Employee Pulse Surveys have been trending across the globe recently as many small, medium and large enterprises change their outlook on managing their human resources. In an effort to improve human capital, these organizations are now prioritizing the focus on ‘human’ rather than ‘capital’.
But what exactly is an Employee Pulse Survey? How is it different from an employee satisfaction or employee engagement survey? What are these organizations really getting out of pulse surveys?
Let’s put these questions to rest and learn all there is to know about Employee Pulse Surveys. A few key points we’ll cover in this series:
- What is an Employee Pulse Survey?
- Benefits of using Employee Pulse Surveys
- FAQs on Employee Pulse Surveys
- 5 tips for a successful Employee Pulse Survey
What is an Employee Pulse Survey?
An employee pulse survey is a short and quick online survey that is frequently conducted, perhaps weekly or bi-monthly. These surveys are generally conducted with the intention of understanding the health of the organization, leading to the name ‘Pulse’. Unlike engagement surveys, pulse surveys include fewer, more focused questions.
“Brains, like hearts, go where they are appreciated.”
– former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara
Employee engagement surveys are generally conducted with the goals of uncovering specific drivers that impact employees’ level of connection and commitment to the organization. Here are a few employee engagement survey templates for you to get started. These surveys are generally longer and more developed, and are often conducted on an annual basis. Pulse surveys, on the other hand, focus on gathering regular feedback on specific elements of the employee experience.
As early as the 1920s, employee attitude surveys were being conducted to collect feedback in rapidly changing industries. Researchers soon found that organizations that conducted employee attitude surveys saw significant improvement in comparison to those that didn’t. As a result, businesses began to see employee surveys as a strategic advantage. Still, in the contemporary business world, increased competition and long priority lists mean that businesses are reevaluating the time and effort spent on employee surveys.
If conducted manually, it’s true that employee pulse surveys could be challenging to administer. Thanks to the advent of cloud-based technology, though, these surveys can now be conducted with ease. Businesses can save time by starting with the ready-to-use employee pulse survey templates, while also having the option of creating a new survey from scratch. Plus, survey delivery can be scheduled in advance to simplify the process and keep results rolling in.
Benefits of Employee Pulse Surveys
If you’re already conducting employee engagement or employee satisfaction surveys, employee pulse surveys may still be worth considering. Most organizations conducting employee pulse surveys experience improvement in company culture, and a higher rate of engagement. Frequent feedback also instills a sense of trust in an employee, indicating that the organization is listening and is interested in knowing how the employee feels. Still, real-time measures are only useful if an organization is committed to reviewing results and taking follow-up action. Sogolytics’s comprehensive reports help you identify any trends in employee responses over time. Whether it’s a change in policy, organizational plans, org structure, or employee transfers, the impact of changes on employee satisfaction can be an important metric to track. Smart organizations share a simple mantra: “Happy employees = Happy customers.”
Improvement in company culture has a direct impact on enhanced productivity and employee retention. There is also a hidden financial benefit in conducting pulse surveys.
Time is money, and shorter surveys are quicker to take. Quick and simple questions mean that participants don’t take a long time to ponder over their answers. Imagine it takes an employee one minute to respond to a weekly employee pulse survey. Over the course of a year, this employee spends under an hour providing detailed insights to decision-makers, enabling the organization to build on strengths and address weaknesses — time well spent.
Ready for more? Up next: FAQs on Employee Pulse Surveys
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