A real management and management tool for human resources, the social barometer allows you to better understand the climate within your organization. If implemented correctly, it gives you valuable information on the level of satisfaction of your employees, the points of tension, the level of cohesion, etc. Here we invite you to discover essential information on the social barometer in business, its advantages, the key steps to deploy it easily, as well as our advice for integrating it into a sustainable continuous improvement process.
What is a social barometer?
The social barometer is a tool used by companies to assess or monitor the social climate, the level of motivation of employees, and their satisfaction with the global policy. It also makes it possible to assess psychosocial risks and the loss of meaning at work.
Concretely, the social barometer is an internal survey, often in the form of an electronic form sent to some or all employees. The questions asked may relate to a specific topic or relate more generally. quality of life and working conditions (QLWC).
The objective for the company is to use the social barometer to be able to implement measures to prevent and improve the social climate within the organization.
Why conduct a social barometer in business?
Setting up a social barometer has many benefits for your company, both for employees, human resources managers, managers and members of management.
Have a clear vision of the company's social climate
First of all, it allows you to take the pulse of the social climate within the organization. Thanks to the anonymous questionnaire, employees can express themselves more freely than during their individual interviews. So the vision you get is more realistic and objective.
Identify malfunctions and define actions
The social barometer can also allow you to identify certain dysfunctions that affect the productivity or well-being of your employees. By better understanding their expectations and challenges, you can act proactively to find lasting solutions.
Optimizing business performance
By taking into account employee feedback, by improving their working conditions and by showing them that their feedback matters, you can dramatically increase the motivation and loyalty of the people who work with you.
The social barometer can therefore allow you to increase the commitment and productivity of your employees, but also to reduce the turnover rate within your workforce.
Promote your employer brand
You can definitely use the results of your social barometer to communicate externally. It can both improve your branding, but also have a positive impact on your employer brand.
Knowing that a company is interested in the social climate, working conditions and QWL is a positive signal that can encourage talents to apply in order to join the organization. This can be a good way to differentiate yourself from your competitors in the job market.
How to set up a social barometer?
To carry out a social barometer within your company, here are some key steps to follow.
Define your goals
First of all, it is important to choose the goals for your social barometer carefully. For example, you may want to know more about the general social climate of your organization, but you may also decide to focus on a specific theme (stress at work, working conditions, Diversity, etc.).
Once your goals are set, you can infer what metrics you need to measure and what information you need to gather to make strategic decisions. You must also choose your respondents: they can be all employees, a particular team, or a representative panel.
Develop a questionnaire and disseminate it
You can then move on to creating a structured and concise questionnaire. It should include closed-ended questions to gather quantitative data, but also open-ended questions to allow for more detailed comments. Questionnaire design is critical to achieving actionable results, so don't hesitate to seek professional help. You can also use some models that have been validated by experts for greater simplicity. Ensure that anonymity is maintained so that everyone can respond honestly and calmly.
For broadcasting, choose a period during which employees are usually available so that they are more receptive. Communicate well about the objectives of the survey and the methods of transmitting the results.
Analyze the results obtained
Once you have collected all the answers, an analysis is required. This makes it possible to identify major trends as well as signals indicating possible underlying problems.
This in-depth analysis allows you to develop a concrete action plan to respond to the concerns expressed by your employees.
Return results to employees
For the establishment of a social barometer to be accepted by employees, it is essential to communicate with them transparently. So share with them the measures taken as a result of your investigation and send them regular monitoring of the results observed.
Repeat the procedure regularly
It is interesting to conduct a social barometer regularly, for example once a year. This allows you to see the results of your actions and to observe the changes that this may have generated for employees. It is also a good way to quickly detect problems that may have occurred since the last questionnaire administration.
On certain specific topics, you can also choose to conduct more regular surveys, for example every 3 to 6 months. This makes it possible to better observe the changes that result from the actions you take.
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Corporate social barometer: our advice
To successfully set up your social barometer, here are some tips:
- Include the social barometer in a broader process of continuous improvement. The corporate culture, in particular that of regular feedback, allows it to be part of a sustainable process. It should not be a one-off exercise, but a recurring tool in human resources management.
- Involve employees and managers in your approach, for example by offering them to participate in discussions about results, or by asking them for their ideas to improve the social climate. This allows employees to fully adhere to the approach, mobilize and engage them and create a strong sense of belonging.
- Support employees through change. Indeed, some people have difficulty accepting that their habits can be changed. Training courses can help them understand this, so do not hesitate to offer them to the employees concerned.
The social barometer is a very good tool for measuring the social climate in your company. It takes the form of an anonymous questionnaire and allows human resources managers to have a clear vision of how employees feel about certain subjects such as the quality of life at work. When done well, it makes it possible to set up an effective action plan and thus improve the company's performance while maintaining its employer brand. Follow the steps described in this article step by step to make your social barometer a real driver of commitment and motivation!
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