SCOPE: an example of best practice

AXA introduced its Scope employee attitude survey in 1993. Initially administered every two years, the survey is now conducted annually, giving employees the opportunity to assess AXA as an employer and to demonstrate their level of engagement.

1. Survey methodology

Every employee is asked to complete the survey, which is administered within a defined time period and contains roughly 50 questions grouped under three broad categories:

- My Company: strategy perception, leadership, work environment and team efficiency

- My Job: direct management, means to do the job and job content

- Me: development and career opportunities, rewards and engagement.

Survey results are then consolidated at the work unit or department, company and Group levels.

Scope helps to reveal organizational strengths and weaknesses, which is a necessary prerequisite to defining and implementing corrective actions. It is up to every manager to work with his or her team to build and implement this action plan.

2. Action Plans

The accent is on devising and implementing targeted action plans. The trend toward more feedback groups, a practice that was initiated by several countries prior to 2004, is becoming fairly standard across the Group. In 2003, there were fewer than 2,000 feedback groups, compared with approximately 2,400 in 2004. By giving employees a more active role throughout the process, there is a greater chance that the actions identified will more accurately reflect their views and concerns. In some cases, employees may be asked to work with their managers to provide clarification on responses that could not be obtained by simply reading the feedback report.

With respect to action plans, the focus in 2004 has been on transparency. Employees at some companies can view and track the status of departmental action plans via the company Intranet. As of next year, this practice will be adopted throughout the Group.

3. Assessing results

The 2004 survey drew a global response rate of more than 80 percent, rendering the results truly representative. A Scope KPI has been devised to provide aggregate and detailed analysis and to track performance at both the Group and local levels.

In a services industry, the engagement of every employee is a decisive factor in the organization’s ability to improve the quality of its services and client perceptions.

The Scope KPI is an effective tool for leveraging Group HR strategy to make AXA an Employer of Choice.-