Latest News
Latest News
Public sector research: pain and opportunity
8 July 2010
The emerging picture of the emergency budget is one that will have a long-lasting effect on public services within the UK . . .
7 July 2010
Now, more than ever, public services should be focusing on their customer needs by engaging with users in the design and delivery of services to ensure they get it right the first time. . .
Harnessing the power of technology in public engagement
6 July 2010
The Coalition Government has spoken about the need to build a “Big Society”, promising “a deep and serious reform agenda to take power away from politicians and give it to people”. . .
Engaged employees = customer satisfaction in local authorities
6 July 2010
In May 2010, our statistics team carried out an analysis on data from two large local authority surveys to investigate the correlation between employee opinion and resident satisfaction. The analysis identified significant links between employee opinion and measures of resident satisfaction with their local council performance and their perception of value for money. . .
The end of the survey is where the hard work begins…
6 July 2010
One of the most critical aspects of any survey is the extent to which it leads to high impact, sustainable and realistic action. Our approach to action planning has been developed over a number of years, working with organisations across the public and private sectors. . .
Have your say on the HR Industry
28 June 2010
2010 has so far has been a challenging year for HR professionals with the lingering recession and the change associated with a new government. . .
Measuring employee engagement following a merger
21 April 2010
Following a period of rapid change at World Duty Free, the company was looking to fully harmonise the newly formed business within six months. . .
Embedding engagement in the Civil Service
20 April 2010
In late 2009 more than 500,000 Civil Servants were asked to take part in possibly the largest employee engagement survey of all time. . .
“Have your say” on the City & Guilds Group
19 April 2010
In order to continue striving for excellence, the City & Guilds Group’s 2009 survey set out to not only improve year-on-year results, but also to challenge the Group to achieve a "best in class" benchmark. . .
Putting customers' needs at the heart of financial services business
14 April 2010
Between September and December 2009, over 20,000 interviews were conducted with customers from the UK’s leading life, pensions, protection and investments providers as part of the annual ABI Customer Impact Survey. . .
Developing tailored customer strategies using decision tree analysis
13 April 2010
As part of a focus on maximising value from customer surveys, the Association of Chartered Accountants (ACCA) Business Intelligence Unit worked with ORC International to challenge some of the traditional ways of analysing its data. . .
Pricing deals and introductory offers are leading to low customer loyalty levels
12 April 2010
According to the recent switching survey conducted by ORC International, the plethora of pricing deals and introductory offers available in the energy sector has created an environment of ultra-low customer loyalty. . .
Gaining additional insight through linking customer and employee research
11 April 2010
Understanding the relationship between your employees and customers, and their mutual experiences, is vital for business success. . .
Keeping your engagement resolutions in uncertain times
4 February 2010
Despite the economic uncertainty continuing to test us, results from our December HR Reflections survey suggest there is an air of optimism for the new year; with 62% of private sector HR professionals believing their companies came out of 2009 in better shape than at the start of the year. . .
Technology for Marketing & Advertising goes social with Infogroup
2 February 2010
Join the integrated marketing event’s first ever social media mash-up, bringing together everyone who’s digitally talking about the event into the one virtual environment.. . .
Organisations continued to give pay rises in 2009
29 January 2010
Despite the recession, 58% of UK organisations continued to give employees pay rises in 2009. . .
Seventy-seven per cent of HR professionals reported a successful 2009
28 January 2010
More than three quarters (77%) of Human Resource professionals with engaged staff reported that 2009 was a successful year for them, compared to just 48% of organisations who believe their employees are not engaged. . .
ORC International to boost Scottish client base
26 January 2010
The opening of a new Edinburgh office will enable ORC International to deliver market research services to a wider Scottish audience, with a particular focus on public services including the Scottish Government, Local Government, Housing and Education & Skills. . . .
Broadband suppliers most likely to make consumers see red
20 January 2010
Infogroup (NASDAQ: IUSA), the leading provider of data driven and interactive resources for targeted sales, marketing and research solutions today announced the results of its annual Switching Survey, carried out by ORC International, an Infogroup company. . .
Using your employee engagement survey to measure alignment to organisational values
30 November 2009
In times of uncertainty, many employers re-evaluate their organisational strategy to address what they need to do to strengthen their market position and reassess what role their people will play in realising their goals and aspirations. . .
