If RTOERO were a multiple-choice quiz

In late 2023, as part of our initiative to develop a new name for RTOERO, we launched an online membership survey.

Over the years, we’ve often asked members for their thoughts on a wide range of issues, and they’ve always been incredibly responsive. But this time, to avoid testing their generosity, we kept our survey short and sweet.

The 10 multiple-choice questions invited members to think metaphorically about what makes our organization unique. We asked, for example, if RTOERO were a building, would it be a library, a concert hall, a theatre, a stadium or a museum?

The hands-down winner, with two-thirds of responses, was a library — which says something about our importance to members as a source of insights and information.

Many of the questions were designed to be a bit unexpected — and, we hoped, fun. This seemed to hit the mark. So far, we’ve received an amazing response that gives us a confidence level of 99 per cent. In other words, we can have strong confidence that the responses reflect the views of RTOERO members overall.

As for interpreting the answers, frankly that requires a fair measure of art alongside the science. But when 65% of respondents say they think of RTOERO as a buffet, it’s not hard to infer that members put a premium on variety and choice in the services and experiences we offer.

About one-third of participants also took the opportunity to tell us why they made their selections.

For instance, those who felt RTOERO is most like a bridge went on to explain that we “facilitate the transition from work to retirement…” or “connect retired teachers with those who are currently working, as well as students…” or provide “a bridge to new places (travel insurance), to new knowledge and perspectives (education, webinars, etc.), and to the unknown next chapter of your life.”

Responses like these underline the survey’s real purpose – to get everyone thinking more broadly about what RTOERO stands for, beyond those six capital letters.

And as we review the thousands of thoughtful answers, is it possible we’ll land on a new name? That would be a welcome bonus. But what we do know is that the quiz is a helpful tool for mapping out the territories where we should be looking.

Here’s a summary of the survey results.