{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-articles-index-jsx","path":"/articles/anonymity-employee-feedback/","result":{"data":{"props":{"adsense":true,"adsenseMobile":null,"byLine":"","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/anonymity-employee-feedback/","content":"\n

\r\n\n

In theory, employee surveys are extremely useful in getting feedback from employees, but there is one small concern with rather large implications. It's anonymity – or lack thereof. Let's set the stage.

\r\n

A 2015 Gallup poll evidences a higher level of employee engagement when there's an open line of communication between employees and managers. More specifically, managers who are open and more approachable allow employees to feel more secure and comfortable asking questions or providing feedback. Of course, the more approachable manager will get more honest feedback, but even the most approachable managers lose out on the really valuable feedback.

\r\n

Data from the Cornell National Social Survey shows that, of 439 full-time respondents who weren't self-employed, 42% said they withhold information when they had nothing to gain or something to lose. Furthermore, a quarter of the respondents said they withhold feedback – the kind that helps a business identify \"routine problems\" and areas of improvement – for fear of consequence. How, in the face of these alarming statistics, are you supposed to get honest feedback from your employees?

\r\n

Pros of anonymous surveys

\r\n

Regardless of the type of business you own, your employees can provide insights that may be beneficial for managers as well as other employees. Employee surveys are an excellent way to gather this knowledge, including ideas for company improvements, employee safety or ways to increase profits. Anonymous employee surveys are a great way for employees to speak their minds without fear of rejection or negative consequences.

\r\n

These are some pros of anonymous employee feedback surveys.

\r\n

1. Even the silent have a voice.

\r\n

Every company has employees who readily voice their opinions as well as those who stand on the sidelines and don't express their concerns openly. Anonymous employee surveys allow those who typically don't speak their minds to address their concerns without fear of retaliation. Anonymous surveys work especially well for topics that are extra personal or potentially controversial, allowing people to provide open and honest responses.

\r\n

2. Employees will focus on the question, not the response.

\r\n

When questions are asked face to face, many people focus on the content of the question and give the response they think the interviewer wants to hear. Answering questions anonymously allows employees to provide honest responses, oftentimes without an opportunity to contemplate the answer. They simply provide the first thing that comes to mind, which is usually their honest opinion. So, the person answering focuses on the question and their personal response rather than the way they feel the interviewer thinks they should respond.

\r\n

3. It prevents the fear of \"stupid\" questions.

\r\n

It is common for people to be afraid to ask questions that they fear may be considered stupid. Anonymous surveys provide a way for the person to speak up and ask the questions they feel are personal or possiby irrrelevant. People taking anonymous surveys have the opportunity to ask the questions they may otherwise be embarrassed to ask. These \"irrelevant\" or \"stupid\" questions may ultimately help your company see the gaps in its understanding of the projects or missions and challenge management to think outside of the box.

\r\n

Anonymity drawbacks

\r\n

No employee wants their own problems, or their problems with other employees, to be aired out in public. Keeping employee surveys anonymous will let employees voice all of their concerns honestly, allowing your business to resolve issues and become more cohesive.

\r\n

There are a few reasonable concerns, though, that are worth keeping in mind as you move toward this anonymous approach. Chris Cancialosi, organizational psychologist and entrepreneur, lists a few areas of concern in anonymous employee surveys:

\r\n
    \n
  1. \nSkewed results: An inflated amount of anger and dissatisfaction from a small group of employees
    2. \r\n
  2. \nMisinterpreted feedback: Misinterpreting data for lack of context
    3. \r\n
  3. \nLack of follow-up: No way to approach good or bad feedback to dig deeper for a solution
    4. \r\n
\n

You should consider these three issues with any data you receive and analyze when conducting anonymous employee surveys. To account for some of these issues, however, anonymous surveys are a great example as to which questions you should ask, and how, in order to set some context while still keeping things anonymous. For example, questions about tenure, position, department, age, gender and other identifying characteristics will go a long way in helping you build on the feedback you receive. Your survey should have various types of questions that allow your employees to answer freely without feeling trapped into predetermined or steered answers.

