New requirements for the psychosocial work environment: Why dialogue matters more than ever
Eirin Eriksen Horvei
October 14, 2026
Do you have a conscious strategy and approach to how surveys are followed up afterwards? Or do you measure because you are required to? What is the value of the data?
We have become very good at mapping how our employees are doing at work. There are many tools and aids for mapping the working environment, and it can be difficult to know which ones we should use. Should it be anonymous? How extensive should it be? How many factors do we want to measure? How often? The most important thing to decide is why we are measuring. What is the purpose of this survey? The more precise and clear we are about this, the easier it becomes to understand for those answering the survey and for those who will interpret the answers afterwards. If misunderstandings arise about what is being asked, the value of the answers can disappear along with the misunderstandings.
Many organisations use anonymous working environment surveys that show an average of all the answers. The results shown may look perfectly fine, since they show the average. Even so, there may be individuals who have reported improvements or challenges and who now expect this to be dealt with. After all, they have answered the survey. Before sending it out, it is therefore important to be clear about what follow-up can be expected.
The fact that the survey is anonymous can signal that the employer believes you will be more honest if your answer cannot be traced. Many organisations have a value or goal of having an open and inclusive culture where there is room to raise issues or give feedback. It is important to consider whether the tools used support this set of values.
Aftenposten recently wrote an article about working environment surveys, and how their value may not be what we tend to expect (Aftenposten.no). Many participants say they feel “apathetic and grumpy” when faced with these surveys. Or they get a “feeling of being steamrollered”. Frequent, anonymised measurements and surveys as the main tool for developing the organisation can take a toll on motivation – especially on the sense of self-determination and influence over one's own work situation. Over time, they can lead to a transactional mindset at the expense of building good relationships. Research shows that the more often we measure, the more dissatisfied people say they are (Thorbjørnsen, aftenposten.no). A prerequisite for a successful employee survey is to ensure good involvement, think carefully about how often such surveys should be carried out, and reassure employees that their opinions are important for the organisation's improvement work. If the person answering a survey is unsure of the consequences of their answer, it can feel unsafe to speak up.
Benchmarking is something many organisations are interested in, where the aim is to compare themselves with other organisations, often in the same industry. But how relevant is it really to compare yourself with a completely different organisation? Isn't that like comparing apples and oranges? Being in the same industry doesn't mean that the culture and environment are comparable. Every organisation is unique, with its own factors that affect the working environment. What is measured in company A may be less relevant for company B. Surveys that offer benchmarking tend to be generally designed and not particularly well adapted to the individual organisation. The surveys have to be general if they are to meet the goal of comparing across organisations. This can come at the expense of the value of the measurement.
An important thing to remember about surveys is that they measure a snapshot of how the environment is experienced at a particular time. It is therefore important to be conscious of how long the data remain valuable – they can go out of date. The closer the follow-up is after the survey, the better.
With all forms of measurement, there are advantages and disadvantages we should be aware of. Do you want to involve employees, create more relational communication between employees and managers, and have follow-up that is as timely as possible? – Facilitate a good dialogue with employees, ideally as close to the survey as possible!
If the survey sent out is open, the employee and their immediate manager can go through the answers together. Dialogue is the most important tool a manager has for carrying out their leadership role. The employee is involved to a much greater extent, and it also becomes easier for the manager to clear up any misunderstandings in what has been measured. If the employee is confident that the manager means well and wants to create the best possible work situation, it is easier to be honest in their feedback. Together, you then develop a culture characterised by psychological safety and continuous learning.
