managingwellbeingsurveyguide:

Ausefulguidetorunningawellbeingsurvey
1stEdition:September2011

Authors:

DrRobertKerr
MsSuzanneBoyd
Managingwellbeing
UlsterBusinessSchool
UniversityofUlster
Tel:+44(0)2890368029
Fax:+44(0)2890368459
Email:rl.kerr@ulster.ac.uk

managingwellbeingLimited2011.www.managingwellbeing.com
Allrightsreserved.Pleasecontactauthorsforpermissiontoreprint.

P a g e |2

CONTENTS

Note:Simplyclickontheheadingtogostraighttothatsection.

FOREWARDbyGraftonEmploymentGroup ...........................................................4
Wanttoimproveemployeewellbeing? ..................................................................5
Runningawellbeingsurvey.....................................................................................7
Stage1:Surveypreparation ....................................................................................8
Stage2:Launchingthesurvey ...............................................................................16
Stage3:Sendingsurveyreminders .......................................................................18
Stage4:Followingupaftersurveycompletion.....................................................19
Aboutus.................................................................................................................23
AppendixA:Wellbeingsurveychecklist................................................................24
AppendixB:Runningfocusgroups........................................................................26

P a g e |3

FOREWARDbyGraftonEmploymentGroup

Wellbeing is a broad concept that takes into consideration the whole person, their mental,
emotionalandphysicalhealth.Byaddressingissuessuchastheworkingenvironment,worklife
balance,healthylivingandgoodcommunication,youcansignificantlyimprovethewellbeingof
yourworkforce.Inreturn,youwillseeaculturewhereindividualskillsareallowedtoflourish,as
wellassomepracticalbusinessbenefitssuchasincreasedproductivity,motivationandloyalty.

As the economic landscape has changed and organisations have faced financial, resource and
timeconstraints,introducinganewprogrammecanoftenbechallenging.Thiswellbeingtoolkit
(and associated resources both on and offline) provides business professionals with a one
stopshop and stepbystep practical guide to implementing a wellbeing programme that will
haveimmediatebenefitsforyourworkforceandyourbusiness.

The Grafton Employment Group is delighted to partner with managing wellbeing Ltd. and the
UniversityofUlstertosupportandpromotethisinitiative.AtGrafton,wearetakingaproactive
approach to workplace wellbeing and this toolkit will serve as an integral tool to build and
enhance employee engagement. Grafton business consultants will be working with our client
businessestopromote,educateandsupportthetoolkitanditsusewithintheirbusiness.

CathyMcCorry
ManagingDirector,Ireland
GraftonEmploymentGroup

P a g e |4

Wanttoimproveemployeewellbeing?
Runningawellbeingsurveyisagoodplacetostart!

Thereareclearfinancial,legalandethicalreasonsforaddressingemployeewellbeingatwork.A
goodwellbeingsurveywillenableyoutopinpointaspectsoftheworkingenvironmentthatare
impedingyourbusinesssuccess,andhelpyourorganisationachievehighimpactresultssuchas:

reducedsicknessabsence
reducedturnover
increasedemployeeengagement
increasedproductivity

Whatthisguideaimstodo
Thisguideisforanyoneinterestedinauditingemployeewellbeingintheirorganisation.Inthis
guide,weprovideusefulguidanceandsupportonconductingawellbeingsurveytoensureyou
get the most out of the process. We will take you through the four key stages of running an
effective wellbeing audit: survey preparation, launching the survey, sending reminders to
increaseresponseratesandfinallyfollowingupafterthesurveycloses.

ThisfreeguideisprovidedbymanagingwellbeingLtd.,auniversitybasedconsultancywiththe
audaciousopinionthatimprovingemployeewellbeingdoesn'thavetobedifficultorexpensive.
We provide costeffective wellbeing surveys that audit employee health and wellbeing, collate
opinionsandidentifyriskareasacrossyourworkforce.Oursurveysprovidedetailed,actionable
reportsforboththeemployeeandsurveyadministrator,empoweringyouandyourworkforce
to improve wellbeing and increase productivity. You can find out more about us and our
servicesatwww.managingwellbeing.com.

Whatisemployeewellbeing?
The term wellbeing is a broad concept that takes into consideration the whole person.
Wellbeingreferstoourmentalandemotionalhealth,aswellasouractualphysicalhealth.Itis
morethantheabsenceofphysicalillness,asitisakeyfactorindeterminingourgeneralquality
oflifeandimpactsourabilitytofeelgoodanddowell.

P a g e |5

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) defines employee wellbeing as
creating an environment to promote a state of contentment which allows an employee to
flourish and achieve their full potential for the benefit of themselves and their organisation
(CIPD,2007,p.4) 1 .

