The concern and interest in applying tools to measure the work environment of companies is relatively new. At least as widely. And among the tools used, it is the questionnaires or surveys on working environment that are the most used.
At the level of researchers and scholars on this topic, as one of those related to HR in the world of business and organizations, it has come from afar. But, at the level of specific companies that are concerned about this, we find much more recent interest.
The reasons for this concern about this matter and interest in the application of work climate measurement questionnaires can be, among others, in:
- The certification according to the ISO 9001: 2000 Standards that has led to the use of measures of the work climate and work environment. The greatest awareness among HR Managers and Managers towards improving the work environment and motivating employees in their companies. example of other companies that go in that direction and produce situations of mimicry. The irruption in the world of the company of personnel with degrees in Labor Relations, with a certain level of knowledge in this matter.
Whatever the root cause of this small boom or fashion in the application of instruments to measure the working climate of companies and organizations, the current reality shows this interest.
From www.gerenteweb.com we are perceiving this new situation through the numerous visits that, daily, occur in our work inserted in that website:
- Surveys of measurement of the labor climate in the company Questionnaire of measurement of the level of labor climate in the company
Likewise, we live that interest by receiving numerous e-mails with queries and comments about the topics covered in these works.
We propose in this new contribution to the topic, to briefly list some factors to take into account in the practical application of these questionnaires. And we do it based, fundamentally, on our professional experience at work in various companies and on the consulting work of many more, over the years.
Once a company decides to start a process to determine the level of the work environment, through the use of questionnaires or surveys, it must take into account various issues. Some of them are, in fact, before or before that decision. The process should be, more or less, as follows:
- Analysis and discussion ,within the highest management bodies of the company - Board of Directors, Administrators, Directors, Manager, as the case may be - of the advisability and decision to go to an assessment of the work environment. Acquisition of internal firmness, by These governing bodies, as well as the conviction that, whatever the result of the survey or questionnaire, it will be done to try to improve as far as possible the current situation of the working environment. Normally, advice from external consultants will be required. to explain and organize the entire process to be followed, in the best possible way. Meeting with the managers, if any, and with the middle managers of the company or organization to explain carefully what the company intends to do, why and why.Be clear that the survey or questionnaire is only to know and assess the level of the company's working environment and not to take measures or retaliate against workers or against a dissatisfied staff. Use a questionnaire or measurement survey that is well prepared and is a valid tool for the intended purpose. It has to cover a wide spectrum of issues, since the work environment is influenced by various factors, and also to take advantage of a performance among workers of the magnitude of such a questionnaire. Properly explain to the workers to whom the work climate questionnaire or survey is going to be applied, what is the reason the company is pursuing, which is to establish from there the improvements or corrections that are necessary,and that the collaboration of the staff is requested. You must make clear that with the questionnaire or survey, which must be anonymous, there will be no negative effect on workers in general or on any of them in particular. Explain that the survey or questionnaire is one more part of an analysis process internal and critical that the company makes of itself, with the aim of establishing and implementing improvement processes. This is nothing more than joining a stream of multitudes of companies that are doing the same in search of improving their competitive conditions in an increasingly broad and globalized market. Motivate staff sufficiently to collaborate by filling out the questionnaire or survey with the maximum possible objectivity and in the most complete way they can.Treat the data collected in the questionnaires or surveys appropriately, in order to make the most of the data they may contain. Analyze, at the management level, first and then with the middle managers, the data derived from the questionnaires. Avoid negative reactions, between managers and middle managers, towards the results obtained and towards the staff in charge of the questionnaires. Normally, positive and negative consequences will be deduced from the questionnaires towards the company, in general, and towards managers or managers in particular., as well as towards jobs and their conditions. The direction and the controls have to be placed in a mental position - although sometimes it is not easy to do it - of objectivity and coldness before the analysis.The opposite would distort the positive effects to be achieved with this instrument and would destroy the work carried out. Extract the weak and strong points in the company's working environment, observed or deduced from the applied questionnaires, to make the detailed analysis of each one of they. The weak points require solutions, the strong to strengthen them.Finally, keep a good record of the entire process, keeping computerized and, where appropriate, on paper, all the material used or produced in the process as an experience to consider in another future occasion in which this matter is addressed.Weaknesses require solutions, strong ones to strengthen them.Finally, keep a good record of the entire process, keeping computerized and, where appropriate, on paper, all the material used or produced in the process as an experience to consider in another future occasion in which this matter is addressed.Weaknesses require solutions, strong ones to strengthen them.Finally, keep a good record of the entire process, keeping computerized and, where appropriate, on paper, all the material used or produced in the process as an experience to consider in another future occasion in which this matter is addressed.
