What are Employee Pulse Surveys?
Employee pulse surveys are short, frequent, and focused surveys that measure the current state of employee engagement, satisfaction, and well-being. They are designed to capture the “pulse” of the workforce, meaning the mood, opinions, and feelings of employees at a given point in time. Pulse surveys typically consist of a few questions, ranging from 3 to 20, that can be answered in a few minutes. They are usually administered online, via email, mobile app, or intranet, and can be anonymous or confidential.
Why use Employee Pulse Surveys?
Employee pulse surveys can complement an employee listening strategy that also includes annual engagement surveys and lifecycle surveys. Annual engagement surveys are comprehensive and in-depth surveys that measure the overall level of employee engagement, commitment, and alignment with the organization’s goals, values, and culture. They provide a holistic and strategic view of the strengths and weaknesses of the employee experience, and help identify the key drivers and barriers of engagement. Lifecycle surveys are targeted and timely surveys that measure the employee experience at specific moments of the employee journey, such as onboarding, performance review, promotion, or exit. They provide feedback on the effectiveness and impact of the HR processes and practices that shape the employee lifecycle, and help improve retention, performance, and development.
Employee pulse surveys can fill the gaps between the annual engagement surveys and the lifecycle surveys, by providing more frequent and real-time feedback on the current issues and trends that affect the employee experience. They can help monitor the progress and impact of the actions taken based on the annual engagement survey results, and track the changes and fluctuations in employee engagement, satisfaction, and well-being over time. They can also help address specific topics or situations that arise in the organization, such as a change initiative, a crisis, a new policy, or a feedback request. They can provide insights into the needs, expectations, and preferences of different segments of the workforce, such as generations, locations, functions, or teams. They can also help foster a culture of continuous feedback, dialogue, and improvement, by engaging employees in the decision-making process and showing them that their voice matters.
How to use Employee Pulse Surveys?
Employee pulse surveys can be a powerful tool for measuring and improving the employee experience, but they also require careful planning and execution. Here are some best practices to follow when using pulse surveys:
- Define the purpose and objectives of the pulse survey.
- What do you want to measure and why?
- How will you use the results and communicate them to the stakeholders?
- How will you align the pulse survey with the annual engagement survey and the lifecycle surveys?
- Choose the right questions and format for the pulse survey.
- What are the key topics or indicators that you want to cover?
- How many questions do you need and how will you phrase them?
- Will you use a rating scale, a yes/no option, or an open-ended response?
- Will you use a standardized or a customized questionnaire?
- Determine the frequency and timing of the pulse survey.
- How often do you want to conduct the pulse survey and for how long?
- How will you balance the need for frequent feedback with the risk of survey fatigue?
- How will you coordinate the pulse survey with the other surveys and events in the organization?
- Select the appropriate sample and method for the pulse survey.
- Who do you want to survey and how will you reach them?
- Will you survey the entire workforce or a representative sample?
- Will you use a random or a stratified sampling technique?
- Analyze and act on the pulse survey results.
- How will you collect and process the data from the pulse survey?
- How will you interpret and report the findings and trends?
- How will you share the results and feedback with the employees and managers?
- How will you prioritize and implement the actions and improvements based on the results?
What is eNPS and how to measure it?
eNPS stands for employee Net Promoter Score, and it is a simple and popular metric that measures the likelihood of employees to recommend the organization as a great place to work. It is based on the Net Promoter Score (NPS) concept, which was originally developed to measure customer loyalty and satisfaction. The eNPS question asks employees: “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend this organization as a great place to work?” Based on their response, employees are classified into three categories: promoters (9-10), passives (7-8), and detractors (0-6). The eNPS score is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters, and it can range from -100 to 100. A positive eNPS score indicates that there are more promoters than detractors, and a higher eNPS score indicates a higher level of employee advocacy and loyalty.
eNPS can be a useful metric to include in pulse surveys, as it can provide a quick and easy way to gauge the overall level of employee engagement and satisfaction. It can also help benchmark the organization against other organizations in the same industry or region, and track the changes and improvements in employee loyalty over time. However, eNPS should not be used as the only or the main metric for measuring the employee experience, as it does not capture the nuances and complexities of the different aspects and drivers of engagement. It should be complemented by other questions and indicators that provide more depth and detail on the specific factors that influence employee engagement, satisfaction, and well-being. It should also be followed by an open-ended question that asks employees to explain the reasons behind their rating, and provide suggestions for improvement. This can help identify the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, and generate actionable insights and feedback.
What are the potential drawbacks of too frequent pulsing?
While pulse surveys can provide many benefits for measuring and improving the employee experience, they can also have some drawbacks if they are done too frequently or poorly. Some of the potential risks of too frequent pulsing are:
Survey fatigue
Employees may get tired or bored of answering the same or similar questions over and over again, and lose interest and motivation to participate in the surveys. This can result in lower response rates, lower quality of responses, and lower validity and reliability of the data.
Survey overload
Employees may get overwhelmed or confused by the amount and frequency of the surveys, and feel that they are taking too much time and effort away from their core work. This can result in higher stress levels, lower productivity, and lower satisfaction with the organization.
Survey cynicism
Employees may get frustrated or distrustful of the surveys, and feel that they are not meaningful or useful, and that their feedback is not heard or acted upon. This can result in lower engagement, lower loyalty, and lower advocacy for the organization.
To avoid these drawbacks, it is important to follow the best practices for designing and conducting pulse surveys, as mentioned above. It is also important to communicate clearly and transparently with the employees about the purpose, objectives, and outcomes of the pulse surveys, and to involve them in the process of creating and implementing the actions and improvements based on the results. This can help increase the relevance, value, and impact of the pulse surveys, and enhance the employee experience and engagement.
