The Survey Feature Set & Why It’s Important

Understanding the features that you need to create the survey that you want, is a major step in picking out the right online survey software vendor. The following are features we focused on when developing SurveyGizmo.

• Flexibility — In an ever changing market place, not being tied down to a contract with a survey company can be very important. That’s why SurveyGizmo is a month to month service, and as a bonus we never delete any of your survey data—even if you downgrade to a free account!
• Question Types — Knowing which questions types you’ll want to use before creating the survey can help greatly in your survey provider journey. We provide over 20 question types for survey creation flexibility.
• Integration Ability — Survey systems that easily integrate into other systems can be a huge time saver. That’s why we offer an easy to use survey API as well at third party integration tools including SalesForce.com and ExactTarget integrations.
• Reporting — Getting your survey data out in an easy to understand and analyzable way is the main reason to conduct a survey. SurveyGizmo makes it easy to act on the information you collect with multiple report types including TURF, Cross Tabulation, and Customer Satisfaction reports.
• Survey Logic — Knowing the type of surveying you plan on doing can tell you what type of logic you’ll need for your survey. We provide logic for disqualifying survey takers, emailing invitations to your survey, page jumping, showing/hiding questions, custom scripting, and much more.
• Response limits — Having an idea of how many people you plan on taking your survey will depend on the response limit you’ll want to pick. Although we have response limits for each account type each month, if you go over that limit, we will save the responses and all you have to do is upgrade to the next level for that month and they will be unlocked.
• Publishing — A variety of publishing options can be key to getting your surveys out and completed in an efficient way. With SurveyGizmo you can send out email invitations to your survey, embed your survey into your website using JavaScript, HTML, or iFrame code, or publish a link anywhere on a website.
• source: http://www.surveygizmo.com/how-to-choose-a-survey-software-vendor/

Why Measure Organizational Performance?

Each organization may have its own reason why to measure performance. Human behavior is ultimately not an exact science but still we constantly try to put things into context so that we can improve what we do. Not taking organizational development serious leaves a less chance of employee retention costing your organization up to 2-3 times the hiring costs.

Our research indicates that measuring instruments discussed in the organizational performance and development section make the obscure more tangible. Having the tools to identify performance gaps and performance strengths gives your organization and employees clarity and allows you to address issues in a structured manner. Perhaps most importantly, results prompt discussion within your organization, business unit or team which breads a self-helping culture.

To a large extent the discussion component is self-helping. Whether a manager reviews a report about his/her performance, engages employees on the results in a constructive manner (Management Performance) or taking inventory (Organizational Culture Monitor / Employee Satisfaction), they all produce discussion and are conducive to improving productivity and performance.

Opening the window for personal development and organizational growth will produce a very real advantage and cost savings by embracing a structured basis to further excel.

source: http://www.visionmetrics.net/en/whymeasure.aspx

Survey Evaluation & Continuation

Data collection is one thing, however if you don’t do anything with it employees will not reap the full-potential. 360 degree feedback reviews will provide you with a structured basis to illustrate and show employee performance challenges and performance strengths. Although a self-reflective report may, to a large extent, be self-helping as employees will want to correct certain deficiencies, it is up to your development goal strategy to follow through on the continued success and talent development. It is important to consider providers that show top high scoring and top low scoring per rater group, as these will provide each employee with the most urgent areas of focus to be addressed.

Use Common Sense:
The best gauge we always go by is to use common sense and give yourself the time to think through what you want to accomplish. The answers will in most cases present themselves. If not it is advisable to engage your third party provider or consultant on how best to go about your deployment strategy.

Other Factors to Consider
When deciding on a survey feedback system, depending on your budget and company size and growth, consider a system that allows multiple surveys and survey types running at the same time so that you centralize your data collection instead of having multiple vendors your employees have to get familiar with. Search vendors that provide a host of solutions in an "all in one solution" so that you have a centralized database of respondents that allow you to simply pool groups to different types of surveys for re-use instead of a one "fly-by" survey.

source: http://www.visionmetrics.net/survey-resources/360-degree-feedback-software.aspx

Survey Software and Questionnaire Implementation

Describe one behavior in a question:
Often the case when companies create their own questionnaires, they address two or even three behaviors in one question when it is possible that the employee can score higher on one behavior while scoring lower on another.

Maintain Consistency:
Approaches vary on how to layout a survey. Will the survey form be job, group, department, company specific or a combination? All have their advantages and disadvantages. The more specific you get the more difficult it will be to aggregate results over different departments or company level, risking employees feeling disavowed with process due to differentiating criteria.

Perhaps one survey form on a company-wide level may be too broad not taking issue with the specific competencies on different employee and management levels. We often advise companies to conduct one or two forms and keeping them general enough to address common behavioral traits shared in your company culture, vision, mission and work expectations. Especially larger companies should consider retaining certain oversight with structured consistency.

Benchmark:
When considering any 360 degree feedback software system, consider benchmark functionality. Any one survey taken in one moment’s time will provide you with 60% insight, while conducting them annually or even bi-annually will provide you with comparative analysis of progress or lack of. In the long run this approach will provide much more tangible benefit. See our 360 degree feedback tool for more information on this.

Positive Question Formulation:
Formulate your question in a positive manner avoiding negative constructs. As administrator of the metrics program you are setting the tone. It is never productive to start negative from the outset. Having faith and trust in your organization will render significant participatory results as opposed to starting out with a low morale survey.

