Digital measurement of employee satisfaction in real-time

FöretagsLyftet i Väst, a skills provision project financed by the European Social Fund and overseen by Göteborgs Tekniska College, realised at an early stage of the project that the 55 companies taking part were interested in speedy methods of measuring and feeding back on the well-being of personnel. Performing an employee survey once a year, or worse still, every other year, doesn’t fit the profile of a company committed to change, and the need arose to quickly and easily take the pulse of employees in real-time in order to focus on areas which require follow-up. The project came into contact with Winningtemp, a supplier using a revolutionary technique in order to create successful and prosperous workplaces.

Winningtemp has developed a tool which tracks the development and well-being of personnel in real-time through a slick, simple, user-friendly mobile app. This technology is automated and requires minimal time from managers and employees. The results achieved include identification of proactive measures for increasing motivation, preventing loss of talent and adopting preventative measures against stress or victimisation. The metrics tracked included leadership, involvement and personal development.

Four short questions are sent to employees every week, or as often as the company decides, who reply with the help of smileys. It takes around one minute in total, with everything handled easily by a mobile application. Personnel who do not have access to a mobile can respond via e-mail. At many workplaces, however, personnel may not have access to their own computer, so some sites provided an easily accessible shared computer or a punch clock. Management can then easily track visual thermometers and reports which are updated in real-time in line with the responses of personnel in the most recent survey. Winningtemp also allows companies to gather suggestions on measures. In addition, the tool can be used to provide ongoing feedback as well as give praise and feedback.

Companies taking part

In order to take part, companies were asked to discuss their reasons for doing so and the impact they believed the tool and approach would have on the organisation. They would then take part in a pilot over a six-month period, perform regular surveys among the workforce and work on the areas of improvement which may be identified. They were also asked to submit an Excel file of those taking part to the supplier. The offer included start-up, training and support as well as evaluation of results.

Before pilot start-up

One company prepared in the following way:

Background

We currently have no tools for measuring the well-being of personnel. Nor do we have tangible methods for measuring and assessing the commitment and motivation of personnel and the extent to which they understand the significance of their own activities, and how they contribute to achieving our objectives.

Purpose

Boosting organisational efficiency by measuring the well-being, commitment and motivation of personnel and, based on the results, carrying out activities and adopting measures.

Anticipated impact

Obtaining a clear, informed overview of the organisation’s status and well-being as well as the commitment and motivation of personnel, in order to swiftly identify areas of potential improvement and adopt measures. By participating in the project, we hope to increase participation and understanding of the impact we have on one another, both positively and negatively. That we learn lessons and develop individuals and the organisation in the right direction.

• Overview
• Identify specific problems
• Status in real-time
• Time-efficiency
• Swift responses on action taken

We have no plans in place on how we will tackle problems/areas of improvement which arise in association with this project. We will be holding ongoing discussions with the aim of maintaining a prosperous organisation in which everyone thrives and does a good job, achieves our objectives and constantly improves our performance.

Evaluation

In addition to other companies, they have proven to be very satisfied. One company had this to say about the tool:

We’ve been using Winningtemp at our company since the turn of the year and can really recommend it. It’s just as good as it’s made out to be! It provides a really good overview! Thanks to the system’s anonymity, thoughts and opinions emerge which may not otherwise have come to light. Now we have the chance to improve the working situation and well-being of all our colleagues. Once a measure is “completed”, Winningtemp shows how results for the relevant group improve within a few weeks. This kind of feedback is a great complement to assessment provided face to face. Thumbs up from us, pure and simple! We’ve just ordered an extension of Winningtemp with our own funds. Negative effects reported relating to use of the tool included a lack of awareness among personnel as well as poor planning of implementation and follow-up. However, if preparation, inclusion and follow-up have been carried out effectively, these problems can be avoided.