Why use the big engagement survey providers?

I like engagement surveys. But that’s often been because the experience of employers using them has been so bad that they then turn to me. The surveys have taken a long time, a large investment, and it’s just produced data, rather than insight. Or, it’s highlighted an issue, but offered no thoughts on how to explore it more. Or, the provider has failed to analyse any of the free comments, massively devaluing the work.

I’ve been happy to step in and provide something more tailored and more useful.

But recently a number of people have approached me to create their own engagement survey. It seems their clients are not signed up to the necessity of benchmarking. They don’t see value in comparing engagement with other employers. They’d rather create something more bespoke, that will give them actionable results, whilst still being able to compare results longer-term.

And so I’ve stepped in here too.

I’ve given a few options. The first of which is to base it on existing, established engagement questions. But this feels like a bit of an unnecessary compromise. You’re confining yourself to fixed questions, without the benefit of benchmarking. So instead, I’ve proposed:

• Measuring my own set of (up to) 20 engagement factors. First their importance and then how well they are delivered at that employer. These factors are based on my research, what others measure and the work of Engage 4 Success. But they’re infinitely tailorable and addable-to.
• A purely free-text survey – usually asking what’s good/what’s not or what would you start/stop/continue.

Or, ideally, a combination of the two. By doing this, you’re getting your consistently-measurable scores, whilst also allowing more input - even-co-creation of solutions - by employees.

It still might only point at the issues, rather than supply the total solution. But surveys have their place, and for me this is a quick, cheap, bespoke way to approach it. (And I’ll always, always give you insight.)