Oasis Advantage - Survey Staff

Survey Staff to Find Out Satisfaction Levels Plus What Needs Improvement

Though few administrators do it, there are a lot of good reasons to survey staff.

A survey gives staff a say in things, and that generates a sense of ownership in the practice. It also tells them they count. What’s more, it can uncover issues that aren’t apparent to even the most watchful administrator, says

Some employers “find it intimidating” to ask for staff ’s opinions, they say, but that’s usually because they fear “hearing what they don’t want to hear.”

THE WHY, THE WHEN, AND THE HOW

The main purpose of the survey, Court explains, is to find out if staff are satisfied with their assignments, pay, and benefits and if they see the firm as a good place to work. But it should also identify the office’s weak spots and produce good ideas for improving them.

To get useful results, conduct it every six months and compare the results as they move from year to year. Give the second survey at the end of the year so the office can incorporate the results into its next year’s plan.

To get candid answers, put a statement on the front page that the survey is anonymous and also that “there will be no retaliation based on the responses.”

And to get good participation, introduce the survey “with fanfare,” because many employees won’t be interested in responding. In fact, a participation rate of 80% is “outstanding.”

Announce it at a meeting.

Ask the attorneys to talk about it with staff, because if there’s no support from them, staff won’t think it’s worth their effort.

Some managers find it helpful to set up completion competitions by department or office site or even to give a small prize to every staffer who completes it.

“It’s especially difficult to get participation with an office’s first survey”, she says. “But when staff see that the manager acts on what’s said, the participation starts to grow.”

SHORT AND NOT MUCH WRITING

As to what the survey should look like, the main rule is keep it short, Guy says. If it takes more than 15 minutes to complete, “people won’t respond.” Or if they do respond, the answers will be too brief to be of much use.

Ask no more than 20 to 30 questions, with no more than one or two on any single topic.

Make most of them – about 70% – multiple choice, “because people would rather pick A or B or C than write out an answer.” Then include an “other” choice for the people who do want to write something.

Also, she says, before giving the survey to the staff, the administrator should do a trial run and fill it out “to see if itmakes sense.”

BE READY TO MAKE CHANGES

Guy also points out that the firm has to be ready to respond to the comments.

When staff give the administrator something, “they expect something back.” They want to know what the resultsare, and they want to see some action as a result. If no action is to be taken, don’t give the survey.

She adds, however, that it’s a good idea to give the results to the partners first “so they are aware of them and are prepared to respond.”

SOME SAMPLE QUESTIONS TO ASK

The firm can create its own survey or buy one off the shelf and change it. It’s just a matter of answering the question “what are the things we want to find out about?” For their own client offices, Court and Guy ask questions such as these: