When it comes to measuring how employees perceive the digital services provided by IT, there are many options available. Traditionally, organizations have relied on satisfaction-based questions (“How satisfied are you with…?”) or experience-focused questions (“How do you experience IT support?”). Other metrics like the Customer Effort Score (CES) have also proven useful, helping assess how much effort it takes employees to solve an IT-related problem.
In recent years, however, we’ve seen a new metric enter the conversation: the Net Promoter Score (NPS). Originally developed for commercial and marketing purposes, NPS is widely used to measure customer loyalty — a critical driver for future sales revenue. Many management teams are familiar with NPS because of its widespread use in customer experience programs, which explains why it has gradually made its way into internal IT and digital workplace surveys.
🔍 What Is NPS?
The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is based on a single question: ➡️ “How likely are you to recommend [this product/service] to a friend or colleague?”
Respondents answer on a scale from 0 (not at all likely) to 10 (extremely likely). Based on their answers, they are categorized as:
- Promoters (9–10): Loyal enthusiasts who will keep using and promote the service.
- Passives (7–8): Satisfied but unenthusiastic.
- Detractors (0–6): Unhappy users who may spread negative opinions.
Your overall NPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters. The result is a score between -100 and +100.
In commercial settings, this score helps predict customer loyalty and future business growth.
Understanding the Fit of NPS for Internal Services
While the intention behind the NPS question is clear — gauging enthusiasm and advocacy — applying it to internal IT services creates some challenges:
- Lack of true choice: Unlike external consumers who can choose between brands, employees generally don’t have alternatives to their internal IT services. This makes the concept of “recommendation” less relevant.
- Different emotional connection: As consumers, people can love a brand and feel personally attached to it. Internal IT services, while essential, don’t usually spark the same kind of emotional loyalty.
- Impact on scores: Internal NPS scores are typically much lower than external, commercial ones. Without the right context or explanation, this can raise red flags at the management level.
So, Can You Use NPS Internally?
Yes, you can — but with important limitations and careful framing.
If employees have genuine decision-making power (for example, influencing whether a service is kept in-house or outsourced), NPS can make more sense. But even then, it should be adapted to better fit the internal context.
If your organization is required to use NPS, we recommend rephrasing the question slightly: ➡️ “How likely are you to speak positively about the IT services you receive to your colleagues, family, or friends?”
This still captures the spirit of positivity and advocacy, but feels more natural and relevant for an internal audience.
Are There Better Alternatives?
If your goal is to capture meaningful employee sentiment about digital workplace services, there are alternatives better suited for the internal context:
- Happiness Question
➡️ “How happy are you with the digital services and support you receive?”
(Happiness taps into a stronger emotion than satisfaction and is easier to express or share with others.) - Compliments Question
➡️ “If you would like to give a compliment, which area would you compliment?”
(This encourages positive reflection and helps surface what’s working well — similar in spirit to NPS.)
These questions offer rich, relevant insight without the ambiguity of a recommendation-based score.
In Summary
We fully acknowledge the strength and value of NPS in commercial contexts — it’s a proven tool for measuring loyalty and predicting business outcomes. However, when it comes to internal employee surveys about digital workplace experience, it’s not always the best fit.
If you must use NPS, adapt it. And where possible, consider alternatives that are more relatable, emotionally grounded, and actionable in an internal environment.
It’s not about disqualifying NPS — it’s about choosing the right tools for the right audience.
