Work-life balance has long been a key theme in discussions about working life. Its continued relevance is clearly reflected in the statistics. Stress remains a significant issue, and GAIS surveys across industries and company sizes consistently show that balance is one of the lowest-rated factors by employees. There is every reason to focus on this area.
Prevent burnout before it starts
Use the balance factor survey to proactively address burnout and stress. By examining different dimensions of balance, you can identify where challenges lie and take action before engagement flips into exhaustion and the “house is on fire.”
Is the pace of work so high that quality is suffering? Is there a lack of recognition for the whole person at work? Are responsibilities and expectations clearly defined? Is there time for breaks? For learning? Is remote work functioning as intended?
Balance: A vital contributor to job satisfaction
Our overall job satisfaction is influenced by a wide range of factors. A standard GAIS survey evaluates the seven most important drivers of job satisfaction. The balance factor survey dives deeper into one of those key drivers, balance, providing a more granular picture of where to focus your efforts.
The balance factor survey is based on research, practical insights, and work conducted by the Job Satisfaction Knowledge Centre.
Explore key dimensions of balance
Balance is a broad concept. Research the Job Satisfaction Knowledge Centre has identified three critical dimensions of balance that strongly influence employees’ job satisfaction. These are integrated into the GAIS Balance Measurement and include 17 core questions:
- Task Management: Focuses on the perceived balance between tasks, time, resources, and quality. Do employees feel they can plan and prioritize their work effectively?
- Understanding and Flexibility: Assesses the experience of flexibility and understanding for the challenges that can arise when navigating work-life dynamics.
- Expectations: Measures how clearly expectations are communicated by leaders, colleagues, and oneself. Can people mentally disconnect from work after hours and vice versa?
Tailor the survey to your organization
In addition to the core questions, you can add custom questions relevant to your organization. The GAIS question library includes topical themes that reflect today’s evolving work landscape, including increased remote work and digitalization, which can enhance or hinder balance:
- Boundaryless work: Questions about clarity in roles and responsibilities, actual vs. agreed working hours, and boundaries for availability outside working hours.
- Stress: Questions around stress perception and symptoms, who employees can talk to about stress, and the organization’s capacity to address it.
- Breaks, reflection, and focus: Questions about time and space for breaks, learning, and reflection and the quality of those breaks.
- Remote work: Questions that examine expectations, flexibility, and whether remote work supports or hinders perceived balance.
Target action where it’s needed most
GAIS makes it easy to take targeted action where balance needs the most attention. You can distribute the balance factor survey across the entire organization or to specific departments facing particular challenges – such as restructuring, downsizing, or sustained workload increases. This allows for precision “needle interventions” with timely, focused efforts.
Through the GAIS Action Centre, you can also create and manage actions that address specific balance-related challenges. These actions are integrated into your organization’s comprehensive digital action overview, spanning all your GAIS surveys.
Let us show you
how easily you can measure balance
With a focus on your needs, we’ll discuss how you can use the balance factor survey and the rest of the GAIS platform to strengthen employee well-being, work-life balance, retention, and motivation.
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