How happy are you with your job overall? [1 = Not happy at all/10 = Ecstatic] 8.

Allow alternative work schedules for salaried workers, like a 4 day work week with 10-hour shifts. 2. How do you feel about your benefits at Wild Oats? [1 = Terrible/10 = Great] 7. Love the profit sharing -- real incentive! How about more "carrots" to keep people more long term -- retirement benefit? 3. How do you feel about the pay levels at Wild Oats as compared to similar employers? [1 = Worse than most/10 = Better than most] 7. Not having such a low ceiling for hourly workers. 4. How do you feel about the employee-review system at Wild Oats? [1 = Hate it /10 = Love it] 4. Need retroactive pay when managers are late getting reviews done! 5. How is the overall morale in your store? [1 = Awful/10 = Wonderful] 7 6. How do you feel about the responsibilities of your job? [1 = Too little/10 = Too much] 6 7. How effective is your store manager? [1 = Very poor/10 = Very good] 6 8. How effective is your department manager? [1 = Remarkably bad/10 = Terrific] 8. Easy to talk to, open to suggestions. 9. Why do you come to work every day? [1 = Have to/10 = Want to] 1. I didn't win the lottery! 10. How does Wild Oats compare with your previous employers? [1 = Worse/5 = Same/10 = Much better] 8. Like overall store concept -- ethics, consciousness, attitude. 11. What department do you work in? (optional) Deli 12. How long have you worked for Wild Oats? 4 months 13. How do you feel about the training and orientation program you experiences when you started? Do you feel you understand the procedures, policies, and responsibilities that are part of your job? How would you change things? Should be more standardized so all employees learn the job the same way. 14. What do you like least about you job and/or the company? Please explain. Not enough time to do the job. 15. What do you like most about the job and/or the company? Please explain. People, atmosphere. 16. What would you change if you were the owner? Use more local vendors! Give good support to general managers. Michael Gilliland explains how the system keeps the owners in touch: ***

1. I'm looking for an overall mood. Some employees circle a very high grade, then rag on you on 20 different points. Maybe they haven't thought their responses through very thoroughly. 2. Even now that we've added the wellness benefit, health insurance is still an issue we hear about. Because of the response to this question, this year we're going to increase the company's contribution from 50% to 94% for employees with at least one year's service. 3. We used to ask, "What do you think about your pay?" but, of course, the response was always bad. The new phrasing helps us make adjustments based on employee feedback comparing our pay with industry averages. 4. Since we started this, the number one complaint was that reviews weren't done on time, so we've made raises retroactive. And people want their managers to spend some time with them on reviews, instead of just grabbing them in the aisle and saying, "You're doing OK." So in the last six months we've hired three full-time training and review people. 5. If the person is happy (#1) but reports low store morale, it could be that the store is understaffed. Some of our managers get overzealous in cutting costs for the profit-sharing program. 8. In our large stores, responsibility is decentralized, and a department manager can have more effect on an employee than a store manager might. We can learn a lot, especially if the employee answers question #11. 9. Once a person answered, "Greed." Another wrote, "To meet women." This is a mood indicator -- I want to see that I've created a fun place to come to. If everyone answers, "To get a paycheck," I'll know there's a problem. 10. This is the first section I go to, because I want to make sure we're being competitive. I want people to be happier at Wild Oats than at other places they've worked, and most have worked at other grocery stores. 12. I'm most interested in new people's impressions and their fresh look at the company. I figure the people who've been here for years are probably pretty much satisfied. 16. I like to see two pages of suggestions. I'm looking for thoughtful responses and a keen eye for retail -- half a dozen suggestions says this person really has a future with Wild Oats, and this kind of person usually volunteers his or her name on the survey. I don't mind seeing criticism, either. ***

1. What is the 'primary aim' of your company?

Your employees may be more motivated if they understand the primary aim of your business. Ask questions to establish how clear they are about your company's principles, priorities and mission.

2. What obstacles stop employees performing to best effect?

Questionnaires on employee motivation should include questions about what employees are tolerating in their work and home lives. The company can eliminate practices that zap motivation.

3. What really motivates your staff?

It is often assumed that all people are motivated by the same things. Actually we are motivated by a whole range of factors. Include questions to elicit what really motivates employees, including learning about their values. Are they motivated by financial rewards, status, praise and acknowledgment, competition, job security, public recognition, fear, perfectionism, results...

4. Do employees feel empowered?

Do your employees feel they have job descriptions that give them some autonomy and allow them to find their own solutions or are they given a list of tasks to perform and simply told what to do?

5. Are there any recent changes in the company that might have affected motivation?
If your company has made redundancies, imposed a recruitment freeze or lost a number of key people this will have an effect on motivation. Collect information from employees about their fears, thoughts and concerns relating to these events. Even if they are unfounded, treat them with respect and honesty.

6. What are the patterns of motivation in your company?

Who is most motivated and why? What lessons can you learn from patches of high and low motivation in your company?

7. Are employee goals and company goals aligned?

First, the company needs to establish how it wants individuals to spend their time based on what is most valuable. Secondly this needs to be compared with how individuals actually spend their time. You may find employees are highly motivated but about the "wrong" priorities.

8. How do employees feel about the company?

Do they feel safe, loyal, valued and taken care of? Or do they feel taken advantage of, dispensable and invisible? Ask them what would improve their loyalty and commitment.

9. How involved are employees in company development?

Do they feel listened to and heard? Are they consulted? And, if they are consulted, are their opinions taken seriously? Are there regular opportunities for them to give feedback?

10. Is the company's internal image consistent with its external one?
Your company may present itself to the world as the 'caring airline', 'the forward thinking technology company' or the 'family hotel chain'. Your employees would have been influenced, and their expectations set, to this image when they joined your company. If you do not mirror this image within your company in the way you treat employees you may notice motivation problems. Find out what the disparity is between the employees image of the company from the outside and from the inside.