Improvingemployeewellbeingcreatesahealthier,moreengagedworkforce.CIPDidentifieshigh
levels of wellbeing as a key source of productivity and sustainable, competitive advantage. In
addition,a2008reportbyPricewaterhouseCoopers(BuildingtheCaseforWellness)illustrates
how focusing on employee wellbeing can result in improvements in your companys profile,
productivityandprofitability.

HowdoIimproveemployeewellbeing?
Inordertoimproveemployeewellbeing,youneedtoassessthecurrentlevelofwellbeinginyour
organisation,decide whereyou want tobe and then work outhow you are going to get there
(yourwellbeingstrategy).

How do I assess my organisations current level of employee

wellbeing?
When assessing employee wellbeing in your organisation, there are a number of factors to
consider. For example, you could look at employee absence rates, employee turnover, the
degree of reliance on occupational support measures, the number of employee grievances,
disciplinary rates and employee opinions and attitudes. A wellbeing survey can provide a
valuable and accurate assessment of employees opinions on their working environment. If
deployed effectively, a survey should also produce clear information on ways to improve
employeewellbeing.Thisguidewillhelpyourunawellbeingsurvey.

1
CIPD,(2007).Whatshappeningwithwellbeingatwork?Accessedonlineat
<www.cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/DCCE94D7781A485AA7026DAAB5EA7B27/0/whthapwbwrk.pdf>

P a g e |6

Runningawellbeingsurvey

Therearefourkeystagestorunningawellbeingsurvey.Eachofthesestageswillbediscussedin
greaterdetailthroughouttheguide.

Stage1:Surveypreparation Page8
Careful preparation is required for maximising employee engagement with your survey and
ensuringitrunssmoothly.Duringthepreparationstageyouwillneedtoconsiderwhetheryou
have gained the necessary management commitment, how many employees should take the
survey, when to run the survey and for how long it should stay open. You will also need to
consider the communication methods you will use to announce the survey, as well as ways to
encourageemployeestoengageinthesurveyprocess.Theguidanceprovidedinthissectionwill
ensurethatyoursurveyisdeployedeffectively.

Stage2:Launchingthesurvey Page16
With the preparation stage complete, you are now ready to create invitations for your survey.
Theguidanceprovidedinthissectionwillenableyoutoperfectyoursurveyinvitationsandtackle
anypotentialissuesthatmayarise.

Stage3:Sendingsurveyreminders Page18
Sending survey completion reminders is one of the most effective ways to increase response
rates. However, it is important to get the tone and frequency right. Carefully planned and
managed survey reminders can dramatically improve employee engagement. The guidance
providedinthissectionwillenableyoutosendeffectiveremindersandboostresponseratesto
yoursurvey.

Stage4:Followingupaftersurveycompletion Page19
Okay,thesurveyhasclosedandtheresultsarein,sowhatnext?Surprisingly,oneofthemost
difficultstagesofthesurveyprocesscanbeafterthesurveyhasactuallyclosed.Communicating
theresultsandfeedbackcanoftenrequireacertainamountofdiplomaticskill.Itisimportantto
be honest, yet carefully consider how you will deal with some of the less positive outcomes.
Dontworry,wehaveprovidedusefulguidanceandsupporttohelpyoumanagethefinalstage
ofthesurveyprocesswhateveryourresultsmaybe.

P a g e |7

Stage1:Surveypreparation

Surveypreparationiscritical,asfailuretoadequatelypreparecanleadtolowlevelsofemployee
engagementwithyoursurvey.Essentialthingstoconsiderduringthepreparationstageinclude:

securingmanagementcommitment
thebusinesscaseforrunningawellbeingsurvey
thenumberofemployeestotakethesurvey
whenandforhowlongthesurveyshouldrun
usingincentivestoboostemployeeengagement
announcingthesurvey

Securingmanagementcommitment
Many employers are already committed to managing employee wellbeing at work, as they
recognisethatthisbringsbenefitsfortheorganisation.Ifyouneedtogetyourseniormanagers
onboardbutarenotsurehowtodothis,youcanadapttheinformationinthefollowingsection
to present a simple business case on these benefits. You can also access further support and
guidancebyvisitingthewebsiteslistedinthesomeusefulwebresourcesboxonpage9.

