Employer & Student Surveys
We have a difficult time getting employers and students to complete and return the surveys that we send. Can anyone give us ideas on ways to improve the response rate for our survey program?
We have a difficult time getting employers and students to complete and return the surveys that we send. Can anyone give us ideas on ways to improve the response rate for our survey program?
Marc,
Thanks. It's true. Getting feedback for surveys is a challenge. In person is a great way since you can talk to employers about how work-ready your grads are. You can talk to grads about how well prepared they are for the world of work and what changes they would like to see. All this keeps you in touch with very important people - your customers. We find that also short phone calls to gather information works some of the time. The caller has to be well trained to clearly ask permission to ask questions and announce that the process will only take a few moments. Then read the same questions. Sometimes emailing works and other times old fashion mail. Sometimes all strategies have to be used. What is so important is getting data, analyzing it, and then having all staff involved in the review and making suggestions for improvement. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
We try to give surveys to both employers and graduates in person when possible. The opportunity does not present itself as often however the information seems to be more valuable. We have onsite career fairs and ask employers to fill out surveys. in addition to online surveys we will ask graduates to fill out surveys before our graduation ceremonies.
Nicole,
Great that you are surveying employers and students. How is the response? We find that if there is no response within a day or so, the survey has gotten deleted or at the bottom of the pile. How is the results from sending envelopes? We wonder whether the results would increase if you sent via email and have the surveys submitting online or through mobile phones. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
A lot of times I will fax our surveys to the employers and if I haven't recieved them within 3 to 4 business days I will follow up with a call. Then for the students I will send the survey through the mail with a prepostaged envelope to make it easier to send back to me. If I haven't recieved the survey from the student within a week or two I will follow up with a call since mailing a survey can take a bit longer.
Dorothy,
Surveys can provide valuable information and if sent regularly you can see many trends. As you point out, the challenge is to get people to fill them out and return them. You have some good strategies. We suggest brief and to the point for the best results. Let people know how long it will take in terms of seconds. Really. Also have your staff phone and ask the questions. Again, the trick is to keep your questions short yet provide valuable information. Quite a challenge. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
I really like the use of surveys and call both grads and employers. Sometime they can't return surveys they are so busy. I like to follow up at differnt times of the day when going in person and have copies with me.
Amy,
Asking about results is essential in our opinion. And you are right that getting the information any way possible is a good idea. That's why it is important to give all employees questionnaires so they can all gather the same information. What is very important is that the data is evaluated and changes made as a result of what the information tells you. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
We do the same thing and can also complete surveys with graduates and employers while they are on the phone with us. We can also send a link to graduates for them to complete the survey. This tends to work well because they all seem to be very tech dependent.
Elizabeth,
Yes, surveys are a challenge to everyone. And you are on track. Call, email, call again, visit, stay in touch. That's a reason to have a commuunity outreach program. Be sure one person on staff calls on employers and potential employers on a regular basis. Then you'll be able to gather a lot of information about how well your grads are doing and learn about the job openings. Your alumni can be a great help here. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
We use a combination of survey and phone calling to gain information about our graduates placement and employer satisfaction. Tracking placement can be very challenging. Graduates are busy adjusting to new careers or due to frustration with not finding a job, we often get no response with either method.
I think the only way to gain valuable information from employers is via phone or in person. This also can lead to future placements and of course more leads.
I love the idea of surveys but am frustrated with the responses electronically. I will appreciate any tips you can provide.
Hope,
Always a challenge, Hope. Sometimes the best way is to hire and train people to place phone calls. You can get a lot of information that way. Another is to look at your survey. If it looks like it will take more than a minute you will lose people. In person and by phone gets a lot of attention. Good luck. Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
