Verified answer

Survey's change nothing, CEO's make decisions based on how much money they an make. Survey's are token offerings to make it appear that someone really cares one way or the other.

1. They question whether or not their answers are anonymous. Worry about retaliation.

2. Think that there is no value in filling them out. Management does nothing with the information or chooses to ignore their opinions.

3. Employees have other priorities.

What could a company do differently that would make you want to fill one out? Maybe hire an outside firm to administer the survey and send it directly to the employees home with a SASE for returning the survey? This may reduce the perception that management will know who returned specific results.

Could also offer multiple was to respond to the survey. Maybe both a printed version and an online version? Some people may prefer one method over another.

In administering the survey, I would definately leave lots of room to allow the employees to leave open ended answers. You will get the best feedback that way.

Could also reward the employees. Since it's an anonymous survey (I'm assuming) you can't reward individuals for returning them or they wouldn't be anonymous. However, you could reward all of the employees somehow if the company gets a high response rate. Say, if 85% of the surveys are completed and turned in, everybody gets to leave a couple of hours early one Friday or they get a pizza party? Something like that.

1. We are afraid what we say could be used against us if we tell the truth. sometimes the surveys are too long and boring. Only the good companies will have employee opinion surveys so there is nothing to complain about. We wish we could tell how it really is.

2. Make us get a prize for filling it out. Make it completely anonymous. Tell people the results of the survey. Let us tell what is wrong with the company.

No matter how much you say it's confidential, I turn around and give it right back to you (my boss). What's gonna stop you from reading what I just said about you? If I feel like I'm being forced to give you positive feedback, of course I'm not going to like it.

I've got a lot to do already. The boss just gave me another project this morning, and now he wants me to take valuable time to fill out some survey? I could be using that time to actually do my job, espeically since "I was filling out the survey" isn't considered a good excuse for not getting this work done.

It's not gonna make any difference anyway. The CEO isn't gonna even see this, and I doubt the CEO even knows we're filling out surveys. He'll get a report in a few months that will sum up everything all of us say in a few sentences that he'll probably skim over anyway.

To make the employee want to fill it out, make sure the boss is completely out of the loop. Ideally, have another company come in, administer the surveys and have us give the surveys back to that company. Set aside some time during the day to do it. Make a little party out of it-- order a pizza, bring cupcakes or something so we're not just sitting there filling it out. Give us half the day off for it, have an hour or so where we can fill out the surveys and goof off, then let us go home, so we don't feel like it's just another assignment you've given us. Also, do something about the surveys-- show us that they do make a difference, and we're not just wasting our time.

1) People don't think you will do anything with the results. Did you do anything with the results fromt the last survey. If so, make sure everyone knows what positive came out.

2) People don't think their opinion really matters.

3) No incentive to fill it out.

4) Apathy.

suggestions...have a contest. People who fill out the survey are eligible for a fun prize. Something like a close in parking spot or free lunch for a week in the cafeteria.

second...make sure survey results are shared and visible change happens from feedback.

Top 3 reasons not to fill them out

1. Takes too much time

2. Nothing will change as a result

3. If you are critical, people may fear retribution

What could companies do differently to get more people to fill it out

1. make it mandatory

2. give a prize or incentive for doing it

3. give proof that it is anonymous

4. publish the results

5. make the company formulate an action plan based on results to show that there will be positive changes as a result of the survey

I don't mind filling them out but...

1. Make them short.

2. Make them relevant to the employee filling it out.

3. Be clear about what you are going to do with the information so people can understand why it is being done.

1. It ain't confidential.

2. I'll never believe it's confidential.

3. They wouldn't change anything anyways.

4. It's just a gimmick to make employees feel like they have input.

5. Fear of retribution for calling coworkers and supervisors incompetent.

Come up with a method of keeping it anonymous, that someone would trust.

Follow through with suggestions, or respond with why those can't be done. (Tough when it's anonymous and confidential, eh?)

Put my job in jeopardy if I didn't fill one out. (But then it wouldn't be very confidential or anonymous, so it probably wouldn't be honest.)

Employees may feel that their imput is not valued. Why fill out a survey when no one is going to care what you wrote down.

Employees may think the survey is pointless or dumb

Employees have no incentive to fill out a survey.

1-because theyre a waste of time

2-put naked woman on the survey or offer an award for filling it out such as a car,house or proffessional baseball team