Sign of the times? We recently updated our employee survey norms and we’ve seen the sense of freedom to do the job, trust and open communications join the list of "least favorable" items this year. In dead-last position? "My manager gives me the freedom to do my job." Seventy-two percent were negative or neutral on this statement. See the newcomers and holdovers on the list of most unfavorable ratings below:
Ten Least Favorable Employee Survey Benchmarks
New: Norm 84. My manager gives me the freedom to do my job.(lowest ranking item)
New: Norm 10. Information is communicated openly and honestly in this organization.
New: Norm 11. Information is communicated in a timely manner.
Holdovers from prior lists of this dubious honor include:
Norm 73. I feel recognized for the contribution I make to this organization.
Norm 70. I am satisfied with the benefits package this organization offers.
Norm 54. I feel I have control over my career at this organization.
Norm 76. Management is supportive of its employees.
Norm 69. This organization pays well compared to other companies.
Norm 9. Overall, information in this organization is communicated well.
Norm 86. I feel secure about my continued employment in this organization.
Source: PPI Employee Feedback Database, November 2008
Communication is a perennial difficulty and our most recent review of survey answers found that 60 percent of employees had neutral or negative attitudes to the statement "Information in this organization is communicated well." Career advancement, management consistency, and recognition are other challenging areas.
PPI recently updated and expanded its industry norms database, from which organizations can purchase norms regardless if they use PPI to conduct the survey. We have conducted hundreds of employee surveys worldwide since 1987, resulting in a norms database with as many as 100,000 responses for each of 86 questionnaire items.
Norms help employers judge whether results are high or low compared to other organizations. Even if you find certain items disappointingly low, you may find your organization outranks many other organizations. Outside norms are especially important for a first-time employee survey.
Employers can obtain norms for general business or for one of 16 industries and categories, including nonprofits. Multinational organizations are well represented in the database. Norms are available with no minimum purchase, and employers who share their with Performance Programs' Employee Feedback Database receive a 50 percent discount. Identities of organizations in the database are kept confidential. Inquire about employee survey norms.
