One of the topics that has aroused great interest in Gerencia.com is related to the organizational climate and its measurement in the company.
Many readers have requested practical examples and / or survey models to measure this important factor in the performance of an organization.
Although designing, applying and analyzing the results of an organizational climate survey is not a simple project, and must be managed by experts in the field to be valid and useful, we venture in this writing to present a very general and simple model that it can serve as the basis for such an undertaking.
Why do it.
For the proper functioning of a company, everyone agrees that Human Resources are essential. But little contributes a frustrated employee, or who has a grudge against his boss or the company.
A study of organizational or work climate allows knowing the state of the company in terms of organizational aspects, work environment, culture, state of mind, and similar factors that can influence the performance of its personnel. It is imperative for the Human Resources department to determine if its policies and strategies are truly effective.
The study.
The study basically consists of one (or several) survey (s), which are distributed among the employees of the company or department to be consulted.
The survey can be applied in a traditional way (on sheets of paper, to be completed by hand), or online (via web or email). This second way is generally cheaper and more convenient, although according to some researchers it can result in more negative responses.
In whatever form it is applied, one element must remain constant for the success of the study: confidentiality. If the employee is not guaranteed that his answers will be confidential, and that they cannot be associated with his identity - in other words, that his supervisors cannot know his specific answers, but the overall results - we can hardly trust him to express his true opinion, fearing some kind of consequence.
As in any study of this nature, it is reasonable to think that not all those invited to participate will. Even when the importance of the study for the company is manifested, and the possible favorable consequences derived from it, many (sometimes the majority) will not want to collaborate. It is advisable in these cases to offer some type of incentive to promote participation (example: a raffle)
What to measure.
Any study of the organizational climate must consult the members of the organization (or the department, division, etc.) all, or at least most of, the following aspects:
• Objectives: do employees know and understand the objectives of the company, of their department, and how these are interrelated? Mission, vision, strategy, etc.
• Communication: do employees consider that they receive the necessary and useful information from their supervisors and other company departments, to effectively carry out their work?
• Work group: do employees believe that work is done as a team?
• Working conditions: do employees feel that the quality and quantity of work expected of them is fair, and that they have the tools and the environment to do it?
• Career opportunities: Do employees feel that the organization offers opportunities for advancement to those who demonstrate their ability? Include topics like training.
• Supervisory competence: Do employees trust the knowledge and skills of their supervisors?
• Compensation and recognition: How happy are employees with the way they compensate and recognize their work?
The instrument.
The survey must have at least three sections:
1. Introduction and instructions: the reason for the study should be indicated, and what are the objectives pursued by it. The respondent must also be informed how to fill it out and return it (if necessary). This section should also indicate the terms of confidentiality.
2. Participant data: without requesting specific data such as name or identity document, it is necessary to know the basic data of the respondents, such as age, sex and department in which they work. This in order to identify particular opinions of certain groups and to ensure that the participation gives validity to the study. The work environment is not necessarily uniform in all areas and localities of a company.
3. Body of the survey: here the questions designed to measure the climate are developed.
How to ask.
The questions are usually closed, to facilitate filling and speed up the tabulation of the results. Simple selection is often used, with various levels of response.
Examples:
• Indicate if you agree with the following phrases (strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)
• Mark with an x your level of satisfaction (very satisfied, satisfied, not very satisfied, not at all satisfied)
• From 1 to 10, where 10 strongly agree and 1 strongly disagree, rate each of the following sentences.
It is advisable, to avoid responses due to exhaustion, insert questions in which the response scale works in reverse. In other words, not all “strongly agree” answers should be positive for the climate; Insert some posed negatively, so that answering “strongly agree” is negative for the climate.
It should be noted that although the type of questions described are the most common, they are not the only way to measure the organizational climate. It is also feasible (although more cumbersome) to use open questions such as “What do you think of your remuneration?”, As well as personal interviews or focus groups.
When to do it.
There is no right time to conduct an organizational climate study - any time can be a good time. It is recommended however:
• Repeat it regularly, at the same time or month of the year: this allows us to see the evolution of the climate from year to year. Doing it at the same time ensures that the results from different years are comparable to each other.
