Summary
In 2018 Adel Du Toit was approached by her CIO with a request: Figure out how to measure the level of dissatisfaction that BCG’s internal employees were experiencing using the digital tools and services provided by the organization. Due to the data-driven nature of BCG, Du Toit knew she would have to provide quantitative data to support any recommendations. This is how the E-SAT program was born. Instead of measuring customer satisfaction, they measured employee satisfaction. In the four years since that initial request from the CIO, BCG has consistently run the E-SAT program quarterly. And, by listening, acting and responding to feedback, the organization has seen an improvement on the E-SAT from 75% in 2019, to 85% in 2021. During their December Annual Business review for all Agile Orgs, BCG’s CFO spotlighted their E-SAT program, declaring that he wanted every single Agile squad member to become "user obsessed". Today BCG is using their E-SAT program to make strategic and investment decisions across our 13 Agile Tribes.
Key Insights
-
•
Using a quarterly digital employee satisfaction survey to prioritize product improvements fosters transparency and accountability.
-
•
ESAT focuses specifically on employee-facing digital products, distinct from typical HR surveys centred on happiness or health.
-
•
Only products used by more than 50% of employees are surveyed, creating a focused dataset over 96 digital products.
-
•
Combining quantitative survey data with qualitative user research enables targeted and effective UX improvements.
-
•
Swapping the remote conferencing solution increased employee satisfaction dramatically from 69% to 92%.
-
•
Embedding experience designers within agile tribes across the organization requires empowering non-designers with design thinking.
-
•
Publicly sharing digital product priorities and actions with employees builds trust and supports continuous feedback loops.
-
•
User obsession was adopted as a strategic goal in the organization after CFO approval driven by transparent data.
-
•
UX Champion Awards are used to encourage teams beyond the core design group to maintain and improve product experiences.
-
•
Managing information overload especially on platforms like Slack requires active channel curation and focus efforts.
Notable Quotes
"My team’s focus is to make sure employees have all the digital products and services they need to work effectively and have a great user experience."
"I wanted to make sure that we don’t lie with the data but give product teams raw ingredients so they can transform the products the right way."
"This is not just a typical HR survey; it focuses deeply on the products and experiences employees use daily."
"We only include products used by more than 50% of our employees in the quarterly survey to keep focus relevant."
"After swapping our remote meeting solution in early 2020, ESAT went from 69% to 92%, a huge improvement."
"We enable employees to provide unlimited comments which we analyze with Amazon Comprehend for sentiment."
"We share the ugliest experiences transparently with every employee along with what we are doing to fix them."
"User obsession became a strategic goal after making data available and showing progress to leadership including our CFO."
"Our ESAT survey collects about 2.8 million data points allowing product teams to slice and dice data for insights."
"Managing Slack channels requires continuous gardening and removing excess channels to reduce noise and focus users."
Dig deeper—ask the Rosenbot:
















More Videos

"Flat Carol was a nearly life-size cardboard cutout of Carol."
Randolph Duke IIWar Stories LIVE! Randy Duke II
March 30, 2020

"Negotiating severance is absolutely possible; consider legal advice or coaching when doing so."
Corey Nelson Amy SanteeLayoffs
November 15, 2022

"When executives start questioning your research details, that’s a good sign they’re engaged and trusting the process."
Landon BarnesAre My Research Findings Actually Meaningful?
March 10, 2022

"Design for Evil by Chris Nodder is a great resource to understand how behavioral design can be misused, sometimes very subtly."
Amy BucherHarnessing behavioral science to uncover deeper truths
March 12, 2025

"Momentum in users is like energy in fluid—strong motivation drives fast, decisive movement."
David SternbergUncovering the hidden forces shaping user behavior
July 17, 2025

"We forget a lot of details over time; documentation saves us from repeating mistakes."
Deanna SmithLeading Change with Confidence: Strategies for Optimizing Your Process
September 23, 2024

"Hiring for lived experience, not just academic credentials, changes the game."
Jennifer StricklandAdopting a "Design By" Method
December 9, 2021

"Around 14 to 20 designers is usually the tipping point where having a dedicated design ops person starts to make sense."
Rachel Posman John CalhounA Closer Look at Team Ops and Product Ops (Two Sides of the DesignOps Coin)
November 19, 2020

"In large complex systems, the dots are scattered across silos and time zones, making progress feel elusive."
Gina MendoliaTherapists, Coaches, and Grandmas: Techniques for Service Design in Complex Systems
December 3, 2024