Employee engagement trends within retail
27 November 2009
Whilst other industries may be struggling to weather the impact of poor external conditions, it would seem that the retail sector has a more positive outlook, as employee opinion has remained positive over the last three years . . .
Maintaining your employer brand during challenging times
6 November 2009
There may be less focus on your employer brand during a downturn, but managing the perceptions being formed about your company during these times is critical, and a strong employer brand is about much more than just effective recruitment . . .
Benchmarking employee engagement survey results for financial services
6 November 2009
Our next financial services benchmarking group takes place on 18 November 2009, where we will be considering the typical employee engagement challenges being faced by the financial services industry, and sharing our thoughts on how you can ensure sustainable and realistic action takes place following your survey . . .
Should financial services organisations be worried about employee engagement?
5 November 2009
Over the last year employee opinion within the financial services industry has changed dramatically in response to the economic climate and the organisational restructuring that many are going through. But is there still hope for the sector? . . .
Syndicated market research solutions are back in vogue
4 November 2009
In the current recessionary environment, the key benefit to clients employing syndicated research is value for money, as syndicate members share the overall cost of the research . . .
The Institute of Customer Service helps organisations deliver the best customer service
3 November 2009
It is the role of the ICS to champion the cause of Customer Service and to ensure that people dealing with customers are formally recognised . . .
Taking the mystery out of shopping for insurance
2 November 2009
MTIS moved from mystery shopping to telephone interviewing to monitor how its products were being sold . . .
Multi-channel strategy: forget what you know – customers live in a different world
30 October 2009
From the Internet to telephones and text messages, today’s consumers enjoy a wide range of purchasing methods. The multi-channel environment has the potential to provide more choice . . .
Fulfilling TCF objectives at BNY Mellon Asset Management
29 October 2009
The organisation is fulfilling its TCF obligations through the combined use of internal management information and market research conducted among both intermediaries and investors . .
Customer satisfaction measurement at Fujitsu
28 October 2009
As the IT service industry has developed and become more competitive, Fujitsu has adapted the way it measures and manages customer satisfaction . . .
ORC International in the press
12 October 2009
It’s been an exciting few weeks at ORC International, with a lot of coverage in the press about work we’ve been doing . . .
Using research to underpin a successful economy in the future
29 September 2009
The current economic climate is producing unparalleled and unpredictable challenges. Businesses must focus not only on how to survive these tough times, but also on how to thrive in the years ahead . . .
Researching employers’ responses to the recession
28 September 2009
In 2009 the Institute of the Motor Industry conducted an employer survey to gain an understanding of the current status of the automotive industry with regard to training, productivity and learning . . .
Cultivating an engaged environment
24 September 2009
The importance of employee engagement within the education and skills sector is clear. When it is there, it makes a real difference . . .
Benchmarking education and skills
22 September 2009
ORC International has been running a benchmarking practice since 1997 using a sophisticated database, ORC Perspectives. Drawing on our experience of successfully conducting public sector customer and employee research, we are pleased to announce our new Education and Skills Benchmarking offer . . .
The challenge begins here...ORC International's approach to action planning
10 September 2009
Those who have been involved in delivering an employee survey will understand the challenges it can bring. But it is when the results are in that the real work begins . . .
20 August 2009
ORC International’s Guest Satisfaction research has identified the links between employee engagement levels and customer satisfaction; if your staff are not engaged with your brand, your customers won’t be either . . .
Focusing on what's important: how Premier Inn has improved the guest experience
19 August 2009
As the UK’s largest hotel chain, Premier Inn has always understood the importance of providing a superlative guest experience, even offering a Good Night Guarantee that offers guests their money back if they don't enjoy a good night's sleep . . .
Deliver the promises: employee engagement within the hospitality industry
18 August 2009
Reduced leisure and business travel during the economic downturn is driving fierce competition between major hotel brands . . .
Cabinet Office to conduct single civil service employee engagement survey
14 August 2009
The Cabinet Office has awarded ORC International a two-year contract to manage a cross-civil-service employee engagement survey encompassing over half a million civil servants from 100 government departments and agencies, replacing their individually managed surveys . . .
