Employee survey with bottleneck analysis

Find the bottleneck that’s holding your company back.

80 questions, answered anonymously in about 10 to 25 minutes. You see right away which single factor is slowing everything else down in your organization – and what you can build on.

  • Anonymous – we don’t even ask for age or gender
  • Benchmarked against a regularly updated national norm
  • Results as soon as the survey closes

Are you a consultant or coach?Start here

OQM profile · example

56Average

  • Empowering leadership57
  • Strengths-based contribution55
  • Inspiring vision44
  • Effective structures58
  • Shared values53
  • Integrated teams67
  • Customer-focused service56
  • Trusting relationships60
BottleneckStrength
Below 35: bottom 15% · 65 and above: top 15% nationally
years of experience
20+years of experience
countries
70+countries
analyses
60,000+analyses
questions on 8 factors
80questions on 8 factors

Organizations and business owners working with OQM

  • Dirk Kreuter entrepreneurs
  • EDEKA Rentschler
  • BOHAI TRIMET
  • Malteser
  • BD Rowa
  • Propain Bikes
  • Staatliches Weinbauinstitut Freiburg
  • Sparda-Banken

Sound familiar?

You invest. And the same problems keep coming back.

New processes, training, consultants – and still little changes. It’s rarely a lack of effort. Usually the energy goes into the wrong place.

  • Good people leave

    The real reasons never come up in the exit interview.

  • Strategy doesn’t land

    It was agreed long ago. Day to day, the old ways continue.

  • Everyone has a different explanation

    Each person on the leadership team has a favorite theory.

  • Surveyed, but nothing happened

    The last survey produced a report – and frustration.

80%

of U.S. employees don’t fully trust the leadership of their organization.

What does your team really think of the direction you are taking?

Gallup, May 2026
49%

of U.S. workers say they are struggling in life – for the first time more than those who are thriving.

Do you know how your people are really doing?

Gallup, Q4 2025
69%

of U.S. employees are not engaged at work. Engagement is at its lowest level in a decade.

How many are there in your company?

Gallup, 2025
51%

of U.S. employees are actively looking for a new job or watching for openings.

Do you know who they are in your team?

Gallup, Q4 2025

Find the causes behind these symptoms

Wooden barrel with staves of different lengths: the water spills over the shortest stave.

Why OQM is different

Your weakest factor sets the limit.

A barrel can only hold as much water as its shortest stave allows. Excellent processes help little if trust is missing in the team. OQM finds that shortest stave – your bottleneck.

Instead of a long list of action areas, you get one priority.

What OQM measures

Eight factors make an organization healthy.

Ten questions per factor. The adjective is the key: OQM doesn’t ask whether there is leadership, but whether it empowers.

  1. 01 / 08

    Empowering leadership

    Do your leaders enable people – or control them?

    In the tree: the trunk. It carries and nourishes, but doesn’t dictate where each branch grows.

    Sample question · one of ten for this factor

    “My manager involves me in important decisions.”
  2. 02 / 08

    Strengths-based contribution

    Do people work where they are strongest?

    In the tree: the leaves. Each one sits where it catches the most light.

    Sample question · one of ten for this factor

    “The tasks assigned to me match my abilities.”
  3. 03 / 08

    Inspiring vision

    Does everyone know where you are heading – and why?

    In the tree: the light. Everything grows towards it.

    Sample question · one of ten for this factor

    “Our company’s vision provides clear direction.”
  4. 04 / 08

    Effective structures

    Do your processes make work easier – or slow it down?

    In the tree: the sap. Water and nutrients reach the places that need them.

    Sample question · one of ten for this factor

    “Tasks and responsibilities are well coordinated in my team.”
  5. 05 / 08

    Shared values

    Are your values lived – or just on the wall?

    In the tree: the roots. Unseen, yet everything stands on them.

    Sample question · one of ten for this factor

    “My company’s values match my personal values.”
  6. 06 / 08

    Integrated teams

    Do your teams hold together when things get hard?

    In the tree: the branches. Each carries its share; the crown only forms together.

