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Pulse Survey Questions Pulse Survey

Pulse Survey Questions

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A pulse survey is a way to check in on your employees and listen to their opinions more frequently. Instead of waiting months to gather opinions on actions taken today, you can send a micro survey in real time and gather the data. 

You can write questions based on priorities or goals and frequently survey to track changes over time. People’s opinion shift, which means what is important now may not be two months later. 

With this type of employee survey, you can gather feedback at the right time, prioritize actions, and track changes over time. Let’s explore this survey type in detail and learn how to write the best pulse survey questions.

What is a Pulse Survey?

Pulse Surveys are surveys conducted by companies on a timely basis to gather real-time feedback from the employees. Unlike the annual surveys that are lengthy and elaborate, pulse surveys are quick, frequent, and to the point.  

Pulse surveys generally have 3-10 questions. These questions are based on the metrics you want to measure, unlike annual surveys, which are used to gauge multiple items. 

Considering the remote work culture we are a part of today, maintaining employee engagement can be challenging. Getting accurate employee feedback is difficult due to a lack of in-person interaction. Employee pulse survey questions are useful in this situation. They help to gain insightful and actionable responses, provided the right questions are asked in the right manner.

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Pulse Surveys Vs. Annual Surveys

Annual employee engagement surveys are dependable only to a certain extent because of the following factors- 

  • The surveys can be tiresome because of the overwhelming number of questions asked. 
  • Since these surveys are conducted once a year, employees have to wait to give their opinions. This may reduce the engagement rate of employees and may drive them to discontinue.
  • Thirdly, organizations may need help to give equal importance to all the feedback. This is because they may not be able to segregate issues on a priority basis if responses are received only once a year. 

Pulse survey questions fit perfectly with the goal of improving employees’ engagement levels. They assist in tracking employees’ opinions on the work culture and policies in place and measure their satisfaction level. This allows organizations to focus on one issue at a time and plan their actions accordingly. 

Organizations may seek to know how employees feel about a policy change, check on their mental health, or collect feedback on a new scheme. This is where pulse surveys can help organizations understand employees’ viewpoints.

Here are some of the differences between pulse surveys and annual surveys.

1. Frequency: 

We call them pulse surveys because you can conduct them more frequently than annual surveys. You can conduct a pulse survey on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. On the other hand, annual surveys are a once-a-year event.

2. Length: 

Pulse surveys are shorter and more focused on the subject. They include fewer questions so that an employee can complete them in a shorter amount of time. 

Annual surveys are longer and more comprehensive. Being conducted once a year, it contains a large number of questions focusing on various topics.

3. Timing: 

You can conduct a pulse survey in real-time. Using employee pulse survey software, you can trigger a survey after the completion of an event to gather data while the experience in fresh. 

Annual surveys are typically conducted at a specific time of the year. So the survey may contain questions about an event that happened many months back.

4. Purpose: 

Pulse survey questions help you gather ongoing employee feedback on important metrics like engagement, satisfaction, etc. The purpose is to identify pain points or concerns the employees may face in the workplace to improve their experience. 

Annual surveys help you create a comprehensive picture of employees’ overall experience and perception of the company.

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How to choose pulse survey questions?

Pulse Survey Questions Pulse Survey

Understand the purpose behind conducting a survey. For example, you can conduct a survey to record employees’ opinions about a certain course they were required to take.

After we’ve settled on a target, we’ll move on to the questions. A few points to consider while framing the right pulse survey questions are listed below. 

  • Keep the questions short and clear to increase the response rates. 
  • The questions should align properly with the desired outcome. Remove any questions that aren’t relevant.
  • Add open-ended questions. This will give accurate insights into the thoughts of employees. 
  • Choose questions that will yield results that you can translate into actions.
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You can write the best pulse survey questions based on three factors – Insights, Goals, and Drivers. 

Insights 

Gather valuable and in-depth insights from employees using open-ended questions. When writing questions for employee pulse surveys, add customization using robust survey software to ask the reason for their response/score. 

Gather qualitative feedback that can add context to employee productivity or well-being decline. 

Goals

Before creating the survey, establish what you want to measure. A clear understanding of the goal will make it easier to write targeted questions. For example, if you want to measure employee relationships, you can write questions that gauge the workplace relationship and the changes over time. 

Drivers

Consider this factor along with the “goals” when writing employee pulse survey questions. The drivers influencing employee behaviors and practices can impact the item you track in the survey. 

For example, the drivers of employee relationships can be whether they feel welcomed and physically safe at the company or whether the team communicates to bridge the gap caused by diversity. 

Keep the survey questions focused on the actionable items. Before writing questions, make sure that you can take action on the data you collect. Your pulse survey should help you reach the goal.

How often should pulse surveys be conducted?

Pulse surveys should be conducted at frequent intervals. The aim is to check in on the employees at any given point in time. There is no one perfect timeline that will work for everyone, as it all depends on the time required to put feedback into action.

Consider these two questions before deciding the frequency of your survey –
→ How much time would you need to take action?

→ How often do you measure other metrics?

How much time would you need to take action?

Once a survey has been conducted, it is important to act on the feedback received before conducting another survey. Estimate how much time the organization would need to work on the results. It’s important to remember that it’s not just about asking the correct pulse survey questions; it’s also about making changes, if necessary.

