Understanding the Comments: Glossary of Themes

Quantum Workplace uses a theming model that tags employee comments with certain themes. The model can recognize a theme from context, even where there is no keyword present.

In this article: 

 

Overview

Quantum Workplace uses a theming model that tags an employee's comments with themes. 

Instead of a keyword-matching tool, Quantum Workplace uses Machine Learning, a neural network algorithm, that learns and identifies themes, even when specific keywords aren't present. 

This method allows for greater accuracy when matching comments with any of the 34 themes listed below. 

List of Themes

The 34 themes listed below have been identified as the most frequently mentioned themes. 

The themes are listed in alphabetical order. 

Benefits

Definition: Non-wage compensation provided to employees.
Example Comments:

  • This organization does a fantastic job of providing an excellent benefits package. Please keep that up!
  • Consider at least helping subsidize some benefits that everyone would not need/want. I.e., fertility insurance, adoption help, etc.
  • The benefits of course are unparalleled. The 100% healthcare is life-changing for my family and I thank Prometheus daily for this benefit! The recognition programs are also fantastic, it truly does keep people motivated and engaged when they feel appreciated so thank you for that!

Career Growth 

Definition: Comments that relate to the advancement of an employee's professional future.
Example Comments: 

  • To keep supporting us employees in growth career processes and supporting employees in education and increasing knowledge.
  • We are still on the buddy system when it comes to promotions and hiring practices and it is bad for morale and that needs to stop.
  • I am now in a role with transparency and clear growth potential.

Challenges & Conflicts

Definition: Comments that relate to challenges faced by employees in the workplace.
Example Comments: 

  • Our local bosses do not communicate with me well. I only hear from them if something is wrong or attending a meeting.
  • The audio issues in the breakout sessions would be great if they could be resolved
  • Top heavy. Loss of direction for the core business. There are 3 Comments that describe my organization in our marketplace, and we refuse to acknowledge them, Farm Credit Services.

Communication

Definition: The exchange of information between two or more people.
Example Comments: 

  • Choose wisely pick leadership that listens and answers questions, not just ignores and never gives a response.
  • Transparency and frequency with communication that affects the organization.
  • Continue keeping employees updated on change. I think the ELT has done a great job compared to years past, even with a substantial amount of change recently.

Compensation

Definition: Monetary exchanges or agreements between an employee and their employer.
Example Comments: 

  • The quality of work I did got me a salary that matched what I've accomplished for City Harvest.
  • Better wages for non-union field employees. Have more family functions for all employees.
  • Start paying overtime and start paying more competitive pay for all drivers and all employees.

Customer Focus

Definition: Any reference to customers, as well as roles and responsibilities that revolve around customer interaction.
Example Comments: 

  • Listening to customers, or to those people that interact with customers. Working on employee enrichment and development.
  • Recognize employees and continue to improve the products and services we offer to our customers.
  • Have the call center stop sending customers to us when they can help the customer while we are busy.

Diversity & Inclusion

Definition: Comments related to diversity and inclusion.
Example Comments: 

  • I love that the company is diverse.
  • Treating employees as people, being inclusive to all communities, being open and clear about the goal and achievements of the company. And, showing how our contributions impact the company.
  • Great company and lots of promise, but internal issues with siloed teams, lack of diversity, and lack of clear direction for individual employees keep talent from thriving.

Empowerment & Support 

Definition: References to any process or structure that relates to the degree of setting up employees for success. 
Example Comments: 

  • Empowering associates to make decisions and standing by them in their decisions.
  • Focus on the development and encouragement of the people/resources we have inside our organization.
  • Flexibility within our work group to be able to take time off when family issues arise.

Equipment & Resources

Definition: Technological and physical items that employees utilize or interact with. 
Example Comments: 

  • Complete a technology review. Many of the resources I need run very slowly on my computer and often hinder my ability to work efficiently.
  • Utilize teams/zoom to make introductions between regions & departments.
  • Stop making excuses for our TPA systems (outdated, expensive to make changes, moving away from them, wait till the new one).

Ethics & Fairness

Definition: The perceived treatment of individuals and groups in relation to others, as well as counterproductive work behaviors.
Example Comments: 

  • Start treating management employees better. It seems like contract employees get many more benefits than management.
  • Keep encouraging a healthy environment and equal distribution of work so salaried employees do not have to work excessive hours.
  • Equal training for everybody in the group instead of picking the same people all the time.

Goals & Metrics

Definition: Comments that relate to outcomes, methods to achieve outcomes, or systems of measurement.  
Example Comments:

  • Continue to openly communicate with the organization on company goals, important issues, and trends in the industry. Continue to treat people with respect and dignity.
  • Better incentive program for Tellers, as a teller I am on the front line and consistently achieving my goals and the payouts are not fair.
  • I’m on track to hit my quota for the year, so I’ve got no complaints.

