Employee Insight & Satisfaction Survey

The Research Project

A multinational energy company approached Mackman Research following our work with EEEGR. The purpose of the research was to assess the employee engagement of those situated on two North Sea platforms and a regional office. Across the three locations, the company employed around 1,000 people in a diverse range of roles from platform managers to external contractors. Mackman Research was commissioned to conduct an employee survey on behalf of the multinational energy company to provide in-depth insight into the satisfaction, engagement and motivation of employees.

Survey Feedback Results

A total of 192 employees took part in the survey, which achieved a 95% confidence level and a confidence interval of +/-4.6%. Results were analysed across three locations and employing entities, then further segmented by seniority level and length of employment. The data revealed valuable insight into employee satisfaction, motivation, and brand perception. These insights were used to produce a detailed report highlighting strengths and weaknesses across the workforce.

The Client

The multinational oil and gas company has been in production for over 100 years. As both an established and well recognised brand, they operate North Sea platforms close to their regional offices in East Anglia.

Research Aims & Objectives

The primary aim of this project was to explore organisational and cultural perception, pay, conditions, and morale among employees working for the multinational energy company. Due to the complexity of offshore scheduling, the research team adapted sampling models to reach as many staff members as possible, accounting for rotating shifts and absence. Data collection was further complicated by external environmental factors, including adverse weather. However, our team built contingency time into the schedule to mitigate delays and maximise engagement.

The Research Challenge

This was an unusual project for the research team. It required data to be gathered from employees ‘off-shore’ and on shift. Here our sampling models had to be adjusted as we attempted to make contact with as many staff members as possible. To accommodate rotational shift patterns we staggered our collection. In addition, we contacted staff via email in order to capture data from those absent. However, the data collection stage did not run entirely smoothly, as our Research Director commented:

“Despite our careful planning the weather, and other factors, interrupted our schedule. To overcome this we built extra time into to the data collection phase to act as a contingency measure. This meant that we were able to re-assign call times and make contact with as many staff members as possible.”

Dr. Gemma Mackman, Researcher Director – Mackman Research

The Research Design & Methodology

Mackman Research designed an employee survey and participants were selected at random as part of a stratified sample to take part. Employees based on the platforms called in to the Mackman office to complete the survey over the phone with a Mackman researcher. Those based in the regional office were asked to schedule an interview time slot for a Mackman researcher to call them. The telephone interviews lasted between 15 minutes and 1 hour, depending on how much information the employee had to comment.

Research Outcomes

The final report provided clear direction for the company’s onshore leadership. It captured the key areas of concern and opportunity, including pain points experienced by offshore teams, levels of employee engagement, team dynamics, brand affinity, and overall perception of the company. This evidence-based insight now underpins the business’s internal strategy to enhance staff experience and ensure its values are consistently reflected across the organisation.