Education and skills team to launch customer experience benchmarking database
17 July 2009
ORC International’s education and skills department will be launching their customer experience benchmarking database in August 2009 . . .
ORC International leads the search for the key to employee engagement
14 July 2009
The challenge of managing employee engagement during difficult times was a key theme at the 14th annual employee engagement conference, presented by ORC International . . .
ORC Employee Engagement launches on LinkedIn
29 June 2009
ORC International has launched an employee engagement group on the professional networking site LinkedIn. . .
Speakers announced for annual customer satisfaction conference
26 June 2009
We are delighted to announce that our annual customer satisfaction conference will be held at The Magic Circle in London on Thursday 15 October 2009. This conference will provide an excellent opportunity for market research professionals to come together and share best practice. . .
Ready for a change in the distribution landscape?
15 June 2009
Whatever your current or future plans for your company’s distribution channels, ad hoc research from ORC International can help you reach your objectives. .
ORC International to exhibit at Marketing Week live!
29 May 2009
Marketing Week live!, taking place from 30 June to 1 July at London’s Olympia, is the UK’s first and only event for integrated marketing, providing a single destination event for market research, online marketing, data marketing and in-store marketing activity. . .
New speaker announced for employee engagement conference
19 May 2009
ORC International is delighted to announce that David Macleod, a renowned expert in employee engagement, will be speaking at our 14th annual employee engagement conference on 18 June in central London. . .
Sainsbury’s: going from strength to strength with Talkback
12 May 2009
Sainsbury’s colleague engagement survey, Talkback, has been supported by ORC International since 2001 and is strongly embedded within the organisation. It has become one of the most successful surveys within the retail sector, and we identify why. . .
Are staff becoming more engaged during the downturn?
11 May 2009
During these times of economic downturn and turbulence within the retail sector, we are noticing some interesting trends in employee engagement. Our benchmarking data is telling us that employees within the sector are becoming more positive about certain issues despite the economic gloom. . .
8 May 2009
Thorntons, winner of two Personnel Today awards in 2008, recognises that people are at the very heart of its organisation and a key part of its success. Working with ORC International, Thorntons’ “Your Voice” employee survey became fully embedded within the organisation, ensuring continued success for the well-known high street name. . .
Government enshrines apprenticeships in law
26 April 2009
The Government target is that one in five young people are to take up apprenticeship training by 2020. But how are organisations preparing to meet these new targets?. . .
Research for economic recovery
23 April 2009
The economic downturn may be on everyone’s mind, but getting ready for the upturn is also important. Research can play a vital role in ensuring the public sector is well-placed for recovery, by helping organisations see the benefit of investing in training now, to gain a competitive edge when the economy improves. . .
Continued growth within employee research
22 April 2009
Since its establishment in 1986 our employee research division has continued to grow, becoming one of the leading providers of employee research in the UK with a strong presence in both public and private sectors. . .
Mirror, mirror on the wall: research reflects recent developments in education technology
21 April 2009
Technology is constantly changing and adapting to meet users’ needs. With the increasing popularity of Web2.0 technologies such as social networking sites, and the accessibility of computers and broadband, research needs to harness new developments in order to remain at the cutting edge. . .
Share your research requirements with us
17 April 2009
Let us know about your potential research requirements – of all shapes and sizes. We are always happy to discuss the effectiveness of alternative research designs informally before commissioning and, of course, to respond to your formal research specifications.. . .
Connecting you directly to your stakeholders – introducing ORC Connect
15 April 2009
Our online community forum, ORC Connect, provides you with instant access to your stakeholders, enabling you to ask direct questions that are not possible from standard surveys alone. . .
Date confirmed for 14th annual Employee Engagement conference
9 April 2009
We are delighted to announce that our 14th annual Employee Engagement conference will be held on Thursday 18 June 2009 at No. 4 Hamilton Place in central London. . .
Deliver, delight and develop – achieving real customer focus
6 April 2009
The customer experience is instrumental in helping organisations realign their operations in order to achieve real customer focus. . .
5 April 2009
Text technologies have initiated a revolution in the collection of open comments from surveys and the mining of information gathered from social media and other online data sources. Now researchers and marketers can truly hear the “Voice of the Customer”. . .
