You only think you know

What do your staff value most from their job? You probably think you know, but unless you give them confidential, no-come-back-guaranteed opportunities to update their thinking with follow-up results they can feel, you may be wasting your time.

Staff attitude surveys need to be regular. If you run one once a year (or more likely once every two years) you will get a snapshot of overall trends and feelings. But these one-off surveys can be so skewed by other temporary factors, I’d say save your money and don’t bother.

Staff who give feedback need confidence that there will be no come-back for them. If they criticise a colleague, a manager, or a process at work - and then face difficulties or embarrassment because they were honest - well, don’t expect to hear much of value in the future.

Finally staff who commit to giving their thoughts and opinions need acknowledgement that their views have been heard and acted upon. You might not be able to implement what they suggest, or fix what they claim is broken, but unless you explain this to them, they are unlikely to be volunteering their thinking to you in the future. More here