From all the steps that we have briefly listed, there are many opportunities for comment and explanation. But to consider them all would be, at the moment, too verbose. We are going to focus only on some of them.
Attitude of the directors or managers
In order to successfully carry out the measurement of the work environment in the company, a positive, critical and open attitude on the part of its management is required. And it is absolutely contrary to this positive attitude that is usually derived from those managers, directors, executives and middle managers who have or act with a mentality, according to the various existing typologies, of the conviction of knowing everything, of sufficiency or self-sufficiency, of contempt for new ways of running companies or businesses, or simply ignorance of these or downplaying the human factor in their labor organizations.
The same happens with those others who consider that the worker, the employee should never be asked anything. They just have to work and follow instructions and orders. The rest is a matter of the company or simply does not matter.
Those others who are completely disinterested in the work environment that surrounds the workers of the company would be in the same line. We refer to this broad environment formed by the material environment of workstations and their design, environmental conditions, ergonomics, interpersonal and hierarchical relationships, workers' motivations and many other related aspects.
All these attitudes, which are not at odds with obtaining good economic and production results, or with the proper management of the company's human and material resources, are very badly combined with the proper awareness of a work climate analysis plan.. Simply, for this type of managers, there is no such work environment. It is somewhat ethereal and unimportant in their command schemes.
Only, with the personal detachment of their own criteria and opinions, it is possible to confront with sufficient credibility and motivation study processes and measurement of the work environment, obtaining from these the advantages and information that they want to obtain.
Company staff attitudes
Company personnel are the main and fundamental protagonist in a process of measuring the work environment in your company. You have to collaborate and act cleanly, responding with personal, mental and mental independence to the questionnaires or surveys that are presented to you.
It often happens that there are disturbing elements of that degree of objectivity that is required. There are many reasons for this to be the case. We can cite as an example:
- Workers confronted with the management, with their managers or with the company itself, either openly or internally. instructions from these workers with temporary labor contracts, of short duration and who consider or know that they will not continue in the company workers who have been sanctioned or expedited in the past and who are resentful of their bosses workers who are or are They consider that they are exploited by the company, that they perform many hours of work without reflection on their payrolls. Certain workers who do, many times, for no other reason than their own mental and psychological constitution,a work of erosion and deterioration of relations between co-workers or between them and their managers. Workers who live or consider that they live in a bad work environment in their environment of colleagues and managers.
All these situations and many others that could be listed make it difficult to carry out work climate measurement processes. But they do not make it impossible. It is necessary to count on the existence of this type of situation, which is often precisely what you want to discover in a survey or questionnaire on the work environment. These situations are part of the company's own work environment, they are a constituent part of it.
For these and other reasons, prior preparation of the staff is required, as a whole, to clarify what is intended to be done, why and why. And certain measures must be taken in the correction and evaluation of the results obtained with the questionnaires or surveys, to reduce the weight of the possible factors of negative disturbance in its performance that may exist.
When there is a union representation in the company, it is convenient to propose, in advance, the process that is intended to be carried out to its representatives or delegates. The reasons that the company has to carry it out and what it intends with it must be explained well to them. In general, the support and understanding of company union leaders or representatives can thus be obtained, which can help with staff collaboration.
Choosing the right time to pose the questionnaire or survey
Clearly, a questionnaire or survey cannot be asked of workers at any time. There are days, dates and times that make it impossible to carry out a process to measure the work environment. We can list some:
- Monday first thing in the morning. Friday afternoon or late morning. On bridging days when working. When a collective agreement is being discussed. In times of labor problems. On days of working conditions. hard: very hot, very cold, very intense work, pressure from increases in the manufacture or provision of services. In months of vacation from staff, such as July or August. When there is nervousness or concern in the staff or part of it for any reason. Payroll payment day. On days of dismissal of staff or termination of contracts. On dates close to changes of address, managers or middle managers. When there are, really or in rumors, economic or financial problems in the company.
These and others could constitute the negative cast for carrying out work climate measurement processes. They are moments or situations that normally advise against it. Although on some occasions, there is no other alternative than to do it with one of those conditions.
Logically, those days, months or temporary moments in which none of the situations listed occur would be the ideal ones to carry out with more probability of success in obtaining objective information.
Do not consider isolated or one-person results
The processes for measuring a company's work environment are and must be global. That is, it is about obtaining a measure of the work environment in the company, throughout the company.
Although it is interesting, in large companies that have a broad organization in sections, departments and personnel, to know data from that measurement, divided or segmented, the fundamental thing is the global measurement.
