Although I've taken the pulse survey every year in the past, this time around I refused. Not because I had nothing to say- believe me, I had plenty to say. But the last survey I took was NOT anonymous. My "People Leader" said things to me that revealed they knew what I wrote about them (all true, no embellishment) and I was retaliated against.
Many of my co-workers confided in me that they were pressured into taking the survey and told the company what they thought they wanted to hear- Not what they really felt out of fear of retaliation against them. So of course this skewed the results.
If I'm asked what I think I'll tell you- but if the company only wants me to parrot what they want to hear- then count me out. Truth matters. Integrity first (remember that one).
Next time around REFUSE to take the survey. If no one responds- the message will be loud and clear.
6 replies (most recent on top)
We had a visit in our store this week from the regional team out in California and our store manager was afraid of what we would say to the visitors. The score for well being was so low that our DVP was complaining and asking what we had feel so bad about. How about every time there is some kinda task the company sets for red badges we are expected to get it done a day or a week when anyone who works in any other district has a week or a month to get these things done. Store Manager was upset with the scores but so many people put down that they had low well being that they couldn't do anything to target us. Everyone should take the survey and really say how they feel.
I think it show names for us executives. I guarantee you it does not for hourly colleagues. As the other person states, If you are a known constant complainer or if you word things how you have mentioned months and months ago to your manager, when we do see the generic comments list, we immediately know who said what or we can narrow it down to a few who have those same complaints. Our complaints were 99 percent about well being and covid issues. Generic incomplete sentences or poor grammar. All except one. It was extremely well written and I knew my colleague wrote it. Because he’s had conversations with me and he worded it the exact same way he said it. And it was nothing bad, he was speaking his truth about how he felt the company handled customers not being required to wear masks. So sometimes, it really is not that difficult for a people leader to figure out who from their team wrote something. I’ve seen the comments sheets and it’s just pages of comments in no order. 6 plus years ago I had an awesome HR Manager and she showed me the comment sheets. We had pages and pages of comments. No order, no departments. Back in that time we were allowed to write comments after each category. This version is shorter and too the point with that one section to comment at the end. I’ve see. This years comments and it’s not even a full two pages. No names. Just comments.
Red badge here. The same exact scenario happened to me also! My ST manager came to me and asked questions that I dinged on the survey. I refused to do it the next year. Your name may not show up on the survey, but it’s by job title, so it’s easy for the ST manager to figure out who said what. And also shows by name who did not participate in the survey.
Look it is in fact anonymous. If someone takes an issue with something or your 'hear' something that you typed there is a actually a very simple reason for it.
Everyone complains about something and more often than not the same thing over and over. The way someone speaks is usually the way they type/write.
For example an associate complains about topic X-X almost everyday, or perhaps about another topic. Tells everyone who listens. When he/she is complaining there are using certain words and lingo to describe the issues. This goes on most of the year. Or at the very least one big blow up perhaps even to a manager or lead.
Survey comes around and that person types out 3 paragraph's on it. It prints out on the survey anonymously. Except your name is all over it in the way it was typed. The language, issues, it goes on and on without any solation to the problem that is even close to realistic. If you read the responses out loud everyone would know exactly who the person is. That's how someone (whoever) knows it was you who typed it.
Yeah, if you were retaliated against, that person is no longer there. HR simply won't tolerate it. These surveys are their most beautiful babies.
Tell the truth...we had a store manager who was nuts and they got rid of her after the survey.