Surveys are useful for determining workers’ perceptions both before and after a change:

Pre-change assessment

• What is working well?
• What is working poorly?
• Where in the work process are there delays in production?
• Where can quality be improved?
• What procedures place workers at risk of illness or injury?
• What changes can be made to correct existing problems?

Post-change assessment

• Is the change effective?
• How has the workplace been changed?
• Are things better or worse?
• How could the change be improved?

You can also use surveys to measure knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Write the survey in such a way that all those who read or hear it will understand the questions. Test the survey with a sample of workers before using it to find out whether the questions are understood as you intend. Surveys can be distributed in a number of ways: in person, with paychecks, by mail, e-mail, Internet, or a combination of methods. Followups are usually necessary to increase participation and get the completed forms back.

For more information on using employee surveys, click on http://www.iwh.on.ca/archive/pdfs/eval_gde.pdf (Guide to Evaluating the Effectiveness of Strategies for Preventing Work Injuries). Once there, go to page 60.

It is always best to encourage the participation of your entire workforce in a survey. Often surveys lead to planned change and survey participants are more likely to feel a sense of ownership in the change. However, if you cannot afford to survey everyone in a very large workplace, select a sample that represents all important groups such as departments within a hospital or plant, and be sure to include all the groups that are anticipated to be included in the workplace change.

It is very important to establish a system that assures the confidentiality of each person's responses, including both the collection and the reporting of the survey data, i.e., anonymous surveys and results. This can go a long way toward encouraging employees to provide honest feedback on the survey.