Susan's Blog  
(Occasional comments by Susan Seitel)

May 10th, 2009

Now is no time to stop surveying

An AP news story last week said many companies have dropped employee surveys that let workers express their thoughts or just vent about their frequently downsized workplaces. Some companies are trying to save money by cutting surveys and others just don't want to ask.

Steve Miranda, chief HR and strategic planning officer for SHRM, says he's been fielding fewer questions about employee surveys since the bottom fell out of the economy. "Given the challenges that we have in the environment and in the economy right now, organizations and companies may be afraid to poll and survey," he suggests, "because they believe that they may not be able to deal or respond to some of the issues." He thinks more companies are taking the approach of "the old analogy with the ostrich with the head in the sand: 'If I don't see it, I don't have to deal with it.'"

Employees generally are fearful now, and many are working harder and longer hours than ever before, propelled by that fear. A SHRM poll found 70% of Americans are skipping lunch breaks, working longer hours and working at home on weekends.

It may even be true that top management secretly (maybe not so secretly) kind of likes the fact that employees are working longer hours and not taking advantage of flexible work arrangements, doesn't mind a little fear. But here's what the Whitehall II study released last March, had to say about long hours.

The study examined 2,214 middle-aged British civil servants who were working full-time, performing various tests to measure the cognitive function of those working 55 hours a week and comparing it with those working 40-hour weeks. Working longer hours was associated with lower scores in vocabulary and decline in performance. According to the authors, working more than 55 hours a week was linked with poorer mental skills, including impaired short-term memory and recall. Those who worked the most hours experienced the greatest decline in cognitive function.

Do we really want to shut our eyes to what employees are feeling? J.P. Miller, CEO of  Louis Allen Worldwide, says "My comment to any executive that asks me is, look you're going through tough times right now but your real opportunity is getting yourself into a stronger position so as the economy turns around you can really take advantage of it." 

Miranda says when companies fail to conduct regular surveys they risk letting worker productivity and morale deteriorate. Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service, agrees. He says avoiding employee surveys is a huge mistake for corporations. "You are better off knowing a problem than not knowing it," he says. "In bad times you actually want to engage your employees even more."

Do you want to survey if you're not ready to act on the results? Maybe not, although many of the employees we've surveyed in the past said they were grateful that their company even thought to ask. But most of the changes employees want cost so little. And they can make such a big difference in morale, satisfaction, and even that elusive quality we want so much – engagement.

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