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TALENTMAP — STATE OF EMPLOYEE LISTENING IN CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES – 2026
PARTNER ACTIVATION GUIDE — INTERNAL USE (Association Staff Only)
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Everything your team needs to promote the study to your member
municipalities — in 15 minutes or less.

  Prepared For:      [Association Name]
  Study Close Date:  May 15, 2026
  Research Partner:  TalentMap
  Questions:         sfitzpatrick@talentmap.com
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SECTION 1 — HOW TO PROMOTE THIS STUDY IN 15 MINUTES
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[ ] STEP 1 — Review the campaign kit (2 min)
    Scan the provided folder. Assets include HTML emails, newsletter
    snippets, a social media kit, and a one-page participant overview.
    You won't need all of them — pick what fits your channel mix.

[ ] STEP 2 — Send the Initial Announcement email (3 min)
    Upload the short or long HTML file to your email platform. Replace
    [Association Name] with your organization's name. Choose a subject
    line from the options at the top of the file. Send or schedule to
    your member contact list.

    Files: 01_Initial_Announcement_Short.html
           02_Initial_Announcement_Long.html

[ ] STEP 3 — Insert the newsletter snippet into your next member
             newsletter (2 min)
    Open the short or long newsletter HTML file. Copy everything between
    the START COPY and END COPY comments and paste it into your
    newsletter builder's HTML block. Update the section label placeholder
    to match your newsletter's structure:
      Member Update / Research Spotlight / Partner News / Industry News

    Files: Newsletter_Short.html / Newsletter_Long.html

[ ] STEP 4 — Attach or link the one-page overview (2 min)
    Open OnePageOverview.html in Chrome or Safari. Print to PDF:
      File > Print > Save as PDF
      Margins: None | Background graphics: ON
    Attach to your announcement email or upload to your website
    resource library.

    File: OnePageOverview.html

[ ] STEP 5 — Post the LinkedIn Awareness caption (2 min)
    Open the social kit text file. Copy Post 1 (Awareness) and publish
    from your organization's LinkedIn page. Add your province's member
    city tags from the regional cluster suggestions in the kit.

    File: Social_Media_Kit.txt — Post 1

[ ] STEP 6 — Set two calendar reminders (1 min)
    - Reminder email: ~April 24, 2026 (3 weeks before study closes)
    - Last Call email: ~May 8-9, 2026 (week of the deadline)

[ ] STEP 7 — Send the Reminder email (2 min)
    Same upload process as the initial email. The reminder copy
    emphasizes momentum and the approaching deadline.

    Files: 03_Reminder_Short.html / 04_Reminder_Long.html

[ ] STEP 8 — Send the Last Call email (1 min)
    Deploy the week of May 8. Copy is direct and urgency-focused.

    Files: 05_Last_Call_Short.html / 06_Last_Call_Long.html


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SECTION 2 — SUGGESTED PROMOTIONAL CADENCE
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TIMING                  ACTION                              CHANNEL
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Now — ASAP              Send Initial Announcement email     Email
                        Files: 01 or 02_Initial_Announcement

Next newsletter cycle   Insert newsletter snippet           Newsletter
                        Files: Newsletter_Short/Long.html

Same week as email      Post LinkedIn Awareness caption     LinkedIn / Web
                        Link overview PDF from website
                        Files: Social_Media_Kit.txt Post 1
                               OnePageOverview.html

~April 24, 2026         Send Reminder email                 Email / LinkedIn
                        Share LinkedIn Value caption
                        Files: 03 or 04_Reminder
                               Social_Media_Kit.txt Post 2

~April 24, 2026 [!]     Send Last Call email (URGENT)       Email / LinkedIn
                        Post LinkedIn Urgency caption
                        Files: 05 or 06_Last_Call
                               Social_Media_Kit.txt Post 3

May 15, 2026           Study closes — no further action    —


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SECTION 3 — KEY MESSAGES & TALKING POINTS
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Use these in forwarded emails, member calls, conference conversations,
or when a colleague asks "what's this study about?"

  [1] FIRST OF ITS KIND
      This is the first national benchmark specifically measuring how
      Canadian municipalities listen to employees. There is no comparable
      dataset.

  [2] COMPLETELY FREE
      There is no cost to participate, no subscription, and no sales
      pitch attached. TalentMap's goal is to build a national public
      sector dataset, not a sales pipeline.

