Pulse surveys: 10 questions you can be asking

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Pulse surveys: 10 questions you can be asking

There’s no denying that making sure you employees are engaged at work is on your to-do list, but it can be a tricky task to get right.

We know you care about your staff, and we totally get it. If they seem to turning up every day, are hitting targets, and haven’t said anything negative to you, it can be easy to assume that there aren’t any problems.

But does meeting targets mean they are engaged? Are they as passionate about their job as they were a few months ago? Do they seem to be on board with the company’s vision and values? Have they shown interest to go above and beyond to develop their knowledge?

If you couldn’t answer these questions with a firm yes, it may mean you have room to develop your employee engagement strategy.

Pulse surveys can be a great way to measure and understand employee engagement in a small business.

But what is a pulse survey?

You can send them as regularly as you want, benchmarking with the same question, or asking a different one each time.

They can be a great way to identify key insights, measure employee engagement and give you opportunities to improve your company culture. But what can you ask?

Here are 10 example questions that you could ask in your next pulse survey:

I am happy at work at the moment

While this might seem like the most simple and generic question to ask, it can be one of the most insightful. Asking your staff if they enjoy their job will directly reflect their engagement at work and, if you get a more negative response, you have time to fix it.

Stay interviews can go hand in hand with this feedback, helping you to really find out what is causing any issues.

I regularly receive recognition or praise for the work I do

It can be nice to get a pat on the back for a job well done, but are your people receiving enough recognition? We know that you don’t want to put your team in a position where they are just going through the motions because they occasionally get thanked for their work, or worse yet, become so unmotivated that they start looking for a new job.

And this doesn’t just go for big projects or monumental results at work. According to a 2020 survey showed that signs of appreciation from their employer are essential for 40% of employees. So, just a simple ‘thank you’ regularly can go a long way to making sure your employees don’t feel ignored.

I think I have a good work-life balance

This is a great question to ask your team, especially as we continue to learn how to navigate hybrid and flexible working, and many businesses are still being affected by the Great Resignation.

Asking your staff about their work-life balance not only shows that you care about them outside of work, but that you are willing to make changes if things aren’t working out. This also provides you with the perfect opportunity to see if any changes you have already made are having a positive or negative effect

The company’s mission and values align with my personal values

We know you care about your business and your customers, and you’ll want them to get the best service possible, but if your people’s values don’t align with your company’s, how can they deliver that?

The truth is they can’t, and this could have a very negative impact on growing your customer base.

To prevent this from happening, try to communicate any changes to all your people and include them when you implement new strategies as much as possible. This could save a lot of trouble down the line.

I have everything I need to do my job the best of my ability

Again, this might feel like a simple question to ask, but in a time where we are working remotely or visiting the workplace less frequently, it’s much harder to assess if your team have what they need to do their job effectively.

Maybe your Office Manager spends double the amount of time updating the holiday spreadsheet as her laptop is old and slow. Or maybe your HR assistant struggles with severe back pain and has needed to take a lot of sick leave recently as he doesn’t have a supportive desk chair and can’t work comfortably.

Simply asking if they need anything regularly can easily solve these types of issues.

I am happy with the amount of mental health support available

Mental health and burnout are key topics to have on your radar as an employer, so it’s important to know if your people feel supported or not. This could identify if need an Employee Assistance Program, or EAP for short, if having mental health support officers in the workplace would be beneficial or could show that a much wider solution that is needed.

By showing that you are empathetic to your team, you may find that people feel more comfortable opening up and this can start some further, yet more confidential and private, conversations.

I would recommend working at our company to others

A good sign of an engaged and happy team is one that would recommend you as an employer of choice.

According to the Informed Candidate Survey, company culture is key to 37% of candidates on whether they want to join an company or not, followed closely by the business’s reputation and employer brand at 36%.

So, yes, what you employees’ opinion of your company is really matters, and this can be a great trump card in a very busy job marketplace.

I think the company support inclusivity and diversity

As business owners, we can all make sure that we are being as diverse and inclusive as possible. Gen-Z employees, in particular, take issues of inclusivity and diversity very seriously and wouldn’t shy away from addressing it.

This may be fine if they bring it up to you directly and you take action to rectify the issues but let this go under your radar or act too slowly, and they may take it further, possibly even address it online for example. This can be disastrous for any small business reputation and could even be unrecoverable, so asking those questions could save you a big headache later on.

I have opportunities at work to learn and grow

To help to retain your staff, you need to understand if the opportunities you give them to grow their knowledge and skills are worthwhile and effective. If your people feel that the opportunities you offer don’t align with their role, the skills they want to develop, or focus on their personal development, they may decide to go elsewhere.

You can use a pulse survey to see whether your people feel inspired by the opportunities available or if what’s on offer just isn’t the best option out there.

I feel supported at work by my manager and wider team

We are all very aware the wider issues that have affected our work over recent years. From Covid-19 to the cost-of living crisis, challenging things are always happening in the world and your people are probably worried about it. It can be difficult to navigate and make the best decisions where your business and employees are concerned.

It can be a good idea to regularly ask your team “how well are we dealing with this?” and “what more can we do to support you?” This way, even if one way isn’t working or you find you people are concerned, you can do what you can to collaboratively work out what the best options are.

citrus HR customers use our HR software to deliver effective pulse surveys to their staff every single day, giving them valuable insights into how their teams are doing and learn what they can improve to boost engagement in the workplace.

Get in touch on info@citrushr.com or give us a call on 0333 014 3888 to find out more about our easy to use HR Software. Or start your free trial today.

The content of this blog is for general information only. Please don’t rely on it as legal or other professional advice as that is not what we intend. You can find more detail on this in our Terms of Website Use. If you require professional advice, please contact 0333 014 3888 or email info@citrushr.com.