• Avoid performing them at times that interfere with other circumstances that may alter the result: such as performance evaluation, salary increase, etc.
• Avoid doing it after crisis or problematic events: such as restructurings, mergers, etc. The idea is to measure the problems and discontent of the day to day, and not wait for special situations to do it.
Possible questions.
General.
1. Do you consider the organization a good place to work?
2. Would you recommend a family member or friend to work for the organization?
3. Compared to last year, has your job quality improved
Goals.
• I know and understand the vision and mission of the organization.
• I know the performance goals of my group or department.
• I understand how the work I do is related to the objectives of the Organization.
• I am satisfied and committed to the strategic guidelines of my organization.
Communication.
• I receive and / or have timely access to information about what affects me.
• My immediate supervisor keeps me well informed.
• The medium (magazine, newsletter, billboard) is a good source of information.
• I know where to go when I have a work-related problem.
• Employees in my department are easy to contact.
• Employees from other departments are easy to contact.
• I am generally encouraged to share my knowledge / experiences with others.
Workgroup.
• My team meetings are helpful in getting my work done.
• I can count on my co-workers when I need them.
• On my team, I participate in decision-making.
• In my team, we work together to solve the organization's problems.
• On my team, the remaining members appreciate my contributions.
• In my team, I can express my point of view, even when it contradicts that of other members.
Working conditions and resources.
• I have all the tools, equipment and material necessary to carry out my work.
• The tools and equipment I use (computer, telephone, etc.) are properly maintained.
• I have enough and comfortable space to do my job properly.
• The physical work environment is adequate (cleanliness, smells, noise, lighting, etc.)
• I have been the victim of harassment or abuse (due to sex, race, age, etc.)
• In my department, I have witnessed that a colleague (a) has been the victim of harassment or abuse (by sex, race, age, etc.)
• My work environment is free from hostility.
• I am treated with respect (by my colleagues, supervisors, senior management)
• I have an up-to-date, written description of my position. I have up-to-date
documentation of work processes (procedures).
• I generally have time to reflect and learn from the work I have done.
Career opportunities and professional development.
• I receive adequate training to carry out my work.
• There are sufficient career / professional improvement opportunities in the organization.
• The organization adequately prepares its employees for promotion.
• New hire orientation programs are effective.
• I am aware of the training and development programs available in my organization.
• The training and development programs available in my organization are effective.
• I would like to have more / better opportunities to gain new knowledge and skills.
• My supervisor encourages me to participate in training programs.
Supervisory competence.
• I am confident in the abilities of (my supervisor, department manager, president, etc.) to do their job.
• I clearly know what my supervisor expects of me.
• I receive adequate feedback from my supervisor on the quality of work I do.
• Every (year, semester, quarter) I receive an evaluation of my performance.
• It is easy to access my supervisor when I need him / her.
• My supervisor is fair in dealing with all supervisees.
• My supervisor has an active interest in my work.
• My supervisor knows my strengths.
Compensation and recognition.
• I receive a salary compensation commensurate with my skills and experience.
• I am satisfied with the benefits of the company (insurance, retirement, vacations, etc.)
• I receive my payment on time.
• I receive my payment accurately.
• If I have problems with my payment, they are easy to solve.
• Employees of the organization who have an outstanding performance are recognized.
• My work is evaluated fairly.
• Awards and recognitions are distributed fairly.
• Employees are promoted fairly.
Analysis and interpretation.
Once the surveys are collected, the final step is to tabulate the responses and analyze the results. Fortunately, there are numerous computer tools (spreadsheets, databases, statistical analysis packages) that allow the results to be obtained in the form of easily interpretable tables and graphs in a short time.
The more sophisticated statistical packages allow for more sophisticated calculations, as well as cross-checks of information that allow the problems to be diagnosed with greater precision.
In general, the analysis of the results seeks to identify gaps between the current situation and what it should be. Thus, if to the question "I receive adequate training to carry out my work", 90% of the respondents answered negatively, it is evident that there is a problem to be solved in the area of training.
