The world of HR or Internal Communications is changing every day, and the companies who refuse to keep up will get left behind. As culture changes, employee demands also change, and this can make it difficult to continue reaching people in the ways that were once effective. One very common theme in culture is a lack of time. It seems that everyone is always incredibly busy, and this has a huge impact on marketing, communications, and the collection of data.
If your company is still sending out an annual survey, then you are likely failing to maximize your campaign by meeting employees where they are. Many people are turned away by these long and tedious questionnaires. Instead, there are many alternatives to get the same sort of data without hassling employees. It is important to understand more efficient ways of gathering information so you can best maximize your research and communication strategy through low-touch pulse surveys.
Single Questions
While many will turn away from a full-fledged survey, employees may be more willing to answer a single question. In the interest of time, answering a single question requires less commitment than filling out an entire census. Consider this method in your communication campaign. Because these micro polls are significantly shorter. it is incredibly important to spend time forming questions in a way that best provides information you need. Be sure to word the question clearly so the responses will be more effective.
Embedding Polls
Some companies embed polls on their websites and Facebook pages to allow people to find them and answer questions in their own time rather than feeling demanded by a task. Some companies choose to alternate polls, and others choose to keep the same one running for a longer period. No matter your preference, it is important to utilize the platform the best you can by forming the questions in a way that provides you the best data. There is a variety of apps and software to choose from to help you design these surveys and embed them where you want them.
Requests for Feedback
Many companies find it effective to request feedback in a simple and straightforward way. This can be as simple as asking an employee to rate their experience with a specific initiative on a scale of one to ten. Because this is simple and quick, employees are much more likely to respond positively as opposed to a tedious survey. It is important to be professional and exercise proper etiquette when requesting feedback so people do not feel pressured into anything. Many choose to feature it at the end of every company publication. backstitch Studio even makes it easier to facilitate this across email, web, mobile, and chat communications.
Surveys have been essential to HR data and research over the years. While many people are no longer responding to the surveys in the way that they once did, this does not mean that research must suffer. It simply means that communicators must find new ways to collect data.
Want help figuring out the 'RIGHT' way to get feedback from your employees? Schedule a FREE Internal Content Strategy Consultation:
