Minneapolis, MN, October 26, 2009 - Even in the toughest of conditions, growing your business is possible if you have an advantage over your competition - and Modern Survey is proving it. With superior web-based research tools and client service dedication, Modern Survey has continued on a trajectory of growth and innovation despite the challenges of an economic recession. Taking notice of this accomplishment, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal recently recognized Modern Survey as one of the fastest growing private companies in the Twin Cities.

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Fast 50 award ranks Twin Cities companies based upon revenue growth over the past three years. During this period, Modern Survey’s revenue has grown over 85%, earning a rank of twenty-five on the 2009 Fast 50.

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal is a business news publication with a print edition distributed weekly across the Twin Cities, and daily online content available at twincities.bizjournals.com

Read the Fast 50 article here.

About Modern Survey:

In less than a decade, Modern Survey has established itself as a leader in the online survey industry, providing a robust suite of proprietary technologies combined with an array of consultative services that help our clients manage talent throughout the employee life cycle, measure and evaluate customer satisfaction and gain insight into changing markets. Modern Survey products and services have spanned 100 countries on six continents in over 30 languages. Each year, Modern Survey receives millions of web survey responses and generates tens of thousands of advanced reports. Through direct and partner channels, Modern Survey’s tools and services have reached more than 500 companies, over 80 of which are among the Fortune 500.

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Media Contact:
Jennifer Halstead, Marketing Manager
Modern Survey
jhalstead@modernsurvey.com
612/746.3917

Minneapolis, MN September 16, 2009 - Although economic recovery in the U.S. remains uncertain and is far from complete, Modern Survey’s measurement of the U.S. workforce shows that employee engagement has risen steadily during the last twelve months. The level of employee engagement recorded in late August is now back to where it was in August of 2007 (before the recession became apparent), following a precipitous decline from August 2007 to August 2008.

All five components of Modern Survey’s Employee Engagement Index show further improvement since the February 2009 measurement, resulting in statistically significant gains on all components since August of 2008. The most dramatic improvement is in the number of employees who say they intend to stay with their company, which rose by 11 percentage points, from a low of 52% in August ‘08, to 57% by February ‘09, and now stands at 63%.

Such encouraging figures in the face of continued economic hardship may well indicate a fundamental change in the psychology of the American worker.

Modern Survey’s data shows that employees are feeling more optimistic about their jobs now than they were six months ago. A Modern Survey study of the Financial Services industry published in June 2009 found that fear of losing income was unrelated to employees’ engagement levels. So, if it is not a decrease in fear or worry over the economy that is driving up engagement levels, what could it be? For the answer, Modern Survey took a close look at the drivers of engagement.

Modern Survey has identified five specific drivers of engagement that employers must provide for employee engagement to thrive. These five elements are: recognition/appreciation, personal accomplishment, career development, confidence in company, and compensation. It seems unlikely that organizations are spending much more time and energy attending to these drivers now, under the duress of current market conditions. And if employers are not doing a better job of actively promoting engagement, then employees must be viewing what their employers provide in a new light.

It is a well documented psychological phenomenon that survivors of deeply stressful and traumatic events often emerge with a newfound appreciation for life. Psychologists call this Post-Traumatic Growth Perhaps the stress and trauma of this economic recession may have instilled many workers with a heightened sense of appreciation for the good things they already have and experience at work.

Modern Survey’s most recent study of employee engagement shows that not only do more employees intend to stay with their company now than in either August of 2007 or 2008, but the percentage of employees that report taking pride in their work has risen from 71% in 2008 to 79% now. Similarly, the number of employees that report a willingness to recommend their employer has risen from 53% in 2008 to 58% today. All of these figures portray American workers as more appreciative of their jobs and enthusiastic about their organizations.

Business leaders should beware, however, of falling victim to a false sense of security. Even if a fundamental shift in the attitudes of American workers has occurred, as this latest study suggests, this does not mean that organizations can ignore the drivers of engagement. There’s no guarantee that employees will maintain their heightened sense of appreciation when economic conditions improve and job opportunities become more plentiful. When the economy turns around, organizations can expect a hiring surge to occur. While employees may currently be more appreciative of what your company provides, they may begin to re-evaluate just how good they have it once attractive alternatives begin to open up. To retain top talent, organizations need to focus on doing whatever they can to enhance employees’ experiences and perceptions of engagement drivers at work, validating and reinforcing employees’ newfound levels of appreciation.

It is clear that the recession has made enhancing compensation a difficult or nearly impossible strategy for organizations to use in driving engagement, but each of the other four drivers can be attended to with little or no monetary investment. In a recession environment, business leaders should pay special attention to things they can do to increase their employees’ engagement levels for free. Given that the U.S. workforce appears to be feeling much more appreciative, active efforts to drive engagement now should go an extra long way in achieving desired business results. 

See the full results of this study at: http://modernsurvey.com/news/?p=346#more-346

About the Study

Through national surveys, Modern Survey tracks employee engagement using 5 questions that gauge the extent to which employees: take pride in their company, believe they have a promising future at their company, recommend their company as a great place to work, go “above and beyond” their normal job duties to help their company succeed, and intend to stay with their company. Modern Survey began posing these questions in August 2007 to nationally representative samples of 1,000 U.S. adults (18+ years old) who match census data in terms of age, gender, and region. This measure was repeated in August 2008, February 2009, and August 2009 to monitor employee engagement in a scientifically sound fashion, and to document how engagement levels have changed nationally over time in response to changing economic and social conditions.

