Employee survey

BBC case study

Objectives: the BBC conducts an annual staff survey in order to gauge and monitor employee opinion across a broad spectrum of issues, in particular:

• to provide timely feedback on all aspects of organisational performance
• to identify how far it has travelled and how far it still has to go to achieve its aspiration of being 'the most creative organisation in the world'
• to help identify and prioritise action.

Methodology: The 2005 BBC staff survey was conducted entirely online. The BBC provided usI with the email addresses of its 27,000 or os employees. We then emailed each a unique link, inviting them to take part in the survey.

The web survey itself was scripted by Ipsos MORI using Confirmit software. Crucially, we worked with the BBC to ensure it was highly accessible to people with disabilities (for example it could be read and navigated by people using screen reading technology.)

Throughout the survey period we sent the BBC survey team daily updates on divisional response rates; this enabled them to focus their communications on the divisions where survey completion was low. We also sent out two reminder emails to people who had yet to participate online.

Outcome: some 45% of BBC employees participated in the 2005 staff survey, a very healthy response rate given the fact that the research was conducted at a time of unprecedented change for the organisation. The data itself has been used, and is still being used, to inform the development of a range of initiatives both across the whole organisation and at divisional level.