The benefits of online surveys, when compared to paper, are compelling; higher response rates, faster reporting turnaround, the ability to pre-assign workplace demographics and a smaller price tag. For employees who have corporate email addresses, it’s a near certainty that the best survey administration method is via email invite from your survey provider. When your workplace includes employees without corporate email addresses or computer workstations, however, it can be unclear how best to use an online format for your employee survey.

 

Some employee survey vendors solve this problem with the use of access codes, such as in this sample of our Employee Engagement and Satisfaction Survey. When you supply an employee list, we generate a unique access code for you to distribute to each of those employees along with instructions for how to access the survey. Online surveys can typically be accessed using any internet browser, so providing stations for survey administration can be as simple as setting up computers in a handful of semi-private areas for employees to use at will.

What Is an Access Code?

Access codes work similar to a personal identification number (PIN). An access code is a unique number that enables employees without company email addresses to use our online survey. It’s simple! They visit the employee survey website, enter their unique access code and complete the survey online.

Because we cannot guarantee survey receipt when using personal email addresses, we strongly recommend that you only submit company email addresses and use access codes for the segment of your workforce without company addresses.

Methods of Distribution

A few days before the survey begins, your survey project lead will receive a spreadsheet with all assigned access codes as well as the letter containing survey login instructions. S/he’ll then prepare the login instruction letter and unique access codes for distribution. Here are some of the most common methods of distribution:

• Send through interoffice mail (recommended);
• Send with company paychecks, if the timing is right;
• Mail access codes to employees’ homes; or
• Have supervisors or the survey project lead hand-deliver to each employee.

A Final Note On Access Codes

Access codes are unique and may only be used by the employee to which they are assigned. After that employee has completed his or her survey, that survey will no longer be accessible. Employees will need access to a private computer workstation to complete the online survey.

The distribution of access codes is the responsibility of your project lead and in the case of our awards programs, we require each company to submit a checklist of its selection and distribution method of access codes.

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Sample Template: Access Code Delivery

Date: MM/DD/YY

Dear Employee,

[Company Name] is participating in an employee feedback survey that will help your organization gauge how well they are doing as an employer. The survey is confidential and anonymous. At the end of the survey process, your organization will receive a report summarizing anonymous employee responses to this survey

Your honest feedback is critical to our assessment process. The survey is quick (about 15 minutes), confidential (see “CONFIDENTIALITY” below) and easy! Please take a few minutes and share your opinions.

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To access the survey, simply type (or copy and paste) the link into your Web browser:

www.bestcompaniesgroup.net/vovici/EESS/eessGIA.html

YOUR ACCESS CODE IS: XXXXX-XX

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Deadline to complete the survey: [Date]

IMPORTANT NOTE: The access code provided above is for YOUR USE ONLY. To ensure that your responses remain anonymous and confidential, PLEASE DO NOT FORWARD this letter or provide your survey link or access code to anyone else in your organization. 

Your answers will be stored each time you select the CONTINUE button at the bottom of each survey page. To protect your confidentiality, once you have reached the “Thank you” page, you will not be able to access the survey again. 

Thank you for your participation. Should you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Regards,

Best Employee Surveys

CONFIDENTIALITY

We protect your confidentiality in a number of ways.  First, your responses will be sent directly to and processed by Best Employee Surveys.  No one from your organization will have access to your specific survey responses.  Second, employers are not given any information in a way that would enable them to trace answers back to a specific person — even if you are part of a small demographic group.  We will not report any results from demographic categories containing fewer than five respondents.  Please note, however, that your employer will receive a report that summarizes all employees’ responses to the two optional, open-ended questions found at the end of the survey. The report will list all responses to those two questions in random order. In order to preserve your anonymity, please do not include your name or other identifying remarks in your responses.

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