Health & Wellness

Definition: Comments that relate to physical, mental, social, and financial well-being.
Example Comments:

  • As a newer employee, I think waiting an entire year to get sick days is excessive when I have already received my vacation days. Maybe six months would be a better timeline.
  • Continue community involvement events. continue push and encouragement for wellness programs.
  • Encouraging active lifestyles, even though it's hard for some people to leave their desks. But I like that they are trying.

Job Demands

Definition: Requirements of an individual on the job, excluding specific responsibilities.  
Example Comments: 

  • Heavy stress related to extremely high expectations, we run "lean" as a company so that in times of economic downfall we do not have to let employees go, but often times I find myself working at 120% capacity. 
  • Employees' bandwidth has exceeded. A lot of teams such as Moderation Services and Account Managers handle too many accounts.
  • The staff I work with are passionate about the work they do and the work is varied which I really enjoy. That said, too much is happening at the same time and all resources are stretched beyond capacity.

Leadership

Definition: References to leadership roles and positions. 
Example Comments: 

  • I am very impressed with our Leadership. They are humble, thoughtful, and strategic, and they care about their employees.
  • Upper leadership is totally out of touch with workers. Decisions are made based only on Wall Street objectives. Customer service has declined drastically - I receive complaints from customers constantly about this not being the same company.
  • At my previous company store, directors would switch stores every year. This helps keep everyone up to date with current policies and procedures that some managers could be slacking on. It also helps with employee appreciation.

Management

Definition: References to management-level roles and positions. 
Example Comments: 

  • Managers need to start discussing the future plans they have for their workers instead of making it a secret.
  • I work with many Senior Attorneys, and my supervising attorney less than others, so direct constructive feedback from my supervisor is less common than from other Senior Attorneys.
  • I like my supervisor and we work well together. The pay is good for the work I do.

Meetings & Events

Definition: Comments that relate to various types of interactions and gatherings.
Example Comments: 

  • Continue with open communication; Town Hall meetings and Roundtable discussions allow staff to be engaged with Executives.
  • Department outings to get to know coworkers a little better.
  • Events solely focused on corporate/administrative employees would improve the overall "team" feeling of branch employees as well.

Moods & Emotions

Definition: Specific feelings that employees have about particular topics.  
Example Comments: 

  • Being able to express our feelings freely and without repercussions has been a wonderful thing! It is nice to know that we are treated like adults that have a voice now.
  • I love the way they try to make us as safe as possible; they try to make sure we have all the equipment and knowledge to prevent injuries or fatalities.
  • I enjoy the company functions where we all get together (happy hours, quarterlies).

Org Culture

Definition: An organization’s culture and perceptions of an organization as a whole. 
Example Comments: 

  • I feel as a whole, all employees are cared for by the organization and do a good job of putting us first.
  • I believe the culture here is the most valuable thing to me. The relationships I have with my co-workers both at and away from work are something that continues throughout my career.
  • I know the company is on a journey to be more open and accepting of all types of people, but we are not there yet.

Org Structure

Definition: Parts of an organization’s hierarchical or geographical distribution. 
Example Comments: 

  • I think over the years we have started to add so many layers to our structure that it is starting to cripple our ability to move quickly, and our cost structure continues to rise at a rate that is larger than obtainable margins.
  • It's a highly functional department, like a well-oiled machine. Everyone has defined roles and things get done in a timely manner.
  • Keeping teams consistent for longer periods of time, without changing structures so we can keep developing projects and taking the time to research, learn and improve.

Performance

Definition: Comments that relate to the general effort put into work. 
Example Comments: 

  • I am more productive at home, as I live alone, and being at home reduces the amount of interruption, I have every day.
  • I would like upper management to stop ignoring certain employees who do not work nearly as hard as other employees, or get their jobs done in a timely manner.
  • I would like to see better management of coworkers of their performance and work ethics. I feel like I do more than others and clean up after them when we should all be doing this at the beginning or in the end of the work day.

Physical Environment

Definition: The places in which employee conduct their work, as well characteristics of those places. 
Example Comments: 

  • Install stand-up desks at everyone's office work cubicle. This would allow for better health standards.
  • Provide extra allowance to employees to purchase necessary items like Chairs, Tables, Electronic devices/assets, better internet, etc. Check if people are not stressed with a lot of work and get time to relax and take care of family.
  • Better plan for our space needs. we are intentionally growing the credit union and we need to plan in advance where we will work and how we will work.

Process & Efficiency 

Definition: Comments that relate to the ways in which work is conducted. 
Example Comments: 

  • I want to see improvement to the processes to get things done faster for our customers.
  • Listening to employees needs to get their job done more efficiently. Some of the stuff that has been presented to us feels like it adds more work vs. actually helping.
  • I would like the company to stop the lack of communication within departments, so that things can flow better and progress is made faster.