“Scaling” the heights of research to achieve greater insight
2 April 2009
Choosing the wrong scale can mean a research opportunity is wasted; but the right scale can lead to a greater insight into the aspirations of residents and customers. . .
Turning results into action for the Ministry of Justice
25 March 2009
In November 2008 the Ministry of Justice embarked on the challenging task of conducting a full staff engagement survey for all employees across its five broad and diverse businesses. . .
Making an impact on customer satisfaction
23 March 2009
The Customer Impact Scheme, sponsored by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), canvasses views of more than 20,000 customers from 34 life, pensions and investment brands and is now in its third full year. . .
Spring clean your database with ORC Data Enhance
17 March 2009
Highly accurate customer contact data is essential to improving your organisation’s return on investment from sales and marketing campaigns. Data cleaning is vital, and should be carried out in order to maintain the accuracy of your database. . .
Capturing the voice of hard-to-reach customers
16 March 2009
There are many effective mechanisms for collecting customer feedback; however most rely on having customer contact details. What do you do if you don’t know who your customers are?. . .
10 March 2009
ORC International was recently commissioned by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the British Banking Association (BBA) to undertake financial research in order to gauge consumer reactions to a new "Assisted Purchase" (AP) distribution channel. . .
Fujitsu Services – strengthening employee engagement
27 February 2009
ORC International has been working with Fujitsu Services on its key customer research since 2006, and we have more recently undertaken the company’s employee surveyes. . .
ORC International retains Investors in People accreditation
19 February 2009
ORC International has been awarded the prestigious Investors in People accreditation for a further three years. We first achieved the IiP award in 2001 and since then have worked towards the standard continuously, improving and developing our business and employees. . .
Sainsbury's – Talkback with impact
13 February 2009
Sainsbury’s Talkback survey is strongly embedded within the organisation and provides colleagues with the opportunity to tell managers how well they are working and how well other teams are supporting them. . .
Helping shape the future of the CPS
12 February 2009
ORC International was appointed to help the CPS achieve its goals by designing and implementing its staff surveys from 2007 to 2010. . .
"You make the difference" at Nottinghamshire County Council
11 February 2009
In 2008 NCC commissioned a survey to identify current levels of engagement; understand what obstacles were preventing employees from performing their best; and discover what support mechanisms were required in order to deliver excellent customer service. . .
Focusing on the heart of Chesterfield Royal Hospital
10 February 2009
The Trust was looking to conduct employee research outside of the required NHS England survey, which would get to the heart of issues important to its workforce of around 3,400. . .
Arqiva – broadcasting engagement internationally
9 February 2009
After a company sale in 2005 which caused great organisational change, the Arqiva Board became committed to improving how staff were surveyed, and to ensuring that the results were used in an effective way. . .
News update from the Employee Research division
5 February 2009
ORC International's Employee Research division continues to grow. Here's an update on what's been happening recently. . .
The present and future of Web 2.0 business applications
30 January 2009
ORC International hosted an “Integrating Web 2.0 technology for better brand research” seminar on 2 December 2008, where we were delighted to welcome Brendan Tutt, Portal & Social Networking Business Leader, IBM (UK & Ireland) as our guest speaker. . .
ORC International researchers to present at LSIS seminar
27 January 2009
The Learning Skills and Improvement Service is hosting a seminar over three days in March entitled 2020 skills – developing responsive provision. . .
ORC International to administer and deliver
a pilot cross-government Civil Service Employee Survey
20 January 2009
ORC International is pleased to announce its appointment by the Cabinet Office to administer and deliver a pilot Civil Service Employee Survey across nine government organisations. . .
ORC International launches 2009 events calendar
23 December 2008
We are delighted to announce our 2009 events calendar, packed with benchmarking groups, interactive seminars and workshops. . .
Customer satisfaction remains high
6 November 2008
An October 2008 survey into consumer opinion amongst members of ORC International’s customer satisfaction benchmarking group has found that, despite the downturn in the economy, customers' overall satisfaction remains high at 83%. . .
Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants appoints ORC International
4 November 2008
Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, the UK’s largest hotel and restaurant company, has appointed ORC International to run its guest satisfaction programme. For the last two-and-a-half years, ORC International been managing Whitbread’s Guest Recommend programme for the UK’s largest hotel chain, Premier Inn. . .
Focus on your customer: briefing from ORC International's customer satisfaction conference
28 October 2008
On Thursday 11 September, research professionals from across the private sector gathered for ORC International’s annual customer satisfaction conference at the London Transport Museum. Papers covered a range of methods for creating an exceptional customer experience. . .
Customer satisfaction benchmarking group to be relaunched
20 October 2008
ORC International’s customer satisfaction benchmarking service will be relaunched in late 2008. To supplement the service we will be hosting regular open forums, which will allow contributors to network and share best practice ideas. . .
ORC International announces new "DIY" and partially managed surveys
1 October 2008
ORC International is delighted to announce the expansion of its full service agency offering to include partially managed and “DIY surveys”, under the heading of Survey Management Services. . .
Getting research off to a flying start at Monarch
22 September 2008
While close attention is paid to channel preferences at The Monarch Travel Group, engagement levels of its largely remote workforce and the organisational culture are just starting to be explored. . .
Get the right support with VLSP
18 September 2008
ORC International has conducted its third successive review of the framework of the Vocational Learning Support Programme (VLSP). The research showed the programme to be a resounding success, with 93% of respondents satisfied with the training they’ve received. . .
8 September 2008
A host of different private sector companies gathered at ORC International for its most recent benchmarking group to discuss key areas of interest surrounding customer satisfaction measurement and benchmarking. . .
Connexions service quality review
7 September 2008
Connexions Nottinghamshire wanted to investigate whether the service it is providing to young people meets their needs and achieves national standards. The research programme also captured ideas from young people to help improve the service for other teenagers in future. . .
Be a part of a community with ORC Connect™
6 September 2008
At ORC International’s “Integrating Research and Technology” seminar on 24 June, 2008 we announced the launch of a qualitative tool called ORC Connect™ – a market research online community (MROC) forum. . .
4 September 2008
Diplomas are a hot topic, with rollout beginning in September 2008 and plans for every child to have the option to obtain a Diploma by 2013. So how do organisations currently running Young Apprenticeship programmes – to be underpinned by Diplomas – prepare for the introduction?. . .
28 August 2008
Gerard Tempest has been instrumental in the huge success that is the Premier Inn budget hotel brand – and is now taking the "listening to the customer" ethos that has underpinned Premier Inn’s success across parent company Whitbread’s entire restaurant portfolio. . .
26 August 2008
We now live in the “digital age” with access to information like never before; yet in everyday life we express our thoughts and feelings through “analogue” speech and writing. Since the first days of market research the survey has been king, with carefully refined, targeted questions having a small, fixed number of possible responses. . .
Speakers confirmed for annual customer satisfaction seminar
21 July 2008
ORC International is hosting its annual customer satisfaction seminar on Thursday 11 September 2008 at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. Representatives from leading organisations have been invited to illustrate their experience of conducting and managing customer satisfaction research at the event entitled "Focus on your customer: using research to build lasting relationships". . .
20 July 2008
We are pleased to announce that a new global website has been launched for Opinion Research Corporation. . .
Premier Inn guest survey revolutionises hotel's offering
17 July 2008
Premier Inn, the UK’s largest and fastest growing hotel chain, announced today that their "Guest Recommend" customer satisfaction survey has received its one-millionth guest response since it was launched in March 2006. The survey, conducted on behalf of Premier Inn by ORC International, receives an average of 35,000 responses per month and the feedback provided has revolutionised the way the hotel chain reviews and improves its offering to guests. . .
Review of ORC International's 13th annual employee research conference
9 June 2008
Over the last dozen years, ORC International’s annual employee research conference has won a reputation as an excellent forum for knowledge exchange between HR and communications professionals. . .
Speakers confirmed for 13th annual employee research conference
21 May 2008
ORC International is hosting its 13th annual employee research conference on Thursday 5 June 2008 at the Kensington Roof Gardens. . .
ORC International provides insight into transport sector's skills gap for GoSkills
15 May 2008
ORC International, a top ten research company, has completed an extensive survey into basic skills amongst passenger transport employees in the UK on behalf of GoSkills, the Sector Skills Council for passenger transport. . .
