Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1498713
WORKPLACE surveys are a healthy practice for every or- ganisation; they provide both quantitative and qualitative in- formation that can help shape company policy, steer the gen- eral direction of a business and even help in the growth of indi- viduals and leaders. Such sur- veys can range from an Employ- er Net Promoter Score (eNPS), which asks a single question of "How likely are you to recommend others to work with this organisation?", to more detailed surveys such as an Employee Voice question- naire. In the process of designing our very own survey platform, the question about protecting the respondent's anonymity always crops up. In addressing this need, I find myself conflicted between two opposing argu- ments; a. If people are not allowed an- onymity, they will not tell you what they really think. They will say what you or others want to hear. Without anonymity you will not get a true pulse of your organisation. b. With appropriate identifica- tion, follow-ups are made possi- ble. Participants will be comfortable taking accounta- bility for what they say and this will allow others to understand where the problems may lie and actually do something about them. Identifiable respondents had the courage to speak up, stand by what they said and are ready to help solve poten- tial problems. While the question always makes me reflect, personal- ly I land strongly on the side against anonymity. I therefore choose to attach my identity to surveys that allow me to do so. Yet one cannot completely dis- regard the merits of the former perspective. It is very true that some people may refrain from being truthful when anonymity is not on the table, but I do believe that such a reality highlights a culture within which people do not feel safe in voicing their opinions. Take for example the following statement from our yearly com- pany survey; remember that people are able to rate this on a scale from 1 to 5 where 5 is "Completely Agree" and 1 is "Completely Disagree". "I intend to still be working with this company in the next 12 months." In a healthy organisation, one can be comfortable expressing a negative view towards the above question without fear of repercussions. Maybe there is something your colleagues can do to improve the situa- tion and thereby convince you to extend your tenure. In a less healthy environment, a negative response may lead to changing attitudes, deteriorating working conditions and possibly termi- nation. The truth is that most would rather be part of the healthier organisation from the above two examples. And while all leaders like to think that their company is the best place for anyone to work at, the reality may be different. In light of this unknown, I think there is a happy medium towards the question of ano- nymity; I believe one should not make a survey anonymous by default but instead allow for any respondent to stay anony- mous if they so choose to. You can now work on progressively improving the company culture towards one where people are more and more comfortable to voice their opinions. With the right metrics in place you can keep track of this progress as reducing the need for anonym- ity while preserving healthy re- sponse rates. On a more philosophical re- flection, I feel that the veil of anonymity often tends to bring out the nastiest aspects of hu- man nature - as evident with fake profiles on social media. While I genuinely believe that most people typically have good intentions, I like to ensure that I am doing my part in helping good qualities surface without sacrificing hard cold truths - this is why I believe the happy medium is a good way forward. In my role leading product ini- tiatives at Konnekt, Talexio and Expedition42, this philosophy drives me and my team in en- suring that we build flexible HR survey products - ones that allow for people to stay anon- ymous if they choose to while also promoting the principles of transparency and psychological safety. 4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 MAY 2023 OPINION On surveys and anonymity OPINION Mark Camilleri The veil of anonymity often tends to bring out the nastiest aspects of human nature - as evident with fake profiles on social media.