Questionnaire

This includes introduction/instructions, competencies, behavior descriptions, scale, open-ended questions, and questionnaire conclusion.

There are pre-designed surveys, but off-the-shelf questionnaires never quite fit. Customize your questions to what is important and valued in your organization. That will add credibility to your effort.

Decide whether the same questionnaire will be used across the whole organization or if there will be different questionnaires for different departments and different job roles.

Multiple sets of competencies will ensure that participants in different levels or positions receive feedback targeted specifically to their job responsibilities, which will make the results more meaningful.

However, keep in mind that aggregate data is only available for identical questionnaires. Aggregate data from the questionnaires can provide useful information in identifying patterns of strengths and development needs across the participating group. So instead of several questionnaires you may decide to develop one questionnaire based on the most important common competencies and behaviors.

When designing your questionnaire keep your statements short and simple for easy comprehension, and use simple language. Describe one behavior at a time (e.g. avoid combining two or more behaviors, like “Maintains focus and helps others”). Use positive statements throughout your questionnaire (e.g. avoid negatives like “Never completes tasks”). Effective statements start with a verb, e.g. Models…, Demonstrates…, Creates…. Incorporate behaviors that describe not only the observed performance but also desired performance that would support future challenges and strategic goals of your organization. They will help communicate expectations and build your future.

Keep the length of your questionnaire manageable. To avoid responder fatigue your questionnaire shouldn’t have more than 50 quantitative questions and 5-7 open-ended questions. Responders should be able to complete a questionnaire in 20-25 minutes.

Ask for feedback. Before launching your questionnaire share it with your colleagues and ask for their opinion. Do they think that the questionnaire reflects the needs of your organization? Are all behavior descriptions clear enough? Are there any repetitive statements? Listen to their feedback and adjust your questionnaire if necessary.