    Sample question · one of ten for this factor

    “In my team we actively support each other when needed.”
  7. 07 / 08

    Customer-focused service

    Is work shaped by what customers actually need?

    In the tree: the fruit. What the tree produces for others.

    Sample question · one of ten for this factor

    “We keep the promises we make to our customers.”
  8. 08 / 08

    Trusting relationships

    Are conflicts resolved – or sat out?

    In the tree: the fungal network between the roots. Through it, trees supply one another.

    Sample question · one of ten for this factor

    “In this company, conflicts are resolved constructively.”

With each factor, another part of the tree comes to life.

How it works

Three steps to your priority.

  1. Intro call

    We clarify what should be measured and which teams take part.

    free of charge
  2. Anonymous survey

    Each team gets a QR code. The 80 questions are answered on a phone or computer.

    10–25 minutes per person
  3. Results and action

    Your profile is ready as soon as the survey closes. In a workshop you derive measures, and after 10 to 12 months you measure again.

    a priority, not a report
“The OQM system convinces with practical, data-based organizational development. It creates an overall view, identifies potential and derives targeted measures.”
Lisa GöppertManaging director, German Dirk Kreuter companies

Ready for step 1?

In a free intro call we clarify what you want to measure and which teams take part. Or try OQM Pulse first, with 8 of the 80 questions.

What you get

The day after the survey, you know where your bottleneck is.

Four reports, four questions. Pick yours – and see in the sample report what the answer looks like.

Pages from the sample profile: gauges for the eight factors, a factor page and the ten lowest-rated questions
In the sample: average 48 · strength: Integrated teams · bottleneck: Customer-focused service

OQM 80 profile

Where does our organization stand – and what is holding it back?

All eight factors at a glance – and the one holding you back the most.

  • Your bottleneck and your strength, clearly marked
  • The ten lowest-rated questions – where you start
  • All 80 questions evaluated one by one
View the sample reportPDF · 16 pages
Pages from the sample comparison profile: department overview, bars per team and the line of minimum, average and maximum
In the sample: on leadership, team B is 36 points behind team A

Comparison profile

Which team needs support first?

Teams, departments or two points in time side by side – often the most important view for leadership.

  • Every factor and every question compared directly
  • Minimum, average and maximum for each question as a line
  • Bottleneck and strength of every department in one overview
View the sample reportPDF · 34 pages · German
Pages from the sample Action Guide: the ten lowest-rated questions, the barrel principle and a page of measures
In the sample: measures for keeping the promises made to customers

Action Guide

What exactly do we do now?

Prioritized measures for your lowest values instead of generic advice.

  • The ten questions most in need of action
  • For each question: why it matters and where to start
  • Practical steps, for example for team meetings and managers
View the sample reportPDF · excerpt, 7 pages · German
Pages from the sample Health profile: gauges for the five strain factors, the overview and a department comparison
In the sample: average 50 · strength: social relationships (colleagues) · bottleneck: work tasks

OQM Health

Where does psychological strain arise – and how strong is it?

An assessment of psychological strain as an add-on profile, measured with an anonymous survey.

  • Five strain factors, from social relationships to the work environment
  • Also as an overall profile and compared across departments
  • A basis for deriving and documenting measures
View the sample reportPDF · 11 pages

Which report fits your question? We clarify that in a free intro call.

Book an intro call

Pricing

What OQM costs for your organization.

An annual package as the basis, plus the reports you need. Work out your price yourself – recommended prices, plus applicable taxes. Buy through your consultant or directly from us.

All prices at a glance

Annual package

up to 50 participants$1,490
51–200 participants$1,990
201–400 participants$2,490
over 400 participantsOn request

Further reports

Additional OQM 80 profileteam, overall or comparison profilefrom the 11th profile: $390$490
Action Guide$150
OQM Health$390
Health comparison profile$180

Reports are charged per profile. Consultants bill their advice and workshops separately.

In practice

What OQM reveals when everyone suspects something else.