Avoid Survey Overkill:
Keep you 360 degree review forms simple and short. Especially with 360 degree feedback systems which are quite labor intensive, you will want to keep employees engaged and not give reason to lose interest by the use of overloading surveys with too many questions. Always ask ‘Is this question relevant to our company vision, mission, work ethic or work expectation?”

source: http://www.visionmetrics.net/survey-resources/360-degree-feedback-software.aspx

Longitudinal Surveys - Definition and Examples

Personally, out of all the types of surveys one could do, I find the longitudinal variety to be the most interesting and the most informative, simply because a trend/behavior is being tracked over a period of years.

The good news is that you don’t have to wait 10 years to conduct your second survey. Longitudinal studies that go back in time are called retrospective studies and would be used where a researcher investigates recorded bahevior over the years (population, medical records, etc) and uses todays number to make a statement.

One of the more famous around the area I grew up, is the Framingham Heart Study. I have a few friends that go out to Framingham every few years to get their blood taken and levels checked. They are in the third generation of program participants. Most of the now common knowledge concerning heart disease, such as the effects of diet, exercise, and common medications such as aspirin, are based on this longitudinal study.

If you like the idea of a repeating, long-term survey, there’s a neat documentary series you could watch called “Seven Up!” which follows the lives of 14 British children starting in 1964. Each new film in the series (Seven Up, Seven plus Seven, 21 Up, 28 Up, 35 Up, 42 Up, 49 Up, etc) profiles the lives of the participants at 7 year intervals. It’s not very exciting compared to some of the blockbusters or short web clips of today, but provides a much more lasting impact and effect.

source : http://www.surveysoftwarehq.com/category/online-survey-software/tips

What is a Transactional Survey??

Ever wonder why the clerk at the pet food store asked you for your zip code? It’s to gather more information about where their customers come from. That information, combined with the amount of money that customer spent, allows a company to make better decisions about where to advertise, and what types of messages to use.

AFTER SUPPORT CALL

“You recently received support from Prezza Technologies.We strive to provide the best customer satisfaction possible, so please take a moment to answer these questions:

For the following questions, please rate the support you received on a scale of 1 - 5 (5 is the best, 1 is the worst):

1. Speed of Response.

2. Attention to Detail.

3. Customer Service Rep Friendliness.”

Surveys like the retail example and the support example are called “transactional” because companies are introducing a method of capturing feedback at a typical transaction event. People are much more likely to respond if surveys are not just mass emailed to people, and can be much more effective when conducted by a person. Our survey software can work on the web or over mobile devices.

source: http://www.surveysoftwarehq.com/category/online-survey-software/tips

Survey Software Highlights the Multi-Tasking Generation

Of those polled, 84 percent of students reported that they regularly use their cell phones for sending and receiving text messages. Of those who text, 70 percent admitted to text messaging while in class.
Excerpt from the article: In a generation of technology and information, students have the ability to engage in constant communication with others, but this practice may actually harm their education, according to a recent poll. The informal survey conducted around the Fresno State campus revealed some prevalent issues regarding students’ usage of text messaging. It looked at the frequency of text messaging by students and their attitudes about its effects in the classroom. “This is a multi-tasking generation and many people think they’re not being distracted,” said Dr. Tamyra Pierce, a Fresno State associate professor of mass communication and journalism. The survey, which was distributed to Fresno State students of ranging class levels, looked at their regular use of text messaging. In particular, it focused on the frequency of text messaging while in class. Of those polled, 84 percent of students reported that they regularly use their cell phones for sending and receiving text messages. Of those who text, 70 percent admitted to text messaging while in class. “I’m not at all surprised by this,” Pierce said. “I see it all the time.” Pierce, who has conducted formal surveys of her own regarding the use of text messaging and MySpace among high school students, said 47 to 49 percent of students text message and 10 percent admitted to text messaging during an exam. The real question: Is this frequent text messaging harmful to students’ educations? The informal campus poll revealed that 64 percent of students believe that text messaging in class draws their attention away from lectures. “Several semesters ago I had to go to a ‘no cell phones in sight’ policy because it just got out of control,” Pierce said. “Students think they can do it all and they won’t be distracted, but I think they are.” Many students, however, say that their studies are not affected by their texting habits. Fresno State junior Amy Munson admits to texting on a daily basis. “I actually have a Sidekick and a cell phone for texting and I’m on them all the time,” said Munson, a communication major. “Honestly, I text to stay awake in class,” Munson said. “As long as I’m constantly doing something, then I won’t completely zone out on what the teacher’s saying. It almost helps me listen because at least I’m getting bits and pieces.” Fresno State senior Martin Campanella believes the prevalence of text messaging also depends on the type of classes students are in. “I’m an engineering major,” Campanella said. “It’s mostly guys in my classes, so you don’t see it as much. I think girls text a lot more. It is like they can’t wait to talk about all this stuff.” Kevin Tague, a third-year health science major, said he rarely text messages but it still affects his concentration. “You hear it all the time,” Tague said. “Even when phones are on vibrate it gets annoying.” But this scattered concentration and distraction is what Pierce warns students about. “You get so engrossed in it and sure you may only miss this much, but that small amount may be what’s on the exam,” Pierce said. While Pierce has enacted a no cell phone policy in her class, many teachers have yet to go that far. Munson said some teachers do get more of her attention than others. “If someone’s just standing there for an hour talking, guaranteed half the class isn’t going to hear a thing,” Munson said. “I definitely get more involved when there’s interaction in group work and then I won’t text.

source: http://www.surveysoftwarehq.com/category/online-survey-software/tips