Different Types of Job Satisfaction Surveys

These surveys may be conducted by questionnaire or by interview techniques and can be classified into three categories according to the forms of questions asked. So, here we discuss these three types of job satisfaction surveys:

Table of Contents

Types of job satisfaction surveys

Objective Surveys
Descriptive Surveys
Projective Surveys

Objective Surveys

In an objective-type survey, a questionnaire was prepared with questions and multiple-choice answers. The answers may be either marked tick or “True” and “False” or written numerical value of the answer given in the space provided. The multiple answers are suggested by the management or surveyor.

Advantages and disadvantages of objective surveys

The main advantage of this type of survey is that they are easy to administer and to analyze statistically. Computers may be used to analyze the data.

The chief of this type of survey is that the answers are written by the management. Employees are to select and mark only one out of the several answers given which is nearest to their feelings. It is not a true expression of their feelings.

Descriptive Surveys

Just contrary to objective surveys, employees are given the opportunity to express their opinions in detail about the questions set by the management in descriptive surveys. The questions may pertain to their job or the organization such as What do you think and our pension program of the company?’

The question may be directed or undirected. Directed questions focus the attention on the employee and a specific part of their job and the management asks questions about that part. The undirected question gives employees a full opportunity to express their feelings about their job such as ‘what do you think about your job?

The descriptive survey may be written or oral applying interview techniques. Sometimes it may be a combination of the two techniques written followed by interviews and more questions may be asked during the interview explaining their viewpoint explicitly.

Advantages and disadvantages of descriptive surveys

The main advantage of this type of survey is that management comes across the true feelings of the employees regarding their jobs in a descriptive manner. Necessary repairs may be done wherever required. Gut the main defect in this survey are that it is a time-consuming process.

Generally, hours are taken to interview only one interviewee. Moreover, it is an expensive affair. Interviewers are specially trained for this purpose in order to ensure that the same materials have been covered in a consistent manner with each employee.

Projective Surveys

It is one of the survey techniques for interpreting job satisfaction. These devices are personality probes developed by Psychiatrists and Psychologists for studying mental health. The projective technique presents an abstraction that is incomplete and meaningless.

The employees project the abstraction into completeness by describing what it means for them. This technique projects new and creative thinking away from employees and management may draw results out of such projections.

Ideal Survey Conditions

Surveys are most likely to produce some of the benefits reviewed above when the following conditions are met:

Top management actively supports the survey.
Employees are fully involved in planning the survey.
A clear objective exists for conducting the survey.
The study is designed and administered in a manner consistent with standards for sound research.
Management is capable of taking and willing to take, follow-up action.
Both the results and action plans are communicated to employees.

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