Discover our philosophy, understand benchmarks, survey confidentiality, key driver analysis and so much more.

Not necessarily. It is important to remain focused on what drives engagement. Engagement is what motivates your employees to be their best. It could be that one area of the organization, for example, Work/Life Balance, scores very low within the organization. If that area is not found to have a strong statistical relationship to Engagement, it would mean that any investment of time and resources to improve that area will not have an impact on Engagement.

It is human nature to want to invest in the areas that score the lowest; however, if the focus is on improving engagement, the focus should remain on those areas that affect engagement. Investing in areas where the scores are low, but have shown to statistically not have a strong relationship with engagement, would likely result in seeing an increase in those scores rise, and perhaps some internal complaining about that area would stop; however, you would not see the organization’s engagement scores improve.

Key Driver Analysis is a powerful way to derive business value from your employee survey data. It helps you target improvement efforts to get the 'biggest bang for your buck’ by identifying the key leverage points for improving the engagement at your organization.

How does it work?: A Key Driver Analysis uses a statistical technique known as multiple regression to identify patterns in the responses of employees. By using multiple regression, it is possible to identify which questions have the strongest and most meaningful association with your employee engagement score.

When you prioritize your intervention efforts based on the results of statistical analysis, the results are far superior to simply basing intervention efforts on the lowest scoring items in a survey. Typically the lowest scoring items (like compensation) have a very weak connection with employee engagement, and thus even large investments to improve these low scoring items do not result in large improvements in engagement.

How does TalentMap determine key drivers for my company?

TalentMap has a scientific method for identifying key drivers of engagement for your specific organization. Our methodology takes into consideration the size of your organization, regression analysis, comparison data and overall performance scores.

We use a methodology called Linear Regression. In statistics, linear regression is an approach to model the relationship between a scalar dependent variable y (engagement) and one or more explanatory variables denoted X (the other dimensions measured in our survey). The case of one explanatory variable is called simple linear regression. For more than one explanatory variable, it is called multiple linear regression.

In linear regression, data are modeled using linear predictor functions, and unknown model parameters are estimated from the data.

No. Once an employee starts the survey, they are encouraged to finish it in one sitting.

If, however, during the course of completing the survey, it must be closed, the employee can click “Next”, in order to save responses, and then close the browser. The employee must return to the unique link that TalentMap sends in order to continue the survey.

No. However, staff input is invaluable. Your organization is counting on a high level of participation to ensure they receive the broadest and most accurate results possible to guide their future activities and improve your workplace.

**Yes! **Your organization is committed to an open process of communication. They will be sharing the survey results, good and bad, with staff.

No, you will not be asked this information, as this information is provided in advance to TalentMap.

On a related note, you can be confident that only aggregate results will be provided to your organization. We will not report any results with less than 5 responses to ensure confidentiality and privacy, and no manager will be able to determine "who said what".

The survey will typically take between 15-20 minutes to complete. There are questions where you can choose one or many response options, as well as opportunities to provide written comments.

The survey is accessible online 24 hours a day from the survey open date to the survey close date.

The goal is to get as many responses as possible in the first few days the survey is open. Your organization will receive reminder emails and response rate updates throughout the survey period and be notified when the survey is closing. If employees don’t have time at work to address.

Yes, TalentMap recommends using a unique URL for each respondent. Each respondent obtains it's own unique URL and once completed the link is closed and cannot be accessed again.

A key challenge with survey deployment is to ensure we get a sufficient response rate, however, we do ensure respondents don't complete the survey more than once.

The ideal deployment method is using a unique URL which is specific to the individual respondent. Once that survey is completed the link is closed and can't be used again or re-accessed.

If deploying by unique URL is not an option and the survey is launched using an open link, TalentMap has means for checking duplicates including looking at response rate patterns, reviewing open-ended comments etc.

2 weeks.

Most clients keep their survey open for employees to complete for two weeks. This window allows enough time for the vast majority of employees to respond while providing a clear deadline which can be used to encourage responses.

If the survey period is too short, say one week, you may miss some people. If it open for too long, say four weeks, the process can get stale, it is difficult to motivate employees with a pending deadline, and you risk losing momentum for the 'analyze and act' phases for implementation.

It depends on the type of employees, some contract or term are an essential part of the organization, so YES if essential, these employees should be surveyed. However, there are other types of contract or term (like from IBM or Cisco for example or any other long term contract relationship) that associate with their firm and know the firm they are contracted with - so in that case NO.

Regarding employment length - anyone one that has been with the organization for 3 months or more would make sense.

We create an Employee Engagement roadmap designed specifically for your organization. We clearly outline your priorities for developing an effective range of employee programs and practices — from leadership development to performance management and rewards, to communication and workplace management.

Anonymous and confidential feedback from your workforce, a handful of employee focus groups and our knowledge and experience of your industry’s best practices provides the underpinning for our recommendations that are guaranteed to drive your employee engagement efforts forward.

“The one thing we liked most about TalentMap versus other vendors is flexibility. They listened, understood and adjusted their approach to fit our needs, not theirs. — VP HR Financial Services

What drives engagement in your organization? Every organization is unique and the TalentMap tool allows us to determine what specific areas within your organization have a strong relationship with Engagement, and as a result, where best to invest your resources.

If an item is considered to be a driver of engagement, it means there is a strong statistical correlation between it and engagement. Any efforts to improve that area will have a direct impact on improving engagement. The stronger the statistical relationship, the more that area impacts engagement.

Key Driver Analysis is a powerful way to derive business value from your employee survey data. It helps you target improvement efforts to get the 'biggest bang for your buck’ by identifying the key leverage points for improving the engagement within your organization.

