Survey Worker

Class Specifications – B.15 Survey
Senior Survey Worker (7232)
Survey Worker (7233)

May, 1975

Series Concept

Survey Workers perform or supervise the collection of survey data concerned with a wide variety of disciplines, demographic information, and attitudes; and perform other related duties as required. Incumbents collect information by mailing out advance letters to respondents, and by using prepared questions in interviewing and collecting data from selected respondents on a specific project to obtain information. Survey Workers may also convert these responses into coded answers.

The series consists of two levels: Survey Worker is the operational level and Senior Survey Worker is the working supervisory or advanced operational level.

Class Concepts

Senior Survey Worker

Under general supervision, incumbents serve as working supervisors of Survey Workers or act at the advanced operational level. As working supervisors, Senior Survey Workers schedule work for a group of Survey Workers, including the assignment of interviews; maintain work schedules and attendance records; instruct or aid in the instruction of Survey Workers in the use of survey materials and techniques of data collection; and check the work of Survey Workers for conformity and accuracy, verification and enumeration.

At the advanced operational level, incumbents perform the most difficult interviewing assignments such as refusal conversion interviewing (interviewing those who have previously refused to respond), pretest interviewing (using an untested interview schedule), and unstructured interviewing.

Senior Survey Workers act as liaisons between project leaders and participating institutions or the general public during a survey; collate questionnaires and batch for machine processing; and establish and maintain files for completed questionnaires.

Incumbents must exercise judgment in determining the appropriateness of responses to ensure that the objectives of the survey are being met. For example, they are alert to inadequate responses to questions that deal with sensitive personal information that persons may be reluctant to divulge.

This class is distinguished from the class of Survey Supervisor in that incumbent positions serve only as working supervisors or at the advanced operational level and are not expected to perform a complex analysis of information obtained.

Survey Worker

Under supervision, incumbents perform the duties outlined in the Series Concept. This is the operational level, and the majority of surveying duties are performed at this level.

Minimum Qualifications

Senior Survey Worker

Graduation from high school or a General Education Diploma and two years of experience in the collection of survey data; or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledge and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.

Survey Worker

Graduation from high school or a General Education Diploma and one year of experience, preferably in public contact work; or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledge and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.