Engaging Manager assessment: FAQs

 Frequently asked questions about our Engaging Manager 360° Assessment tool. 

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How does the tool work?

This is a 360° feedback report that collects feedback from a manager and their line manager, peers, and direct reports. By combining several viewpoints we build a picture of typical, recent, engaging behaviours, and develop a robust profile of engaging behaviour. We analyse this feedback to compare self-perceptions of engaging behaviours to the perceptions of others. We also compare engaging behaviours with a benchmark that we have developed from previous assessments of other managers’ engaging behaviours. Drawing on all these elements, we identify the engaging behaviours which others perceive as strengths, as well as potential areas for development. By increasing self-awareness of engaging behaviours, managers are better placed to moderate behaviours which might disengage their direct reports, and focus energies on behaviours which might engage them.
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Who is it for?

Any organisation in any sector could find the Engaging Manager assessment beneficial for their teams.

The assessment itself is undertaken by line managers (with at least four direct reports) who would value insight into their management behaviours which influence engagement.  Any type or number of managers can complete the assessment.
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Who benefits?

The line manager benefits from a confidential, detailed development report on the management behaviours they demonstrate that are linked to engagement levels of their team. Many line managers have told us this is a valuable resource for their personal development discussion with their own line managers, as it offers them a good understanding of how they are perceived by those around them. By appreciating how they are perceived by their own line managers, their peers and their direct reports, they have been able to broaden their strengths and work appropriately on areas for development.

The line managers’ team of direct reports will benefit in the longer term from the increased levels of engagement created by the line manager’s greater insight into behaviours which influence the team’s engagement. A growing body of evidence is showing that increased engagement is linked with decreased stress, happier moods and reduced workplace absenteeism.

Customers benefit, as increased employee engagement is linked with greater customer satisfaction.

Organisations as a whole benefit through more informed and empowered line managers who are central in the engagement of the wider workforce.  As the organisation Engage for Success states, there is a ‘firm correlation between employee engagement and high organisational productivity and performance, across all sectors of the economy.’ IES's research for clients indicates that the organisation can also benefit from increases in customer satisfaction, which is related to increased sales.
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What is a 360° feedback report?

A 360° feedback report provides a complete review of your behaviours. By using a 360° feedback tool, you receive feedback from your line mangers, your peers and your direct reports. In the past feedback tended to come solely from your line managers, whose view of you might not necessarily incorporate all aspects of your performance. For example, you may be very protective of your team but this is a side of you that your manager does not see.  With 360° feedback you can build a better all-round understanding of your engaging behaviours.
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What does the assessment involve?

The Engaging Manager report is based on a 360° feedback survey that is completed by a line manager and their team, peers and line manager. IES will send an initial online questionnaire asking the line manager to evaluate their own engaging behaviours and types. This questionnaire asks them to nominate the following people to take part in a survey:

  1. their own line manager;
  2. between three and five of their peers;
  3. between four and six of their direct reports.

These individuals will be asked to evaluate the line manager’s engaging behaviours and types using a confidential online questionnaire sent directly to them.
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What do line managers get from it?

Line managers get a detailed, confidential report including:

  • A profile of their engaging behaviours presented graphically and both ordered by rank and compared against a benchmark.
  • Information on which engaging types the line manger most resembles and which disengaging types they are most like.
  • An understanding of any differences in how the line manager sees themselves and how they are viewed by others in terms of engaging behaviour.
  • Detailed descriptions of engaging management behaviours that are linked to more engaged teams.

In addition to the report, we offer telephone feedback, during which an IES employee engagement specialist will take the manager through the report, highlighting the key points, explaining the dynamics in the report, discussing possibilities for use of the report, and answering any questions they may have. As some organisations feel they do not need this feedback, we offer a lower-priced option without this service.
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How long does it take?

It should take around 25 minutes to complete the online questionnaire, which can be completed in several sittings if needed, to fit in with your schedule.

Distributing and collecting the questionnaires from everyone involved and producing the confidential report generally takes around five weeks, however, we are happy to complete the process more quickly if needed so feel free to discuss any special requirements with us.
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How much does it cost?

The cost depends on the number of managers you require reports for and whether telephone feedback is wanted. 

The initial exploration and setup costs are fixed, but once these are complete, any number of surveys can be taken. Because of this, significant economies of scale can be achieved with larger numbers of line manager assessments.

As some organisations do not feel they need the telephone follow-up sessions, we offer a two-tier pricing system, with the full package as standard and the basic service without telephone follow-up at a lower price.

Please contact us to discuss your specific requirements and find out the costs.
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Will the organisation get a report?

While the development reports are kept confidential to the recipient in order to encourage honest self-reflection and the greatest potential for change, we recognise that senior leaders may want to gain maximum value from the process by having an overview of the particular strengths and development opportunities for the managers sampled, along with implications for the wider organisation.

To meet this need, we offer an additional Organisational Overview Report on the strengths and development areas for any group of at least ten line managers. This is based on aggregated scores so that individual profiles and scores remain anonymous. The report also includes a snapshot of employee engagement for the groups of contributing managers, based on a set of questions that can be added to the standard questionnaire.

