Unlocking the Power of Customisable Dashboards for Employee Engagement Data

Unlocking the Power of Customisable Dashboards for Employee Engagement Data

Understanding the heartbeat of your organisation—your people—is more critical than ever. HR professionals and business leaders are turning to data to gain a competitive edge. Yet, it’s not just about collecting information; it's about understanding the compelling story that lies within. The intersection of data, technology, and human behaviour has the potential to transform your businesses. That potential is fully realised through the power of customisable dashboards built around meaningful employee engagement data.

As a technology company specialising in people analytics, we’ve worked with countless HR professionals to surface the insights that matter. Through our experience, one truth has become clear: when dashboards are thoughtfully designed to reflect the unique needs of an organisation, they become powerful storytelling tools that guide strategy, empower managers, and elevate the employee experience.

The role of engagement data in business storytelling

Employee engagement data isn’t just a report card on how happy your workforce is. It’s a narrative that helps organisations understand motivations, productivity, and alignment with company goals. However, the story remains untold unless the right data points are highlighted, contextualised, and made accessible to the right people.

Using the Ten Space Engagement Model, we can start to frame the right questions that cut to the core of how individuals and teams are performing. This model breaks engagement down into four areas of focus - connection, leadership, fulfilment and wellbeing. With these categories in place, engagement surveys and analytics are no longer abstract—they become a structured pathway to insight.

But to make the most of these insights, businesses need dashboards that are dynamic, intuitive, and tailored. That’s where customisability becomes essential.

Why customisable dashboards matter

Customisable dashboards allow HR teams to surface and display the data that matters most to their unique context. Unlike static reporting tools, custom dashboards evolve with your business priorities. They let you:

• Focus on metrics tied to strategic objectives

• Adjust views based on new engagement campaigns or cultural initiatives

• Combine real-time and historical data for longitudinal insights

• Enable faster, data-driven decisions

When dashboards can adapt to the shifting needs of the business, the data becomes more than a set of numbers—it becomes a leadership tool.

Building the right data model: asking the right questions

At the core of a useful dashboard is a robust data model. This means understanding not just what you want to track, but how different data points relate to one another and what questions you're trying to answer.

The Ten Space engagement model is designed to tie questions to a framework of engagement themes. Examples include:

• "I believe I have a voice at <company>" (ties to Connection theme)

• "My leader encourages me to be my best at work" (ties to Leadership theme)

• ""The contribution I make is well recognised" (ties to Fulfilment theme)

•  "I am ablet o be my true self at <company>" (ties to Wellbeing theme)

When you build your data model around these types of questions, you're not just tracking responses—you're building a multi-dimensional picture of engagement.

A well-constructed model helps you avoid data clutter and instead zero in on the indicators that show how people are really feeling and performing. That clarity is vital for creating action plans that resonate.

The Power of Segmentation

Segmentation is one of the most powerful yet underutilised tools in HR analytics. When applied correctly, it reveals hidden trends and enables highly targeted interventions.

Rather than viewing engagement scores at the organisational level alone, segmentation lets you dig deeper:

• By department or team

• By location

• By tenure or generation

• By manager or leadership cohort

Imagine an engagement survey reveals declining scores in the "Recognition" dimension. Segmenting the data might show that while newer employees feel appreciated, more tenured staff do not. That nuance leads to tailored solutions instead of generic action items.

The real value, however, lies in being able to customise your segmentation. Maybe you want to examine data by project teams, cross-functional initiatives, or even participation in leadership development programs. A dashboard that allows you to build and save these segments becomes a living tool for strategic workforce planning.

Custom questions for custom stories

While models like Ten Space provide a valuable structure, every organisation has unique cultural markers and business goals. That’s why the ability to customise survey questions is so critical.

For example, a company undergoing a digital transformation might want to track perceptions around adaptability and training. Custom questions could include:

• "Do you feel equipped to use new technologies introduced in your role?"

• "Has the company supported you through recent changes?"

These custom inputs feed directly into the dashboard and help tell a story that aligns tightly with organisational priorities. The more bespoke the questions, the more relevant and actionable the insights.

User management: ensuring the right people see the right data

Not all data should be visible to everyone. A permissions-based system ensures that each user sees data relevant to their role, while maintaining confidentiality and reducing information overload.

• Executives might need a high-level view across regions or business units.

• HR Business Partners benefit from team-level breakdowns and heatmaps.

• Line Managers should only access data for their direct reports.

By managing access through a robust permissions framework, dashboards become more trustworthy and functional. Data security is maintained, and users feel confident they are working with information that is both meaningful and appropriate.

Simplicity and scalability: The key to adoption

A common pitfall in HR technology is complexity. Tools with too many options or steep learning curves end up unused. That’s why simplicity is key when designing and deploying custom dashboards.

We’ve focused on building platforms where:

• Dashboards can be created and adjusted with drag-and-drop interfaces

• Users can easily switch between default views and personalised setups

• Templates help new users get started quickly

Simplicity doesn’t mean lack of power. It means making complex data accessible so that more people can benefit from it. When dashboards are easy to use, adoption grows. When adoption grows, so does impact.

Scalability is equally important. As your organisation grows or changes, your data needs will evolve. A customisable platform ensures you don’t have to start over every time you add a new division or launch a new initiative. Your dashboard grows with you.

Real-world impact: solving future problems today

Customisable dashboards aren’t just about today’s data—they’re about preparing for tomorrow’s challenges. In our work with forward-thinking organisations, we’ve seen these tools:

• Predict turnover by linking disengagement to attrition

• Highlight diversity and inclusion gaps by segment

• Track the success of onboarding and training programs

By giving HR professionals the ability to tailor their analytics environment, we empower them to act not just reactively but proactively. They become strategic partners who use engagement data to shape culture, improve retention, and drive performance.

Conclusion: your story, your data, your dashboard

The future of HR lies in storytelling powered by data. But no two organisations share the same story, and no single dashboard should attempt to tell them all. That’s why customisation isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.

When you combine a clear engagement model like Ten Space, thoughtful segmentation, custom questions, user-specific views, and an intuitive setup, you create a dashboard environment that truly serves your people.

Your dashboard should speak your organisation’s language, reflect its values, and evolve with its goals. That’s what we strive to build every day. Because when your data tells the right story, your people become the greatest part of your strategy.

Ready to tell a better story with your engagement data? Let’s build your custom dashboard together.