How does it work?: A Key Driver Analysis uses a statistical technique known as multiple regression to identify patterns in the responses of employees. By using multiple regression, it is possible to identify which questions have the strongest and most meaningful association with your employee engagement score.

To measure engagement drivers using multiple regression analysis, there need to be approximately 30 individuals for every dimension measured. In a typical TalentMap survey, we measure 12 dimensions of engagement.

Accurately measuring all of the drivers requires 360 respondents. That said, for smaller sample sizes, a driver analysis could be done using a linear regression model instead of a multiple regression models, but it would not be an apples to apples analysis, and it would be inconsistent with how the drivers are measured for the company as a whole.

TalentMap uses linear regression analysis for smaller organizations and we find that a minimum sample size of approximately 30 people is needed to effectively do a driver analysis. However, multiple regression analysis is the preferred method when possible as it takes into consideration all the variables in the relationship and not just one variable at a time, painting a more accurate picture.

No. However, the survey is pre-programmed with applicable demographic data, such as age category, level of responsibility, length of service category and functional group.

Not only is this information important so we can understand the demographic makeup of the organization but it will be vital in helping us to implement strategic and customized programs, which address issues both corporately and locally. Please remember that TalentMap will not report on any groups with less than 5 responses to ensure confidentiality.

There are many good reasons to gather feedback from employees. Some of these reasons include the following:

• Online, confidential surveys allow organizations to provide a vehicle for all employees to voice their opinion.

• Surveys help identify where organizations are doing well and where they need to improve.

• Surveys will ultimately increase employee engagement and improve workplace culture, which leads to better overall business performance and a more enjoyable workplace culture for you.

Your organization wouldn’t consider operating without a defined budget, right? And it wouldn’t get far without its mission statement, or projections for the next few years. We advise that you think of the employee engagement survey as essential to how your organization operates.

Doing one survey is an effective way to identify areas where the organization can improve and to take the pulse of employee engagement. But by repeating the survey, the organization will be able to see if it’s improving on commitments, where it’s improving, and where it needs to direct attention. By monitoring trends and tapping into the opinions and ideas of employees, senior leaders can keep a finger on the pulse of the organization.

TalentMap recommends that a full engagement survey be completed every one to two years. Build the survey into your annual business planning, and continue a cycle of survey, analyze, take action, and repeat.

Conducting a follow-up pulse survey about 6 months to 1 year after the initial survey ensures that action plans are working. It also creates internal benchmarks against which to measure future successes.

Organizations perform at their best when they make their employees’ commitment, potential, creativity, and capability central to their business practices. Understanding and managing how people behave at work can make the difference between success and failure. When employees fell respected, involved, heard, and valued by leaders and coworkers, they work to their full potential for the organization.

Although organizations may say they feel employee engagement is important, without making a commitment to engagement, people’s talents and potential can remain untapped. But committing to employee engagement is a powerful action that can mean big changes in an organization’s performance and in employee’s well-being, to the benefit of organizations and society.

Engagement is strongly related to higher levels of innovation. That’s because engaged employees are able and encouraged to share their ideas and think creatively. Fifty-nine percent of engaged employees say that their job brings out their most creative ideas, compared to only 3 percent of disengaged employees.

Most organizations take 3-4 months from start to finish. However, some can complete the entire process in just a month while others can take up to 6 months.

Our software allows you to save your responses before you finish. You can always come back and complete your survey at a later time.

We keep or questionnaires short so that most surveys are completed in one sitting. This is a best practice that we encourage. However, when surveys are deployed using unique URLs, responses are saved each time that the respondent clicks the button at the bottom of each page before he/she moves on to the next page. As a result, the respondent can return to a partially completed survey (by clicking on their survey URL) at a later time to pick up where they left off and complete the survey.

It is not unlikely to see a low satisfaction score and a higher engagement score (or vis versa) in survey results as these are two very different concepts. Engaged employees are deeply invested in their work and tend to go the extra mile to help the organization reach its broader goals. They also have a sense of connection and commitment to their organization.

A satisfied employee simply enjoys their job. Satisfied employees may be happy with their work-life balance, compensation and their job security, but don’t feel the need to put in extra work and don't have a deep connection to their employer. Satisfaction is generally enough to retain employees, however it does not ensure that these employees are highly productive.

TalentMap recommends using a 5 point Likert response scale that ranges from "Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree." The scale allows for a neutral response in the middle of the scale, and to provide for enough detail without overwhelming the respondent with choices.

We use a five point scale because it is short, easy to understand, economizes on space and it is the most widely used survey scale in employee opinion surveys. Furthermore, research shows there is no significant difference between survey results that used either a 5-point, 7-point or 10-point scale.

A recent study in the International Journal of Market Research reported on an experiment where three groups of respondents gave answers on either a 5-point, 7-point or 10-point scale. After this re-scaling procedure, the three scales gave almost identical results. The study reference is: Dawes, John "Do Data Characteristics Change according to the Number of Scale Points Used ? An experiment using 5-point, 7-point and 10-point scales". International Journal of Market Research.

Normative (Benchmark) Comparison: In addition to collecting more accurate information in a reliable format, the Likert 5-point scale is one of the most popular scales used for employee survey research. This popularity allows for valid cross-study/survey comparisons. In short, it allows us to compare the score of one company/division to that of another.

The survey is a key source of information for engaging employees in a discussion about strengths and areas for improvement at all levels of their organization. It is an important tool for measuring progress in leadership and management practices.

By providing information on topics such as performance management and employee engagement, it allows for the continuous improvement of people management practices.

The neutral category provides an option for the respondent who truly does not have an opinion on a question so that they are not forced to respondent positively or negatively.

