition, Internet-based employee surveys have the highest participation rate at 77%, while paper-and-pencil surveys have the lowest (72%).
However, says David W. Miller, senior consultant for HR Solutions, the biggest driver of the success for an employee survey has nothing to do with a computer or a calendar.
Rather, more important than the month or media, “senior leadership must be devoted to implementing change, holding managers accountable for action planning and communicating the outcomes that resulted from the survey with employees. Such efforts directly relate to increased survey participation and improved employee engagement.”
What do you think? Do you have upcoming employee surveys planned? If so, do you think the month they’re conducted makes a difference? Share your thoughts in the comments.