The Overview Report is an additional option, charged separately.

Your Organisational Overview report can be presented either as a written report, or you can invite stakeholders to a presentation of the main report findings combined with a facilitated discussion and action planning.  These two options are costed separately.
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What support is offered?

For help with questionnaire completion or anything else, there is a dedicated email address: IEShelp@employment-studies.co.uk.

Or you can contact Dilys Robinson or Amanda Callen on 01273 763400 or engaging.manager@employment-studies.co.uk
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How should I use the report?

How you use the report is up to you. Some ideas are:

  • Use it to reflect on your own strengths and quickest wins in terms of development.
  • Use it as a reference tool for which behaviours are linked to more engaged teams.
  • Use parts or all of it as the basis for discussion with your direct reports to find out more about how others see your management behaviours, or explore how you can have most impact on their engagement.
  • Share part or all of it with your line manager as reference material in personal development or line manager discussions.

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Who sees the report?

The line manager will receive a confidential, personal report and no one else sees this unless the line manager chooses to share it. At IES, it will only be seen by the internal team producing the report.
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How many people are involved in this assessment?

A minimum of 8 and maximum of 12 people will contribute to the report, along with the manager for whom the report will be prepared.  Based on our experience, and in order to get the best quality feedback, we encourage people to invite nearer to the maximum rather than the minimum number of participants.
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Who decides who completes the surveys?

The individual’s line manager is an essential contributor but then managers themselves may choose from amongst their direct reports and peers as long as the minimum number is reached.
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Who counts as a line manager’s peer?

Peers are any colleagues in the organisation who know the line manager well enough to have a good perspective on their management behaviours and are not direct reports or thei manager’s own line manager. 

We would generally encourage the selection of peers who are colleagues from within the same organisation, however we understand that in some circumstances the closest peers may work in other organisations and these are also acceptable contributors providing they see enough of the manager’s behaviour.
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What happens if I do not have enough peers?

Past experience suggests that unless feedback is requested from your own line manager, and at least two of your peers and three of your direct reports, it is unlikely that the feedback will be sufficiently anonymous to ensure openness in evaluation and robustness of generalisation. 

Firstly, people are less likely to offer open feedback if they feel that there is a risk that they could be identified. This is especially the case when considering feedback from direct reports.

Secondly, each contributor will have their own personal perspective, and any uncommon perceptions can have a disproportionate effect on the feedback if there are insufficient numbers of contributors to compensate for these.

However, peers and direct reports do no have to be current colleagues, and it is usually possible to find the appropriate number of people to feed back on management behaviours. If you have concerns, we will be happy to discuss the possibilities with you.
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What devices can I complete this on?

The questionnaire is accessed on the internet via a link sent in a personal invitation email.  It can be completed on any device that offers online access via a web browser.
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What about confidentiality and anonymity?

The survey is hosted on a Snap Surveys platform managed by IES. Links to this questionnaire can be placed on organisations’ websites, however, IES will manage the platform to ensure the anonymity of respondents. We support this by providing respondents with personalised ID codes that we will not share with anyone else.

Any data gathered by IES remain anonymous and will not be shared with either the client organisation or any other person or organisation. We do not share line managers’ reports with their employers, and leave this to their own discretion. Without the assurance of anonymity, we find that it is very difficult for individuals to offer honest and reliable feedback.
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How secure is my data?

IES has a comprehensive data security policy, which is available on request. The Institute operates a secure network environment. Access is restricted to authorised users who have a unique User ID and password. Access to information is granted on an as needs basis. Backups are taken each working day and stored securely.

Snap Surveys also have high security standards in place. Read about Snap Survey’s data security.
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What benchmarks are used?

We have developed a benchmark of all the managers who have previously participated in this study and provide a comparison to others as part of the report.  This enables managers to gain a view on whether a high score is a particular strength when compared to other managers. By continuously updating our benchmarks with the results from managers who have participated in this study, we can develop a clear impression of what the norms are for different managers.
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How is employee engagement measured?

We measure employee engagement via a set of questions that we have tested in many previous studies and organisations. The basis of these questions is rooted in evidence from over a decade of IES research into employee engagement. Drawing on this, we developed a reliable employee engagement construct that has been used in a range of public and private organisations.
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How does this report facilitate engaging manager behaviours?

An important finding made by IES is the notion that there is no single correct way to be an engaging manager.  In fact, feedback from participants from the various studies has shown that line managers can be engaging through a wide range of behaviours. Consequently, there is scope for individual differences in managers who are able to engage their teams. The report seeks to raise awareness of an individual’s style and give them a choice as to which aspects they might like to develop, if any.
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What is the difference between an engaging type and an engaging behaviour?

The report refers to engaging behaviour as well as engaging and disengaging types. Engaging behaviours refer to a particular way you behave with your direct reports, for example, trusting or protecting your team. In contrast, engaging and disengaging types are characterful and humanised descriptions of combinations of associated engaging or disengaging behaviours.  We also differentiate between positive and negative personas in terms of impact on direct reports’ engagement levels.
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Contact us

Contact Amanda Callen or Dilys Robinson to discuss the right service for you: