An employee survey, also known as an employee satisfaction survey (MTO), is a powerful tool for measuring employee satisfaction, engagement and work experience. But what does such a survey actually cost? And what factors determine it? In this article, we discuss the main cost factors, varying pricing models and how you can possibly reduce costs.
Why conduct an employee survey?
Before we turn to costs, it is worth reflecting on the usefulness of an employee survey. Conducting such a survey helps employers to:
- Attraction (also called defined as eNPS) as an employer;
- The satisfaction and motivations of employees;
- Gain insights into areas for improvement within the organisation;
- Absenteeism and staff turnover reduce;
- The productivity and increase performance.
A well-conducted survey provides valuable insights that contribute to a healthy and productive working environment. But of course, this comes at a price.
What are the cost factors in an employee survey?
The cost of an employee survey or employee satisfaction survey (MTO) can vary widely, depending on a number of factors and considerations:
1. Do it yourself or outsource
- In-house research: This is often cheaper, but requires in-house expertise and time. You need your own survey platform and have to do the analysis yourself. It is also more difficult to create a good response to be realised.
- External party: A professional research agency takes a lot of work off your hands, provides benchmarks and ensures reliable analyses, but is usually more expensive. The advantage is that external research agencies have an interest in maintaining anonymity.
Outsourcing an employee survey (or employee satisfaction survey) is an important consideration. Do you opt for unburdening, quality and, as a result, maximum impact? Or do you have the expertise (and time) to set up a survey yourself?
2. Scope of the study
- Number of employees: The more employees participate, the higher the costs, especially if external parties charge per respondent. Costs also tend to rise faster in larger organisations because more time is needed for decision-making, and therefore preparation of the survey.
- Number of questions: More questions often means more extensive analysis, higher complexity and therefore higher costs.
Larger surveys require more guidance. Both the size of the organisation and questionnaire are decisive in the pricing of employee research.
3. Form of investigation
- Online survey: The most widely used and economical method. Platforms such as SurveyMonkey or Google Forms can be used for free or at a low rate.
- Paper surveys: Require more administrative processing and are more expensive in terms of distribution and processing. Incidentally, this form is hardly seen anymore.
- Physical infill locations: It is also possible to place one or more physical (digital) fill-in locations. These are often placed with employers with employees without mail addresses or lower digital skills.
- Interviews and focus groups: Personal or group interviews provide deeper insights but are expensive and time-consuming. In particular, editing the interviews is relatively costly. Focus groups can also add value when following up employee surveys.
There are different research methods for collecting data. Based on the objectives of the research and target group, decide which forms best suit your organisation.
4. Analysis and reporting
- Basic analysis: Simple reports with average scores and graphs are usually cheaper.
- In-depth analysis: Want detailed insights, trends, benchmarks and recommendations? Then the costs may increase further. This is because this often also says something about the professionalism of the research agency, and for the level of professionalism you pay proportionally.
The feedback of the results is obviously an important phase of an employee survey. Therefore, think carefully beforehand about how much depth is needed for your organisation (and managers) to take action.
5. Frequency of examination
- One-off: A one-off survey is cheaper than a recurrent one.
- Periodic: Regular surveys, such as an annual or quarterly measurement, increase costs but provide continuous insight. Be careful here that you do not buy a tool but actually a solution.
- Pulse measurement(s): Some providers offer pulse measurement. This form can be interesting for the organisation at lower (management) level. At the same time, there is also the danger here of focusing too much on the means, and not the objective(s). At the bottom line, it actually costs more time and commitment. And there is also a greater risk of survey fatigue.
From a cost perspective, one-off and periodic measurements are more advantageous at the bottom line. This is because they require less time. Also, the risk of blind spots is more limited than with pulse measurements.
6. Additional functionalities
- Benchmarking: Comparison with industry peers may incur additional costs.
- Real-time dashboards: Advanced tools to track results live usually cost more.
- Action planning and follow-up: If you want to link concrete improvement projects to the results, the price goes up. With a good employee survey, this should be (largely) unnecessary.
When defining the desired features, make sure you properly distinguish nice-to-have and need-to-have. Which features are really important to your organisation? Then choose a tool or research agency that fits these requirements well.
What does an employee survey cost on average?
The exact cost depends on the above factors, but below we have listed indications of the cost:
- Free or low cost (0 - €500): Do it yourself with free tools, such as Google Forms or free versions of survey platforms. Limited functionality and analysis.
- Budget option (€500 - €5,000): Use of paid survey platforms such as SurveyMonkey, Typeform or in-house developed tools. Suitable for smaller organisations.
- Medium-sized studies (€5,000 - €15,000): Outsourced to an external agency with standard reporting and limited consultancy.
- Comprehensive research (€15,000 - €50,000+): Large-scale trajectories with interviews, in-depth analyses, benchmarks and strategic follow-up.
Want a concrete indication of costs? Then use our tool for calculating the required investment.
How can I possibly cut costs?
Want to save on an employee survey without sacrificing quality? We have listed some tips for you below:
- Use existing tools: Want to conduct the survey independently? Use free or cheaper survey platforms.
- Limit questionnaire: The shorter and more concise the survey, the less processing time and cost. However, you do run the risk of creating blind spots here. So be limited in deleting relevant questions.
- Do the analysis in-house: If you can do the data analysis yourself, you save a lot. At the same time, delivering a clear report is often more complex than you think, let alone creating an interactive dashboard environment.
- Opt for a core measurement: Focus on the most important KPIs and avoid redundant questions. Therefore, clearly define in advance what the objectives of the employee survey are.
- Collaborate with other companies: Some providers offer discounts if you collaborate with other organisations in your sector. For example, we offer discount at the moment when you also use other surveys.
- Using AI and automation: Smart analytics tools can help process data more efficiently. However, make sure you remain critical of the limitations of AI and therefore see it as a tool.
Our conclusion
An employee survey can range from a few hundred euros to tens of thousands of euros, depending on the approach. By making a conscious choice between doing it yourself and outsourcing, and being smart about questionnaires and analyses, you can conduct a survey that fits within your budget while providing valuable insights. Ultimately, investing in employees is often one of the most profitable expenditures a company can make. After all, if you do the research well, it will be the basis for growth for your organisation.
Are you curious about what an employee survey would cost for your organisation? Calculate via the button above, in four steps, the investment required.