A survey is successful only if the organization prioritizes action. If surveys are conducted mindlessly with no positive response, organizations will lose their employees’ trust and ultimately drop off. All responses must be considered and prioritized, and a plan of action must be created.

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How often do you measure other metrics?

When conducting surveys such as pulse survey, which is conducted frequently, it is important to follow the organizational cadence. 

For example, if you are reporting employee engagement on a quarterly interval, you should match the cadence of other surveys scheduled every quarter. Deciding when to ask will ensure that you are not bombarding the employees with too many surveys and also help you gather fresh data. 

Note: Surprising employees with a survey will lead to poor data quality, especially if it is mandatory and with a time limit. 

Plan your surveys in advance to make sure there is enough time for the actions you take to make an impact.

Use cases of employee pulse survey software

Pulse Survey Questions Pulse Survey

We have compiled a list of questions you can use to conduct pulse surveys. The questions are based on various aspects of employee experience. You can use these questions or take inspiration from these pulse survey question examples to create your own. 

Work Environment

  • Do you have a sense of belonging and respect at work?
  • Do you receive meaningful appreciation for doing good work?
  • Do you feel we have a positive work environment?

Management

  • Do you feel the management is there for you when you need them?
  • Do you think the management promotes a good work culture?
  • Does the company vision motivate you?

Leadership

  • Do you believe the senior leaders are approachable to employees?
  • How sure are you that your manager is leading you in the right direction?
  • Does your manager make timely decisions?

Personal Growth

  • Are you given opportunities to grow and enhance your skills?
  • Does your manager encourage career development?
  • Is there any specific training program that we should conduct?

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Rewards

  • Does the organization provide opportunities to grow financially?
  • Do you know about the benefits offered by this organization and are they beneficial to you?
  • Are you paid appropriately for the work you do? Do you think we should offer additional benefits that will encourage you?

Internal Communication

  • Are you informed about what is going on within the company?
  • Are you given a platform to express your ideas and concerns within the organization?
  • How well-informed are you about the organization’s performance concerning its objectives?

Innovation

  • Are your ideas and opinions valued in the organization?
  • Do you believe our company encourages risk-taking?
  • Do you think our work is aligned with the latest technology?

Additional pulse survey questions

  • What is the one thing that we as a company should improve?
  • Are you excited about your everyday work?
  • What are the obstacles you are facing when communicating your ideas?
  • Is there anything preventing you from doing your best?
  • Does the organization encourage a healthy lifestyle?
  • Do you feel you are involved in the decision-making process of the company?

Why should you conduct a pulse survey?

Employee pulse surveys can help you capture employee feedback on specific aspects of their experience in less than 10 questions. Its flexibility and relevancy result in a higher completion rate and allow you to understand your company’s internal well-being. 

However, there are several other factors contributing to its popularity. We have mentioned these factors below. 

1. Improve your understanding of employee experience- 

Employee pulse survey questions are the fastest way to understand your employees and their opinions on the workplace environment. Whether you want to learn how the changes in company policy impact employee morale or how employees feel about inclusivity. 

Whatever the objective may be, you can use a pulse survey to gather the opinion of the concerned subjects, i.e., employees. 

2. Improve communication and transparency – 

Waiting for annual surveys to discuss certain aspects of employee experience can prove costly. There are many aspects that impact the overall employee experience. Skipping or delaying pulse surveys in favor of annual surveys can result in employees feeling ignored and turnovers. 

Use employee pulse survey questions as an opportunity to engage employees and improve communication. This will help employees feel heard, thus improving engagement and productivity. 

3. Help set internal benchmarks –

You can create a standard pulse survey to regularly evaluate employee experience or engagement. With the collected data, you can benchmark and track changes to identify the drivers of employee productivity.

In closing,

The pulse survey can help you understand your employees’ experience. These surveys create an opportunity for employees to communicate their opinions to the higher-ups regularly. 

The success of your pulse survey depends on the frequency and the type of questions you ask. Write good pulse survey questions that ask questions on focused aspects of work and help you reshape and reinforce employee engagement.

FAQs

1. What are the different use cases of a pulse survey?

The pulse survey questions should be clear and concise. It should focus on topics that are relevant to employee experience, engagement, and satisfaction. The questions should be easy to understand and answer. 

You can use a pulse survey to evaluate the workload, management, culture, growth opportunities, workplace relationship, and communication. 

2. How many questions should you include in your pulse survey?

A pulse survey should be short and concise. It should ask questions relevant to the experience or event. Typically it should contain no more than 10 to 15 questions. However, depending on the frequency, you can increase or decrease the number of questions.

3. Can you customize pulse surveys for different departments?

Pulse surveys enable you to gather employee insights on specific issues or concerns. You can create pulse survey questions unique to every department or employee group. It allows you to gather targeted and accurate feedback. You can use the targeted insights to make specific changes beneficial to specific departments or employee groups. 

4. Why should you use pulse survey software?

Employee pulse survey software enables you to conduct surveys and gather timely feedback regularly. It helps you customize surveys to meet the organization’s needs. Trigger pulse surveys help you identify issues and concerns as they arise and prevent them. 

The software helps you gather data in real time and saves time in comparison to annual surveys.

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