Most business owners are fully aware of the importance of employee satisfaction. When workers are not satisfied in their current job, it ends up hurting the entire company. Production decreases, morale drops, efficiency drops, and turnover rates go up. But how exactly do you measure employee satisfaction in the workplace?

Measuring employee satisfaction isn’t as easy as verbally asking workers if they are happy. Nine out of ten times, they’ll say yes – even if there’s an underlying issue – fearing it could result in a demotion, pay reduction, or some other type of consequence. Employers must think of different ways to gauge the level of employee satisfaction in their workplace.

Suggestion Box

One idea is to incorporate a suggestion box into the workplace. This provides a quick and easy outlet where employees can voice their comments without fear of being reprimanded. Place a suggestion box in a clear, easy-to-access location, along with a stack of anonymous comment cards.

Encourage your employees to use the suggestion box for both positive and negative comments. Remember, suggestion boxes only work if employees actually take the time to use them.

Questionnaire

Another idea to measure employee satisfaction is through a questionnaire. Many business owners prefer this technique because it provides more information than a basic suggestion box. Using this information, you can identify problem areas within your company.

Sample Questions To Include In a Questionnaire:

• Do you believe you are paid appropriately?
• How satisfied are you with your current job position?
• Do you feel a level of personal accomplishment at work?
• How helpful are managers and supervisors?
• Do you believe your skills and abilities are being put to good use?
• How long do you plan to stay with the company?
• Do you feel valued by your supervisor?
• On a scale from 1-10, how satisfied are you at work?

Third Party Companies

Of course, hiring a third-party company to measure and gauge the level of employee satisfaction in the workplace may prove useful. There are companies out there that specialize in communicating with employees, allowing for an unbiased discussion. Employees are often fearful of voicing their concerns to their boss or supervisor; however, they may be willing to share these concerns with a third-party company that’s not directly related to their actual employing company.

Don’t know where to go from here?  Contact us, we can help create a starting point to grow your company from the inside out!