Iowa-based Businessolver has launched an online assessment tool designed to help companies evaluate and measure empathy in their organization. 

Businessolver recently launched its Empathy Index — which gives a quantified score that decision-makers can use to evaluate their employees' perceptions of behaviors, communications, company values, culture and corporate philanthropy. It also serves as a gauge of where the company needs additional empathetic practices.

“Our State of Workplace Empathy study has shown us that CEOs and HR professionals are more aware that empathy has the power to be a key driver of high performance,” Businessolver Chief Strategy Officer Rae Shanahan said in a statement. “The Businessolver Empathy Index provides these leaders with a snapshot of where their company is and where they need to improve in order to foster the empathetic values and behaviors their employees crave the most."

According to Businessolver's 2018 State of Workplace Empathy study, the company found that 96 percent of employees said empathy is important for a company to demonstrate. That's the highest percentage seen in the annual study. 

Businessolver's Empathy Index was developed in partnership with Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management professor Adam Waytz. 

“The first step to improving workplace empathy is measuring and monitoring it,” Waytz said in a statement. “By giving companies quantified data, the Businessolver Empathy Index allows them to track perceptions over time and make adjustments to their strategies as needed."

Founded in 1998 by HR professionals, Businessolver is a leading SaaS-based benefits administration technology company.