Recognition

Definition: Appreciation and acknowledgment.
Example Comments: 

  • Great: Company is full of smart, dedicated people. I feel my contributions really matter to helping the company achieve its goals. Could be better: Replatform work seems to be unfocused, with a lot of churn in scope, goals, and resource allocation.
  • The company does a great job of communicating the status of projects and how we all contribute to the overall vision. Please continue to acknowledge the employees' efforts and give flexible time and perks as these things do encourage us to work more efficiently and motivated.
  • I have yet to see anyone shown value besides the higher-ups. In their eyes, we are just lucky to have a job.

Roles & Responsibilities

Definition: Job tasks and titles
Example Comments: 

  • My title says Software Developer, but I feel like I learn something every day and have new problems to solve every day. This makes me happy.
  • A majority of my project work has been very prescriptive, and I have not had the ability to use my own ideas and strategy. I do however think the overall work environment is great and better than most companies.
  • Clearly convey roles & responsibilities/chain of command to those in unique project scenarios. Hyper-scale projects can get diluted and derailed very quickly if not properly configured and continuously aligned.

Scheduling

Definition: Comments that relate to specific blocks of time, days, and shift-related topics 
Example Comments: 

  • Working on Saturdays has been a great opportunity to walk the job site with management and get a different perspective.
  • Remove EWFM to utilize breaks and lunches and stop making changes daily. This makes it harder to plan your day-to-day. Such as eating lunch with a colleague.
  • Continue expanding flexible work hour options. Consider part-time options for working mothers and fathers.

Staffing

Definition: All stages of the employee life cycle, and related topics. 
Example Comments: 

  • Allow my team/department to grow so we can properly support the continued growth of the company.
  • We need to continue to hire a more diverse employee base. I can see improvement in this area over the last year.
  • Promotions are based on who you know instead of on the individual's previous performance, experience, and education.

Strategy

Definition: Comments that relate to decision-making, vision, and organizational change.
Example Comments: 

  • Collaborating with external partners to bring curative medicines to patients.
  • Communication at the executive level (CB) is great to reinforce our mission and goals at hand. I would like to hear more from others on the Executive Committee.
  • We can focus a bit more towards technology rather than selling only fonts.

Team Dynamics

Definition: Perceptions of other employees and the ways in which they work together.  
Example Comments: 

  • We need to work better as a team and back each other up.
  • We have a great team of men to work together and support each other.
  • I will say that my fellow field employees are great people and do amazing work. I am proud to work with such people.

Timing & Frequency 

Definition: General timing, frequency, length of time, and speed of various tasks. 
Example Comments: 

  • Establish a quicker response time to IT/software issues.
  • When making changes take a step back and see how it will impact all involved and make sure a reasonable amount of time is given to complete tasks.
  • I'd like to have regular bi-monthly meetings with Gery and his team of direct reports to stay abreast of current projects, and upcoming initiatives, and discuss goals, etc.

Training & Development

Definition: Processes and resources related to employee learning and guidance. 
Example Comments: 

  • Please continue the training opportunities. We have come a long way, and there is still so much work to be done so we can truly work efficiently and end to end. Thank you!
  • I would like them to make more ways to develop myself with trainings.
  • Investing in employee improvement programs, learning/education. Compensation for success.

Trust & Respect

Definition: Comments that relate to the general sense of confidence and esteem employees have toward a particular topic.  
Example Comments: 

  • To tell you the truth, nothing. The people I work with are kind, respectful, helpful, and always greets you with a smile. From the top to the bottom. It sounds funny writing that because it does not feel like a bottom, more like family.
  • I really appreciate the management team trying hard to promote a work-life balance and being respectful/mindful of personal challenges.
  • Some employers could benefit from lessons about how to treat their peers.

Unclear

Definition: Comments that do not belong to any of the specified themes in this list.
Example Comments: 

  • Not sure.
  • Nada.
  • No suggestions at this time.

Work Arrangements

Definition: Words that relate to employees’ general amount and place of work.
Example Comments: 

  • The amount of support provided in this virtual environment is amazing! I started virtually and was trained that way and I never would have expected it to go as well as it has.
  • It took some getting used to, but WFH has been something that I've adjusted myself to, and prefer to work this way. My job does not require any hands-on interaction with any systems.
  • Offering a remote work schedule, adjusting the dress code, soliciting employee feedback along with listening and responding to that feedback make this company a great place to work.

Work-Life Balance

Definition: The degree of tension between an individual’s work and non-work activities. 
Example Comments: 

  • “I feel like I can strike a good balance between work and time with my family.”
  • Good work-life balance and understanding of lives outside the company.
  • Stop making everything about money, realize that people have families and like to spend time with them, no one wants to work on weekends when their kids are home.
  • I've enjoyed having the ability to get my son on and off the bus each day. There have been days where I miss interacting with my co-workers but for the most part, it's been going pretty well.