Anothereffectivewayofsecuringthebackingofseniormanagementistorelatethewellbeing
surveytoyourorganisationsspecificgoalsandKeyPerformanceIndicators(KPIs).Thiswillhelp
make the survey more relevant for managers, as they will be able to identify more clearly the
potential benefits of improving employee wellbeing. Try to project a picture of some
organisationalbenefitsthatyouwouldexpecttoariseasaresultofimprovementsinemployee
wellbeing.Thesedonothavetobemonetaryinnature,althoughmanynonmonetarybenefits
willhaveapositivefinancialimpactfurtherdowntheline.

P a g e |8

Someusefulwebresources

The Workplace Wellbeing Tool is aFREEonline resource designed to help you estimate the

cost of poor health and wellbeing in your organisation and build a business case for action,

rangingfromthesimplestchangesthroughtolargescaleprojects.

Website:www.businesslink.gov.uk/wwt

The Business Case for Employee Health and Wellbeing is a thorough report prepared for

InvestorsinPeoplecontainingawealthofinformationthatcanbeusedtohelpyoupreparea

detailedbusinesscaseforaddressingemployeewellbeing.

Website: www.investorsinpeople.co.uk/documents/research/the business case for employee

healthandwellbeingfeb2010.pdf

ThePricewaterhouseCoopers(2008)report:BuildingtheCaseforWellnessalsocontainsalot

ofusefulinformationforbuildingabusinesscase.

Website:www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/hwwbdwpwellnessreportpublic.pdf

CheckoutourmanagingwellbeingresourcesPDFforsomemoreusefulresources!

Thebusinesscaseforrunningawellbeingsurvey

Itisnoexaggerationtosaythatgoodhealthisgoodbusiness
(Source: Lord McKenzie, Parliamentary Under Secretary (Lords), Department for Work and
Pensions.)

Thenegativeimpactthatpoorlevelsofemployeewellbeingcanhaveonorganisationshasbeen
widelyacknowledged.Inparticular,organisationswithunfitandunhappyworkforcesexperience
higherlevelsofabsenteeism,turnoverandillhealthretirement.InIreland,forexample,stress
accountsforapproximately20%ofallworkingdayslostduetoworkrelatedillhealth 2 .

2
Bevan et al., (2009). Fit For Work? Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Irish Labour Market. Accessed online at
<www.fitforworkeurope.eu/WebsiteDocuments/ffw_Ireland311009.pdf>

P a g e |9

The situation is similar in the UK, where an estimated 13.5 million working days were lost to
stress, anxiety, or depressionrelated absence between 2007 and 2008 3 . The financial cost of
workrelatedmentalillhealthhasbeenestimatedatasubstantial28billionpoundstotheUK
economy, representing approximately a quarter of the UKs total sick bill 4 . Furthermore, it is
estimatedthatapproximately1in6oftheworkforceisaffectedbydepression,anxietyorother
mentalhealthconditionatanyonetime 5 .

However,absenteeismisnottheonlyissuetoconsider;ingeneral,failingtoaddressandmanage
employeewellbeingmayleadto:

highlevelsofabsenteeism
increasedstaffturnover
lowproductivity
poormorale
increasedfrequencyofaccidents
difficultyinretainingandrecruitinggoodmanagers

By developing policies and programmes to manage employee wellbeing, you can prevent or
reduce the impact of these problems and bring about significant business benefits. An ever
growingbodyofevidencesupportsthestancethatwellnessinterventionshaveapositiveimpact
onintermediateandbottomlinebenefits.

For example, a recent study published by PricewaterhouseCoopers 6 found that employee

wellbeing programmes can provide organisations with a host of benefits. The intermediate
benefitsidentifiedwereconsiderable,andincluded:

reducedsicknessabsence
reducedstaffturnover
reducedaccidentsandinjuries
increasedemployeesatisfaction
anenhancedcompanyprofile
increasedproductivity

3
LabourForceSurvey2008,ascitedbyHSE(2009).
4
Triggle, N., (2009). Tackle work stress, bosses told. BBC news article. Accessed online at
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8343074.stm>
5
TheSainsburyCentreforMentalHealth,(2007).Mentalhealthatwork:Developingthebusinesscase.PolicyPaper8.
London:SCMH.
6
PricewaterhouseCoopers,(2008).BuildingtheCaseforWellness.Accessedonlineat<www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/hwwb
dwpwellnessreportpublic.pdf>

P a g e |10

PricewaterhouseCoopers also found that substantial bottom line benefits can be achieved by
organisations investing in wellbeing programmes, with impressive benefittocost ratios being
reportedbyallorganisationsselectedforthestudy.Clearly,organisationshavemuchtogainby
tacklingemployeewellbeingatwork.

By conducting a wellbeing survey in your organisation, you will be able to take the first steps
neededtoeffectivelymanagethehealthandwellbeingofyourworkforce.Afterall,ifyouwant
tomanagesomething,youfirsthavetomeasureit.