  [3] CUSTOM BENCHMARKING REPORT
      Every participating municipality receives a detailed report
      comparing their organization directly to the national average —
      not just aggregate findings, but their own data in context.
      This data would cost thousands to commission independently.

  [4] ADDITIONAL RETURN
      Beyond the custom report, participants receive early access to
      the full 2026 State of Employee Listening Strategic Report and
      an invitation to a national findings session before public release.

  [5] FULLY ANONYMOUS
      Individual responses are never shared. Only aggregated national
      data is published. No municipality is identified without consent.

  [6] QUICK
      The survey takes approximately 10-15 minutes for the person
      completing it on behalf of the municipality.

  [7] MOMENTUM
      30+ municipalities are already contributing — including Halifax
      Regional Municipality, City of Kitchener, Region of Waterloo,
      Regional Municipality of York, Resort Municipality of Whistler,
      and more.

  [8] HARD DEADLINE
      The study closes May 15, 2026 with no extensions. There is a
      finite window to be included in the national dataset.

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PULL QUOTE — use freely in forwarded emails or conversations:

  "Employee listening done right sparks a ripple effect: engaged teams,
  stronger leadership, and better outcomes for the residents you serve."
  — TalentMap
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SECTION 4 — QUICK-REFERENCE FAQ
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Anticipated questions from member municipalities. Use these responses
as-is or adapt for your voice.

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Q: Is this free?

A: Yes, completely. There is no cost to participate and no sales
   follow-up of any kind. TalentMap's goal is to build a national
   public sector dataset, not a sales pipeline.

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Q: What exactly do we receive?

A: Each participating municipality gets a custom benchmarking report
   comparing their organization directly to the national average —
   their own data, in context, not just a generic summary. Plus: early
   access to the full 2026 Strategic Report and a seat at the national
   findings session.

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Q: Who sees our data?

A: Individual municipal responses are kept fully confidential. Only
   aggregated national benchmarking data is published. No municipality
   is identified in the report without explicit consent.

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Q: Is our data secure?

A: Yes. TalentMap uses a secure, purpose-built research platform for
   data collection. All responses are transmitted and stored securely,
   are never sold or shared with third parties, and are used exclusively
   for this research study. Individual responses are aggregated before
   any reporting — no single organization's answers are identifiable in
   published findings. For platform-specific security details, direct
   inquiries to Sean Fitzpatrick: sfitzpatrick@talentmap.com

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Q: How long does it take?

A: Approximately 10-15 minutes for the person completing the survey
   on behalf of the municipality.

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Q: Who should complete the survey?

A: Ideally an HR or People & Culture leader, CAO, or the person most
   directly responsible for employee listening and engagement programs
   at the municipal level.

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Q: Will TalentMap contact us after the study?

A: Participants receive their custom benchmarking report and an
   invitation to the findings session. There is no unsolicited sales
   contact — this is a firm commitment.

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Q: When do we get the results?

A: The 2026 State of Employee Listening Strategic Report will be
   released in Summer 2026. Participants get early access before the
   public release.

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Q: What if we're unsure who should complete it?

A: Direct them to Sean Fitzpatrick at TalentMap — he can help identify
   the right contact and answer any questions before they register.
   sfitzpatrick@talentmap.com

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Q: Can we miss the May 15, 2026 deadline?

A: The study closes May 15, 2026 with no extensions. Municipalities
   that miss the deadline will not be included in the national
   benchmarking dataset or the 2026 report.

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Q: Is TalentMap credible?

A: TalentMap has 20 years of employee listening expertise in the
   Canadian public sector and has worked with municipalities, provinces,
   and federal agencies across Canada.

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CONTACT — RESEARCH LEAD & POINT OF CONTACT
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  Sean Fitzpatrick
  CEO & Research Practice Lead, TalentMap
  sfitzpatrick@talentmap.com

  Study registration & information:
  https://talentmap.com/employee-listening-in-canadian-municipalities-2026/


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END OF PARTNER ACTIVATION GUIDE
Internal document — for association staff use only.
Not for distribution to member municipalities.
Produced for TalentMap | State of Employee Listening in Canadian
Municipalities – 2026 | © 2026 TalentMap. All rights reserved.
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