Project Context:

Organization: Nike, Inc. (Global Corporate)
Role: Qualtrics Consultant & Data Analyst
Technologies: Qualtrics (Survey Design, Logic Flows, Data Segmentation), Tableau (Data Visualization), Excel (Statistical Analysis), Correlation Analysis
Scale: Enterprise-wide Employee Base | Multi-department Analysis | Remote/Hybrid/On-site Workforce

Challenge

With the shift to hybrid and remote work arrangements, the organization needed to understand patterns in employee ergonomic equipment usage and identify workplace wellness needs across departments. Key questions included:

• What types of ergonomic equipment were employees using at home vs. in-office?
• Were employees bringing their own equipment due to gaps in company provisions?
• Which departments or roles had the greatest ergonomic needs?
• How did ergonomic setup relate to employee comfort and work quality perceptions?

The data would inform potential workplace wellness investments and equipment provisioning decisions across the organization’s evolving work-from-anywhere model.

Survey Design & Methodology

Survey Structure

Designed a comprehensive Qualtrics survey to assess ergonomic equipment usage and needs:

• Ergonomic equipment inventory: standing desks, ergonomic chairs, keyboard/mouse setups, monitor arms, footrests, laptop stands
• Equipment source identification: company-provided vs. personal/brought from home
• Self-reported comfort and satisfaction ratings: scale-based assessments of workspace comfort
• Perceived relationship questions: between ergonomic setup and work quality/productivity
• Demographic segmentation: department, role type, tenure, work location (remote/hybrid/on-site)

Survey design incorporated:

• Skip logic to reduce unnecessary questions
• Scale consistency for comparable data
• Optional open-text for detailed feedback
• Mobile-responsive design for completion flexibility

Analysis Approach

Applied multiple analytical methods to identify patterns:

• Segmentation by department, role, and tenure to identify group-specific needs
• Correlation analysis between equipment usage and satisfaction ratings
• Comparative analysis of company-provided vs. personal equipment usage patterns
• Cross-tabulation to examine intersections of multiple variables
• Trend analysis across tenure levels

Tools utilized:

• Qualtrics for survey deployment and initial data collection
• Tableau for data visualization and comparative analysis
• Excel for detailed statistical analysis and cross-tabulation
• Correlation matrices to identify relationships between variables

Key Findings

Equipment Usage Patterns

Employees who reported using ergonomic equipment (regardless of source) consistently gave higher satisfaction ratings compared to those without ergonomic setups. The most commonly used items were:

• External monitors (highest usage across all groups)
• Ergonomic keyboards and mice (second most common)
• Adjustable chairs (varying by work location)
• Standing desks (more common in certain departments)

This correlation suggested that ergonomic equipment access related to workplace comfort and satisfaction, though the survey methodology couldn’t establish direct causation between specific equipment and productivity outcomes.

Department Differences

Survey data showed variation in ergonomic equipment usage across departments:

• IT, Marketing, and Design departments reported higher usage rates of specialized equipment including standing desks, dual monitors, and monitor arms
• Finance and Operations departments showed moderate usage, primarily focused on chairs and basic ergonomic accessories
• Administrative and support functions reported lowest usage of advanced ergonomic equipment

These patterns likely reflected:

• The nature of work (desk-intensive vs. varied activities)
• Time spent at workstations daily
• Department-specific budget allocations
• Awareness of ergonomic needs among different employee groups

Personal Equipment Trends

A notable finding was the number of employees bringing personal ergonomic equipment from home, especially among longer-tenured employees (10+ years). This pattern suggested:

• Potential gaps in company-provided equipment options
• Strong personal preferences for specific equipment types
• Willingness to invest personally in ergonomic comfort
• Possible differences in equipment awareness across tenure groups

The data indicated that employees valued ergonomic comfort sufficiently to make personal investments, presenting both a gap and an opportunity for organizational support.

Tenure-Based Patterns

Analysis by tenure revealed:

• Longer-tenured employees (10+ years) more likely to bring personal equipment
• Mid-tenure employees (5-10 years) most likely to request company-provided equipment
• Newer employees (0-5 years) less likely to have specialized ergonomic setups

These patterns might reflect:

• Established preferences among long-tenured employees
• Mid-career employees more comfortable requesting resources
• Newer employees still establishing their workspace needs

Data Visualizations

Created comprehensive visualizations to communicate findings:

• Bar chart: Job satisfaction ratings by ergonomic equipment usage (yes/no comparison)
• Stacked area chart: Ergonomic requirements by role type, showing variation across positions
• Bar chart: Percentage of employees bringing personal equipment, segmented by tenure
• Horizontal bar chart: Department-level satisfaction scores related to workspace setup
• Cross-tabulation tables: Equipment type usage by department and role

Visualizations were designed to:

• Highlight key patterns and relationships
• Support stakeholder decision-making
• Identify priority areas for potential investment
• Provide baseline for future comparison

Insights for Stakeholders

Survey insights suggested opportunities for the organization to consider:

Department-Specific Needs

• Departments with high desk-based work showed strongest interest in ergonomic upgrades
• Certain roles (IT, Design, Marketing) demonstrated clear needs for specialized equipment
• Variation in equipment usage suggested need for role-based rather than uniform approaches

Personal Investment Signals

• Personal equipment usage indicated employees value ergonomic comfort
• Employees willing to invest personally suggested unmet organizational provision
• Opportunity to support employees through equipment stipends or procurement programs

Standardization Opportunities

• Variation across locations and departments suggested opportunity for standardized offerings
• Clear baseline data for future ergonomic program development
• Potential for education programs on ergonomic best practices to complement equipment provisions

Future Considerations

• Regular assessment to track changing needs as work arrangements evolve
• Education programs on ergonomic best practices to complement equipment provisions
• Feedback mechanisms to continuously improve workplace wellness support

Skills Demonstrated

• Survey design with appropriate segmentation and logic
• Multi-dimensional data analysis (department, role, tenure, location)
• Correlation analysis to identify patterns
• Data visualization for stakeholder communication
• Insight generation from survey data
• Cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management
• Documentation for organizational decision-making

Reflection

This survey project highlighted the importance of understanding employee needs through direct data collection rather than assumptions. By segmenting responses across multiple dimensions (department, tenure, role), the analysis provided nuanced insights into ergonomic needs that varied significantly across employee groups.

The survey methodology and findings provided stakeholders with evidence to inform potential workplace wellness initiatives. While the survey design couldn’t establish direct causation between equipment and productivity, it successfully identified patterns, gaps, and opportunities for organizational consideration.

The project demonstrated the value of Qualtrics as a tool for organizational research, providing structured data collection that could inform strategic resource allocation decisions while establishing a baseline for future assessment and iteration.