About Modern Survey

In just a decade, Modern Survey has established itself as a leader in the online survey industry, providing a robust suite of proprietary technologies combined with an array of consultative services that help our clients manage talent throughout the employee life cycle, measure and evaluate customer satisfaction and gain insight into changing markets. Modern Survey products and services have spanned 100 countries on six continents in over 30 languages. Each year, Modern Survey receives millions of web survey responses and generates tens of thousands of advanced reports. Through direct and partner channels, Modern Survey’s tools and services have reached more than 500 companies, over 80 of which are among the Fortune 500.

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Minneapolis, MN September 16, 2009 - Although economic recovery in the U.S. remains uncertain and is far from complete, Modern Survey’s measurement of the U.S. workforce shows that employee engagement has risen steadily during the last twelve months. The level of employee engagement recorded in late August is now back to where it was in August of 2007 (before the recession became apparent), following a precipitous decline from August 2007 to August 2008.

To read more CLICK HERE.

Modern Survey’s U.S. Workforce Engagement Data (2007-2009): 

Engagement Index Item Trends:

Media Contact:

Jennifer Halstead, Marketing Manager

Modern Survey

jhalstead@modernsurvey.com

612/746.3917

Minneapolis, MN, September 9, 2009 - Born out of an initial investment of only $3,000, Modern Survey has, in just ten years, blossomed into a multi-million dollar leader in the human capital measurement industry. Guided by a fundamental belief that organizations that seek out the perceptions of their employees, customers and target markets position themselves to succeed, Modern Survey has leveraged its dual offerings of an enterprise technology platform and integrated consulting services to deliver impressive results on its value proposition.

“I couldn’t be happier with where we’re at as a company right now. Our growth is directly attributable to our innovative and dedicated culture, and we’re poised to make even greater advances in the years ahead,” said Patrick Riley, Modern Survey’s Chief Executive Officer.

Grown organically from its inception, Modern Survey has seen a 166% increase in revenues since 2005 to become one of the fastest-growing private companies in America (as recently recognized by Inc. Magazine).

As Modern Survey continues to grow and expand its organization, more media groups are taking an interest in the story. Modern Survey has been profiled locally in Twin Cities Business Magazine and The Downtown Journal, and received national recognition from Talent Management Magazine, Human Resources Executive Online, Harvard Business Publishing, and Inc. Magazine all within the last year.

With a robust suite of measurement tools, dedicated service teams, and expert consulting resources, Modern Survey will continue to deliver actionable intelligence for clients looking to build and better their business, increase loyalties and deepen market share. Modern Survey’s product and consulting offerings include interview and hiring systems, employee engagement, 360-degree feedback, exit surveys, pulse surveys, customer satisfaction measurement, and market research.

About Modern Survey

In just a decade, Modern Survey has established itself as a leader in the online survey industry, providing a robust suite of proprietary technologies combined with an array of consultative services that help our clients manage talent throughout the employee life cycle, measure and evaluate customer satisfaction and gain insight into changing markets. Modern Survey products and services have spanned 100 countries on six continents in over 30 languages. Each year, Modern Survey receives millions of web survey responses and generates tens of thousands of advanced reports. Through direct and partner channels, Modern Survey’s tools and services have reached more than 500 companies, over 80 of which are among the Fortune 500.

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Media Contact:
Jennifer Halstead, Marketing Manager
Modern Survey
jhalstead@modernsurvey.com
612/746.3917

Minneapolis, MN, August 24, 2009 - Modern Survey is excited to have been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in America. The 2009 Inc. 5000 list ranks private companies based upon revenue growth over the past four years. Over this period, Modern Survey posted an impressive 166% growth in revenue, earning a rank of 1912 the 2009 list. Modern Survey also ranked 31^st among companies in the greater Twin Cities metro area.

Inc. is a prominent national magazine based in New York City targeted towards entrepreneurs and small businesses. The magazine is published monthly with a circulation of over 700,000. The 2009 Inc. 5000 list was announced on August 13^th and can be found here online.

About Modern Survey:

In less than a decade, Modern Survey has established itself as a leader in the online survey industry, providing a robust suite of proprietary technologies combined with an array of consultative services that help our clients manage talent throughout the employee life cycle, measure and evaluate customer satisfaction and gain insight into changing markets. Modern Survey products and services have spanned 100 countries on six continents in over 30 languages. Each year, Modern Survey receives over one million web survey responses and generates tens of thousands of advanced reports. Through direct and partner channels, Modern Survey’s tools and services have reached more than 500 companies, over 80 of which are among the Fortune 500.

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Media Contact:
Jennifer Halstead, Marketing Manager
Modern Survey
jhalstead@modernsurvey.com
612/746.3917

The 2009 Annual Conference is set to take place July 29 - August 1, at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, IL. The conference has been organized as an opportunity to build partnerships with community leaders, business professionals, government agencies, foundations and National Urban League members from around the country.

About Modern Survey

In less than a decade, Modern Survey has established itself as a leader in the online survey industry, providing a robust suite of proprietary technologies combined with an array of consultative services that help our clients manage talent throughout the employee life cycle, measure and evaluate customer satisfaction and gain insight into changing markets. Modern Survey products and services have spanned 100 countries on six continents in over 30 languages. Each year, Modern Survey receives millions web survey responses and generates tens of thousands of advanced reports. Through direct and partner channels, Modern Survey’s tools and services have reached more than 500 companies, over 80 of which are among the Fortune 500.

###

Media Contact:
Jennifer Halstead, Marketing Manager
Modern Survey
jhalstead@modernsurvey.com
612/746.3917