Question

The HR director of a 6,000-employee hospital is meeting with the hospital's CEO about potentially conducting an employee engagement survey. The hospital has never conducted an engagement survey. The hospital's turnover is low, and it pays competitive wages and benefits. It is nonunion except for about 200 employees in its food service department. There is a sense that a baseline assessment of employee work environment perceptions and the employees' commitment to serving patients is needed.

While there is anecdotal evidence that employees are relatively satisfied with the work environment and committed to serving patients, employees have complained through the organizational hotline about lack of management support in some areas. Since other hospitals in the market have experienced union organizing activity, there is concern about possible unionization. While the CEO is interested in the survey, there is fear that it will raise employee expectations that the organization cannot meet, increasing employee dissatisfaction.
The HR director is planning a follow-up meeting with the administrator and an external consultant. The goal is to share with the CEO best employer practices in conducting engagement surveys, the positive benefits of using surveys to improve morale, and appropriate engagement strategies and practices to support managers in improving performance and productivity.
What risks should the HR director share when recommending an employee engagement survey to the hospital's CEO?

A. Low senior leadership commitment poses significant risks when there is no credible action plan to address identified employee concerns.
B. The survey could raise unmanageable employee expectations that senior leadership neither can nor wants to fully meet in the future.
C. Inherent risks associated with an engagement survey, such as obtaining potential negative repeated feedback, cannot be fully mitigated.
D. Employees can challenge the validity of the survey through either individual or group legal actions.
Submit

Answer 1

The HR director should highlight risks such as heightened employee expectations, low senior leadership commitment, and potential legal challenges when discussing the deployment of an employee engagement survey with the hospital's CEO.

Step-by-step explanation:

The HR director should communicate to the hospital's CEO that while employee engagement surveys are beneficial, there are associated risks which need careful consideration. Firstly, there is a risk that the survey may raise employee expectations that cannot be met, potentially leading to increased dissatisfaction. Additionally, the survey may not result in meaningful change if there is low leadership commitment to address the concerns identified, thereby undermining the survey's credibility. Conducting the survey could also invite scrutiny, as employees may challenge its validity resulting in legal actions. It's crucial that the leadership is prepared to act upon the survey's findings, and there is a transparent action plan in place that demonstrates commitment to the process.