HowmanyemployeesdoIneedtosurvey?
Ideally,allofyouremployeesshouldhaveasayinastaffsurvey.However,ifthisisnotpractical
for your organisation, you can survey a sample of the workforce instead. The following
recommendations will help you determine how many employees you need to survey and the
methodrequiredtoselectyoursampleofemployees.

Recommendedminimumsamplesize
Theminimumsamplesizesinthetablebelowhavebeencalculatedtoensurethatyoursurvey
findings will be representative of the views of all staff in your organisation. Youcan of course
administer your survey to more employees than the recommended minimum number; indeed,
the advantage of using a larger sample size is that it enables more of your staff to give their
opinions.

Totalnumberofworkers Administerthesurveyto:

500orfewer AllWorkers
5011000 250workers
10012000 325workers
20013000 350workers
Over3000 400workers

P a g e |11

Howtoselectasampleofworkers
If you are selecting a sample of workers to survey, it is important that these are selected at
random from a list of all your workers. By surveying employees selected through random
sampling, you will obtain a best estimate of what represents the views of the whole of your
workforce.

Tip:UseSoftwaretoHelp
Thequickestandeasiestwaytoselectarandomsampleofworkersistouseaspreadsheet
softwarepackage.Freespreadsheetsoftwareisavailableatwww.openoffice.org

1. Exportyourlistofworkers(orcopyandpasteit)intoaspreadsheetprogram,ifitis
notalreadyinone.
2. Inanadjacentblankcolumn,createalistofrandomnumbersusingthefunctionsof
thespreadsheetpackageorothermeans.
3. Sort the whole list on these random numbers and take the cases ordered
sequentiallyfromthetoporthebottomasyoursample.

Timing
Itisimportanttoidentifywhatishappeningintheworldofyouremployeesatthetimeyou
wanttolaunchthesurvey.Itisrecommendedthatyou:

Allowsurveystobecompletedduringworktimethishasbeenshowntoimprove
responserates.
Check with others in your organisation who might also be giving a survey. Avoid
doublingsurveychoresforyouremployees.
Generally be aware of the time of year you want to give the survey. Where
possible,trytopickatimethatyouknowyouremployeesarenotloadedwithother
deadlinesthatmayimpacttheirwillingnesstoparticipate.

P a g e |12

Forhowlongshouldthesurveybeopen?
Werecommendkeepingasurveyopenforapproximatelythreeweeks,allowingenoughtimefor
employeestoaccessthesurveywithoutrushingthem,whileatthesametimenotgivingthem
toomuchtimetoputofftakingthesurvey.

Employeeengagement

Inordertoengagestaffinyoursurvey,youmustmakethemfeelinvolvedfromthestart.To
getemployeesandtheirrepresentativesonboard,youshould:

Involve employee representatives (e.g. trade union and health and safety
representatives)atthebeginningoftheprocess.
Involve employees and their representatives in any groups you set up to take the
workforward.
If you decide to confine your efforts to a limited section of your organisation,
considerhowbesttoinformotheremployees.

Besuretokeepmanagers,staffrepresentatives,tradeunionsandemployeesfullyconsultedand
informedthroughoutthesurveyprocesssothattheendresultsdonotcomeasashock.

Providingincentives
Providing an incentive for employees to complete your survey can certainly increase survey
response rates. Incentives need not be substantial to attract respondents small rewards are
oftenjustaseffectiveaslargeones.Ifitispossibleforyourorganisationtoofferanincentive,
one effective option to consider is making a small donation to charity for each survey that is
completedandreturned.

P a g e |13

Announcingthesurvey
Itishighlyrecommendedthatyouletemployeesknowabouttheupcomingsurveywithapre
surveyannouncement.Inpreparingpresurveyannouncements,youshould:

Identifythedifferentcommunicationmethodsyouwillusetotellemployeesthatan
important survey is coming soon. Try to use as many diverse methods of
communicationaspossibletoensuremaximumemployeeawareness(e.g.posters,
debriefings, intranet, ezines, newsletters, email, payslip notes and/or verbal
announcements).
Identify the critical statements you will make in the presurvey announcement
rememberthatyouwantstafftobehighlymotivatedtoparticipate.Howeveryou
choosetowordyourpresurveyannouncement,itisimportantthatyouexplainto
employeesthereasonsforthesurvey,including:
howandwhenemployeeswillreceiveaquestionnaire
howandwhenemployeeswillreceivefeedbackonthesurveysresults
howactionswillbetakeninresponsetothesurveysfindings

Thefollowingpageprovidesanexampleofapresurveyannouncement.