If you do not include a neutral option, you are forcing employees to make a choice, when in reality there are times when people have no opinion. Without a neutral rating, the tendency is for people to choose the more positive rating, and accordingly, it will falsely skew results towards favourable.

Research confirms that you should not use an even-numbered rating scale (e.g. 4-point or 6-point). TalentMap utilizes the five-point Likert scale, the most common scale in attitudinal research because a five-point scale is widely considered to represent the “natural” number of opinion plateaus or levels.

Our employee engagement index consists of six items. Two items measure the “Head” the logical connection, two items measure the “Heart” the emotional connection and finally, two items measure the “Hands” – the willingness to put forth extra effort (discretionary effort).

We create a client-specific model that draws a regression analysis to identify the specific dimensions of your workplace that have the biggest impact on improving “Engagement” and thus the biggest impact on overall organizational performance.

We then rank order these “Key Drivers” in order of importance. The following diagram depicts an example of the type of graphic output we generate. The vertical axis indicates your score on the survey item and the horizontal access depicts the relative impact on engagement of that item for your organization. Therefore if the item is in the bottom right – shaded area (low score and high impact) we recommend action.

TalentMap recommends our clients survey at least every two years – see section above on recommended time frame between engagement surveys. Measuring the drivers aligns with timing of the surveys.

Measuring employee engagement with an effective, proven measurement tool will provide your organization with a snapshot of the current landscape. It will identify areas of strength, weakness, and what the specific drivers of engagement are for your organization. In addition, when surveying with TalentMap, our clients receive Benchmark data of comparable organizations so that you not only get an idea of how your organization is performing, you get a sense of how it is doing compared to others of a similar nature which will help provide context and focus.

High engagement levels help to increase an employee's odds of success. Teams that get engagement right improve their odds of having higher performance on the important outcomes organizations care about most. When comparing top-performing teams against bottom-performing teams the average differences are:

• 10% higher customer ratings

• 22% greater profitability

An engaged employee is an energized employee who is more connected to the organization intellectually, emotionally and behaviourally.

More on employee engagement...

Employee Engagement describes the way employees demonstrate commitment, ownership, and discretionary effort toward their work, team, and organization. How people feel about their jobs, working conditions, management, compensation, and a host of other factors determines how well an organization performs.

Engaged employees are loyal and psychologically committed to the organization. They are far more likely to deliver above-average performance. In addition, engaged employees are more likely to stay with the organization, be more productive, customer focused, resilient, innovative, and be star performers.

An online briefing is given by one of TalentMap's highly experienced subject matter expert consultants, with the objectives of:

• Gaining a thorough understanding of the business context which led to the decision to conduct an employee survey

• Bringing the Executive Team up to speed with exactly what is about to take place during the upcoming employee engagement survey. The session will cover the following topics:

1. Facilitated discussion - Business context leading to the decision to conduct an employee engagement survey:

Yes! TalentMap, is an expert in employee surveys. All responses are collected confidentially. TalentMap will not share individual responses at any time with anyone within the organization. Only aggregate (combined) responses will be provided.

This is done within the guidelines of , the North American Organization that sets the Code of Standards and Ethics for Survey Research. TalentMap is also , which sets the standard for global information and data security management.

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Pulse surveys play a key role in maximizing the value of survey programs, providing organizations with more robust and timely information. View our pulse survey guide to understand how, why, and when to use them.

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The survey is done. The action plan is ready. Enthusiasm is high! Things are changing! But then, reality bites. Other priorities take precedence. Those "engagement" actions can wait.......

This is what happens in most organizations. The major reason action plans fail to get implemented is that the momentum fizzles out. To counter this, TalentMap will conduct a series of "post-survey check-ins" to make sure implementation is on track and to provide the impetus to maintain that momentum.

This is the first of a series of follow-up “check-in meetings” at suggested 3, 6, 9 and 12 month intervals with the leadership team and/or key managers to follow-up on progress with respect to action plan development and implementation.

We recommend this first meeting take place in person. We should plan for it to last 1-2 hours; and the suggested agenda is as follows:

• Progress on action plan since last meeting

Yes, we have a complete library of standard, proven and reliable questionnaires to choose from.

Although most of our work is focused on employee engagement and culture, we also deploy and provide insights on surveys for:

• Diversity, Respect and Inclusion

• Mental Health

• Safety

Yes, you can reach us live at 1-888-641-1113 ext 501 - Monday to Friday (9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST). During off hours and holidays email us at - we will get back to you quickly, usually within the hour.

TalentMap has surveyed thousands of organizations and millions of employees across a wide variety of vertical markets, including organizations of all sizes. This means we have readily available current, first hand data that can be used for comparative purposes.

Have a low % favourable score on Compensation? Without understanding how other organizations rate compensation, the score has little context. If one were to look at scores alone, it would be easy to jump to conclusions; however, in relating your organization’s scores to organizations of a similar make up, it changes how one can perceive the scores.

If of all organizations ever surveyed, the highest % favourable score for Compensation ever seen was 50%, and the average compensation score in that grouping is 35%, and your organization scored a 45%, your organization would be considered among the elite, even though the score itself appears to be very low. Benchmarking is used in tandem with engagement drivers to determine direction and strategy.

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Focus groups can serve many purposes.

1. Gain deeper insights into the responses to the survey and clarify what the responses meant to participants;

2. Ask the follow-up questions not possible in the survey itself and help determine the relative importance of the issues that surface;

3. Identify and clarify the underlying causes driving low engagement and develop a basis for the most impactful improvement recommendations for future action;

JumpStart Action Planning employs targeted ideation techniques to stimulate the generation of 75-100 distinctive ideas. Participants then engage in a process of prioritization, selecting 8-10 action "initiatives" to be pursued, ultimately culminating in the development of a comprehensive implementation plan. This entire process is efficiently completed within a single day. To get a glimpse of a sample agenda and gain more insights, please click on the article below.

