Go on IBMers, tell us what you really think

If an IBMer of your acquaintance appears to have shed some stress, we've discovered the reason why: the company is circulating its annual “Engagement Pulse” survey of employees' attitudes towards the company.

The parts of the survey seen by El Reg are mostly anodyne, asking questions like whether managers have managed well, and whether employees are proud to work for Big Blue or would recommend others do too. Plenty of questions are on a five point “Strong Yes – Yes – Dunno – No – Hell no” scale.

But there are also chances to send the company some immortal prose in response to questions like “What change at IBM has made the most difference for you in the last 12 months?” or “What else do you want to share with your leadership?”

The Register's favourite question asks employees to describe the company in three words, accompanied by the word cloud above (or here for m.reg readers).

Our sources haven't specified if the word cloud is the results of the three-words-please question, or a suggestion of words to choose from.

As you can see, the cloud doesn't include “doomed”, “failing”, “shrinking”, "archaic" or “You cut my contract hours so much I just don't know anymore” as options. If that's because IBMers mostly have nice things to say about the company, then morale is pretty high despite recent revenue slides and cutbacks.

If it's a suggested cloud of words, your correspondent is no psychologist but imagines the preponderance of positive suggestions could easily see workers inclined to say nice things about Big Blue. Watson's so smart The Register is sure it can sort out whether the study is less useful as a result.

At least IBMers can choose other words with impunity: Big Blue promises responses are confidential and individual workers can't be identified.

Feel free to offer your own three words to describe IBM in the comments. ®