Workplace climate surveys are a valuable tool to obtain insight into the work environment. A well- constructed survey can help employers understand what motivates employees, gauge employee satisfaction, and discover latent discontent bubbling under the surface. Done correctly, a climate survey can provide employees with a sense of ownership over their workplace, while giving employers access to the information necessary to address employee concerns before they turn into complaints.

A climate review may be useful in the following situations, as examples:

• Multiple complaints of “bullying” or “unprofessionalism”

• Mysterious or high turnover

• Lost Productivity

• Anonymous, generalized complaints or rumors

Van Dermyden Makus offers two types of workplace climate surveys:

• First, a surgical response to a known issue.

If there are general rumors of a problem in the organization or a division—discrimination, harassment, bullying, fraud, etc.—a targeted survey can provide concrete information upon which to build a roadmap to begin resolving the concerns. An online survey can be supplemented with select in-person interviews. 

• Second, a “pulse” survey which provides more general insight into the work environment.

When employers want to proactively diagnose the workplace, the “pulse” survey provides an independent and accurate diagnostic read.  Like a targeted survey, these surveys can be entirely anonymous. The goal is to determine what the employer is doing right and how it can improve, as well as to assess overall employee engagement. And as studies have shown, employee engagement decreases employee turnover and results in happier, more productive, more passionate employees.