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TalentMap surveys are meticulously crafted using industry best practices to gather precise and comprehensive employee data, empowering your organization to take purposeful action. By following the guidelines below, you can guarantee that your surveys:

• Align with specific organizational objectives, ensuring their strategic relevance.

• Garner exceptional response rates, maximizing participation and representation.

• Acquire dependable and valid data, providing a solid foundation for decision-making.

Employee focus groups are a valuable tool for investigating and understanding identified issues within an organization. By engaging participants in open discussions, these groups delve into the root causes of problems and bring forward potential solutions. One of the key advantages of this process is that participants can actively contribute without requiring extensive preparation or exerting excessive effort. As a result, focus groups foster an inclusive atmosphere where employees genuinely feel heard and valued.

If you're interested in learning more about conducting effective focus groups, download our comprehensive guide.

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A "stay interview" is a valuable, periodic one-on-one interaction between a manager and an employee that follows a structured format. This intentional conversation aims to identify and reinforce the key factors that contribute to an individual employee's motivation, satisfaction, and commitment to their role within the organization. By conducting successful and lasting stay interviews, managers can gain insights into what keeps their employees engaged and committed, ultimately boosting retention rates. Discover effective strategies and practical tips for conducting impactful stay interviews with our comprehensive guide.

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Join us for an engaging webinar as we delve into the vital topic of emotional intelligence in management and explore the transformative concept of servant leadership.

In this thought-provoking session, we will navigate the evolving landscape of effective leadership, placing a special emphasis on the significance of emotional intelligence. Discover how nurturing emotional intelligence among managers can foster stronger connections with employees, enhance team dynamics, and drive overall organizational success.

Furthermore, we will delve into the empowering philosophy of servant leadership, which places the needs and growth of employees at the forefront. Through real-world examples and insightful discussions, we will explore how adopting a servant leadership mindset can lead to greater employee engagement, motivation, and long-term loyalty.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain valuable insights and practical strategies for creating a positive work environment that nurtures both the emotional well-being and professional development of your team.

Explore how to approach the return to office transition in a way that enhances employee engagement and drives productivity. In this session, Sean Fitzpatrick, Jody Thompson and Nicole Chamblin share strategies to help organizations navigate the challenges of hybrid and in-person work while fostering trust and collaboration. In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Rethink the return to office by focusing on managing results, not just attendance.

• Develop intentional collaboration practices for hybrid and remote teams.

• Empower employees with autonomy while staying aligned on organizational goals.

Action planning is a crucial and fundamental step in the survey process, serving as the backbone for effective implementation and tangible outcomes. To assist you in embarking on this vital journey, we have compiled a comprehensive list of thought-provoking questions that delve into the essential elements of action planning. By considering the following aspects, you can ensure a solid foundation for your action plan:

• Making a Commitment to Act

• Creating an Action Accountability Plan

• Leveraging Tools and Technology

Captivate exceptional candidates – the caliber of talent you aspire to allure. Join our webinar and unravel the secrets of employer branding's influence on recruitment, engagement, and retention. Discover the proven strategies that captivate and retain top-tier professionals who are ideal for your organization. Don't miss out on this opportunity to master the art of attracting and keeping exceptional talent.

TalentMap's immersive half-day train-the-trainer workshops provide an ideal platform for HR managers and business partners, fostering collaboration among a group of 10 to 20 participants. This dynamic session is designed to empower attendees with the skills necessary to interpret survey results accurately and equip them with the expertise to create impactful internal action plans. Discover more about these transformative workshops by clicking the link below.

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Onboarding programs play a crucial role in creating a positive and productive environment for new hires, ensuring they feel welcomed and equipped to succeed in their new roles. A well-executed onboarding process fosters meaningful connections between the newcomer, colleagues, management, and the organization as a whole.

Effective onboarding yields immediate benefits, such as establishing a sense of security and stability for new employees. Over time, this translates into enhanced performance, increased commitment to the organization, and accelerated productivity. Moreover, it contributes to improved employee retention rates, reduced time to full productivity, and a strong sense of engagement among the workforce.

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The Client survey data comprising all TalentMap survey responses received from Client respondents, and any tabulation, reporting or analysis thereof, is the property of the Client, will be kept strictly confidential and will not be divulged by TalentMap to any third party for any purpose whatsoever except with the express written consent of a duly authorized Client representative.

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The following set of engagement drivers appear consistently across work published by leading practitioners and academics:Trust and integrity

1. Nature of the job

2. Line of sight

3. Career growth opportunities

4. Pride about the company

5. Coworkers/team members

6. Employee development/training

7. A personal relationship with one’s immediate manager.

TalentMap measures each of the eight common drivers listed above, albeit using slightly different terminology. We also go beyond simply measuring the drivers of engagement by adding four additional drivers that measure business performance.

This survey model includes additional measures of perception as they relate to:

1. Customer/client/patient service

2. Innovation

3. Work/life balance

4. Work environment

While these last four dimensions are not always significant drivers of engagement nor do they appear among the eight common dimensions mentioned above, they are significant business performance drivers leading to positive business outcomes. They are also important metrics for any organization that wants to improve both engagement and performance.

By adding these additional four (4) survey drivers, TalentMap’s engagement survey covers areas that are not normally addressed.

There are supplemental engagement drivers that can also be surveyed - for example, health & safety, work diversity, etc. These drivers are not typically key to the success of a corporation but some companies feel that they want to gather facts and data around them. TalentMap can help you survey on a number of these supplemental drivers.

Engagement is at the heart of the relationship between the employee and the organization. Not only can engagement benefit the employer through increased staff performance, it can also positively transform the working lives of employees and even the communities they live in.