Assumption
“Our sales team needs to get better.”
OQM showed
The pipeline was full, the close rate low. The problem came after the sale: customers were won but poorly supported, so referrals never came.
Bottleneck
Customer-focused service
Assumption
“We need a new org chart.”
OQM showed
Duplicated work and frustration had another cause: nobody knew the shared direction. Restructuring would have changed nothing.
Bottleneck
Inspiring vision

See both cases in the interactive iceberg

Voices from practice

“For the first time, I worked with a partner and consultant who understood that it is not only about economic success, but about sustainable, values-based growth.”
Johannes Freiherr von HeeremanFormer managing director of Deutsche Malteser gGmbH
“We are very satisfied with OQM’s support, which gave valuable insight into our surveys and supported our annual goals.”
Reiner RentschlerRentschler Lebensmittelmärkte
“We have worked with OQM twice. The surveys showed the challenges in our departments and helped us put lasting measures in place.”
Sandra Thielecke-SiegmannBOHAI TRIMET
Dr. Stephan Wesely (1968–2026)

Why OQM

Often it isn’t about effort or commitment at all. We simply don’t know what actually works.
Dr. Stephan Wesely (1968–2026)Co-founder of OQM International

OQM grew out of that question. The 80 questions were tested over years with every generation and across cultures. Each country has its own norm, updated regularly – which is why your scores are comparable.

OQM Health

Assess psychological strain before it turns into sick days.

Add-on profile to the OQM survey · Available in English and German · Compare teams and points in time

More about OQM Health

FAQ

What organizations want to know before the first call.

What is OQM – and is it related to ISO quality management?

OQM stands for Organic Quality Management. It is an anonymous employee survey with 80 questions on eight factors. It shows which factor is holding your organization back – from an inside view or against your national norm. It has nothing to do with ISO 9001.

Do I need the national benchmark?

Not necessarily. The standardized profile with national benchmark is the default, because a score of 60 says little on its own – only the comparison shows whether it is really low. More and more organizations choose the inside view with average scores, though. You still see bottleneck, strength and the national average, but your organization is at the center. Decide at the start: the perspective stays the same for follow-up surveys so results remain comparable.

How anonymous is the survey?

We don’t ask for names, age, gender or family status. Each team takes part via its own QR code.

How long does it take?

8 to 20 seconds per question, so about 10 to 25 minutes for all 80. The profile is ready as soon as the survey closes, and the workshop can follow soon after.

What does OQM cost?

The annual package starts at $1,490 and includes one OQM 80 profile, 12 months of platform access, any number of surveys, data storage and support. Every further profile costs $490. One team with Action Guide comes to $1,640 plus applicable taxes. Renew within the term and save 15% on the next annual package. Use the price calculator to work out your own price. Consultants bill their work separately.

How is OQM different from Great Place to Work?

Great Place to Work measures satisfaction and awards an employer certification. OQM looks for the bottleneck limiting your performance and gives you a priority and measures.

Do I need a consultant?

We recommend one, because the workshop is where the results pay off most. You can also buy profiles directly from us.

Which languages are available?

The survey and profiles are available in German, English and Spanish. OQM Health and the Action Guide are available in German and English; Spanish is coming.

Is OQM also available for churches and nonprofits?

Yes. There are dedicated versions of the eight factors for churches, congregations and nonprofits. Get in touch.

Intro call

Find out where your organization is losing impact.

Tell us what’s going on. We’ll get back to you personally and use the intro call to see whether OQM is the right fit.

Your contacts

Michael RathgebSenior Consultant · Zürichm.rathgeb@oqm-business.com+41 76 501 38 18
Albert BrückmannSenior Consultant · Deutschlanda.brueckmann@oqm-business.com+49 6261 8469722

Send an inquiry

Or write to us: office@oqm-business.com

Not ready to talk yet?

OQM Pulse

8 of the 80 questions for your team, with a short summary. Free, as an inside view.

Try OQM Pulse

Sample report

Browse a complete OQM 80 profile of a sample organization (German).

Open PDF

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