You probably think you have a good idea what your employees are thinking and feeling, but you might be missing more than you realize. It is easy for management to lose touch with workers and think everything is fine when it's not. If you really want to know what's going on, you need to ask--and the most accurate and efficient way to do that is with a survey.

Two main issues affect employee attitudes. The first is their peer group: the people they work for and with. The second is the larger area of pay and benefits and how management treats people. An effective survey will address both of these issues.

Generally, employee surveys fall into two categories. One is an issue-specific survey, which asks employees for their opinions on a particular issue or problem. It may be something as serious as insurance coverage or as light-hearted as what to do for the company holiday party. In addition to asking for an opinion, this type of survey is also useful for asking for specific suggestions that will solve the problem.

The other is a general employee attitude survey, which covers a wide range of issues. Consider conducting this type of comprehensive survey on a regular basis, perhaps annually or every two years. The process requires both a time and a financial commitment, which varies depending on the size of your organization. But the results will be worth it.

When surveying employees, certain key points are critical. Keep these suggestions in mind:

Set up your survey so participants can remain anonymous if they choose; people are more likely to be open when there is no fear of retribution if they are critical of the company, certain individuals, or other issues.

Explain why you're conducting the survey and how the results will be used. Without this information, there is no reason to participate.

Once the information is gathered, let participants know what you found out--even if you're not particularly happy about it. When employees take the time to give you their feedback, you should return the courtesy.

Develop a plan to correct problems revealed by surveys and communicate that plan to your employees.

Rarely will a one-time survey be sufficient. People are often suspicious of the first survey effort, but when they see results, their participation will increase. Follow-up surveys are a tool to reinforce management's concern and provide a vehicle to accurately measure employee attitudes as the working environment changes.