\r\n

Solutions to get feedback from your employees

\r\n

In the digital age, it's never been easier to conduct and analyze anonymous employee surveys. Companies like Officevibe are setting the standard in digital (and anonymous) employee surveys that are a win-win for companies and their employees. Such applications provide customized questions and frequent feedback from remarkably easy-to-use surveys that can be delivered and accessed by email. These anonymous employee surveys can even be integrated into popular cloud collaboration platforms like Slack and Microsoft Office 365. With all of these benefits, there's really no reason to put off implementing your own anonymous employee survey.

\r\n

What kind of company culture advocate would I be without touching on how anonymous employee surveys benefit culture? When going this route, make sure your employees know that the survey is prepared with love. It's all about positivity and growth, and if your efforts are perceived as constructive, the result will be the same for your business and its culture.

\n","docType":"article","guid":"articles_0b119e188a390c9ea9fd0254b93d8a7d","lastModified":"2020-05-07T16:47:00.000Z","published":"2017-03-06T08:00:00.000Z","structuredData":null,"subtitle":"Here's how to get honest feedback from your employees.","template":"v1","title":"The Power of Anonymity for Employee Feedback","type":"article","author":{"avatar":null,"bio":"The purpose of our community is to connect small business owners with experienced industry experts who can address their questions, offer direction, and share best practices.","name":"business.com editorial staff","image":null,"slug":null,"social":{"facebook":"","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-com-/","twitter":"https://twitter.com/businessdotcom","website":"https://www.business.com/"},"status":"enabled","title":null,"type":"Old BDC Member","user":{"imagePath":"https://staging.business.com/images/uploads/user/profile/b14a2c1fa0158a2f46854597139a2067ee8ef.jpg","profile":{"company":"","jobTitle":"","website":"https://www.business.com/"}}},"breadcrumbs":null,"channels":{"primary":{"name":"Human Resources","slug":"human-resources"},"sub":{"name":"Employees","slug":"employees"}},"meta":{"robots":"index, follow","description":"Here's how anonymous surveys help you get better feedback from your employees.","title":"The Power of Anonymity for Employee Feedback - business.com"},"parsedContent":{"toc":[{"id":"pros-of-anonymous-surveys","title":"Pros of anonymous surveys"},{"id":"anonymity-drawbacks","title":"Anonymity drawbacks"},{"id":"solutions-to-get-feedback-from-your-employees","title":"Solutions to get feedback from your employees"}],"json":[{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"picture","props":{"className":"aligncenter med"},"children":[{"component":"source","props":{"srcSet":"/images/content/58a/c47893287b10c486432e0/742_-330- 742w, /images/content/58a/c47893287b10c486432e0/412_-183- 412w, /images/content/58a/c47893287b10c486432e0/206_-91- 206w","sizes":"(min-width: 870px) 412px, (min-width: 400px) 38vw, 62%"}}]}]},{"component":"ul","children":[{"component":"li","children":["If you struggle to get honest responses to questions during interviews or open employee meetings, anonymous surveys may be the solution to gather truthful, detailed information from employees."]},{"component":"li","children":["Anonymous employee surveys have many benefits, such as the ability to provide honest opinions and personal thoughts, and may encourage management to change their thoughts about certain projects and company topics."]},{"component":"li","children":["There are pros and cons to almost everything, including anonymous surveys. For instance, anonymity may skew the results through inflated anger and misinterpret feedback."]}]},{"component":"p","children":["In theory, employee surveys are extremely useful in getting feedback from employees, but there is one small concern with rather large implications. It's anonymity – or lack thereof. Let's set the stage."]},{"component":"p","children":["A ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236570/employees-lot-managers.aspx","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["2015 Gallup poll"]}," evidences a higher level of employee engagement when there's an open line of communication between employees and managers. More specifically, managers who are open and more approachable allow employees to feel more secure and comfortable asking questions or providing feedback. Of course, the more approachable manager will get more honest feedback, but even the most approachable managers lose out on the really valuable feedback."]