There are three main options for an employee survey: general in-house form tools (such as Google Forms or Microsoft Forms), employee survey software (platforms on which you build and manage the survey yourself) and research firms (independent firms that run the process end to end, from methodology to action plan). Software is fast and economical for frequent short surveys and for organizations with a strong in-house analytics team. A research firm stands out in comprehensive annual surveys where trust, depth of analysis and action planning support are critical.
- There are three main options for an employee survey: general in-house form tools, employee survey software and research firms.
- Software is a fast, economical solution for frequent pulse surveys and for organizations with a strong in-house analytics team.
- A research firm stands out for first-time surveys, surveys where trust is critical, workforces with many field employees, or when in-depth analysis and action planning support are needed.
- For many organizations, the most efficient model is to run the annual survey with a research firm and interim pulse surveys on a platform.
In the interest of transparency: at Digital Institute, we are on the research firm side. In this article, we have tried to present both options in a balanced way, with the strengths and weaknesses we see in practice.
The three options at a glance
- General in-house form tools: Free or available through existing licenses, and fast. However, they lack features specific to employee surveys (anonymous reporting thresholds, demographic breakdowns, index calculations, manager reports). Having HR run the survey itself can also weaken employees' trust in anonymity.
- Employee survey software: Offers ready-made question libraries, anonymity settings, automated reports and often pulse survey features. The organization builds and distributes the survey and interprets the results itself.
- Research firms: Handle question set design tailored to the organization, fieldwork, data analysis, reporting, presentations to management and action planning support. As an independent third party, they give employees greater confidence in anonymity.
Comparison
| Survey software | Research firm | |
|---|---|---|
| Question set and methodology | Ready-made library; adaptation is the organization's responsibility | Tailored to the organization and built on scales with proven reliability |
| Perceived anonymity | Technical safeguards are in place, but employees may be suspicious because the organization runs the survey | Trust is usually higher because the firm is an independent third party |
| Depth of analysis | Ready-made reports and dashboards; advanced analysis is left to the in-house team | Driver analysis, breakdown analyses, categorization of open-ended comments |
| Benchmarking | Offered by some platforms; scope varies | Comparison with similar organizations in the firm's own database |
| Action support | Usually action-tracking tools; the content is up to the organization | Prioritization, manager workshops and action planning support |
| Reaching field and blue-collar employees | Mostly email and mobile | Hybrid fieldwork such as paper, kiosks, SMS and QR codes |
| Speed and frequency | Very fast; ideal for frequent pulse surveys | Longer preparation time for a comprehensive annual survey |
| Cost structure | Usually an annual license; in-house team time comes on top | Project-based fee; lower burden on the in-house team |
| Internal resource needs | High, for question design, fieldwork tracking, analysis and presentation | Lower, for coordination and decision-making |
When is survey software enough?
- If you will run frequent, short surveys: Software is fast and economical for regular pulse surveys and eNPS tracking throughout the year.
- If you have a strong in-house analytics team: If your people analytics or HR analytics team can take on question design, analysis and interpretation, software is a good tool for that team.
- If your survey culture is well established: In an organization where employees trust the survey and its anonymity, and where results are regularly shared and turned into action, running the survey in-house is easier.
- If your organization is small and has a single location: When there are few demographic breakdowns and the fieldwork logistics are simple, software may be sufficient.
When is a research firm the better choice?
- If you are running a comprehensive survey for the first time: Building the right question set, defining the index and establishing a solid baseline for the years ahead requires expertise.
- If trust in anonymity is critical: If the organization has recently gone through restructuring, layoffs, a merger or a change in management, employees may hesitate to answer honestly in a survey run by the organization. An independent firm reduces this hesitation. We cover this topic in detail in our article on giving the silent majority a voice.
- If you have many field and blue-collar employees: Reaching employees without corporate email and managing paper and digital channels together takes significant logistics.
- If you want in-depth analysis and benchmarking: Driver analysis showing which areas have the greatest impact on engagement, systematic analysis of open-ended comments and comparison with similar organizations make it easier to turn results into action.
- If results need to be presented to senior leadership and managers: A presentation by an outside expert helps ensure the findings are seen as an independent assessment rather than "HR's interpretation."
- If your HR team's time is limited: The annual survey is a process that spans several months; adding it on top of the existing workload puts both the survey and other HR projects under strain.
The hybrid model: using both together
For many organizations, the most efficient model is to run the comprehensive annual survey with a research firm and conduct pulse surveys during the year on a platform. This way, the annual survey provides a robust measurement and identifies priority action areas, while the impact of those actions is tracked quickly and economically in between. Some research firms meet both needs with their own platform.
The key point in this model is to use the engagement index items and the scale from the annual survey unchanged in the pulse surveys; otherwise you cannot compare the two measurements.
Calculate the total cost correctly
When comparing, take into account the total cost, not just the license fee or project fee:
- Time spent designing the question set and adapting it to the organization's language
- Tracking participation during fieldwork, managing reminders and field logistics
- Cleaning and analyzing the data and reading the open-ended comments
- Preparing reports and presentations at organization, department and manager level
- Designing and running action planning workshops
When software is chosen, most of this work stays with the HR team. For a comprehensive survey run once a year, this internal cost can close much of the price gap between the two options.
Questions to ask before deciding
Whichever option you are considering, get clear answers to these questions:
- Down to what level (organization, department, manager) will you report results, and what will the minimum reporting group size be?
- How much do your employees trust the survey's anonymity?
- Who will design the question set, and who will test its reliability?
- Who will analyze the results, who will interpret them and who will present them to management?
- How will you reach employees who don't have corporate email?
- Do you need to benchmark your results against similar organizations?
- Where will employee data be stored, who will have access to it, and how will obligations under KVKK (Turkey's Personal Data Protection Law) be met (privacy notice, data processor agreement, requirements for transfers abroad)?
If you have decided to work with a research firm, we explain what to look for when evaluating providers in our article on how to choose an employee survey provider. If you have decided to run the survey yourself, our guide how to create an employee engagement survey walks you through it step by step.
Frequently asked questions
Is it a good idea to run an employee survey in-house with Google Forms or a similar tool?
It may be enough for a small, quick pulse check. In a comprehensive engagement survey, however, general form tools make it harder to earn employees' trust in anonymity, ensure the questions are reliable, protect anonymity in demographic breakdowns and analyze the results; this reduces the honesty of responses and the value of the results.
What is the main difference between a research firm and survey software?
Software gives you a tool to build and distribute the survey and see the results; question design, analysis and interpretation are largely your responsibility. A research firm, by contrast, takes on the methodology, question set, fieldwork, analysis, reporting and, often, action planning support end to end.
Which is cheaper?
In terms of license fees, software is usually more economical. However, the total cost should also include the time the HR team will spend on question design, tracking fieldwork, analysis and reporting. For a comprehensive survey run once a year, this internal cost can close much of the gap.
Can the two be used together?
Yes. Many organizations run the comprehensive annual survey with a research firm and conduct pulse surveys during the year on a platform. Some research firms also offer their own platform alongside this service.
