Building A High Response Rate

A high response rate is vital to a successful survey program. TalentMap’s average employee survey response rate is 78%. Below are some ways to help you hit and even beat the benchmark average.

1. SURVEY LAUNCH: Invite employees for coffee and donuts the day the survey launches to introduce, promote and build excitement around the survey. Inform them that the survey link will be in their inbox when they return and encourage them to take 20-25 minutes to complete it when they return to their desk.

2. REMINDER EMAIL COUNTDOWN: A "countdown" to the survey end period helps give those people who haven't taken the time to complete the survey a friendly reminder to do so. You may want to send a reminder email (always include the link in the email for easy survey access) as detailed below:

   • One WEEK into the survey with a subject line "Only XX days left to tell us what you think".

   • The LAST 2 DAYS of your survey with a subject line "2nd last/final day to tell us what you think".

   • At NOON of your last survey day with subject line "This is your LAST chance to tell us what you think - Survey ends at close of business today".

3. MANAGEMENT TEAM PROMOTING THE SURVEY: Another great strategy is to have the management team take a quick walk around the office promoting the survey and encourage those who haven't filled it out to do so. In addition, have each DEPARTMENT manager encourage their employees to complete the survey (encourages a "healthy" interdepartmental competition).

4. HOLD A COMPANY CONTEST where everyone’s name goes in the draw only if you hit your target response rate of i.e. 80%. You could have a draw for sports events, restaurant certificates, pizza lunch, bottle of wine or even an IPOD.

5. HOLD A DEPARTMENT CONTEST The department with the highest response rate at the end of the first week will have a pizza lunch.

6. SURVEY CHAMPION promoting the survey. Do a quick walk around asking the employees if they have completed the survey.

7. **SURVEY WIND DOWN **with coffee and donuts with a statement "Thanks for participating in the survey".

8. ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO WRAP UP THEIR WORKING DAY 30 minutes ahead of time so they can complete the survey.

9. CHARITY DONATION Communicate to employees that for every survey response the company receives, money (i.e. $2-$5) will be donated to the organization’s charity of choice.

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