7 Ways to improve your HE survey participation rate

HIgher Education (HE) is a sector that strives towards excellence, both in terms of academics and employee experience. Continual improvement is the name of the game, and the only way to ensure your staff are engaged and your company culture is thriving is by employing a listening strategy and listening to employee feedback. Here at People Insight, we help HEIs do just that through carefully-tailored and thoughtfully delivered employee surveys.

The reality is, however, achieving a high survey participation rate can be a challenge. Even the most confident of institutions can struggle when it comes to encouraging employees to take part.

We are lucky enough to work with 75+ HEIs across the UK and abroad, and as such, we’ve seen some great improvements in survey participation rate. Below are our top tips on how to encourage staff to engage with the survey, along with examples of how our clients have managed significant boosts to their rates.

Related: New data reveals why people love working in higher education

1. Communication always needs to come first

Communication is key to any successful survey initiative. From the moment you decide to conduct a survey, you need to clearly articulate and outline why the survey is being conducted, its importance and how the resulting feedback will be used. Effective communication helps to build trust and shows that the institution values the input of its employees.

We worked closely with one of our clients,the University of Arts London, to achieve a great survey participation rate. A strong focus on quality communication from the outset resulted in a 266% increase in survey participation rate. Similarly, another client achieved an incredible 81% participation rate following a well-crafted communications campaign. Keeping everyone informed about the survey’s purpose and impact encourages participation and engagement — it gives people a reason to care. Regular updates through blogs, vlogs and panels involving the university executive committee are excellent ways to keep communication channels open and active.

2. Get Senior Leadership Teams and the Executive Committee on board

Support from the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and Executive Committee is incredibly important when it comes to increasing survey participation rate. When senior leaders are visibly involved and show their support for the survey, it lends credibility and significance to the initiative.

We have a great case study to illustrate this reality — at St Mary’s University, a collaborative pre-survey workshop with the SLT and Executive Committee was pivotal in explaining the survey’s objectives and expected outcomes. This endorsement from senior leaders seriously boosted the survey’s credibility and led to a remarkable 130% increase in participation rates. When leaders champion a survey, it sends a strong message that the HEI values feedback and is committed to making improvements based on what employees have to say.

3. Use multiple channels to engage employees

Maximising your reach is a great way to boost your survey participation rate, and one way to do that is by using a range of communication channels to reach all potential respondents. Different stakeholders may prefer different forms of communication, so diversifying your approach ensures that the survey reaches as many people as possible.

Durham University, for example, effectively utilised multiple communication platforms, including hub pages, team sites, SharePoint, monthly magazines and digital displays, to promote their survey. Some institutions have even experimented with creative methods such as virtual pop-up messages and in-person survey completion sessions using iPads. By tailoring communication strategies to different stakeholder groups, they were able to engage a broader audience. 

4. Tailor your approach to your HEI

Every HEI is unique, and what works for one might not work for another. That’s why we recommend customising your survey approach to fit your institution and your people.

One well-known client of ours successfully boosted participation in their university by personalising their survey journey, emphasising language and tailoring the approach to their unique audience. Understanding the specific needs and preferences of different staff groups allows you to create more relevant and engaging surveys. Involving the University Executive Committee throughout the process—from designing questions to finalising the survey—also ensures that the survey is fully aligned with your institution’s goals and objectives.

5. Offer incentives and donations

Incentives can be a powerful motivator for increasing survey participation rates. By offering tangible rewards, such as free coffee, recognition for the team with the highest response rate or even donations to charity, institutions can significantly boost engagement.

For example, King’s College London offered free hot drinks and food at campus cafes for survey participants, while Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) took advantage of our partnership with the Eden Reforestation Project to plant a tree for every survey response received. This initiative not only aligned with the university’s environmental goals but also resulted in the planting of over 1,400 mangrove trees. Incentives like these can create a positive association with the survey and encourage more people to participate.

6. Make use of QR codes

To make sure you’re including and reaching those who may not be as digitally savvy, incorporating QR codes into your survey distribution strategy can be incredibly effective. QR codes provide a quick and easy way for people to access the survey using their mobile devices, making it more convenient for everyone to participate.

One client of ours used QR codes to provide survey access to employees who do not regularly use computers, such as catering staff and operations teams. This simple yet effective tool enabled a wider range of staff to engage with the survey, thereby improving the overall participation rate.

7. Take action and keep employees updated post-survey

One key way you can guarantee increased survey participation rates in future surveys is by demonstrating that the feedback is valued and actually acted upon. If employees see that their input leads to meaningful changes, they are more likely to participate when called upon.

Our own benchmark data shows that only 40% of HE professionals currently believe that action will be taken as a result of a survey. This perception needs to change. By making a concerted effort to share survey findings, involve staff in action plans, and regularly communicate progress, you can build trust and encourage ongoing participation. Use a “you said, we did” approach to clearly link actions back to survey feedback, and to ensure changes have a real chance of happening, make sure that any proposed changes are realistic and achievable.

Related: Change management in higher education — why is it so hard?

Employee surveys can be a great way to connect with your employees and to make sure that you are making progress as an institution. By taking in insights and thoughts from your people, you can begin to craft an even better employee experience, while retaining your top performers. If you need help improving your survey participation rate, get in touch today.

Contact People Insight to start your higher education staff survey and begin your journey to a better, more productive, more engaging culture.