P a g e |14

Presurveyannouncementtemplate



[Companyname]sEmployeeWellbeingSurvey

CommittedtoManagingWellbeingintheWorkplace
September2011


[Companyname]iscarryingoutasurveyonemployeewellbeinginourorganisation.Thesurvey

questionnaire provides an opportunity for all employees to have a say on their experiences of
with the aim of improving any areas which the survey highlights as potential sources of
work,

dissatisfaction,whilstbuildingonthethingswedowell.

survey will run between <date> and <date>. All employees will be emailed a survey
The
invitation, which will direct them to the wellbeing survey website for completion of the
questionnaire.Thequestionnaireissimpleandstraightforward,andwilltakeapproximately20
minutesforyoutocomplete.Thesurveyiscompletedanonymouslyandallindividualresponses
willbekeptstrictlyconfidential.

Once the survey is over, the organisationwide results will be published in our monthly
newsletter. In addition, [Company name] will be consulting employees directly through special
focusgroupsandpanelstodiscusstheresultsofthesurvey.Thesefocusgroupsandpanelswill
enable us to work with employees to explore problems and begin the process of developing
solutions.

Your participation is greatly appreciated! If you have any questions regarding this survey or
requirefurtherinformation,pleasecontact:

<FULLNAMEandCONTACTDETAILS>

Wethankyouforyoursupportandlookforwardtoyourparticipationinthewellbeingsurvey.

P a g e |15



Stage2:Launchingthesurvey

Acriticalaspectofanystaffsurveyisthecontentoftheinvitationsenttostaff.Getthatwrong,
andthemanyhoursofworkspentpreparingthequestionnairecangotowaste.

Surveyinvitations 7
The invitationmessage is what your respondents will see first. Upontheir initial glance of the
invitationintheirinbox,recipientscouldsenditdirectlytoSPAMifcareisnottakeninthelayout
andwording.Staffsurveyinvitationsneedtoincludeimportantinformationsuchasthereasons
forthesurvey,theconfidentialityofresults,whatmanagementintendstodowiththedata,and
whyitisimportantforstafftoparticipate.Somepointstoconsider:

Makethesurveyinvitationfromnamesthatareeasytorecognise.Youcandothis
byincludinganamethat'swellknowninyourorganisation(e.g.CEO).
Personalisetheinvitationifpossible(e.g.printthesenderssignature).
Maketheintroductorystatementshortandclear.
Placethehyperlinktothesurveywithblanklinesaboveandbelow(ifusingemail).
Giveanestimateofsurveycompletiontime(behonest!).
Keeptheinvitationshortandusetextonly.
Promiseanonymityandconfidentiality(whereapplicable).
Provideadeadlineforcompletionofthesurvey.

Essentialinformationonaccessingthesurveyandclosingdatesshouldalsobeincluded.Thenext
pageprovidesanexampleofasurveyinvitationtohelpyougetstarted.

Troubleshooting
Onceyouhavelaunchedyouronlinesurvey,itispossiblethatsomeemployeeswillcontactyou
fortechassistance.Youwillneedtorespondquicklyandhelpthemwiththestepstheyneed
to complete your survey. Make sure that employees have been provided with contact
informationincasetheyexperienceanytechnicaldifficulties,suchasaname,telephonenumber
andemailaddress.

7
NB:therecommendationsforsurveyinvitationsandremindersarebroadlyapplicabletobothemailandpaperbased
invitations.

P a g e |16

Surveyinvitationtemplate
DearFirstname,


Asyouareavaluedstaffmemberhereat[companyname],wewouldliketoensurethatyouaresatisfied

withyourworkingenvironment.Tothisend,[companyname]wishestoinviteyoutoparticipateinthefirst

ofwhatwehopewillbeanannualemployeewellbeingsurvey.


Thepurposeofthissurveyistoobtainyouropinionsaboutwhatitisliketoworkinourorganisation.The

surveyconsistsofanumberofquestionsandwilltakeapproximately20minutesforyoutocomplete.Please

takethetimetoanswerthesequestionscarefullyandhonestly,asitisonlywithyourhelpthatwecancreate

ahappierandsaferworkplaceforallstaff.[Companyname]iscommittedtoworkingtowardsimprovingany

areaswhichthesurveyhighlightsaspotentialsourcesofdissatisfaction,whilstbuildingonthethingswedo
well.

