A culture survey asks employees questions to gather important information about their views of the workplace and how they see their position in it. It provides feedback on the company’s organization hierarchy, communication structure, management styles, productivity standards, and expectations.
Through the answers they give, survey takers can let management know how they feel about their job, the company’s direction, and goals. These survey results could also indicate how likely individuals are to stay with the organization long-term.
Asking the right culture survey questions is key and they can be open-ended, or multiple choice but most surveys use the Likert scale. In the Liker scale people rate a certain statement on a scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Whatever method you use, a company culture survey should be completely anonymous to ensure respondent honesty.
Why Culture Surveys Are Important
There is no doubt, a positive work culture attracts and keeps top-level employees. In fact, companies with a great culture have 20% less absenteeism, 26% less employee turnover, and 15% more productivity. They also receive 100% more unsolicited employment applications.
Additionally, clients and customers usually prefer dealing with companies where employees are happy and fulfilled. And with millennials and Gen Z, putting a heavier focus on company culture than previous generations, having a culture survey can be a proactive way to take the pulse of employees in your organization.
The insights gathered from employee answers can improve the work environment and better the organization’s chances of long-term success. For example, companies can evaluate the information and use it to change the company’s hierarchy structure, improve management and leadership strategies, and plan for future improvements and investments.
What Culture Survey Questions to Ask
Surveys are only effective and revealing if you ask the right questions. To know what questions to ask, you must first determine what information you want to gather. For example, do you want to know how well communication channels are working? Or, are you concerned with how well employees understand company goals and expectations? You might want to get a general sense of how appreciated individuals feel at work or how hopeful they are about their future in the organization.
Once you decide what information you want to gather, the most effective surveys use statements with which respondents can agree or disagree using a five-level scale. A simple example might be:
I like chocolate ice cream. Strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, strongly agree
This simple questioning style makes responding easy so that more surveys come back quickly. Here are five questions recommended for culture surveys along with what information each might reveal.
1. I know what is expected of me at work
Employees who are responsible for tasks directly aligned with their job description are 2.5 times more engaged. More often than not, employees are forced to work on projects outside of what they were hired for which can cause confusion and frustration.
2. I have what I need to do my work right
This is a broad statement. The answer to this question might tell you about physical things like equipment and supplies people need to do their job. A negative response could also mean there are communication barriers or poor supervisory support.
3. In the last week, I’ve received recognition or praise for my work
This answer lets you know whether or not employees feel valued. If you receive a lot of negative feedback, management may not be leading well, struggle to communicate with their workers, or aren’t taking the time to show appreciation for good work.
4. Someone at work cares about me as a person
People need to feel seen in the workplace. If they feel someone cares about them, whether it’s other team members or managers, that indicates good comradery and a healthy balance between work goals and personal needs.
5. My opinion seems to count at work
Everyone brings knowledge and experience to their position within the company, but if their opinions aren’t heard not only does it knock morale but operating solely on management opinion limits the company as a whole.
How Do I Use the Survey Results?
Knowing you need a survey and determining what you want to learn are the first steps towards improving your company’s culture, attracting the best candidates, and improving productivity.
Once you’ve designed and distributed your questions and gathered the results, the most important steps in the process begin. You must know how to analyze the data and design a plan for improvements because that’s what matters to employees.
Partnering with business experts helps you do both. A professional partner, like PeopleAK, can help design the survey and get the most out of the information you gather.
PeopleAK’s business consulting services are custom-fitted to your company’s needs. We know what it takes to create a healthy, positive work environment and have extensive experience with many different business types and industries. We use behavioral data analytics to find and eliminate roadblocks to your success and move your business forward.