Research and increase employee satisfaction

How do you map employee satisfaction? We'll give you a step-by-step plan, along with a few tips to increase your team's satisfaction.

Researching employee satisfaction: a step-by-step plan

Measuring your employee satisfaction is a multi-step process:

Step 1: Goal setting

First determine what exactly you want to measure: motivation, workload, work-life balance, leadership…? This will determine the questions you'll ask in the next steps.

Step 2: Select method

Employee satisfaction research involves collecting data. There are various methods, depending on your organization's size and goals:

  • Missions: One of the most popular research methods because it is fast, scalable and easy to analyze.
  • InterviewA one-on-one interview provides in-depth insights because it's easy to ask follow-up questions. However, it's time-consuming and not anonymous.
  • Focus groupsAn interactive questioning method that highlights group dynamics. Be aware, however, that peer pressure can sometimes influence honest answers.
  • Pulse surveys: Short, regular surveys (e.g. monthly) to identify trends.

Step 3: Create a questionnaire

In this step, we'll compile the research questions. Ensure you have a good mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions.

Closed questions have a limited number of answer options. Think of multiple-choice questions, yes/no questions, or a 1-5 Likert scale.

Open questions Give employees the freedom to answer in detail. For example: "What would you like to change about your current role?" or "What motivates you most in your work?"

Use one of the following tools:

  • Google Forms
  • Microsoft Forms
  • SurveyMonkey
  • Typeform

Step 4: Analyze the results

Look for trendsWhat scores low? What scores high? Combine quantitative data (numbers) with qualitative insights (open-ended answers). For non-anonymous surveys, you can ask colleagues for clarification on some answers.

Schedule a new measurement, for example annually or every six months, to monitor progress.

Increasing employee satisfaction

Hopefully, the employee satisfaction survey will lead to a few action points to increase your staff's happiness. Combine them with these 7 tips:

  1. Provide one positive work culture. Give regular compliments, thank-yous, or rewards to recognize your team's achievements.
  2. Listen actively to employeesInvolve them in decision-making where possible. Follow up on feedback to demonstrate that you are taking effective action.
  3. Offer growth opportunities. Make room for training and give employees a clear growth path.
  4. Improve your management skills. Invest in leadership training.
  5. Provide one good work-life balanceOffer flexible working hours and, if necessary, work from home. Respect your staff's free time.
  6. Give meaning to workShow employees how their work contributes to the bigger picture. Regularly share company results, successes, and customer stories.
  7. Improve working conditionsCreate a pleasant work environment. Think about lighting, ergonomics, peace and quiet, fresh fruit, good coffee… Create social moments through lunches and team outings.

Satisfied employees thanks to rewards

As you read in the first point, rewards help to create a positive work culture.

You can find these rewards at Betty & Albert. We have various gift boxes, from chocolate packages to cookie treats en aperitif boxes. Everything is personalized with your logo and corporate identity. Ideal for your to thank staff for their efforts or as a gift for Christmas, Easter or any other occasion.