Benefits For Your Organization

You’ve probably heard, and likely believe, that an organization’s number-one asset is its people. So why not invest in your employees (not just financially, but emotionally) to ensure they are productive and give 100 percent every day” Successful organizations do well, in part, by being in touch with their employees, by giving them a voice, and by making sure they know their contributions are valued.

When your employees are engage, they’re far more likely to deliver above-average performance. In addition, engaged employees are more likely to stay with the organization, be more productive, customer focused, resilient, innovative, and be star performers.

Benefits For Your Employees

We spend a lot of hours at work. Now imagine spending all of those hours feeling bored, unfulfilled, frustrated, and disinterested. For those hours to have no effect on the rest of your life would be impossible. Feeling so-so at work can negatively affect your mood, energy levels, and general outlook on life.

But when you spend those working hours feeling inspired, valued, and motivated, the opposite can happen. A great work life can help to inspire a great life outside of work. Engaged employees have better overall well-being than those who are disconnected

with their organization. TalentMap has found that engaged employees lead longer, healthier, and happier lives than those who are disengaged.

Recent research has found that engaged employees may take fewer sick days. Disengaged employees take on average three times as many sick days per year than engaged employees do.

Benefits for Society

When employees are committed and feel valued and invested in their organization’s goals, then the organization, as a whole, benefits. Successful individuals and organizations can create positive economic outcomes, happier people, and stronger communities. And successful organizations can also achieve more innovations and advancement in their respective industries, improving everyone’s quality of life.

At TalentMap, we often receive the question: “if we pay for the data, why won’t you release it to us? We only want to use the data to conduct research. Why do you refuse to release the data, even if we remove the names and e-mail addresses?”

We conduct each and every survey with a commitment to employees that we will protect their individual information. This is stated very clearly in all of our sales and contract documents, pre-survey communication, and on the questionnaires themselves. Individual responses are both confidential and anonymous.1 Breaking this commitment with employees is certain to be interpreted as a breach of trust; and most employees would no longer trust surveys conducted by their organization, even if managed by an external vendor.

These privacy standards are not only the “right thing to do”, but are also mandated by the codes of ethics of number of professional organizations which guide practices in survey research, including the (now defunct) Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA) in Canada, and the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO) in the US (which also has many Canadian members). We also adhere to the standards of ESOMAR (the equivalent body for Europe, which de facto sets the global standard).

We often get the question from universities and academics who would like to use the data to conduct further research. Even if we remove identifiers (e.g. e-mail address, names), it is possible to use demographic characteristics to identify very small groups, or even individuals (this is called ‘nesting’)2.

So, we cannot and will not release the raw data file, since if this were to happen, we would be breaking our covenant with employee-respondents. There is; however, one compromise we would consider and that we have used in the past with very insistent organizations, and that is that we will release the data if and only if we also remove all demographic and characteristic variables, or at least enough so that no combination of cross-tabulations will yield fewer employee-respondents than the agreed upon threshold (the industry minimum is five). However, this usually renders the data meaningless, because the whole purpose for requesting the raw data in the first place is to conduct analysis on these subgroups. Nevertheless, there have been a number of clients that have requested this.

So please understand that our unwillingness to release raw data is grounded firmly in our insistence that we must protect the bond of trust between the organization and its employees, as well as our obligations to uphold standard industry practice.

1. Comments are just anonymous. Since they are can be read on an individual basis, they are not considered “confidential”.

2. For example, if someone requests to see the responses of only employees 25 or under, working in admin, in the CEOs office; this would yield a very small number of individuals, perhaps even a single individual thereby breaking the commitment to those few, or that individual, employee.

Research has consistently shown that employee engagement is powerfully linked to a range of business performance factors such as:

• Employee performance/efficiency

• Productivity

• Safety

• Attendance and retention

• Customer service and satisfaction

• Customer loyalty and retention

• Profitability

Corporations need to put in place tools to measure performance and ensure they align and engage people to a clearly articulated strategy. Engagement survey data will assist in determining which performance factors are key to your corporate performance. They should have:

• A “fit for purpose” organizational structure where people understand what is expected of them and what they are accountable for

• People systems and processes that drive the right behaviors

• Capable leadership

• A positive work environment (culture)

These elements drive the level of employee engagement in an organization which, in turn, influences the customer experience and, ultimately, the overall performance of an organization in terms of productivity and profitability.

Integration of these elements will produce powerful and mutually reinforced results: an engaged workforce and a true performance culture. No single initiative can create organizational effectiveness; excellence is required across the full range of the organizational elements if competitive strength is to be built.

Effective leadership doesn't always come naturally to those in management positions. Many require training, reminders, and support to develop their leadership skills fully.

To facilitate this growth, TalentMap offers a valuable tool: the four-part 360° Leadership Survey guide. Through multi-source feedback gathered from 360° leadership surveys, managers gain unique insights into how they are perceived by themselves, their superiors, subordinates, and peers. This comprehensive view fosters greater self-awareness and paves the way for personal development.

Discover how harnessing the perspectives of others can elevate management performance and lead to improved outcomes with our practical and informative guide on 360° Leadership Surveys.

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Discover the path to successful action planning with our comprehensive guide, designed to be your ultimate starting point. Whether you're an individual or a team, this resource equips you to embark on your journey towards achieving your goals. By viewing and sharing this guide with your stakeholders, you can rally everyone on-board and kickstart effective planning.

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Many employees are eager to share their experiences and believe that the organization stands to benefit greatly if they express their genuine reasons for leaving. Exit interviews provide a valuable opportunity for employees to identify issues and propose solutions. This summary, created by TalentMap, offers a comprehensive overview of exit interviews and their potential impact. By utilizing this resource and implementing exit interviews effectively, organizations can gain valuable insights, enhance retention rates, and improve overall management performance.

