PRS for Music: Creating a chart-topping engagement strategy

PRS for Music is a membership company dedicated to ensuring that its members receive royalties when their musical works are broadcast, performed in public, or streamed.

Internally, PRS for Music places a strong emphasis on fostering a positive employee experience aligned with its core values: Customer-first, Integrity, Pioneering, Collaboration, and Inclusivity.

For the past six years, PRS for Music has partnered with People Insight to elevate its employee engagement initiatives and create a more transparent and inclusive workplace culture, leading to an award-winning survey programme in 2023.

Before embarking on their journey with People Insight in 2018, PRS for Music had a strong commitment to giving employees a voice but lacked a formal employee survey plan. Despite not having a structured approach, PRS for Music actively incorporated its core values into various aspects of the employee experience, from recruitment and onboarding to development and performance reviews. However, without a systematic method for gathering feedback, the organisation faced challenges in identifying areas for improvement and tracking progress over time.

Recognising the importance of proactive action, PRS for Music sought a strategic partnership with People Insight to develop a comprehensive employee engagement strategy and leverage data-driven insights to drive positive change.

From 2018 to 2022, PRS for Music made significant strides in enhancing the employee experience, as evidenced by the data from their annual surveys. The response rate across the business never dropped below 89% since our partnership formed, reflecting a strong internal reception towards formalised surveys and that colleagues trust and value this as an opportunity for them to have their say.

Over the years, PRS for Music refined its approach to employee engagement, resulting in continued improvements in engagement levels to 82% by 2022. As PRS for Music prepared for the 2023 survey, they aimed to build upon these successes and further elevate employee engagement levels through strategic interventions and targeted action plans.

In the wake of the 2022 survey, PRS for Music confronted a challenge: a dip in perceptions surrounding leadership, aligning with a broader trend observed by People Insight across various sectors in the aftermath of the pandemic and amidst economic challenges. To counter this, PRS for Music initiated focused efforts on bolstering leadership effectiveness and nurturing trust among employees. Central to this was the introduction of an ‘ask me anything’ series that featured senior stakeholders; this was designed to offer employees insights into leadership perspectives and foster deeper connections.

Moreover, PRS for Music prioritised sustaining their high employee participation and enthusiasm for the 2023 survey. With an impressive 95% response rate in the previous survey, PRS for Music aimed to uphold this engagement level through targeted communications, including personalised email reminders and dedicated survey completion slots during meeting-free days.

The 2023 survey marked a significant milestone for PRS for Music, aligning with their goals of maintaining high engagement levels, fostering broad participation, and strengthening leadership perceptions.

Successful Results:

The survey achieved exceptional success, with a remarkable 95% participation rate reflecting employees’ active involvement in shaping PRS for Music’s future. Moreover, the engagement score soared to an impressive 85%, indicating strong positive sentiments and a deep sense of connection among employees. Notably, perceptions of leadership witnessed a significant improvement, rising by 20 percentage points, showcasing the effectiveness of targeted initiatives in this area.

Outstanding Workplace Award:

In recognition of their outstanding achievements, PRS for Music was honoured with People Insight’s Outstanding Workplace Award for the first time. This accolade reflects PRS for Music’s commitment to fostering a culture of engagement, collaboration, and success, setting them apart as a leader in employee satisfaction and organisational excellence.

Results Sharing:

PRS for Music values transparency, and they embraced this principle wholeheartedly when it came to sharing the survey results. The Executive Leadership Team was the first to receive the results, allowing them to gain insights into the organisation’s strengths and areas for improvement. Subsequently, the results were cascaded down to the People Leader Group to ensure that managers were equipped with the necessary information to engage their teams effectively. Finally, the results were shared company-wide, fostering a culture of openness and inclusion throughout the organisation.

Building upon the achievements of the 2023 survey, PRS for Music is committed to continuous improvement by advancing their employee engagement initiatives:

1. Targeted Leadership Development: Since their survey, PRS for Music have further invested in leadership development initiatives by launching 360 assessments in collaboration with People Insight. These assessments provide leaders with valuable insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement, ultimately enhancing leadership effectiveness and driving organisational performance. Although still in progress at the time of publishing, these initiatives have been well-received within the company, perceived as focused, action-oriented and beneficial for the future.

2. Strengthening Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I): In line with their existing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, they plan to introduce a bi-annual DE&I survey to complement their existing employee listening strategy.

3. Pulse Surveys and Ongoing Feedback: PRS for Music are considering ways of maintaining the feedback loop all year round, potentially via the introduction of pulse surveys to complement their annual survey programme. These pulse surveys will allow for more frequent and targeted feedback on specific aspects of the employee experience, enabling PRS for Music to address emerging issues in real-time.

With People Insight as a trusted partner, PRS for Music is well-equipped to navigate the evolving landscape of employee engagement and emerge as a beacon of excellence in the music industry and beyond. Our survey programme is designed to uphold PRS’s commitment to supporting musicians effectively by ensuring an engaged workforce remains at the heart of their operations.

Ready to embark on your own journey to workplace excellence? Reach out to us today and start your journey like PRS for Music did! ?