PCM Analysis of Gallup’s Q12 Engagement Survey

In in our eternal quest to end personality discrimination in the workplace, we offer a PCM analysis of the Gallup Q12 Index, perhaps the most widely used survey to measure employee engagement in the world. Let’s analyze each question through the lens of perceptions, currency, and motivators.

1) Do you know what is expected of you at work?

While everyone likes to know what’s expected, Workaholics and Persisters are uniquely motivated by structured goals, objectives, and time lines.

2) Do you have the materials and equipment to do your work right?

Again, while everyone needs to be adequately equipped, the words “materials” and “equipment” is mechanical and fits into the Workaholic’s Logic currency.

3) At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?

Great question! We all want to use our natural character strengths as much as possible.

4) In the last seven days, have you received recognition or praise for doing good work?

Pretty clear…Workaholic’s need for recognition of work.

5) Does your supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about you as a person?

Ah, Reactor’s need for recognition of person.

6) Is there someone at work who encourages your development?

This could be taken several ways. The currency is Compassion (Reactor), while other types could stretch it to apply to them as well.

7) At work, do your opinions seem to count?

Hmm, let’s see. Yep. Values. Persister.

8) Does the mission/purpose of your company make you feel your job is important?

Feeling like my job is important is terrific. Linking it to the mission/purpose narrows it down to Persister again. Then again, any personality type can support the mission and purpose of an organization – via their unique motivators.

9) Are your associates (fellow employees) committed to doing quality work?

Committed – Persister. Good Work – Workaholic and Persister. This is a slippery question because in distress, both Persisters and Workaholics will attack and criticize others who aren’t working as hard or as well. So, how a person answers this may say more about their level of distress than anything.

10) Do you have a best friend at work?

Reactor all the way.

11) In the last six months, has someone at work talked to you about your progress?

This question would most likely interest Workaholics and Persisters, for the same reasons as Q1.

12) In the last year, have you had opportunities to learn and grow?

This question is pretty generic and taps into Daniel Pink’s notion of Mastery from his book Drive. We like it!

The verdict?

Gallup Q12 is limited. It taps Workaholics, Persisters and Reactors – a cumulative 65% of the average workplace. Absent is the preferred language and motivational needs of Rebels, Dreamers, and Promoters – the other 35%.

What does this mean? We believe it reflects a systematic cultural preference for Persisters, Workaholics and Reactors. This is not intentional, but the cumulative impact of nearly 100 years of business culture that fuels itself on the qualities, and drama dynamics, of these three types.

The questions we ask filter what we can see, which in turn limits the solutions we design. The Q12 could be significantly enhanced by addressing all personality types. At one organization I worked for we had a terrific employee engagement survey. It was research-based and hit all the key drivers. And, we had only 35% response rate over a decade. Abysmal! When I took over this process, I noticed that all the items began with “I feel….” or “I believe…” And, I discovered that the two people who designed the survey were Persister base and Reactor base personalities. This is not unusual – we ask others the questions we’d like to be asked!

I made one simple change. I removed all perceptually biased language from the 24 questions without changing any content. The result: 80% response rate.

Times are changing. Creativity, relationship skills, synthesis, imagination, spontaneity and social intelligence are emerging as the global skill-sets for success. Traditional business structures and motivational/engagement systems are less successful than they used to be. Gen-X and Gen-Y want and need different things.

How might better questions help us find better answers? This is one of the questions on our April 2011 Ask Process Man poll. Cast your vote!

To read more about generational differences in personality, click here