Employee capacity index
A capacity index turns many answers about the working week into a result a team can read and track. It is a summary, and it is only useful if the summary does not hide what is underneath.
What a capacity index should show
- A result for each of the four parts (starting the day, time to recover, room to concentrate, holding up under pressure), not only a total. Two teams with the same total can have different problems.
- A comparison, stated plainly: against the previous reading, or against a named group.
- The number of people who answered, so the reader knows how far to trust it.
- Direction over time. One reading is a snapshot.
How to read one
- Start with the part that scored lowest, not the total.
- Compare a team with its own earlier result before comparing it with another team.
- Ask what in the working week would explain it: workload, interruptions, rest, pressure.
- Act on one thing, then read it again.
What to be careful about
- Do not compare scores built on different questions. Two indices can use the same word and measure different things.
- Do not rank people. An index describes teams and conditions, not individuals.
- Do not treat a single index as a verdict. It points to where to look.
- Do not read a small group's result as a finding. Below a minimum group size it can identify individuals and means little.
The thrive capacity index
thrive at work publishes the Capacity Index inside its survey. How it is scored is not published, and it should not be compared with another index unless the questions match. thrive at work
How to measure employee capacity
Questions
What is an employee capacity index?
A summary that turns many answers about the working week into a result a team can read and track.
Can capacity indices from different providers be compared?
Only where the questions match. Two indices can use the same word and measure different things.