},{"component":"p","children":["Data from the ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.sri.cornell.edu/sri/polls/cnss.cfm","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["Cornell National Social Survey"]}," shows that, of 439 full-time respondents who weren't self-employed, 42% said they withhold information when they had nothing to gain or something to lose. Furthermore, a quarter of the respondents said they withhold feedback – the kind that helps a business identify \"routine problems\" and areas of improvement – for fear of consequence. How, in the face of these alarming statistics, are you supposed to get honest feedback from your employees?"]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"pros-of-anonymous-surveys"},"children":["Pros of anonymous surveys"]},{"component":"p","children":["Regardless of the type of business you own, your employees can provide insights that may be beneficial for managers as well as other employees. Employee surveys are an excellent way to gather this knowledge, including ideas for company improvements, employee safety or ways to increase profits. ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://gethppy.com/employee-engagement/why-anonymous-employee-feedback-is-the-better-alternative","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["Anonymous employee surveys"]}," are a great way for employees to speak their minds without fear of rejection or negative consequences."]},{"component":"p","children":["These are some pros of anonymous employee feedback surveys."]},{"component":"h3","children":["1. Even the silent have a voice."]},{"component":"p","children":["Every company has employees who readily voice their opinions as well as those who stand on the sidelines and don't express their concerns openly. Anonymous employee surveys allow those who typically don't speak their minds to address their concerns without fear of retaliation. Anonymous surveys work especially well for topics that are extra personal or potentially controversial, allowing people to provide open and honest responses."]},{"component":"h3","children":["2. Employees will focus on the question, not the response."]},{"component":"p","children":["When questions are asked face to face, many people focus on the content of the question and give the response they think the interviewer wants to hear. Answering questions anonymously allows employees to provide honest responses, oftentimes without an opportunity to contemplate the answer. They simply provide the first thing that comes to mind, which is usually their honest opinion. So, the person answering focuses on the question and their personal response rather than the way they feel the interviewer thinks they should respond."]},{"component":"h3","children":["3. It prevents the fear of \"stupid\" questions."]},{"component":"p","children":["It is common for people to be afraid to ask questions that they fear may be considered stupid. Anonymous surveys provide a way for the person to speak up and ask the questions they feel are personal or possiby irrrelevant. People taking anonymous surveys have the opportunity to ask the questions they may otherwise be embarrassed to ask. These \"irrelevant\" or \"stupid\" questions may ultimately help your company see the gaps in its understanding of the projects or missions and challenge management to think outside of the box."]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"anonymity-drawbacks"},"children":["Anonymity drawbacks"]},{"component":"p","children":["No employee wants their own problems, or their problems with other employees, to be aired out in public. Keeping employee surveys anonymous will let employees voice all of their concerns honestly, allowing your business to resolve issues and become more cohesive."]},{"component":"p","children":["There are a few reasonable concerns, though, that are worth keeping in mind as you move toward this anonymous approach. ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://gothamculture.com/about/our-team/chris-cancialosi/","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["Chris Cancialosi"]},", organizational psychologist and entrepreneur, lists a few areas of concern in anonymous employee surveys:"]},{"component":"ol","children":[{"component":"li","children":[{"component":"strong","children":["Skewed results:"]}," An inflated amount of anger and dissatisfaction from a small group of employees"]},{"component":"li","children":[{"component":"strong","children":["Misinterpreted feedback:"]}," Misinterpreting data for lack of context"]},{"component":"li","children":[{"component":"strong","children":["Lack of follow-up:"]}," No way to approach good or bad feedback to dig deeper for a solution"]}]},{"component":"p","children":["You should consider these three issues with any data you receive and analyze when conducting anonymous employee surveys. To account for some of these issues, however, anonymous surveys are a great example as to which questions you should ask, and how, in order to set some context while still keeping things anonymous. For example, questions about tenure, position, department, age, gender and other identifying characteristics will go a long way in helping you build on the feedback you receive. Your survey should have various types of questions that allow your employees to answer freely without feeling trapped into predetermined or steered answers."]