The survey is completed anonymously, and all individual responses will be kept strictly confidential. No

individualresultswillbeprovidedeithertomeortothecompany.

of the employee wellbeing survey is not compulsory, we do encourage all of you to
Whilst completion

participatewewantallofyourvoicesheard!Inaddition,foreachsurveythatissuccessfullycompletedand

returned,[companyname]willmakeasmalldonationto<charityofyourchoice>.

Please click on the link that follows and complete the questionnaire by no later than Wednesday 21st

Septemberat5:00PM.
***SURVEYLINK***

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any further queries or should you require any

assistanceincompletingthesurvey.

Thankyouinadvanceforparticipatingandhelping[companyname]continuetogrow.

Regards,

FullName

HRManager

P a g e |17



Stage3:Sendingsurveyreminders

Sendingreminders

Sendingsurveycompletionremindersisoneofthemosteffectivewaystoincrease
responserates!Itisthereforeessentialthatremindersarecarefullyplannedand
managedtoobtainthemaximumbenefits.Somepointstoconsider:

Send at least two remindersto any employee whohasnot completedthe survey,

andconsidersendinguptofiveremindersspacedthroughoutthesurveywindow.
Send a first reminder just after you see a significant decline in survey return
responses.
Sendasecondreminderafteryouseeanotherdecline.
Sendingtwoorthreeremindersisconsideredtobebestpractice.

Aswithinvitations,itisessentialtopayattentiontothelayoutandwordingofyourreminders:

Change the reminders subject line so that it is not identical to the invitation (or
previousreminders).
Createasenseofurgencywithinthesubjectlineandbodyofthereminder.
Remindemployeesofthepurposeofthesurvey.
Remindemployeesofthevalueofthesurvey.
Giveanestimateofsurveycompletiontime.
Remindemployeesthattheirresponseswillbeanonymous(whereapplicable).

Althoughsendingsurveyremindersisoneofthemosteffectivewaystoboostresponserates,itis
importantnottosendtoomanyifyousendreminderstoooften,contactsmayfeelharassed
andwillsimplyignorethem.Ifemployeeshavecompletedyoursurvey,itisessentialthatthese
respondentsareremovedfromthelistofrecipientswhensendingreminders.

P a g e |18

Stage4:Followingupaftersurveycompletion

IvegotmyresultswhatshouldIdonext?

The results of your survey should now be reviewed. In particular, it is important for your
organisation to identifypotential risk areas and hotspots if these have been highlighted by the
survey.Reportthefindingsofthesurveytoyouremployees,thenworkwiththemtobridgethe
gapbetweenyourorganisationscurrentperformanceanditsdesiredperformanceinthefuture.

Reportingthesurveysfindings
The surveys findings shouldbe reported to staff as soon as possible if nothing happens as a
followup to the survey, your organisationwill likely experience reduced employee morale and
loyaltyasaresult.Itisimportanttorememberthatthesurveymerelyrepresentsanopportunity
for further dialogue with your employees; let your staff know that you are taking appropriate
action by listing the steps you will take to address the surveys findings. Employees will
appreciateyoureffortswhatevertheresultsofthesurveymaybe.

The findings of your survey should be presented to the board, the workforce, and their
representatives.However,bearinmindthatasurveycanonlyprovideabroadoverviewofan
organisationsworkingenvironment.Ifthereareareasthatrequireattention,thesecanforma
startingpointfordiscussionswithfocusgroupsandausefulguideforfutureactions.

P a g e |19

IvegotsomenegativeresultswhatshouldIdo?
Dontpanicalmosteverywellbeingsurveywillcollectafewnegativeresponsesinadditionto
positive ones. It is important to view the negative responses as an opportunity to learn and
developasanorganisation.Anynegativeresponsesthataresignificantshouldbeaddressedin
the discussion going forward through focus groups and other followup activities. Treat the
responsesseriouslyandbeginexploringwaysofresolvingthesituation.Aslongasyouareseen
toacceptemployeeopinion,youremployeeswillfeeltheorganisationisalreadyonthepathto
recovery.

Focusgroupsandactionplans
Onceyouhavereportedtheresultsofthesurveyitisadvisabletoinvolveemployeesandtheir
representatives in discussions, as they are often the best placed to suggest improvements. A
goodwaytoconsultemployeesisthroughfocusgroups.Afocusgrouportestpanelisagroup
of individualshaving acommon interest,brought together to gain information about a specific
issue. The number of groups will depend on the size and structure of your organisation, the
availableresourcesand,mostimportantly,theresultsofyoursurvey.

Focusgroupscanprovideanexcellentopportunitytoexplorethesurveyresultsingreaterdepth,
asmoretimecanbesetasideforsuchdiscussionsthanmaybeavailablewithinstandardteam
meetings. They also allow you to explore common issues across groups with shared interests
thatmightnotnormallycometogetherasmembersofteams.

