Test of a Web and Paper Employee Satisfaction Survey: Comparison of Respondents and Non-Respondents

This study examined if administering an employee satisfaction survey using the Internet affected the rates or quality of employees’ participation. 644 hospital employees were randomly assigned to complete a satisfaction survey using either a Web survey or a traditional paper measure. Response rates were relatively high across both modes. No evidence for a very large difference in response rates was detected. A plurality of respondents showed no preference for survey mode while the remainder tended to express a preference for the mode they had been randomly assigned to complete in this study. Respondents did not differ from non-respondents by sex, race, or education. Other response differences (such as age and employment status) are likely to be a function of the survey topic. Overall, Web and mail respondents did not differ in the level of employee satisfaction reported, the primary outcome being measured.