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No. After the survey is completed and an employee clicks the “submit” button, there is no option to go back and change responses. Once responses are submitted, they are saved and locked.

Yes, absolutely.

Individuals who we survey are the lifeblood of TalentMap. Consequently, the protection of individual survey responses is paramount. And, despite wide-spread misinformation, standard Internet technologies provide a solid foundation to ensure the anonymity of individual survey respondents.

TalentMap Security

You, your computer and all computers at your office sit within your company’s network (LAN). Your company’s firewall protects your computer and its identity, from all other computers on the Internet. Your company’s firewall manages the translation of its ONE INTERNET ADDRESS (the one it displays to other computers on the Internet) into the multiple computer addresses that are found within your company’s network and protects your computer from other unwanted forms of access.

TalentMap’s computers (servers) capture your individual survey responses from your company BUT because your company’s firewall translates all computers addresses inside your company’s network into one single computer address we are unable to trace your survey responses back to you or to your computer.

Understanding Internet Technology and How it Impacts Your Privacy

Addresses: Every computer that accesses or delivers data on the Internet requires a unique address. This address is called an IP address.

Firewall: Protects a grouping of computers connected to the Internet. Effectively makes several computers look like one computer to other computers on the public Internet.

TalentMap's Database: Like your computer at your office, our database - where your survey response data is kept - is protected by a firewall. Our database has no direct connection to the Internet. The standard internet port on which it runs is closed to the Internet making it virtually impossible to access from the outside.

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A high response rate is vital to a successful survey program. TalentMap’s average employee survey response rate is 78%. Below are some ways to help you hit and even beat the benchmark average.

1. SURVEY LAUNCH: Invite employees for coffee and donuts the day the survey launches to introduce, promote and build excitement around the survey. Inform them that the survey link will be in their inbox when they return and encourage them to take 20-25 minutes to complete it when they return to their desk.

2. REMINDER EMAIL COUNTDOWN: A "countdown" to the survey end period helps give those people who haven't taken the time to complete the survey a friendly reminder to do so. You may want to send a reminder email (always include the link in the email for easy survey access) as detailed below:

   • One WEEK into the survey with a subject line "Only XX days left to tell us what you think".

   • The LAST 2 DAYS of your survey with a subject line "2nd last/final day to tell us what you think".

   • At NOON of your last survey day with subject line "This is your LAST chance to tell us what you think - Survey ends at close of business today".

3. MANAGEMENT TEAM PROMOTING THE SURVEY: Another great strategy is to have the management team take a quick walk around the office promoting the survey and encourage those who haven't filled it out to do so. In addition, have each DEPARTMENT manager encourage their employees to complete the survey (encourages a "healthy" interdepartmental competition).

4. HOLD A COMPANY CONTEST where everyone’s name goes in the draw only if you hit your target response rate of i.e. 80%. You could have a draw for sports events, restaurant certificates, pizza lunch, bottle of wine or even an IPOD.

5. HOLD A DEPARTMENT CONTEST The department with the highest response rate at the end of the first week will have a pizza lunch.

6. SURVEY CHAMPION promoting the survey. Do a quick walk around asking the employees if they have completed the survey.

7. **SURVEY WIND DOWN **with coffee and donuts with a statement "Thanks for participating in the survey".

8. ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO WRAP UP THEIR WORKING DAY 30 minutes ahead of time so they can complete the survey.

9. CHARITY DONATION Communicate to employees that for every survey response the company receives, money (i.e. $2-$5) will be donated to the organization’s charity of choice.

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Employees who indicated that their organizations were one of the best performers reported double the level of engagement compared to employees who reported average organizational performance. 53% of those who saw their organizations as top performers were highly engaged while only 8% of those who reported their organizations as under-performing were engaged.

It is important that the organization find ways to clearly communicate successes that demonstrate how the organization is performing, and especially to find ways to socialize stories of superior performance. Clear, well-planned, high-impact messages can help employees not only see the connection between their work and these successes, but also understand how they support overall organizational performance, which ties directly to engagement levels.

Join us for an insightful webinar as we delve into the crucial topic of mental health in the workplace. Our experts will share valuable insights on the current state of mental health, equipping HR professionals with essential knowledge to develop a comprehensive mental health strategy.

Discover the latest trends, challenges, and best practices for fostering a mentally healthy work environment. We will explore key considerations that HR professionals should bear in mind, enabling them to effectively address mental health concerns and promote employee well-being.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain practical guidance and actionable strategies.

All organizations that survey with TalentMap become part of our benchmark data. TalentMap has measured engagement for thousands of organizations across many vertical markets. Our most commonly surveyed markets include:

• Associations

• Education

• Energy & Mining

• Financial Services

• Government & Public Sector

• Healthcare

• Hospitality

• Non-Profit

• Professional Services

• Utilities

For the most part, we recommend clients benchmark according to the size of the organization, as we have found that organizations of similar size tend to behave the same ways and have the same challenges. Some exceptions include not-for-profit, public organizations and healthcare.

TalentMap’s benchmarks are updated every 12-18 months. For more information, click to view the article below.