Theoverallaimofeachfocusgroupistoexploreproblemsandbegintheprocessofdeveloping
solutions.Akeyoutputfromthefocusgroupwouldbeaproposedorpreliminaryactionplan,
containing suggestions and recommendations for action at different levels of the organisation.
AppendixBprovidesfurtherinformationonusingfocusgroups.

An action plan is a simple list of all of the tasks that need to be carried out to achieve an
objective.ItdiffersfromaToDoListinthatitfocusesonthepracticalachievementofasingle
goal.Thenextpageprovidesanexampleofanactionplantemplate.

P a g e |20

Actionplantemplate

P a g e |21



Andfinally
Rememberyouarenotaloneonyourjourneytoimproveemployeewellbeingthereareplenty
of organisations out therewilling to help and supportyou (check out ourmanaging wellbeing
resourcesguideforalistofafew).Wehavebuiltandmanagedsurveysfornumerousprivate
and public sector clients and have learnt a thing or two in the process. Some of this valuable
informationisincludedwithinthisguide,therestwewouldbemorethanhappytosharewith
you.Areaswecanofferadditionalsupportinclude:

establishingthebusinesscaseforaction
identifyingandsecuringcommitmentfromkeystakeholders
communicatingsurveygoalsandwellbeingbrandvalues
engagingemployeeswiththesurveyprocess
increasingsurveyresponserates
analysingsurveyresults
communicatingsurveyresultstovariousstakeholders
settingupandfacilitatingfocusgroups
analysingandcommunicatingfocusgroupresults
establishingactionplans
wellbeingstrategydevelopment

Ifyoufeelyouwouldbenefitfromanyofthesupportlistedabove,contactuswewouldloveto
hearfromyou.

Managing wellbeing Ltd. also provides wellbeing surveys that audit employee health and
wellbeing, collate opinions, and identify risk areas across your workforce. We use verified
indicators to get a comprehensive understanding of your employees' emotional and physical
wellbeing. These costeffective surveys provide detailed, actionable reports for both the
employee and survey administrator, empowering you and your workforce to improve
wellbeingandincreaseproductivity.

Tocontactusorfindoutmore,pleasegotowww.managingwellbeing.com.

P a g e |22

Aboutus
managingwellbeing
Managing wellbeing Ltd. is a universitybased consultancy with the audacious opinion that
improving employee wellbeing doesn't have to be difficult or expensive. We can help your
organisationimproveemployeewellbeinginthefollowingways:

1. Subscribe to our managing wellbeingnetwork and you can access loads of

freeguides,toolkitsandusefulresourcestoday.Itsallfree!
2. We can help you audit your employee wellbeing, identifying risk areas and
opportunitiesforimprovement.Weprovideclearguidanceandadvicetoallow
focusedactiontobetakenbyboththeemployeeandsurveyadministrator.
3. We can help you develop and run your wellbeing strategy as well as target
specificaspectsofemployeewellbeing(e.g.nutrition,exercise,mentalhealth).

Youcanfindoutmoreaboutusatwww.managingwellbeing.com.

TheGraftonEmploymentGroup
Known locally worldwide, the Grafton Employment Group offers its clients and candidates
bespoke permanent, temporary, managed service and vendormanaged recruitment solutions
across all industry sectors. The group encompasses a portfolio of brands including Grafton
Recruitment, BluePrint Specialist Appointments, SpenglerFox, Maryb.ie and Grafton ESP.
Although established in Ireland, the Grafton Employment Group has a footprint worldwide to
include70officesin16countries.

Our range of employment solutions can be tailored to fit both the smallest and largest
organisations,fromSMEsthroughtopublicsectorbodies,largemultinationalcompanies(MNCs)
andlocallyacclaimedorganisations.Wecanoffersimplelocalsolutionsthroughtosophisticated
multigeographicalrecruitmentoutsourcingprogrammes,cuttingacrossgeographicalboundaries
todelivercosteffectiveandinnovativeemploymentsolutionstoourclientsandcandidatesalike.
The group is also committed to playing an active role in the communities in which it operates
withactiveCSRinitiatives.

Youcanfindoutmoreaboutusatwww.graftongroup.com

P a g e |23

AppendixA:Wellbeingsurveychecklist

Seniormanagementcommitment
Doyouhavethebackingofseniormanagement?

Numberofemployeestosurvey
Areyougoingtosurveytheentireworkforceorasampleoftheworkforce?
Ifselectingasample,followtherecommendationsonpages10and11.

