It has been an active year on the blog, so as 2023 draws to a close I’ve taken a little time to look back over the year. Taking time to review and capture what we’ve learned is a core value at SocialOptic, and part of the closed loop process we use to grow.

This year has seen the launch of our “Work Together” podcast, which explores organisational culture and leadership, and the completion of its first series. There was even a bonus episode looking at our research into reaching Deskless Workers. In a world where there are more remote workers than ever, it is a topic we will come back to as it impacts the need for, and the use of, organisational surveys.

Surveys – stronger than ever

We looked at why, far from going away, the annual employee survey is becoming a must have item for boards and leaders. Observing company culture is now more important than ever, as many recent headlines have shown, and the approach is solidly backed by behavioural theory. Beyond the employee census survey, we looked at 360 feedback, the increasing use of qualitative data, and even using surveys to capture carbon emissions data. While using high quality data to make decisions is becoming the norm, employee insight remains a remarkably under-utilised resource.

Reaching even more users

We continued our focus on Accessibility, asking if enough is being done, and looked at how surveys and digital tools can be improved. We welcomed many new users to the SurveyOptic platform, and were selected to deliver staff engagement surveys across the Scottish HE and FE sectors. We have added hundreds of new features to the platform, reduced our carbon footprint and are ready for 2024, which is a special year for us. Follow the blog for more, or subscribe to our newsletter.