Engagement survey de-identification is the removal of identifiers from staff responses so no respondent is traceable. UK GDPR Recital 26 places anonymous data outside the rules. anonym.plus marks each clue on your device, so the sentiment data stays useful while the people stay protected.
When this applies
A pulse survey gathers open comments alongside scores. You strip identifiers from the free text first, so the set clears Recital 26 before leaders read it.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the response export in anonym.plus on your device.
- Built-in OCR reads a scanned paper form.
- The app marks names and team labels in comments.
- Confirm the markings and keep the score fields.
- Swap each clue for a neutral label.
- Save the cleaned set locally.
What you need to provide
- The response export (CSV-as-TXT, PDF, DOCX).
- An operator (Replace keeps comments readable).
- Optional alias map, OFF for true anonymity.
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | “my lead Mara” → [MANAGER] |
| Org | ORGANIZATION | Night Shift Crew → [TEAM] |
| Location | LOCATION | Floor 3 → [AREA] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | left in box → [EMAIL] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | since 2018 → [TENURE] |
| Demographic | NRP | parents group → [GROUP] |
Compliance achieved
- Targets the anonymity bar in UK GDPR Recital 26.
- Strips identifiers from open comments, not just metadata.
- Offline work keeps responses off any server.
- Batch up to 20 files for a multi-site rollout.
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Limitations & cautions
Open comments are the main risk. A respondent who names a lead, a shift, and a floor can be pinpointed by combining those clues. Suppress small subgroups before reporting.
Frequently asked questions
Why focus on the open comments?
Because a free-text answer can name a manager or a shift. Combined clues can single out a respondent, which Recital 26 treats as non-anonymous.
Should I report tiny subgroups?
No. A group of one or two is easy to identify. Suppress or merge small cuts before you share results.
Is the export uploaded?
No. The app is fully offline, so responses stay on your device.