Timing
Pickatimethatisconvenientforyouremployees.
Allowsurveystobecompletedduringworktime.

Forhowlongshouldthesurveybeopen?
Keepthesurveyopenforapproximately3weeks.

Employeeengagement
Involveemployeerepresentativesatthebeginningoftheprocess.
Involveemployeesinanygroupsyousetuptotaketheworkforward.

Employeeengagement:incentives
Areyouabletoofferemployeesanincentive?
Ifofferinganincentive,doyouknowwhatkindofincentivewouldbemostappropriate?

Announcingthesurvey
Whatcommunicationmethodswillyouuse?
Haveyouidentifiedthecriticalstatementsthatyouwillmake?

Surveyinvitations
Makethesurveyinvitationfromnameseasytorecognise.
Personalisetheinvitationifpossible.
Maketheintroductorystatementshortandclear.
Placethesurveyhyperlinkwithsufficientspaceaboveandbelow(ifusingemail).

P a g e |24

Makesurethehyperlinkfitsononeline.
Giveanestimateofsurveycompletiontime.
Keeptheinvitationshortandusetextonly.
Promiseconfidentiality(whereapplicable).
Provideadeadlineforcompletionofthesurvey.

Troubleshooting
Haveyouputsomeoneinplacetooffertechnicalassistance?

Surveyreminders
Sendbetween2and5reminderstostaffthathaveyettocompletethesurvey.
Sendthefirstreminderjustafteryouseeasignificantdeclineinreturnresponses.
Sendthesecondreminderafteryouseeanotherdecline.
Sending2or3remindersisconsideredtobebestpractice.
Changethereminderssubjectlinesoitisnotidenticaltotheinvitation/pastreminders.
Createasenseofurgencywithinthesubjectlineandbodyofthereminder.
Remindemployeesofthepurposeofthesurvey.
Remindemployeesofthevalueofthesurvey.
Giveanestimateofsurveycompletiontime.
Remindemployeesthattheirresponseswillbeanonymous(whereapplicable).
Donotsendreminderstoofrequentlyemployeeswillfeelharassedifyoudo!
Removerespondentsfromthelistofrecipientswhensendingreminders.

Reportingthesurveysfindings
Presentthesurveysfindingstotheboard,theworkforce,andtheirrepresentatives.

Focusgroupsandactionplans
Establishfocusgroupstoexplorethesurveyresultsinmoredepth.
Encouragegroupstoproposesolutionsforproblemshighlightedbythesurvey.
Havefocusgroupsproducepreliminaryactionplanstoguidefutureactions.

P a g e |25

AppendixB:Runningfocusgroups

Whatsizeshouldafocusgroupbe?
Ideally, a focus group should have between 7 and 12 participants. Groups of over 12 are
generally too big to allow everyone to participate effectively, whilst groups with fewer than 4
generallydonothavewideenoughexperience.

Whatistheroleofthemoderator?
Allfocusgroupsshouldbeconductedbyamoderator.Amoderatorisresponsibleforguidingthe
discussion as well as being objective and unbiased on the topic being discussed. In general, a
moderatorshould:

Trytobeunobtrusiveandnondirective.
Askasmallnumberofgeneralquestionstostimulatediscussion.
Giveparticipantsafreereininthediscussion.
Interveneifthediscussionwandersofftrackorifthereisalongsilence.
Respondtopotentiallyinterestingpointsthatarenotpickedupbytheparticipants.

Beginningthefocusgroup
Inintroducingthefocusgroup,themoderatorshould:

Thankpeopleforcoming.
Introducehimselforherself.
Explainthepurposeofthefocusgroup.
Outlinetheformatandprocedureofthefocusgroup.
Brieflydiscussethicalissues.

P a g e |26

Askingquestions
Thesequenceandbalanceofquestionsarecrucialforanyfocusgroup.Therulesofthumbfor
focusgroupsareasfollows:

Usegeneralquestionsearlyinthefocusgroupsession.
Usemorespecificandmorefocusedquestionslaterinthesession,afterthegeneral
questions.
Usepositivequestionsbeforenegativequestions;askwhatsgoodaboutworking
here?beforeaskingaboutthedownside.
Useuncuedquestionsbeforecuedquestions(cuedquestionsarequestionswhere
youpresentthegroupwitharangeofchoicesoraskthemfortheirreactionstoa
numberofoptions).

Closingthefocusgroup
Inclosingthefocusgroup,themoderatorshould:

Thankpeopleforparticipating.
Explainwhatwillhappentotheinformationgatheredduringthefocusgroup.
Arrangeanyfurthermeetings.

P a g e |27

P a g e |28