Workforce Surveys: Introduction

Time to reflect on my experience with CEB Workforce Surveys & Analytics to this point. Sharing this knowledge is certainly past due, but I hope you find my insights valuable none-the-less! To start, I work with two distinct types of surveys:

Employee Opinion Surveys (EOS)- Sample or census survey in which content is used to collect employee opinions about key business strategies, decisions, processes, etc. and determine the effectiveness and alignment of these initiatives via the performance of the business and the engagement of its employees.

360 Degree Feedback Surveys (360) - Sample survey in which leaders gain 360 degree feedback from multiple levels of the organization (upward, downward, peer). Content is specific to assessing an individual in relation to the key professional development and leadership metrics of the organization.

Consultants work to develop survey content/response scales/metrics that align with an individual business's needs. In almost all cases, individual questions are categorized into mega themes, and open-ended questions are coded into mega topics for reporting purposes.

Survey data is often compared to historical data, internal benchmark data, and/or external normative data in order to gauge positive and/or negative progress on company initiatives and compare results to industry best practices.

Learning Evaluation: Sample populations

A sample is a "set of elements drawn from and analyzed to estimate the characteristics of a population." (Russ-Eft & Preskill, 2001) Sample populations are used in evaluations when it is not feasible to involve the entire target audience due to: time or cost constraints, limited accessibility of participants, and situations in which validity or accuracy may be compromised by engaging the entire population.

Probability Sampling
- Participants must be randomly selected; each member of population has an equal chance of being selected
- Used when you want to generalize the evaluation's findings
– Ability to determine sample error

Simple Random – Randomly select participants from entire population; however, it sometimes difficult to obtain a complete and accurate list of population
Stratified Random – Divide the entire population into sub-populations called strata, and then using simple random sampling within each strata
Proportional Stratified – Purposive oversampling of some strata and under-sampling of others
Cluster – Sample a larger unit, then sample within the larger unit

Non-Probability Sampling
- Evaluator selects participants
- Potential for bias and threats to validity
– Findings cannot be generalized

Convenience – Select participants that are most accessible, or participants agree on their own accord to participate
Purposive – Select specific individuals to participate because of position, experience, knowledge, or attitudes
Snowball – Contact organizations within industry and ask for referrals; used when you don’t have a list of potential participants

Reference:
Russ-Eft, D., & Preskill, H.(2001). Evaluation In Organizations: A Systematic Approach To Enhancing Learning, Performance, and Change (1st ed.) Perseus Publishing.

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Learning Research: Methods of Data Collection

When developing or evaluating learning, there are many data collection methods to consider. In addition, there are many criteria you should consider when making data collection method decisions. The collection of multiple types of data will allow for more confidence and validity in your conclusions.



Surveys/ Questionnaires - Strongly designed questions allow researchers to analyze responses and summarize results *low response rates

Interviews - One-on-one or focus group interviews use standard or probing questions *high response rates

Observation - A participant or non-participant in the research activity immerses himself in observing behavior and reactions of others

Psychometrics - "Self-report questionnaires, objective tests, and normative, criterion-referenced and idiogrpahic tests" (Brewerton & Millward, 2002)

Company records - Attendance, participation, operations reports, performance reviews, reports, blogs etc.

Not all research methods are appropriate or feasible in all situations. Consider the following criteria when making your decision: credibility, practicality, timeliness, accuracy, objectivity, scope, availability, cost effectiveness.

Reference:
Brewerton, P., & Millward, L. (2002). Organizational Research Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.