A pulse check is short, but preparation decides whether it succeeds. A checklist keeps every step in view, from setting the goal and running a pretest to communicating the results. Decide in advance what you want to measure and make your goal SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
Table of Contents
What your pulse check checklist should cover
- Goals and key topics
- Anonymity and data protection
- Stakeholder engagement
- Short completion time
- Mobile participation
- Internal promotion of the pulse check
Before the pulse survey
- Pulse check announced to employees?
- Data protection and security measures communicated?
- Participants told about the goals and why they matter?
- Direct contact person named?
- Questionnaire limited to 5 to 10 questions?
Pretesting the pulse survey
- Pulse check tested with colleagues and their feedback applied?
- Display checked on smartphone, tablet and desktop?
- Software test: does it display correctly in the major browsers?
- Spam test: do the invitation emails arrive?
- Analysis: does it work as intended? If not, adjust question types or change the coding.
During the pulse check
- Monitor the drop-out statistics
- Take participant feedback into account
- Use the real-time results to spot questions that may have been misunderstood
After the employee pulse survey
- Communicate the results, and do so openly with employees
- Communicate the resulting actions, and do so openly with employees
Both checklists as a free PDF template (in German):
