Employee pulse surveys: What they are, benefits, and best practices
Measure real-time sentiment and transform raw feedback into a roadmap for a more engaged, motivated team with employee pulse surveys.
While high-growth companies prioritize customer satisfaction, the most successful ones recognize that an exceptional external experience is powered by a thriving internal culture.
Research from SurveyMonkey proves this link: customer-centric organizations boast happier employees and significantly better talent retention. Employee pulse surveys are the strategic bridge between these two goals, replacing "autopilot" management with real-time cultural insights.
In this article, you’ll learn how to leverage pulse surveys to drive both engagement and customer loyalty. We’ve also included 20+ expert-certified pulse survey questions to help you transform raw feedback into a clear roadmap for a more motivated, high-performing team.
What are employee pulse surveys?
Employee pulse surveys are short but frequent surveys that allow you to consistently track employee engagement.
From recruitment to exit interviews, pulse surveys deliver insights on how to improve processes, while also giving employees the chance to engage and know their voices matter within your company.
For instance, if you hire a new employee, you can gather feedback immediately with a pulse survey focused on questions such as:
- How was the onboarding process?
- Did you feel as though your role and responsibilities were clearly explained to you?
- Do you feel like something could have been done differently, perhaps better?
Beyond optimizing your hiring strategy with fresh feedback, pulse surveys like this immediately prove to new employees that your culture values their input.
Ignite motivation with feedback that leads to action
Use our expert-certified employee feedback survey templates to empower your employees, bridge engagement gaps, and build a more resilient organization.
Benefits of pulse surveys
There are many benefits to conducting pulse surveys, as opposed to more traditional surveys. This is mainly due to the timeliness of these surveys. Because they are short and easy to complete, this can lead to greater participation and meaningful results.
Other benefits of pulse surveys include:
- Fast turnaround: Pulse surveys are meant to be short and quick, so employees are more likely to complete them. No need to spend hours on research or creating an elaborate survey. Instead, send out surveys on the spot, but not too frequently that employees decide to turn their email alerts off.
- Increased employee engagement: Remember who your audience is. Some employees don’t have the time during the busy workday to take a survey that contains many questions. With the convenience and ease of pulse surveys, employees are much more likely to engage.
- Continuous improvement: In-depth annual surveys provide employers with detailed information about how they can improve their companies, while pulse surveys can be used over time to track how improvements are being made. Further, they’re a great way to measure against company goals established at the start of the year. With pulse surveys, employers don’t have to wait until the next annual survey to see if improvements are taking hold and goals are being reached. You get the feedback necessary to course correct as needed throughout the year.
- Real-time updates: Pulse surveys are meant to capture the mood of the organization as it is in that moment. For instance, if a survey is sent out at 10 am, HR can obtain and start to analyze that data within a few days. The convenience of pulse surveys make it possible to receive feedback quickly so employers can start mapping out potential next steps.
- Allow for analysis of improvements over time: Remember that pulse surveys are given periodically. Allow yourself enough time to review the data and take necessary actions to make improvements within the company. Sending out a pulse survey one after another makes it more challenging to do so, and may turn off some employees.
Although there are great benefits to conducting pulse surveys, traditional surveys have their place as well. Keep in mind that pulse surveys are not an alternative to traditional surveys, but rather the two approaches work together to collect valuable feedback from employees.
20+ employee pulse survey questions
Unlock the full potential of your workforce with this curated list of over 20 pulse survey questions designed to spark honest dialogue. These targeted prompts provide the precision you need to measure real-time engagement, culture, and experience.
Engagement
- How would you rate your overall job satisfaction?
- How well do you feel your work is recognized?
- Do you feel you have the necessary resources to perform your job effectively?
- How often do you receive feedback from your manager?
- What factors contribute most to your engagement at work? Select all that apply.
- How confident are you in the leadership of the company?
- How well does our company support your professional growth?
- How would you rate communication within the company?
Culture
- How would you rate the overall company culture?
- How satisfied are you with the communication within the company?
- Do you feel valued and recognized for your contributions?
- Which of the following company values do you resonate with the most?
- How likely are you to recommend this company as a great place to work?
- How well do you feel the company promotes work-life balance?
- How comfortable do you feel providing feedback to your manager?
- How inclusive do you find the company environment?
- How often do you feel stressed at work?
Experience
- How would you rate the company’s response to employee feedback?
- How satisfied are you with your current role at the company?
- How would you rate the communication within your team?
- What aspects of your job do you find most satisfying? Select all that apply.
- Rate your overall job satisfaction.
- How comfortable do you feel voicing your opinions at work?
Related reading: The ultimate guide to employee satisfaction surveys
Best practices for employee pulse surveys
It is not always easy to ask for help, especially when you are asking employees to take time out of their busy workday to complete a survey. So what is the right way to ask employees for their feedback?
Simply put, clear communication. Be honest about why you need their feedback, explain to them how their surveys will help them and your company, and always be sure to express appreciation for their participation.
Other things to keep in mind when asking for feedback:
- Keeping things focused on the future is a better way to ask employees for their thoughts, rather than asking what was done wrong. Addressing an issue is important, but focusing on the solution is what will move the company forward. Try asking questions that revolve around the things that can be done to improve the company in the future. This will get you more honest answers.
- Ask specific questions. Try to avoid asking questions like, “What do you think about xyz?” and try asking more questions like, “What opportunities for self-improvement would you like to have that go beyond your current role?”
- Make your surveys anonymous and communicate that to your employees. Anonymous employee surveys protect respondents from retaliation and promote more candid and actionable feedback.
- Prior to sending out the pulse survey, it is best to communicate with your employees that a survey will be sent. In that same message, explain how employee feedback will help the company improve and how much their participation is appreciated.
- Give your employees time to respond. While pulse surveys are designed to be quick and convenient, try not to set an unrealistic turnaround time. For example, if you send a survey out at 10 am, don’t expect to receive feedback at 11 am. Consider that while some employees may respond immediately, others will be delayed by meetings, staggered start times, or busy schedules.
- Action speaks louder than words. If employees share feedback but see no results, they will quickly disengage, feeling that their input is ignored. Boost morale and foster inclusion by sharing survey results transparently and communicating the specific steps you are taking to improve.
Get an employee pulse check
Check the temperature of your business operations and assess employee engagement using employee engagement pulse survey questions. Design a survey with your brand and refine it with access to shared images, documents, themes, and templates.
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