Consequently, the one-person data for each of the company's workers who have answered or collaborated in completing questionnaires or surveys are not highlighted. This means that the management of the company cannot keep the information obtained from one or more isolated workers, who constitute a minimum part of the workforce, in order to form an opinion. Opinion as an integral element of the conclusions of a process to measure the working environment must be global. Therefore, it cannot be subjectively influenced or stained by the data obtained from one or more isolated workers.
Another different thing would be that the management, as a collateral and second-order matter, regardless of the level of work environment obtained, wishes to delve into certain responses of one or more workers with the intention of improving or correcting certain negative aspects that have become apparent..
Address the changes necessary to eliminate weak points
After a study of the work environment in a company, the strengths and weaknesses of the organization will be revealed. The company should be determined and committed to analyze the weak points and look for the causes that originate them. And, to the extent of its possibilities, it should initiate processes of improvement or rectification of those detected weakness aspects, for which the management has become convinced that it must and can improve or correct them.
To make the effort to propose, with due breadth and seriousness, a process of evaluating the working environment and, once all the information has been obtained, doing nothing and keeping it in a drawer in the table, would be, at least, a waste.
Complete but simple and easy to fill out questionnaires
The questionnaires to use, if you want to do a good job that is productive, cannot be settled with four questions placed at random. The questions must be thought through and objectified, seeking to know relevant data on the different variables that make up the work environment. And this constitutes a network of issues that intermingle and form that working environment.
As this is so and there are many variables that intervene in the formation of that abstract that is the work environment, quite a few questions are needed. Good questionnaires or work climate surveys range from 80 to 120, more or less. And the main variables they measure are around 10. But, they could try to measure themselves more, but it happens that the length of the questionnaire has a reasonable limit. Fatigue, tiredness and boredom can be expected among workers who have to answer long questionnaires, beyond 100 questions.
In our professional life, especially as Consultants in the field of Quality Management Systems, we frequently see questionnaires of 5, 10 or 15 questions to ask the staff. Normally they are used only to know a specific fact or, simply, to cover the file in an ISO 9000.
Consequently, a good questionnaire will be the one that manages to combine:
- Cover several of the basic factors involved in the formation of the working environment in the company or organization. Have a number of questions sufficiently large to achieve sufficient knowledge of what is intended to be measured. The questions must be simple, as short as possible and very clear in their approach. It is preferable that they be closed and not open answers. It is better, easier and more comfortable, to answer by putting an “x” in some valued boxes or to circle a letter than to have to write one or more sentences. Questions must make it clear what it means to mark one or more columns, letters or situations. This is more important in those questionnaires that graduate, by means of punctuation, the answer to be given by the one who completes them. It must be anonymous,although some boxes can be left for information of the type or similar to that of section or department, category in the company and age range or stratum, or similar. It must be well studied how they are corrected and how the responses are valued. This requires the existence of previously established criteria for the assessment. The criteria must also be established to objectify levels of work climate based on the scores or information obtained in the questionnaires or surveys.the criteria to objectify levels of work climate based on the scores or information obtained in the questionnaires or surveys.the criteria to objectify levels of work climate based on the scores or information obtained in the questionnaires or surveys.
Once a questionnaire or survey has been constructed, it must be experienced. For this reason, questionnaires that have had a shoot, that have passed testing and correction or improvement processes, are generally better. Sometimes it is seen that initially included questions do not work, do not provide the expected information, or are misleading. And, in these cases, it is convenient to change them.
Finally, it remains to add that good questionnaires are those that, after a series of applications, are subjected to tests of a statistical nature to evaluate some key aspects, such as reliability and correlation between elements. Tests such as:
- Correlation analysis Factor analysis Reliability analysis
These and others require specific techniques, of a statistical nature, in which the responses obtained in their application are subjected to comparative analyzes with those obtained through other known questionnaires and statistical treatments that require the use of specific computer applications for this purpose.
Avoid justifications and false reasons
Lastly, we must indicate that it is human to always seek quick and easy justifications or explanations for the conclusions of a work climate report. The natural tendency of managers and managers of the organizational chain is to reveal statements that, intentionally or unintentionally, frequently distort those, when they feel or think that it may be personally damaging.
For this reason, the conclusions of a study of work environment must be carefully studied by the company's management bodies. And always better with external advice from consultants who are specialists in these topics and who are knowledgeable about the business world. This study can be expanded later, with meetings or working groups, in which other middle managers who can also give their opinion participate.
But it must always be clear that those who feel alluded to or pointed out after a survey of the workplace climate, may react negatively and give explanations or justifications that are far from reality or are smoke screens on the results obtained.
Management has to remove the blindfold from their eyes and look at the reality that emerges from the conclusions with critical eyes, either to collect flowers or to gather thistles. And all this, in an order, without removing things from their place and importance, but giving each thing the relief it has and deserves.
Contributed by: El Rincón del Gerente.
