The theme
Wellbeing surveys measure mood. Not values.
Almost every organisation measures wellbeing. Very few measure what actually gets chosen when two of their own values cannot both be honoured. Those are two different questions, and they require two different instruments.
Short answer: a wellbeing survey measures a level — how good or bad things are across a set of dimensions. A values measurement measures a hierarchy — which value wins when a choice must be made. A level can be improved with resources and structures. A hierarchy can only be changed by a decision.
Culture measurement, values measurement, value screening or wellbeing survey?
The four terms are used interchangeably, and that is much of the confusion. In short: a wellbeing survey measures the experience of the working environment. A culture measurement is the umbrella term for measuring what actually gets done — norms, unwritten rules and priorities. A values measurement is the precise form of culture measurement where the organisation's own values are set against each other so the hierarchy appears. A value screening is the short warm-up: a free review of the value set itself, before you measure employees.
| Term | Measures — and used when |
|---|---|
| Wellbeing survey | Level of experienced working environment. Used for annual mapping and the statutory duty. |
| Culture measurement | Actual behaviour, norms and priorities. Used when the culture feels different from how it is described. |
| Values measurement | Hierarchy between your own values under pressure. Used when values must show up in decisions. |
| Value screening | The value set itself: collisions, synonyms and vague words. Used before a measurement, or when values need rewriting. |
Why the difference matters
An organisation can post good wellbeing numbers and still hold a culture that systematically sacrifices thoroughness for speed. It can post weak numbers because it is under strain, with its values intact. With only one instrument, the diagnosis is wrong in roughly half of cases — and the interventions therefore become expensive and ineffective.
The underlying reason is methodological. A wellbeing survey asks questions where all answers can be true at once. In the same questionnaire you can agree with both "we act fast" and "we have time to do the work properly". In everyday work there are situations where the two exclude each other. Culture is what you do in exactly those situations.
| Wellbeing survey | Values measurement |
|---|---|
| Asks: how are you doing? | Asks: what do you choose when you cannot have both? |
| Scale answers; all statements can be true at once. | Forced choices between two legitimate concerns. |
| Benchmark: last year and the industry. | Benchmark: leadership's locked guess at the same hierarchy. |
| Output: dimensions with colour codes. | Output: a hierarchy, a strength ratio and a breaking point. |
| Leads to initiatives. | Leads to one decision about priority. |
| Covers a statutory duty on the psychosocial environment. | Covers no statutory duty. Used when values fail to take hold. |
Three everyday examples
01
Deadline against quality
The delivery ships tomorrow and the quality check is unfinished. A wellbeing survey may register a stress point. A values measurement registers that speed beats thoroughness in 78 percent of cases — rising to 94 percent when the customer is large.
02
Bad news against calm
An employee knows something that will create turbulence in a shared meeting. The wellbeing survey shows a mediocre psychological safety score. The values measurement shows calm beating openness in the longest-tenured units, and the reverse among new hires.
03
A colleague's mistake against accountability
A mistake traces to someone everybody likes. The wellbeing survey does not capture the situation. The values measurement shows loyalty beating accountability — and leadership had guessed the exact opposite.
The numbers in these examples are illustrative. They show what the instrument produces — they are not results from a specific organisation.
How a hierarchy is measured
- The organisation's own values are used unchanged and translated into concrete behaviour so they can collide.
- Each value pair meets in short, realistic situations where only one of the two can be honoured.
- The same pair is repeated across pressure variants so the breaking point can be found.
- Leadership ranks the same values and the guess is locked before opening. No lock, no gap.
- No unit is reported below five responses, and the threshold is enforced in the database.
What is a wellbeing survey?
A wellbeing survey is a questionnaire that maps how employees experience the working environment: workload, leadership, collaboration, meaning and psychological safety. Answers are usually given on a scale and aggregated into unit-level scores that can be tracked over time. It describes what it feels like to be at work — not which concern wins when two good concerns collide.
Is a wellbeing survey required by law?
The questionnaire itself is not mandatory. What is mandatory in Denmark is the workplace assessment (APV), which employers must carry out at least every three years and which must cover the psychosocial working environment. Many use a wellbeing survey for that part, but the requirement can be met in other ways. A values measurement is never a substitute for the APV — it serves a different purpose.
How often should you measure?
- APV: at least every three years, and always when work changes significantly.
- Wellbeing survey: typically once a year, optionally with short pulse checks in between — if they are actually acted on.
- Values measurement: once a year or around a change. We recommend at least 14 days between two measurements for the same group so answers do not become routine.
What does a wellbeing survey cost?
Cost depends on three things: number of employees, whether the questionnaire is standard or tailored, and whether analysis and follow-up are included. Simple self-service tools typically cost a small amount per employee per year, while an advised process with workshops and follow-up costs substantially more. The largest cost is rarely the licence — it is the time follow-up takes. A survey without follow-up is more expensive than no survey, because it costs credibility.
How to choose the right questions
- Only ask about things you are prepared to act on. Every question is a promise.
- Avoid double-barrelled items: "leadership is clear and present" measures two things and cannot be interpreted.
- Keep free text to a minimum. Free text can de-anonymise small units.
- Set the reporting threshold before dispatch. Below five responses, nothing should be shown.
- Decide in advance who sees what, and when results are shared with participants.
Which instrument, when?
| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| Annual mapping and statutory duty | Wellbeing survey |
| New values are being rolled out, or the old ones fail to take hold | Values measurement |
| Merger, fast growth or downsizing | Values measurement, before and again after |
| Sickness absence and strain are rising | Wellbeing survey first |
| Leadership and employees describe two different companies | Values measurement with a locked leadership guess |
Does KulturEKG replace our wellbeing survey?
No. The wellbeing survey covers a statutory duty and detects strain. KulturEKG answers a different question and is typically used annually or around a change.
Can we just add value questions to the existing questionnaire?
You can ask "do we live our values?" on a scale, but the answer is an attitude. A hierarchy requires forced choices between two values, and those do not belong in the middle of a statutory mapping.
How long does it take a participant?
Six to nine minutes. There is no free text and no long scale batteries.
Are the answers anonymous?
Yes, in the technical sense: dispatch and responses live in separate registers with no relation, access is a single-use token, and no result is shown below five responses.
What if we have no formulated values?
A measurement is still possible, but it must begin by describing the concerns that actually compete in everyday work. In practice that often produces the first usable value set.
What is the difference between a culture measurement and a values measurement?
Culture measurement is the umbrella term for measuring what actually gets done in an organisation. A values measurement is the precise variant where the organisation's own values are set against each other, showing which value wins under pressure. KulturEKG is a values measurement.
What is a value screening, and what does it cost?
A value screening is a short review of your own value set: which values collide, which are the same word twice, and which are so broad they can mean anything. Ours is free, takes about two minutes and requires no sign-up.