The true value of respect – the real business benefits of employee engagement
23 April 2008
As experts in employee research, ORC International knows that an engaged workforce can benefit an organisation in a number of ways, from increasing productivity and turnover to actually increasing customer satisfaction. . .
Openreach – building better communication
21 April 2008
Employing over 30,000 staff, Openreach is the second largest arm of the BT Group. This new service strives to ensure that millions of people across the UK have reliable access to telecoms infrastructure. In an organisation of this size, effective internal communication is a real challenge. . .
Pets at Home takes a listening approach
18 April 2008
Pets at Home is the UK’s leading retailer of pets, pet food and pet accessories with more than 210 stores across the country. The company has experienced continuous growth over recent years and its people have been critical to this success: its 3,800 employees need to be knowledgeable, passionate and committed to delivering excellent customer service. . .
Friends Provident – bringing out the best in its employees
18 April 2008
As a leading FTSE 100 financial services group, Friends Provident's commitment to its shareholders is to maximise the value of their investment. Speed, efficiency, service and professionalism all make their corporate philosophy strong. However, what makes Friends Provident unique is the company’s commitment to bringing out the best in its employees to ensure it achieves business success. . .
Legal & General – right on target with the marketing strategy!
27 March 2008
Legal & General is responsible for investing over £257 billion worldwide on behalf of investors, policyholders and institutions. The company was keen to gain an understanding of the make-up of the consumer market for individual investment and pensions products in the UK, to enable specific targeting of potential key client groups. . .
Boots: getting to know its employees
25 March 2008
Segmentation is critical to a successful business, but should it be solely used to examine the external market? Using segmentation to understand your employees can be equally beneficial. . .
ORC International awarded the Learning and Skills Council framework agreement
18 March 2008
ORC International is celebrating being awarded the LSC Framework Agreement for Research and Evaluation Consultancy Services. . .
Working together to boost Apprenticeship completions
16 March 2008
The Government sees Apprenticeships as the successful route to skilled employment. Yet improving the completion rates among young apprentices remains a key challenge for the Ministerial Steering Group for Apprenticeships. As a result, Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) commissioned ORC International to conduct a comprehensive programme of research. . .
Smart retailing: insight into future skills development and its challenges
13 March 2008
ORC International recently conducted a survey for Skillsmart Retail covering nearly 400 employers from across all sectors of the retail industry. All participating employers recognised that training does improve business performance, and almost all of them said that they took training seriously in their company. . .
The next generation challenge: dealing with skills in short supply
12 March 2008
Attracting people with industrial experience into further education colleges to become teachers, trainers or tutors within their vocational area is a challenge with a worthwhile purpose – to prepare the next generation for entering these industries. . .
Go, go GoSkills! Going the extra mile in basic skills provision
11 March 2008
Passenger transport sector employers are becoming more aware of basic skills issues and the impact on their business, according to new research undertaken by ORC International on behalf of GoSkills, the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for Passenger Transport. . .
Game, dataset and fuzzy match – making the most of multiple datasets
3 March 2008
Datasets held by public sector organisations are a hot topic. This article describes how "fuzzy matching" data within and across databases can help the public sector to produce essential evaluative, audit and management information . . .
Green disposal: on the path to sustainable procurement
28 February 2008
The Disposal Services Authority (DSA), part of the UK MoD, is focused on achieving the best return from the disposal of public owned assets and delivering a high quality service to achieve efficient collection and disposal, making most use of the private sector and focusing on minimising landfill . . .
No time to shop around? An easier choice for credit card holders
27 February 2008
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) – as part of its role in protecting the rights of consumers – recently commissioned ORC International to explore consumers’ views and behaviours when choosing a credit card in the UK . . .
Savings for the nation – customers take full advantage of efficiency gains
25 February 2008
For more than a decade the public sector has been undergoing what the NAO has described as the “biggest change management programme in the world”. In the first 10 years the foundations for improved public services were established. Now – in the second decade – government seeks to continue its progress, and to create world-class services that respond to people’s rising aspirations, as well as global demands . . .
For further information, please contact Marketing on 020 7675 1151 or e-mail website@orc.co.uk
