The success of your company depends above all on your employees! Are your employees actually satisfied? Do they feel comfortable at work, and are they motivated? A pulse check, also known as a pulse survey, is the fastest way to find out!
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What exactly is a pulse check?
Pulse check definition: a pulse check (also called a pulse survey) is a particularly effective HR tool that provides crucial support for the classic employee survey in companies. Unlike the classic employee survey, which usually involves a lengthy preparation and follow-up phase, pulse surveys let you run the online survey quickly and concisely. Thanks to their reduced format and short questionnaire, pulse checks usually run over a very short survey period.
The pulse check is the survey tool for supporting change management. Regular short surveys reflect the current mood among employees and shape the change process within the organisation. Live results reports provide concrete input for steering the process. This HR tool supports a wide range of change processes and is highly versatile.
Pulse checks can be used in business areas and situations such as:
- The company’s strategic direction
- Seizing opportunities and responding to risks from the market and competition
- Company growth and development
- Embracing emerging trends
Characteristics and function of the pulse check
Characteristics of the pulse check:
- short, concise questionnaire
- a maximum of 5–10 targeted questions
- clearly defined topic area
- the survey takes place regularly (e.g. monthly)
- questions rotate or stay the same
How the pulse check works:
Imagine a “pulse monitor” that measures your employees’ mood at regular intervals. A “mood barometer” that gauges your workforce’s satisfaction with specific aspects of the company. That is exactly how a pulse survey works!
Take your employees’ pulse!
The focus of the mood barometer can vary. The following areas are usually covered:
- Overall satisfaction with working at the company
- Satisfaction with their direct line manager
- Satisfaction with their team
- Long-term intention to stay with the company
- Employees’ willingness to recommend the company
- Motivation to get involved in the company
Key arguments for pulse surveys
Pulse surveys are becoming a popular way to understand and motivate your own employees.
Key arguments that speak for themselves:
- Fast survey turnaround and enormous time savings
- Quick results on workplace performance
- Timely measurement of employee satisfaction, behaviour and motivation
- Track and review how employee commitments are being put into practice
- Change management that builds trust
- Greater employee engagement for economic growth
10 valuable tips for the perfect pulse check
- Focus on the most important topics. A maximum of 5–10 questions, for example on overall employee satisfaction or the achievement of company goals.
- Involve stakeholders: this automatically builds support for the pulse survey.
- Plan a range of communication measures in advance via the usual channels (e.g. intranet, a newsletter from the board, flyers, posters).
- Always run the survey online (provided your workforce can be reached by email).
- Remember: anonymity and data protection are important, as with any employee survey. Bring someone responsible for this on board to make doubly sure.
- Analyse the results overall and by team. Where might your weak points be, and how can they be improved?
- Keep your employees informed and discuss the results with them (e.g. in a team meeting).
- Repeat pulse surveys at regular intervals, e.g. monthly.
- Adjust the pulse survey regularly and optimise it.
- Keep your survey varied and up to date. For example, swap images or change some questions, but don’t lose sight of what the survey is really about.
User feedback
What B2B customers say about LamaPoll
Cooperation, clarification of content, questions of implementation, finding solutions and, above all, the immediate responses to enquiries, whether by email or by phone: at LamaPoll I have experienced an absolutely outstanding example of service-mindedness. The implementation is intuitive and simple. I would recommend LamaPoll to any of my colleagues.