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We provide comprehensive support throughout each phase of the survey process. Here's a breakdown of the support you can expect during each stage:

1. Pre-Survey Phase:

   • Executive team alignment and kickoff call

   • Guidance on survey positioning and communication

   • Questionnaire design support

   • Logistics planning (e.g., dealing with different locations, firewalls, emails)

2. Survey Design:

   • Expert advice on question types and survey length

   • Customization options (e.g., different questionnaires for different staff groups if needed)

   • Best practices for question design to maximize impact

3. Survey Deployment:

   • Pre-survey communication support

   • Technical support for survey distribution

   • Monitoring of response rates
4. Data Analysis:

   • Quick turnaround (usually 1-3 days) for initial data analysis

   • Access to online reporting tools for real-time data viewing

   • In-depth analysis comparing your results to benchmarks and other companies

5. Results Presentation:

   • Two-stage presentation process: a. Preview presentation for HR/survey team b. Detailed presentation for leadership team

   • Discussion and validation of assumptions

   • Opportunity for deeper data exploration

6. Post-Survey Support:

   • Training or workshops for managers and HR teams

   • Post-survey consulting or coaching

   • Self-guided learning resources on how to use and interpret the data

7. Ongoing Support:

   • Guidance on follow-up actions and next steps

   • Availability for questions and additional analysis as needed

Throughout the entire process, you'll have access to our team of project managers, developers, and analysts. Our senior project manager handles day-to-day logistics, while our executive consultant is involved in questionnaire design and helping the leadership team understand the results.

We're committed to guiding you through every step, leveraging 20+ years of experience to ensure a successful survey process and meaningful outcomes for your organization.

A well-executed employee recognition program serves as a vital element in establishing a strong foundation for long-lasting and sustainable engagement within organizations. TalentMap collaborates with Kudos to delve into effective recognition strategies and tools aimed at enhancing engagement levels.

In this discussion TalentMap and Kudos join forces to explore ways in which organizations can foster a culture of recognition and appreciation. By leveraging proven strategies and utilizing innovative tools, they offer valuable insights on boosting employee engagement.

Watch this webinar to discover practical approaches that can be implemented to promote praise and positively influence employee engagement. Gain valuable knowledge and learn how a comprehensive recognition program can contribute to creating a motivated and committed workforce.

TalentMap's post-survey employee focus groups are designed to delve into problems, explore their underlying causes, and uncover valuable suggestions for solutions. This comprehensive process not only encourages active participation from participants but also cultivates a culture where employees feel their opinions hold significant value. Discover more about this empowering initiative by visiting the link below.

||| Learn More: Focus Groups

Launching an engagement survey is a crucial strategic initiative that requires careful consideration. It involves preparing the executive team to receive and act upon feedback, as well as ensuring the timing aligns with the organization's business planning and performance schedule. By completing the comprehensive Organizational Readiness Checklist, you can gauge the readiness of your organization to undertake this important endeavor.

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Your staff’s views are important, so you need to do the right research. Using a professional survey partner has a number of benefits.

1. Knowing where things stand: If you don’t have a realistic picture of where engagement levels stand in the organization, you can’t take action to improve. A professional survey partner not only helps you conduct the survey but also provides benchmarks from similar organizations, so your results don’t exist in a bubble.

2. Getting an honest picture from employees: You may be wondering why a professional employee survey is a better way to get honest feedback than, say, asking employees outright what they think of the organization. The truth is that it can be hard to rock the boat. People are often too intimidated to share concerns with their managers, or even human resources. Or they may worry that saying what they really think will be perceived as complaining or whining, and they’ll get penalized when it’s time for performance reviews. By bringing in an objective third party that can assure anonymity to all survey respondents, you get the most honest feedback, which gives you the clearest picture of engagement levels at your organization.

Using simple tools, you can measure the levels of engagement within our organization. Here, we tell you about some options.

Interviews

Employers can use interviews and questionnaires at any point in an employee’s time with the organization, depending on what they want to measure. For example, by conducting simple “stay” interviews with employees, you can find out a lot about what keeps employees around, what may cause them to leave, and what areas need attention at your organization. Interviews also foster enhanced communication between managers and staff.

Weekly One-On-One's

Short weekly meetings (about 30 minutes long) between an employee and his or her direct supervisor help to create the foundation for good communication and a strong working relationship. These meetings should be:

• Regular

75%+, and our goal is to help you reach an 80% response rate.

TalentMap works closely with its clients to achieve a high response rate. We provide you with best practices on how to obtain high response rates, and we monitor response rates closely to ensure that there is continuous improvement in our systems and the best practices we share with you.

One of the keys to our high response rates is our online reporting tool. With our online reporting tool, the survey champion can view response rates in real time and filter down by demographics to see what groups require a little more encouragement and support to complete the survey.

Refine your understanding of the impact your actions have made by conducting a pulse survey several months after implementation. Our comprehensive pulse survey guide offers valuable insights on how, why, and when to effectively employ these surveys. Access the guide to optimize your understanding of pulse surveys and their role in assessing the desired impact.

||| Pulse Surveys Guide

Enhance productivity at your workplace by effectively addressing employee health concerns and personal challenges. Join TalentMap's insightful webinar to discover practical strategies for minimizing presenteeism and absenteeism. Gain valuable insights on reducing the impact of health issues, family-related problems, and stress on your workforce. Take a proactive approach towards fostering a healthier and more engaged work environment.

After years of helping clients implement action plans, we’ve learned a few things along the way:

1. Getting local-level business unit leaders to share their survey results and develop action plans directly with their staff will increase management’s commitment to take action. Developing action plans at all levels of an organization is helpful, and ensuring that employees are involved in action planning is most effective at increasing employee engagement at the business-unit level.

2. Designating the oversight of action-planning programs to a senior manager or executive at the highest levels ensures greater accountability and adherence to action plans. Ignoring problems or issues that the organization can’t address, without explaining the situation to employees, only leads to greater disengagement. Managers who explain why they can’t use some of the employees’ suggestions help employees accept the organization’s limitations. Also, employees won’t repeat the issue when responding to future surveys.