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"solutions-to-get-feedback-from-your-employees"},"children":["Solutions to get feedback from your employees"]},{"component":"p","children":["In the digital age, it's never been easier to conduct and analyze anonymous employee surveys. Companies like ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://officevibe.com/employee-engagement-solution/surveys","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["Officevibe"]}," are setting the standard in digital (and anonymous) employee surveys that are a win-win for companies and their employees. Such applications provide customized questions and frequent feedback from remarkably easy-to-use surveys that can be delivered and accessed by email. These anonymous employee surveys can even be integrated into popular cloud collaboration platforms like Slack and Microsoft Office 365. With all of these benefits, there's really no reason to put off implementing your own anonymous employee survey."]},{"component":"p","children":["What kind of company culture advocate would I be without touching on how anonymous employee surveys benefit culture? When going this route, make sure your employees know that the survey is prepared with love. It's all about positivity and growth, and if your efforts are perceived as constructive, the result will be the same for your business and its culture."]}]},"resource":null,"sponsorship":{"sponsorType":"no-sponsor","name":null,"thumbnail":null,"bio":null,"slug":null,"status":null,"social":{"website":null,"linkedin":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null}},"thumbnail":{"path":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/5eb/18b7f7b4374b0288b4586/1500-0-","caption":"Prostock_Studio / Getty Images","isBlurred":false},"bestPicks":null},"related":{"relatedArticles":[{"title":"The Power of Anonymity for Employee Feedback","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/anonymity-employee-feedback/","slug":"anonymity-employee-feedback","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5eb/18b7f7b4374b0288b4586/1500-0-","dek":"Here's how to get honest feedback from your employees.","lastModified":"2020-05-07T16:47:00Z","published":"2017-03-06T08:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"You Can’t Fix Culture by Cleaning House","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/how-to-improve-company-culture/","slug":"how-to-improve-company-culture","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5d0/d4a8a7b4374b9318b4587/1500-0-","dek":"Here's how leaders can improve company culture during organizational upheaval.","lastModified":"2019-06-24T17:00:00Z","published":"2019-06-24T17:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Creating a Successful Company Culture: YouEarnedIt CEO Shares Advice","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/successful-company-culture/","slug":"successful-company-culture","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5bf/4756c7b43749e0e8b456d/1500-0-","dek":"Your company culture plays a huge role in the success of your business.","lastModified":"2018-11-21T13:11:00Z","published":"2018-11-21T13:11:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"How to Run Your Business as a Marathon","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/michael-georgiou-business-as-a-marathon/","slug":"michael-georgiou-business-as-a-marathon","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/589/1f5753187b154074ffbe7/1500-0-","dek":"As an entrepreneur, you have to be prepared for a marathon, not a sprint.","lastModified":"2017-02-22T23:51:11Z","published":"2017-02-07T17:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"How to Choose the Best Microsoft Document Management System","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/microsoft-document-management-system/","slug":"microsoft-document-management-system","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5e1/8af637b4374c80e8b4572/1500-0-","dek":"Learn about Microsoft document management software and how to choose the best application for your business.","lastModified":"2020-01-13T14:00:00Z","published":"2020-01-13T14:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"From Equipment Leasing to Hiring: How to Better Manage Your Construction Business","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/construction-firm-management-guide/","slug":"construction-firm-management-guide","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/591/4c4841039eb07788b4567/1500-0-","dek":"Construction is a tricky but rewarding type of business to manage.","lastModified":"2017-06-21T07:00:00Z","published":"2017-06-21T07:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Should You Let