Outside of an annual performance review, it can be hard for employees (or contractors) to make known their views on pay, benefits, or workload. And, during a one-to-one, it’s hard to back up your arguments with either facts or peer support. This is one of the benefits of Blue Eskimo’s annual salary and work survey, which is currently running for the seventh year.

"The survey gathers data from people right across the sector," says Blue Eskimo director Nick Jones. "Everyone is represented – or can be represented if they take part." The survey can be taken online, now. Everyone in the learning sector is encouraged to take part.

The survey has become the recognised benchmark for information about learning-sector pay, benefits, work-life balance, job satisfaction, and more. "Whilst participants’ identities are kept strictly confidential, the statistical results are looked at by most of the industry," says Jones, "including people’s managers and the directors at the top of their company. Taking part in the survey really is a way to get your view known – and add to the voice of others."

For example, Blue Eskimo’s annual survey of work and pay in the learning sector has shown that over the last six years, most people working in the learning sector haven’t had a pay rise. So, in real terms, they’re getting poorer. It’s also highlighted that over half of people are looking to move jobs – a real issue for employers. "Just imagine if half of your team left in the same month," says Jones. "If a company found that half of its customers weren’t happy, they’d fix it. But to fix something, you first have to be heard."

Blue Eskimo’s survey is the only market report to track these statistics. As an incentive for people to take part, Blue Eskimo places entrants into a prize draw, with an Amazon Kindle Fire HDX tablet, worth around £200, as the prize. Those taking part must work in a training, eLearning, or learning-and-development organisation or learning department.

In addition to providing the results online, free, a copy will be made available to members of the Learning & Performance Institute – and will be distributed at January’s Learning Technologies conference and exhibition, which runs 28–29 January 2015 at Olympia Central in London.