December 2004 • BenefitNews.com • Employee Benefit News The growing trend of outsourcing (lie enrollment process to an online administrative service provider brings the added benetlt of allowing benefit prolessionuls to spend less time doing paperwork and data entry, and more time on ensuring good benefits participation levels and well-educated employ- ees. The payoff is already staring to show. "One of the things we're seeing is the types of questions we're getting on consumer-driven health plans are much more thoughtful because we spent a lot of time on education last year, so workers have more of an understanding about how they work." says Robin Downey, head of product development at Aetna. "They really do get it now." What's more, these tools are available to companies in all sizes and in all industries. Companies using online enrollment and decision support tool providers include blue and gray as well as white-collar workers. Employease handled several municipalities this year, providing online enrollment services for firefighters, policemen and sanitation workers alike. "If you think about it from a benefits professional standpoint, in the old way of doing things you would fill out Ihe paper- 23 work for all the employees, and your job around enrollment was very transaction and processing oriented," Jeff Beinke, Employease vice president, explains, "Today, the techn{)iogy and tools we provide allow HR professionals to be much more consultative and less iransactional."" — S.B. How to make the most of employee surveys By Leah Carlson questions has to be ities and investment products. when the organization thinks through thought through very Like most forms of Employee satisfaction surveys preswhat they will do with the information carefully, so it's very communication, employee ent a few privacy and legal issues for once they receive it." vanilla, very objective attitude surveys only employers to consider. Of course, no Insights at IBM and also respectful of appear to be simple. In company wants to be sued by employthe respondent," fact, developing and anaees who claim they were fired because Using a work-life survey. IBM disSnyder notes. lyzing employee surveys they submitted negative covered that 27% of its work"If nothing is require benefit managers comments or because Carter advises ers served us caregivers for to reason like statisticians they admitted to having done with the employers to frame an elderly relative. In and react like socioloa certain disease. Klein questions in a way that response, the company feedback, it gists, which is no small advises companies to makes workers prioriexpanded its eldercare benefeat. deal only with aggregat- can really be a tize and rank options, fits. IBM. in Armonk. N.Y., ed data. "Any informaso they understand that hired Ceridian last year to However, the payoff de-motivator," most things are a trade- tion like that has to be provide eldercare managelor a well-crafted, wellkept confidential. It's off. ment services, such as facility conducted survey is great. probably best that the employer doesn't reviews, information gathering and visits Companies can achieve Jim Klein, president receive it back in a way that's identifiMaria Ferris, manager of to check up on ihe care recipient. better retention, better of the American able," he says, communication through- work-l'rfe and women's Benefits Council, Ceridian. an information technology out the workforce and the initiatives for IBM, says stresses keeping quesSurveys lose their value when workcompany, gathers workers' opinions employee surveys help IBM opportunity to make the tions germane. ers view them as a privacy invasion. about their work-life benefits, their understand workers' needs benefits structure more With that in mind. Hill's firm keeps ihe workload and their ability lo balance "The employer and demographics. efficient. Employee satisresponses confidential, doesn't create work and personal responsibilities. It doesn't want to ask faction surveys also can build trust survey reports for work groups of fewer also inquires about personal circumpersonal information that's not relevant between managers and workers if stances, such as whether workers are in to the purpose of the survey," he advises. than five people and doesn't ask openemployees feel they are being heard. "Steer clear of things that might be inter- ended questions that could allow workers dual-professional marriages, whether to complain about their colleagues. they are single and whether they need esting to know but are irrelevant to the "The primary benefit of doing an chlldcare or eldercare services. The employer's mission in sponsoring employee survey is to provide an oppor"We don't want it to become a forum response rate for IBM's work-life survey employee benefits." tunity for the employee to give feedback tor personal attacks," Hill notes. is about 4-'i%. which is considered good. to the organization,'" Dave Snyder. senior In addition, experts recommend After the feedback comes in. compavice president at Aon Consulting, comavoiding misleading questions. nies should review the data, form an Maria Ferris, manager of work-life ments. "The opportunity to provide some action plan and tell workers about what "You don't want to ask questions that and women's initiatives for IBM. says structured feedback can be a very, very steps will be taken in response to the you already know the answers to, and the survey helps IBM understand workgood thing." feedback. This can be accomplished you don"t want to ask questions that are ers' needs, track demographic trends and likely to raise expectations that you can't through a letter or staff meeting. form a strategy for addressing various However, with increasing attention on fulfill," says Ted Hill, assistant vice preswork-life issues. "Over the years, the soaring health care costs, many employ"We tell clients. 'Don't do surveys. trend has been that men are more and ers aren't focusing on surveys. The nummore reporting work-life difficulties," ber of employers conducting employee she observes. "Wt)rk-Iife [balance] is an satisfaction surveys has dropped in issue around the world." recent years, mostly because of cost concerns, according to Michael Carter, vice In contrast. Acacia Companies gauges 1. Keep the survey short. president of the Hay Group, a workers* satisfaction with their work 2. Ask specific, unbiased questions. Philadelphia-based consulting firm. environment, job tasks and opportunities 3. Don't ask for personally identifiable information. for career advancement, but it doesn't Snyder estimates that at least 50% of 4. Tell workers what you plan to do with the survey results. ask about benefits or compensation. companies conduct employee satisfac5. Don't let the survey information sit unused. "The reason is, if you ask anyone tion surveys, but many don't ask specific whether they're paid enough, they're questions about benefits and compensa6. Keep the responses confidential. going to say, "No.' Then what you end tion for feiu- of opening tbe proverbial 7. Frame questions in terms of trade-offs. up with is a lot of information that's precan of worms. "It's a very delicate time dictable." Hill explains. in that arena," he observes. unless you're prepared to respond and do The survey's response rate averages ident in charge of organizational develBest practices something about it, because they do raise around 80%. To ensure a high response opment for the Ameritas Acacia rate, the firm stresses the survey's expectations.'" Carter asserts. Survey questions should be specific, Companies, a firm that distributes a satanonymity, potential benefii to employSnyder agrees: "If nothing is done unambiguous, neutral and not personal isfaction survey to its workers once ees and support from company execuwith the feedback, it can really be a deenough to make the respondent identifievery 18 months. Based in Lincoln, tives. — LC. motivator. The power of it comes from able, experts say. "The wording of the Neb., the firm provides insurance, annu- Tips on conducting surveys: