Survey Question Library

(1)

Survey

Question

Library

Use these questions to build or inspire your own surveys to better

understand how your teams work, their views on technology, and

the potential business value of solutions. Here are a few tips to

make your survey successful:

(2)

Survey Question Library

Use these questions to build or inspire your own surveys to better understand how your teams work,

their views on technology, and the potential business value of solutions. Here are a few tips to make

your survey successful:

Keep it short

Three minutes is the maximum time for a survey – but your response rate will increase if it’s even shorter. If you need more information, break it into multiple projects. To test for time, read the survey aloud, including all the answer choices, and don’t mumble.

Keep it anonymous

If you want truth, protect your users. Don’t ask for information other than that needed to compare outcomes by groups that are likely to have very different cultures or habits. Don’t ask about a demographic group, like department or site, if there are less than 50 people in the group.

Share your results

no matter what they are. Make sure your responders know their input mattered and was appreciated. Share your comments on how you interpret the data. Be candid.

Ask for responses more than once

and at different times of day. First thing in the morning and the end of the day can be great times for surveys – people sometimes like something lighter for a few minutes at these times.

Use context/situation questions

Our most revealing surveys ask more about what people do and how they do it than about what technologies they like. It’s easy to end up with a “Christmas list” of technology people say they want. Asking questions about specific uses and contexts can give you clearer focus on why they want it and what it will need to do to create value.

Make it Mobile

Your mobile users can be your most passionate customers, and they’ll often complete a survey waiting for a plane or a client. Make sure your surveys work on mobile devices (test them, no matter what the app says).

Consider informal quick polls

A single question on your intranet or internal social media site can connect you to power-users of technology and give you a snapshot of user sentiment, however unscientific it may be. Adding quirky questions or responses can also be fun for users and foster an open exchange of information.

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Compare user groups

A few demographic questions at the end of each survey can hugely impact your analysis. Simply comparing separate views of IT to end users, or HQ staff to mobile/remote staff, can swing the outcomes of your survey dramatically.

If you’re doing multiple surveys, consider a fixed set of demographic questions so you can easily consolidate the

views of different cohorts across surveys. (Our top demographic questions are in the final section of this document.) We find that asking the demographic questions last allows users focus on candid responses, without concern for politics or appearances.

Online Survey Resources

There are many online survey apps available. Some are free for at least basic needs. Consider one that allows you to easily filter responses by demographic questions (last section) to get a clear and easy view of how different groups of users see things. Remember to think about mobile users. Here are just a few examples of online services.

Survey Monkey. www.surveymonkey.com

Fluid Surveys. www.fluidsurveys.com (multi-lingual) Survey Anyplace. www.surveyanyplace.com. SurveyPocket. www.surveypocket.com (multi-lingual)

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Behavioral Habits

Use questions like these to understand what matters most, as well as unarticulated pain points.

These questions don’t ask users to project outcomes from solutions, but rather help to define the

environment solutions must work within. The case-driven approach will help you select solutions

that address specific needs, rather than creating out-of-context wish lists. Be sure to consider adding

demographic questions (last page) to differentiate views of HQ versus remote, as well as the need

for mobile solutions.

What portion of your team commonly works in a different location than you?

• None

• Less than 25%

• 25% to 50%

• 50% to 75%

• Over 75%

What percent of your real collaboration takes place in scheduled meetings (versus ad hoc communications via phone, email or face to face)?

• Less than 25%

• 25% to 50%

• 50 to 75%

• More than 75%

How many people, on average, participate in the virtual meetings you’re a part of?

• Less than 5 people

• 5 to 10 people

• 10 to 25 people

• More than 25 people

How often do you engage in personal (non-business related) conversation with your virtual team members, either as part of a scheduled call or as an ad hoc engagement (virtual coffee break)?

• Daily

• Weekly

• Monthly

• Rarely/never

How often do you find yourself in a virtual meeting where a significant part of the discussion is of no relevance to you?

• Rarely/Never

• Occasionally

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In what percent of your virtual meetings is all or most of the talking one-way monolog, rather than a joint collaboration of ideas and knowledge? • Less than 25% • 25 to 50% • 50 to 75% • Over 75%

Are you more or less likely to voice disagreement with someone in a virtual meeting, as compared to a face-to-face meeting?

• More likely

• About the same

• Less likely

Are you more or less likely to share a spontaneous (half-baked) idea or comment in a virtual meeting, as compared to a face-to-face meeting?

• More likely

• About the same

• Less likely

How often do you reach out to engage a team member or colleague at another site merely to keep in touch?

• Daily

• Weekly

• Monthly

• Rarely/Never

When you disagree with someone on your virtual team, which are you most likely to do?

• Email the person with your concerns

• Email your concerns to the group or management

• Call the person (one-to-one) to discuss your concerns

• Voice your concerns on a team call • Something else

• Nothing

In your opinion, how successful are the virtual teams you work with in making a meaningful contribution to the business?

• Very successful

• Reasonably successful

• So-so

• Not very successful

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Attitude Questions

Attitudes toward technology and the broader work environment are everything in

user adoption. Use these questions to get a feel for potential acceptance or resistance

to new solutions.

True or False

Teams can only be truly productive with regular face time?

• True

• False

Virtual communications technology improves employees’ sense of engagement?

• True

• False

It’s important to the business that employees have access to a range of communication technologies and tools that work seamlessly together?

• True

• False

My ability to achieve my goals depends more on my relationships with an informal network of people inside and outside the company than it depends on my formal reporting structure?

• True

• False

Constant connection to unfiltered sources of information (from email to social media to calls) has created unwelcome distraction more than it has contributed to job satisfaction and productivity?

• True

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To what extend do you agree or disagree with these statements:

Strongly Agree

Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Disagree

You have the technology you need to build trust and commitment with few or no face-to-face meetings.

It’s difficult to keep everyone on your team engaged and communicating freely.

It’s easier to collaborate with colleagues in other places when you can see them (video), versus just hear them.

Team members are more likely to get distracted during remote meetings (conference calls, online meetings) than when you’re all in a conference room.

Communication and content sharing technologies can be overwhelming or frustrating to use.

The nature of virtual/distributed teams often leads to some team members not doing their ‘fair share’ of work.

Virtual/distributed teams are as effective as co-located teams.

You’re well trained in the best practices of collaboration and remote meeting technologies.

You have access to the technologies you need to stay connected, engaged and successful at work.

You can do anything on the road or in a home office that you could do in the office.

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Technology Use, Value and

Preferences

It’s not enough to ask users if they want a technology. The results won’t necessarily forecast

acceptance and use of a solution. To define solutions that will make a difference for your

organization, ask whether and how technologies are used, and use situational questions to

understand what new/enhanced solutions need to solve. Be sure to include the demographic

question on mobility for a clear look at these issues, and take care to differentiate the views of IT

staff and general end users. Here are a few different approaches to understanding user views on

technology:

Have it/Use Surveys

The current range of communication and collaboration tools available to your users can be overwhelming. Many tools have eased into use over the last several years – not always in a consolidated manner. Some tools are just not as intuitive as you might expect. Everywhere we look, we find users who don’t know if they have access to key collaboration technologies; or they think it’s there but they don’t know how to use it; or they find it too cumbersome and go without or go their own way. Finding out what tools users think they have and actually use can help you assess and optimize the tools you have and ensure your ongoing investments are on target. Here are two approaches to this study set.

General Questions:

Do you have access to a complete unified communication solution?

• Yes

• No

• Somewhat

• What’s unified communication?

How well do you know how to use the unified communications solution?

• Not at all

• Just the basics

• Fairly well

• Very well

How often do you access the unified communications client?

• Daily

• Weekly

• Rarely

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Do you use a communications client to tell you which colleagues are available for phone calls, IM, email, etc?

• Yes

• No

• Partially

• I wish I could?

Does you use one number service, the application that lets you use one phone number and direct calls to the client of your choice (one number service), rather than publishing multiple phone numbers for multiple devices?

• Yes

• No

• I wish I could

Do you use the communication application to set your own rules on how to route your calls based on the day, time, who’s calling, etc?

• Yes

• No

• I wish I could

Do you use a communication application that lets you click to add a video or web conference to a live voice conference call from a common client?

• Yes

• No

• I wish I could

Do you have access to secure desktop/mobile video conferencing via the company’s communications application?

• Yes

• No

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Grid Test

This study is currently in process at Unify, but early data shows clear differences between the views

of IT and general users, as well as differences between those who consider their teams to be more

successful or struggling/less successful. Use demographic questions (last section) to get a clear

view of different user groups.

Which technologies do you have and use when your team just can’t be together face-to-face?

Have it and Use it Have it But Don't Use it I don't think we have this I use a solution not sanctioned by IT

See who’s on a conference call?

Click to add someone to a conference call?

Internal Enterprise IM/text messaging?

Ability to add screen-share/web collaboration to an ongoing call?

