In my previous blog, here: https://www.humaxa.com/post/why-did-we-start-humaxa  , I wrote about how I have YET to encounter a single soul who likes taking surveys. A summary of the results:

1.    Nothing Happens:“I spent time pouring my heart out and nothing happened.”

2.    Not My Job: “I have to stop what I’m doing and go take a survey that is not a part of my job.”

3.   Wrong Timing:“The timing’s all wrong – it’s too late. The survey and resulting actions takeaway too long and the time to take action has passed by the time we get around to it.”

I’m spending this week focusing on #3, “Wrong Timing.”

When I worked for a large, international Fortune 250 company and administered employee engagement surveys, we ran the surveys once per year.I remember starting to prepare for the annual survey in approximately March.Perhaps by April, we’d agreed to the number of standard and customized questions. By May, we’d probably have rolled out the survey itself. We’d set the cutoff date by mid-June. We’d extend the cutoff date. We’d extend the cutoff date again. And again. And again.

Finally, we’d get the participation percentage we were looking for (after cajoling, bribing, pleading… threatening… 😊) and actually close the survey.

Then we’d wait to get the data back. Then we’d meet to discuss the data and decide how to present it to the entire organization. We’d debate. Finally, we’d agree. Then we’d actually present the data to the organization. Then all managers and leaders would discuss the data with their teams. Then the teams would decide their focus areas. Then the teams would create action plans. Then they’d start to actually work on the action plans.

What month was it then? Maybe November.

When did we start? Maybe March.

8 months would have gone by. The world had changed. I’ve since left that company, but think about what happened between March 2020 and November 2020. Yikes.

I knew there had to be a better way. Do you really want to have employees wait until a survey shows up to talk about a problem with bias in the workplace? What if they have unfulfilled career aspirations NOW? How about people who feel unrecognised and overlooked? Want to wait six months, six days,or six hours to hear about it?

Timing is everything. Being able to speak openly,anonymously, 24/7/365 about what’s on your mind in the world of work changes everything. Everything.

What do you think?

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