Overview
The historic comparator heat map allows you to track changes in performance over time by comparing current survey results to past data. This feature is designed to provide a clear visual representation of how scores have evolved, helping you identify areas of progress and decline at the question level.
Accessing the Comparison heatmap
Navigate to Comparisons: click on the "burger menu" next to our logo
and then select Comparisons:
In the Comparative Dataset select an Historic Survey
Once a historic dataset is applied, the system will automatically disable the Survey Overall view to avoid conflicting data comparisons. Only one of these views can be applied at a time.
How the Historic Comparator heatmap works
The heatmap operates at the Question level only and does not aggregate scores at the Theme level.
Each question is compared against its previous score from the selected historic dataset.
The delta (difference) between past and current scores is calculated and displayed.
Colour coding is based on these deltas to visually highlight areas of improvement or decline.
You can also see the actual percentage results. Again, these are colour coded to highlight improvement of decline.
Interpreting the Results
Percentage score view: Displays the historical score for each question.
Delta view: Shows the change in percentage points from the selected historic dataset.
Colour Coding: Reflects whether the score has improved or declined:
Positive changes (improvements) appear in green and shades of green to reflect the delta amount i.e. the darker the greater.
Negative changes (declines) appear in red and shades thereof.
You can filter out an Columns that meet don't meet the anonymity threshold and show as you N/A by using
Why Theme scores are not displayed on the Comparison heat map
To ensure accuracy and avoid potential misinterpretation, we have chosen not to display theme-level scores (including deltas and percentage point changes) on the comparison heat map. This is because the composition of themes—i.e., the specific questions included—can vary between survey periods. When this happens, comparing theme scores directly may lead to misleading conclusions.
Instead, we focus on providing clear visual cues through colour-coding to highlight areas of relative strength or concern. This approach ensures that the heat map remains a reliable and intuitive tool for identifying trends, without introducing inconsistencies that could arise from structural changes in the underlying data.
Why Theme scores are displayed on the Homepage but mot in the Comparison heat map
We aim to provide the most meaningful and accurate insights at every level of your reporting experience. That’s why you’ll notice that theme-level scores are available on the homepage, but not within the comparison heat map.
The homepage is designed to give you a high-level overview of how your organisation is performing across key themes. It’s a strategic summary that helps you quickly identify broad trends and areas of focus.
The comparison heat map, on the other hand, is a more detailed diagnostic tool. It allows you to explore results by specific groups, such as departments or locations, and is focused on individual question-level insights. Because of this granularity, we intentionally do not display theme-level scores in this view. This ensures that the comparisons remain robust and are not affected by variations in how themes are constructed or how questions are answered across different groups or time periods.
By tailoring the level of detail to the purpose of each view, we help ensure that the insights you draw are both accurate and actionable.
Summary
The Historic Comparator heatmap provides a structured way to assess how different areas are evolving over time, offering insights into both improvements and challenges. By focusing on question-level data and using clear colour-coded indicators, you can quickly interpret trends and take informed actions based on past performance.