Ability to add desktop video to an ongoing call?

A live Presence display that lets you see if your key contacts are available for phone, IM or email?

One-number-service that lets you publish one phone number to all business contacts and tell an application where to send calls based on time, day, who’s calling or your current Presence state?

Request notice when a busy colleague becomes available for a phone call?

Internal (enterprise-private) chat or social media site to share threaded discussions?

Ability to perform any of these functions from your company approved mobile devices?

Cloud storage site to share documents for limited access by selected colleagues, partners, etc.?

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Best/Worst Tools for the Job

The right technology in the right situation can be incredibly valuable. Yet in other contexts, the

same technology can contribute to frustration, conflict or unnecessary drama.

For each of the situations below, tell us which technologies are best and which are worst when you can’t all be in the same place.

Comments: (open text)

Working with someone for the first time.

Best 5 4 Neutral 3 2 Worst 1

Live phone call

Voice conference call

Web/screen-share conference call

Video call

Email

IM/Text

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Planning and setting up a new project.

Live phone call

Video call

Email

IM/Text

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Briefing a large team or extended audience. Best 5 4 Neutral 3 2 Worst 1

Live phone call

Video call

Email

IM/Text

Internal social media/chat room.

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Brainstorming and collaboration.

Live phone call

Video call

Email

IM/Text

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Working thru disagreements or conflict.

Live phone call

Video call

Email

IM/Text

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Staying connected with colleagues.

Live phone call

Video call

Email

IM/Text

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Staying connected with customers.

Live phone call

Video call

Email

IM/Text

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Staying connected with partners.

Live phone call

Video call

Email

IM/Text

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Responding to urgent situations.

Live phone call

Video call

Email

IM/Text

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The “Ponder” Questions

These questions are designed to encourage users to think about their tools and the value or effect

they have on work

.

Do you have the same opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions and activities with colleagues when working remotely as you would working full time in the office?

• Yes, it’s the same

• Pretty close

• There’s a bit less opportunity to engage

• No, much less opportunity to engage when remote

Is the head of your department a good at leading a distributed team?

• Brilliant

• Mostly good

• So-So

• Could use improvement

• Not effective

If you couldn’t have email for a week, what would you use?

• IM

• Phone Calls

• Voice Conference Calls

• Online Meeting Tool

• Video

• Internal Social Media

• Carrier Pigeon

If you could set a limit on other people’s use of any one communications method, what would you limit?

• Phone Calls

• Voice Mail

• Email

• Video

• IM/Text

• Internal Social Media

What’s the first thing you check when you start your work day?

• Social media • Email • Voicemail • Web news • IM/Text • Other

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Does IT understand end user collaboration needs?

• Yes

• No

• Partially

In your experience, does video conferencing overcome some of the hurdles of remote working and virtual teaming? • Always • Often • Sometimes • Seldom • Never

In your experience, can collaboration and conferencing tools actually put more focus on the topic and task at hand by eliminating local physical distractions?

• Always

• Often

• Sometimes

• Seldom

• Never

In your experience, are you more inclined to speak up and contribute to a virtual team compared to a face-to-face gathering?

• Always

• Often

• Sometimes

• Seldom

• Never

Do you feel the rapid nature of engaging electronically via collaboration and conferencing tools makes for more efficient meeting setup compared to face-to-face gatherings?

• Always

• Often

• Sometimes

• Seldom

• Never

Do you enjoy the flexibility that virtual collaboration and conferencing tools provide while still being engaged and listening to a meeting in progress? • Always • Often • Sometimes • Seldom • Never

Do you bring new people into a virtual meeting session while a meeting in progress as they are needed on the agenda or as the need arises?

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• Always

• Often

• Sometimes

• Seldom

How often do you share content, slides, documents or other material electronically as part of a collaboration or conferencing session with a virtual team?

• Always

• Often

• Sometimes

• Seldom

• Never

Do you use web chat, text chat or instant messaging to communicate privately or discretely during online collaboration and conferencing sessions? • Always • Often • Sometimes • Seldom • Never

Do you use any of these technologies after hours, on weekends or on holiday for business purposes?

• Phone Calls

• Voice Mail

• Email

• Video

• IM/Text

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Demographics

Use these to compare the habits and preferences of different groups. If your study is like ours,

you’ll see significant differences in countries, IT versus users, HQ versus “elsewhere”, and even

age groups. It also makes a dramatic difference if you compare the outcomes of those who feel their

teams are more successful to those whose teams are struggling. If you are doing multiple surveys,

use the same demographic questions for all surveys, so you can readily combine data cohorts.

