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 nonrespondents 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.