More and more organisations are using pulse survey tools and continuous employee surveys to take the pulse of their organisation. One of the latest developments is that it’s no longer just managers and HR who access the results – employees themselves can also view them via an employee portal or employee view. But what does this really mean, and what are the pros and cons?
Advantages of an Employee View
- Track personal development. Employees have the opportunity to see their responses over time and identify patterns in their wellbeing or engagement.
- Stronger self-leadership. Access to one’s own results encourages responsibility and drives personal reflection.
- Less admin for managers. Instead of managers acting as the sole intermediaries for feedback, employees can take the first step in their own development journey.
- Individual feedback. Through the portal, employees receive feedback on their own responses, offering immediate insights.
- Personal growth and goal awareness. The portal can help employees understand their strengths and development areas.
- Insights into what one can influence. Instead of waiting for organisational change, employees can act in their own day-to-day work.
- Greater transparency within the organisation. Signals that the company trusts its employees, which in itself can boost engagement.
- Faster improvement loops. Employees can immediately test new working methods or habits and see if it affects their experience in the next survey.
- Stronger sense of ownership. When employees see themselves as active participants rather than passive respondents, loyalty can grow.
- Motivation through measurability. Tracking one’s own “curve” can motivate some to set personal goals.
Disadvantages of an Employee View
- Time-consuming. Analysing one’s own results takes time, and not all employees have the motivation or resources for this. Ongoing onboarding and support are necessary.
- Higher cost. Time = money. Additionally, providing a personalised view for each employee may require more support, which is expensive.
- Risks to anonymity. The “look at my report” effect can lead to indirect identification, creating a culture of uncertainty. It can also compromise anonymity between employee and manager if someone chooses to share their results.
- Potential decline in trust in managers and leadership. If employees rely more on the portal than on their manager, the relationship may become shallow or distant.
- Leaders become passive – placing full responsibility on the individual. There’s a risk that managers assume the individual has “already seen” their numbers and thus avoid initiating dialogue.
- Shift in focus from team to individual. An overly individual-focused view can reduce the sense of community and shared responsibility for the collective climate. If individuals prioritise their own development based on their data, it may conflict with team-wide priorities.
- Impact on psychological safety. When everyone works in their own bubble with their own results, crucial conversations may be missed – safety is built in teams, not portals.
- Low engagement. In practice, few may regularly log in and actively work with the results, which undermines the value.
- Risk of “survey fatigue.” Employees may tire of constant reminders to measure, follow up and improve. Your annual employee survey may then see lower response rates.
- May increase performance anxiety. Tracking one’s personal “curve” over time can become a stressor rather than a support.
Does Brilliant offer an employee view?
At present, the Brilliant platform does not include an individual employee view – all data is collected at the team level and shared by the manager. Research shows that real change happens through shared reflection and action.
If an organisation conducts large or infrequent surveys (30+ questions, 1–3 times a year), these are often followed up during reporting. More frequent, shorter pulse surveys, however, require continuous transparency. That’s where the employee view comes into its own: ongoing results create involvement, engagement and higher response rates.
We are currently developing a product where employees will be able to access their results and receive support to boost their engagement. We believe the future lies in flexibility – in meeting different needs without overcomplicating things or compromising what truly makes a difference.