Employees Choose Their Own Job Titles?","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/job-titles-to-attract-job-seekers/","slug":"job-titles-to-attract-job-seekers","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5e1/e08269c658a512e8b456c/1500-0-","dek":"Create relevant job titles for roles in your business, attract and retain top talent, and foster a positive company culture.","lastModified":"2020-01-15T14:00:00Z","published":"2020-01-15T14:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Preparing Your Business for Remote Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/preparing-smb-for-remote-work/","slug":"preparing-smb-for-remote-work","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5e6/fe8019c658a3a258b456e/1500-0-","dek":"As more businesses switch to remote work, these low-cost apps help you manage projects, communicate with customers and collaborate with co-workers.","lastModified":"2020-03-16T20:15:00Z","published":"2020-03-16T20:15:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"The Smart Way to Consider a Candidate’s Social Media","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/social-media-screening-candidates/","slug":"social-media-screening-candidates","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5e1/dc55e9c658a79508b456a/1500-0-","dek":"A well-rounded background check includes social media vetting to help small businesses build stronger cultures and protect their brands.","lastModified":"2020-01-15T16:00:00Z","published":"2020-01-15T16:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Your Open Office Didn't Work? 5 Better Ways to Boost Collaboration","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/5-ways-to-boost-collaboration-better-than-open-office/","slug":"5-ways-to-boost-collaboration-better-than-open-office","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5e8/7ab9c7b4374485e8b4571/1500-0-","dek":"Open offices haven't necessarily improved communication and collaboration. True collaboration depends less on what your office looks like than on how it operates.","lastModified":"2020-04-03T21:38:00Z","published":"2020-04-03T21:38:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"How an Effective Remote Work Culture Can Relieve the Loneliness Epidemic","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/how-effective-work-culture-can-relieve-loneliness/","slug":"how-effective-work-culture-can-relieve-loneliness","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5a3/aa49e51ee47b0498b456d/1500-0-","dek":"Build a positive, nurturing culture for your remote employees.","lastModified":"2017-12-20T08:00:00Z","published":"2017-12-20T08:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"How to Build a Culture That Will Help Your Small Business Grow","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/modern-workplace-culture-smb-growth/","slug":"modern-workplace-culture-smb-growth","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5dd/6fdcf9c658a69628b4579/1500-0-","dek":"Here are four ways to build a culture that helps your small business grow.","lastModified":"2019-11-22T18:00:00Z","published":"2019-11-22T18:00:00Z","sponsored":false}],"relatedReviews":[{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5e00ccda9c658a423d8b4569/HR_People_fizkes_Getty.jpg","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/best-peo-services/","title":"The Best PEO Service Providers of 2021","dek":"Professional employer organization services can simplify your human resource responsibilities. Learn about the best PEOs available for your small business.","slug":"best-peo-services","lastModified":"2021-03-23T19:45:00Z"},{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5d85356c7b43745d448b458d/hroutsourcing_fizkes.jpg","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/best-hr-outsourcing-services/","title":"The Best HR Outsourcing Services of 2021","dek":"Human resource outsourcing services can simplify your human resource responsibilities. Learn about the best HROs available for your small business.","slug":"best-hr-outsourcing-services","lastModified":"2021-03-11T17:15:00Z"},{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5e14b61c9c658a7e408b4573/schedule_AndreyPopov_getty.jpg","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/employee-scheduling-software/","title":"The Best Employee Scheduling Software of 2021","dek":"Looking for the best employee scheduling software? We've reviewed the best and cheapest programs.","slug":"employee-scheduling-software","lastModified":"2021-03-05T15:55:00Z"}],"relatedSponsoredArticles":null}},"pageContext":{"displayModified":"2020-05-07T16:47:00.000Z","template":"v1","title":"The Power of Anonymity for Employee Feedback","meta":{"robots":"index, follow"},"docType":"articles","slug":"anonymity-employee-feedback","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/anonymity-employee-feedback/","skipTOC":false}},"staticQueryHashes":[]}