The TalentMap One-on-One Meetings How-To Guide is an invaluable resource designed specifically for people managers and HR professionals. This comprehensive guide offers practical steps and expert advice to help you navigate and maximize the potential of one-on-one meetings. From introducing the concept to effectively following through on discussions, this guide presents five essential steps based on industry insights. By leveraging these insights and incorporating purpose-filled conversations, you can establish a foundation for meaningful interactions with your team.

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An engaged employee is an energized employee who is more connected to the organization intellectually, emotionally and behaviourally.

Employee engagement describes the way employees demonstrate commitment, ownership, and discretionary effort toward their work, team, and organization.

No one definition of employee engagement is right. Its definition varies somewhat from one organization to another and depends on goals, established culture, and the industry to which it belongs.

The Cognitive, or “Head” component relates to employees’ logical evaluation of a company’s goals and values. The Emotional (Affective), or “Heart” component taps into whether employees have a sense of belonging and pride in the company. Finally, the Behavioural dimension, or “Hands” component captures the outcomes that employers desire such as retention and willingness to “go the extra distance” for the company when necessary. Engagement itself is actually a measure of the combination of these three components. This definition and approach was adopted in the AHS 2010 Workplace Engagement Survey and fully aligns with AHS’ current definition of engagement.

Engaged: These employees are loyal and psychologically committed to the organization. They are more productive and innovative, three times less likely to leave the organization, less likely to have accidents on the job, and less likely to steal.

Not Engaged: These employees may be productive, but they are not psychologically connected to their company. They are less inclined to give the best of themselves to the organization. They are more likely to miss work days and more likely to leave.

Actively Disengaged: These employees are physically present but psychologically absent. They are unhappy with their work situation and insist on sharing that unhappiness with their colleagues.

Below is a list of our thirteen core dimensions. We also measure Mental Health, and Safety if required for your organization.

**My Role ** A new dimension that clearly focuses on role clarity, sense of accomplishment, skills and abilities utilization and enjoyment of the work itself.

**Systems and Resources ** A new dimension that assesses the extent to which employees have the systems and resources (training, materials, equipment, information, etc.) they need to do their jobs well. This dimension often correlates highly with Team Engagement.

Growth and Development Refers to the attitudes that an employee has with regard to their personal growth, development and career at your organization.

Performance Management Measures the attitudes that reflect an employee’s expectations about how they will be measured and evaluated, and if they feel they receive fair and regular feedback.

**Organizational Culture ** This new dimension includes items that capture several aspects of an organization’s culture that are more intangible than other dimensions in the survey but are very critical and correlate highly with engagement. It includes questions about the organization treating employees with respect and dignity, caring about its people, creating an environment where it’s safe to speak up, operating with integrity, etc.

Immediate Manager Refers to how an employee feels about the behaviours of and relationship with their day-to-day supervisor (ex. manager, foreman).

Compensation Refers to an employee’s satisfaction with different components of their total compensation and if they feel it is equitable given market conditions.

Work/Life Balance Measures if an employee feels they have an appropriate balance between work responsibilities and their personal life, and whether they feel able to have control over their workload.

Teamwork Measures the degree to which an employee feels there is adequate cooperation, collaboration, and team spirit at Your organization. This should be interpreted to mean in the organization as a whole.

Innovation Assesses if an employee feels that Your organization has a commitment to do high quality work and; if new ideas for doing the work are considered and accepted. It also measures if an employee either feels they can learn from mistakes or if they are afraid of trying something new for fear of being blamed for mistakes.

Senior Leadership Measures if an employee feels that information necessary to do their job is readily available and shared in an open and honest manner.

Senior Leadership Assesses the extent to which an employee has respect for the behaviours of and has confidence in the executive leadership of the Your organization (ex. CEO and Senior Vice Presidents).

Organizational Engagement Measures five attitudes, which together are the best predictors of an employee’s willingness to contribute extra effort because they want to.

Diversity and Inclusion (optional dimension) Measures the degree to which an employee feels that diversity and inclusion are respected in the workplace, and whether there is any difference in experience between those with different race, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, perspective/idea, ability or other self-defining characteristic.

Your organization defines:

• Diversity as the openness to differences in self-identifying characteristics, attitudes, perceptions and behaviours;

• Inclusion as the degree to which differences are valued and used to improve results

TalentMap recommends as much transparency as possible. The ideal is to share all comments “as is” but very few management teams have the fortitude. Full buy-in is needed from your CEO for this approach. For most organizations, the following seems to work:

• All members of the senior team see all comments

• Directors see all comments that fall in their respective portfolios

The challenge is how or whether to disclose comments to managers.

Is the manager’s group large enough to protect anonymity?

It’s human nature to try to guess who said what. Typically comments are NOT to be shared when a manager has less than 20 direct reports.

Is it possible to share comments without causing too much upset?

Some managers are sophisticated and can put “hurtful” comments in proper context, but there are many less able to do so, and they’ll struggle with negative comments.

A way to bridge these issues is to provide managers with a random or representative sample of comments from the larger department or division. In other words, all managers in a given department get the same set of comments. This approach gives managers exposure to the tone and nature of verbatim comments, which can be very direct and personal.

We often hear that our thinking and capacity to learn undergo shifts and changes as we age. It is commonly believed that older individuals are resistant to acquiring new knowledge and skills, as the saying goes, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks." However, if you were to ask people above the age of forty about the mental age they feel they have reached, their answers might surprise you and challenge the notion of a significant age-related divide. Despite this, social scientists argue that each generation can be characterized by distinct traits shaped by their unique experiences during their formative years. As a result, as businesses and organizations, we recognize the need for different management approaches tailored to various age groups with their differing attitudes. In light of this, how can we effectively bridge the generational gap in the workplace?