An employee satisfaction survey is a tool you can use to measure the satisfaction your employees find in their jobs, the work they do, the work atmosphere, the payscale, and a myriad other factors. Surveying your employees is akin to taking the pulse of your company. Just as physical exams serve to find medical problems before they get out of control—giving you a chance to take corrective measures—employee satisfaction surveys do the same. They check out what your employees think, anonymously, and give you a chance to take corrective measures, as necessary, to put your business on track.
Studies show that fewer than 10 percent of businesses regularly survey their employees. And even fewer bother to track employee satisfaction surveys over time to look for trends and compare results. But getting employee feedback is vital, because perception is reality. If your employees think you’re provided a terrible place to work, then they’re right, whether you agree or not. Employees act on the basis of their perceptions, meaning they’ll gripe, complain, use poor judgment with clients, and ultimately leave you in the lurch if you don’t address their concerns.