TVP – Metric 22 Employee Morale

Resource Type
Tool
Authors
Alan Fusfeld, Innovation Research Interchange
Topics
Innovation Metrics, Stage-Gate, Tools and Techniques
Associated Event
Publication

Background | User Guide | Program Contents | Stakeholders | List of Metrics

1. Metric Definition

Quantitative ratings of key aspects of employee satisfaction and morale as shown by direct employee surveys.

It is recognized that employees may feel good and have high morale, yet produce nothing of value for the firm. The real question is, “are they motivated and committed to create and innovate profitably?”

2. Advantages and Limitations

Extensive surveys are time consuming, expensive to conduct, and must be conducted with sufficient frequency to establish base lines and understand real trends. One must understand also that technical populations tend to have certain biases in such surveys. Many employees feel “surveyed-out.”

3. How to use this Metric

The typical survey uses five-point scales for agreement (strongly agree, agree, neither agree or disagree, disagree, strongly disagree); for importance (extremely important, very important, somewhat important, of little importance, not at all important); and for performance (very good, good, fair, poor, very poor). These categories are used in answering sets of questions related to work environment; feelings about the company; ratings of the company; ratings of the organization, work location,  and work group; feelings about the individual’s job; and general satisfaction. Opportunities are given for comments. Such extensive surveys are most often conducted by third parties to maintain confidentiality.

Four tested questions regarding job satisfaction are:

If a good friend was interested in a job like yours for your firm, what would you tell the friend?

All in all, how satisfied are you with your present job?

Knowing what you know now, if you had to decide all over again, would you take your current job?

How satisfied are you with the overall employee- employer relations at your firm?

4. Options and Variations

One firm which uses e-mail extensively conducts a broad “pulse” survey and asks employees to provide two ratings: using zero-to-ten point scales with descriptors, one rating the employees work climate and environment, and the other rating personal feelings about the work itself. Employees spend less than four minutes to reply by e-mail, or anonymously by fax or voicemail. Employees often write additional comments that give information sought in the more extensive surveys. Confidentiality is assured and rapid feedback (within 2 weeks) of survey results to participants maintains a high level of interest and participation. The survey is conducted every 9-14 months.

5. Champions and Contacts

6. References

6.1 Cranny, C.J. Cain-Smith, P., and Stone, E.F. 1992. Job Satisfaction. Lexington Books, New York.

6.2 Katz, R. (ed.), 1988. Managing Professionals in Innovative Organizations. Harper Collins, New York.