Are staff surveys actually a valid measure of staff opinion?

The survey companies will come up with all sorts of mumbo-jumbo to suggest that they are, but I am less than convinced.  Manchester has run them for some years but I know of staff there who do not complete them becasue they do not believe that the surveys are anonymous and that their trenchant views will be traced back to them.  This may be a small minority, but scaling up of any survey result is very dangerous.  This preoccupation strikes me as one of people looking for pieces of paper to cover their backsides rather than any real interest in how dysfunctional the university might have become!

Dear Colleagues

Would it be 'cheeky' to recommend Positive People @ The University of
Bristol....:-)

<http://www.bris.ac.uk/pwe/positivepeople/>

Regards
Christian

--On 19 April 2011 15:02 +0100 Adrian Egglestone
<[log in to unmask]" ymailto="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>
>
> We use a staff climate survey, primarily to measure engagement .  We use
> the Real World Group who are a company formed by Beverley Alimo
> Metcalfe's ( Leeds and Bradford Unis) who built her reputation on UK
> based research on leadership culminating in the Engaging Transformational
> leadership model.  We are using them for a second time and they are 80%
> of the costs of the big boys in the industry.  We hit 42% participation
> in 2008 and this year looks like we will exceed 50%.  Worth talking to.
> Adrian
>
>
>
>
>
> Adrian Egglestone
>
> Staff Training and Development
>
> Human Resources
>
> University of the West of Scotland
>
> Paisley Campus   PA1 2BE
>
>
>
> Telephone 0141 848 3960
>
> Mobile 07770 588941
>
>
>
>
> From: Staff Development Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]" ymailto="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Kay Daines
> Sent: 19 April 2011 11:27
> To: [log in to unmask]" ymailto="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
> Subject: [SDF] Staff Surveys
>
>
>
>  [Image: ""]
>
> Hello Everyone
>
>
>
> I am looking to roll out a staff survey at UCS within the next few months
> and I would be very grateful for any information regarding providers that
> you use for this, any feedback on success of implementation and
> associated costs.
>
>
>
> Thanking you in anticipation.
>
>
>
> Kind regards
>
>
>
> Kay
>
>  [Image: ""]
>
>
> Kay Daines
>
> HR Manager (Corporate Development)
>
> 01473 235455
>  [log in to unmask]" ymailto="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
>
> www.ucs.ac.uk
>
>
> Human Resources Department, University Campus Suffolk, St Edmund House
> Rope Walk, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 1LZ
>
> P
>
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Christian Carter, Organisational Development Manager (Staff Development)
University of Bristol UK
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