Employee surveys

Employee surveys are a method we use and is a part of our systematic work environment management that involves investigating how employees perceive their employer and their work situation in various areas. The survey is a so-called "questionnaire survey", which means that a number of questions are sent out to employees who respond based on their own experience and perception in each area. 

Why do we conduct employee surveys at KI? 

The employee experience is very important for us as an employer to continue to develop and improve in different areas. Getting an idea of what employees think about their work and about KI as an employer gives both managers and employees at KI, an opportunity to see which areas we need to focus on. It also allows us to find our strengths and development potential and help us make the right decisions. 

The aim of the survey is to:

• To get an idea of what employees think about their work and Karolinska Institutet as an employer.
• To gain insight into how employees talk about their department with friends and acquaintances and the organisation's employer brand.
• To provide managers and employees with a material to use in the improvement work so that we focus on the right things, find strengths and development potential and help make the right decisions.
• To be able to compare results over time, and against their own and other sectors.

How do we conduct the employee surveys? 

At KI, we use the digital tool "HR Pulse" to conduct our various types of employee surveys.  We also conduct a comprehensive employee survey approximately every three years (2014, 2017, 2022) and each department/ counterpart is responsible for conducting shorter HR Pulse surveys in different areas, at their discretion throughout the year.  

Overall employee survey - an overview 

The Employee Survey is sent to KI:s employees and affiliates and provides us as an employer with a snapshot of how things are going in the areas we review. This allows us to compare the result over time and other fields of work. These questions are index questions used by many employers. We work with the results across all levels of the organisation.

The Employee Survey includes the following areas: Employee engagement, Objectives and Strategies, Employee engagement and Leadership.  In addition to the existing questions, there is a new grouping of questions on; wellness, sedentary work, values and perceived “sense of us”. 

HR Pulse surveys - a temperature gauge 

The HR Pulse surveys give each department/respondent the opportunity to choose for themselves which areas they want to focus on. These surveys are short and more of a temperature gauge that aims to create dialogue in the activities and in working groups to improve and develop the activities in different areas, such as "Effective groups", "Pride and sense of we-feeling", "Commitment" and others.

Working with results 

We work with results at all levels of the organisation, from the work of management teams, in collaboration, to the individual employee's reflection. There are different kinds of support and materials for further work with results, both for management teams and managers.