Top 5 Survey Platforms – An Experiment
A few days ago, I wanted to see what the top survey software platforms for employee listening were based on AI. So, I ran a simple experiment throughout my workday. Instead of my traditional go-to move of using Google to conduct an internet search, I used Microsoft’s Copilot to do most of my internet searching. What I learned was fascinating.
First, the landscape of internet search is undergoing a significant transformation. Traditional search engines like Google and Bing, which have long been the go-to platforms for information retrieval, are now sharing the stage with Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots. This shift is driven by users’ desire for more personalized, interactive, and efficient search experiences.
AI chatbots are gaining popularity for a few reasons. First, they offer a more interactive search experience. Unlike traditional search engines that provide a list of links, AI chatbots engage users in a conversation, making the search process more dynamic and user-friendly. Second, AI chatbots can provide personalized search results. They can learn from past interactions, understand the context, and deliver results tailored to the user’s specific needs and preferences. This level of personalization is challenging to achieve with traditional search engines.
Now, while AI chatbots are improving, they sometimes provide inaccurate or irrelevant responses due to misunderstanding the user’s query. Also, AI chatbots learn from user interactions, raising concerns about data privacy and security.
My Main Point – Top 5 Platforms for Employee Listening
So, what does this have to do with my quest to find the top five survey platforms for employee listening? Well, when I ran this query using Copilot, the bot returned the following five possible survey software solutions:
- Connecteam: Best for small businesses with a mobile workforce.
- SurveySparrow: Best for enterprises.
- Culture Amp: Best for science-backed survey templates.
- Zoho Survey: Best for scalability.
- QualtricsXM: Best for advanced reporting and analytics.
This list is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, Connecteam is not even a survey platform; instead, it is a corporate communications platform that is designed to support deskless workers that are primarily mobile. Why it came up in the search results is most likely due to Connecteam’s search strategy and search optimization techniques. They have the bots thinking this is a good search result, even though it is not closely related to my search query.
Second, the other four results appear to be “on point” in that they are survey platforms, but the reality is that they do not meet the key requirements needed when developing and managing employee listening campaigns. So, in this sense, the list Coplot provided is like most internet searches: a list of viable solutions that are general in nature.
What is Needed for Employee Listening
This leads me to platform number six, which is Spectiv by DecisionWise. When measuring the employe experience, you need to ensure your survey software tool can tackle the unique set of challenges associated with employee listening campaigns. Spectiv has been purpose-built to meet those challenges.
Here are a few to consider:
Hierarchy Management
Employee sentiment and perceptions are not transactional, they are relationship-based. This is why you need to make sure a survey platform is equipped to handle hierarchies (or what we commonly call the “Org Chart”). When listening to employees, you are measuring the strength and nature of their relationships with the organization, their manager, and coworkers. This information needs to be organized by, and layered on top of, the org structure.
Dimensional Feedback
When listening to employees, we need to make sure the software is equipped to gather feedback at the individual, team, and organizational levels. Most survey platforms are designed to measure transaction-based relationships, such as customer and seller. For example, “How would you rate our product?” When dealing with employes, the questions are more nuanced and complex. Thus, look for features such as pulsing options, benchmarks, and robust question and template libraries. This extra embedded IP helps users listen across the three dimensions of individual, team, and organization.
Demographics Details
Employee information comes with a lot of meta data, such as demographics that include tenure, age, education, experience, gender, ethnicity and race, geography and much more. This demographic information is more detailed than is often encountered when measuring customer interactions. Will the survey platform have the ability to incorporate this demographic information into the survey process?
Org Changes
Organizations are not static, unlike many customer experiences. Renting a car is mostly the same from airport to airport and from person to person. But with organizations, people come and go. Promotions happen. Departments are restructured. Priorities shift based on new initiatives. Acquisitions and mergers take place and impact on how the organization is organized. Thus, the backdrop of how and when we measure the employee experience is constantly changing and requires adjustments and redesigns. Is the software equipped to handle these challenges?
True Confidentiality
Employees may be hesitant to provide honest feedback due to fear of repercussions. Does the platform give the user the ability to set true confidentiality thresholds that mask information and help keep responses confidential?
Preconfigured Reporting
Most survey platforms require the user to first develop a survey and then build a corresponding report. While many HR professionals can do a good job in building a survey, they often have no idea how to build a report that will help users and leaders glean the key insights they need. Spectiv comes with preconfigured reports that are specifically designed to deliver the most insights from employee survey data.
Conclusion – Platform Number 6 is the Clear Choice
So, as my title suggests, there are 6 (not just 5) top survey platforms. Number 6, which is Spectiv by DecisionWise, is the perfect choice for those wanting a purpose-built tool that has been designed solely to measure the employee experience. Then, couple our rich feature-set with our focus on confidentiality, and there is good reason to see why DecisionWise offers the best tool for measuring and understanding your employee experience.
