Benefits have a significant impact on recruitment and retention in the workplace. According to a Glassdoor Employment Confidence Survey, approximately 60 percent of participants reported that benefits and other perks are a major factor in considering whether to accept a job offer. Survey results also revealed that 80 percent of employees would choose additional benefits over a pay raise.
So, what can businesses do to ensure that they offer employee benefits that help them to stand out in today’s competitive talent market? Conducting an employee benefits survey captures feedback about current and prospective benefits. An employee benefits survey generally asks workers to rate current benefits, prioritize benefits based on importance and how likely they are to recommend new benefit offerings.
Learn more about employee benefits surveys, what the survey should include and how to collect responses from workers.
What Are Employee Benefits Surveys?
Not all employees value the same benefits; some may seek paid time off while others find jobs that allow them the flexibility to work remotely. Free food and refreshments, stock options, parental leave and opportunities for personal development are just a few examples of benefits that many modern companies offer.
Of course, it can be difficult to determine what benefits a workforce values most without requesting feedback. Employee benefits surveys are designed to provide information about which benefits are most important to workers.
Employee benefits surveys provide business owners with greater details about their employees’ preferences when it comes to benefits and perks. These questionnaires are typically sent to employees on an annual basis and include questions about the quality of specific benefits, how existing benefits compare to other companies and what additional benefits employees would like to have. Creating surveys and implementing feedback from employees can result in an array of benefits, such as increased employee loyalty, improved worker health and wellbeing and stronger recruitment efforts.
What Should Be Included In An Employee Benefits Survey?
Before creating an employee benefits survey, it is important to review the current benefits program. Most employee benefits fall under one of the following categories:
- Health and wellness benefits
- Sick days, paid-time-off (PTO) and vacation benefits
- Childcare and family benefits
- Tuition reimbursement
- Disability Insurance
- Internet and technology benefits
- Transportation and commuter benefits
- Learning and development benefits
- Work-life balance
- Paid paternity and maternity leave
- Stipends or flexible lifestyle benefits
Employee benefits surveys should go beyond surface-level or generic questions; they should also measure an employee’s perception of employee benefits and how well these benefits are understood. Surveys can be structured in a wide range of formats, including ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions, open-ended questions and questions with a rating scale (e.g., strongly agree to strongly disagree).
Comparison questions are useful for determining employee satisfaction with benefits. However, it is important to know the objective of the survey in order to gain quality and meaningful feedback. Is the business trying to offer better benefits than its competition?
Is offering a more comprehensive benefits plan part of a recruitment strategy? With this answer in mind, create questions for the survey. For example, a comparison question might be, “Are the employer’s health care benefits better or worse than those of other employers?”
Employee benefits strategies should also provide workers with an opportunity to make recommendations for new benefits or state their preferences. Ask open-ended questions such as, “Do you have recommendations for improving our employee benefits plan?”, or “What do you like most (or least) about our current employee benefits plan?”.
A rating scale can be useful when asking about satisfaction with current benefits offerings. The survey may ask “How satisfied are you with the current benefits offerings?” and provide a scale ranging from “completely satisfied” to “not at all satisfied.”
It is also important to collect employee specific information when conducting benefits surveys. This can be achieved by asking questions such as, “What age group do you belong to,” Which department do you belong to? or “Which office are you based at?” Segmenting personal employee information into different cohorts can help businesses better understand how certain groups value different types of benefits.
Employee Benefits Survey Example Questions
It can be challenging to know what employees really think about an organization’s benefits program. Asking clear and direct questions on a benefits survey can provide some insight as to how employees view current benefits offerings. Some examples of employee benefits survey questions include:
- Do you have a clear understanding of the benefits packages offered by our organization?
- How satisfied are you with the organization’s skill development/training program?
- Do the benefits offered by the organization compete with those offered by other organizations?
- How satisfied are you with the organization’s vacation policy?
- Does the benefits package offered to you meet your/your family’s needs?
- How likely are you to recommend the organization to friends or family based on the benefits offerings?
- Which three benefits already offered by the organization are most important to you?
- How satisfied are you with the organization’s current break time allocation?
- Were all benefits explained to you clearly and thoroughly when you joined the company?
- Do you have any additional suggestions, comments or criticism regarding the organization’s benefits policy?
How Should Survey Responses Be Collected?
Responses from employees who complete benefits surveys can be collected in a variety of ways. Employees who prefer to remain anonymous may prefer a survey link sent via email that keeps their identity protected. A simple web link can offer convenience but may not offer the anonymity that some employees seek. Other options include text message invitations or email invitations that bring employees to a platform where they can complete the survey.
Speak with An Experienced Benefits Consultant
Benefits play a critical role in employee satisfaction within an organization. Conducting regular employee benefits surveys allow workers to express their opinions about current benefit offerings and recommend changes or additions to the existing program. To learn more about what to include in an employee benefits survey, speak with an expert benefits consultant at the Business Benefits Group.