Again, be sure to protect the anonymity of end-users through careful sharing of cohort data with

managers.

Where do you work most of the time?

• Headquarters • Branch Office • Customer site • Mobile “office” • Home • Other

What percent of your time, in an average month, do you depend upon mobile devices to communicate and collaborate?

• None

• Less than 25% of my time

• 25% to 50% of my time

• 50% to 75% of my time

• More than 75% of my time

Your country: (drop-down list from the survey app is easiest) Your Job function:

• IT • Sales • Service • Marketing • Product/Engineering, • Finance/Admin • HR • Other Your Job Level:

• C-Level • VP • Director • Manager • Team Leader • Team Member • Other

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Your Age Group: • Under 25 • 26 to 35 • 35 to 45 • 46 to 55 • Over 55

In your opinion, how successful are the virtual teams you work with in making a meaningful contribution to the business?

• Very successful

• Reasonably successful

• So-so

• Not very successful

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Reference No.: A31002-P3010-D101-2-7629

The information provided in this document contains merely general descriptions or characteristics of performance which in case of actual use do not always apply as described or which may change as a result of further development of the products. An obligation to provide the respective characteristics shall only exist if expressly agreed in the terms of contract. Availability and technical specifications are subject to change without notice.

About Unify

Unify—formerly known as Siemens Enterprise Communications—is one of the world’s largest communications software and services firms. Our solutions unify multiple networks, devices and applications into one easy-to-use platform that allows teams to engage in rich and meaningful conversations. The result is a transformation of how the enterprise communicates and collaborates that amplifies collective effort, energizes the business, and dramatically improves business performance. Born out of the engineering DNA of Siemens, Unify builds on this heritage of product reliability, innovation, open standards and security to provide integrated communications solutions for 75% of the Global 500.

Unify is a joint venture of The Gores Group and Siemens AG. unify.com

Survey Question Library

Survey

Question

Library

Use these questions to build or inspire your own surveys to better

understand how your teams work, their views on technology, and

the potential business value of solutions. Here are a few tips to

make your survey successful:

Contents

Survey Question Library

Use these questions to build or inspire your own surveys to better understand how your teams work,

their views on technology, and the potential business value of solutions. Here are a few tips to make

your survey successful:

Keep it short

Keep it anonymous

Share your results

Ask for responses more than once

Use context/situation questions

Make it Mobile

Consider informal quick polls

Compare user groups

Online Survey Resources

Behavioral Habits

Use questions like these to understand what matters most, as well as unarticulated pain points.

These questions don’t ask users to project outcomes from solutions, but rather help to define the

environment solutions must work within. The case-driven approach will help you select solutions

that address specific needs, rather than creating out-of-context wish lists. Be sure to consider adding

demographic questions (last page) to differentiate views of HQ versus remote, as well as the need

for mobile solutions.

Attitude Questions

Attitudes toward technology and the broader work environment are everything in

user adoption. Use these questions to get a feel for potential acceptance or resistance

to new solutions.

True or False

Technology Use, Value and

Preferences

It’s not enough to ask users if they want a technology. The results won’t necessarily forecast

acceptance and use of a solution. To define solutions that will make a difference for your

organization, ask whether and how technologies are used, and use situational questions to

understand what new/enhanced solutions need to solve. Be sure to include the demographic

question on mobility for a clear look at these issues, and take care to differentiate the views of IT

staff and general end users. Here are a few different approaches to understanding user views on

technology:

Have it/Use Surveys

General Questions:

Grid Test

This study is currently in process at Unify, but early data shows clear differences between the views

of IT and general users, as well as differences between those who consider their teams to be more

successful or struggling/less successful. Use demographic questions (last section) to get a clear

view of different user groups.

Best/Worst Tools for the Job

The right technology in the right situation can be incredibly valuable. Yet in other contexts, the

same technology can contribute to frustration, conflict or unnecessary drama.

The “Ponder” Questions

These questions are designed to encourage users to think about their tools and the value or effect

they have on work

Demographics

Use these to compare the habits and preferences of different groups. If your study is like ours,

you’ll see significant differences in countries, IT versus users, HQ versus “elsewhere”, and even

age groups. It also makes a dramatic difference if you compare the outcomes of those who feel their

teams are more successful to those whose teams are struggling. If you are doing multiple surveys,

use the same demographic questions for all surveys, so you can readily combine data cohorts.

Again, be sure to protect the anonymity of end-users through careful sharing of cohort data with

managers.