Engagement Thermometer - Pulse Surveys Overview
Learn what Pulse Surveys are and what you can manage in the Engagement Thermometer module: the dashboard and reports, the question list, and the settings for frequency and groups.
When should I use this article?
Use this article when you already know you need Modules > Engagement Thermometer > Pulse Surveys.
If you still need to decide between Pulse Surveys and Insights Surveys, start with Engagement Thermometer - Overview.
What is this page about?
The Engagement Thermometer module has two survey flows, which can be used together or separately:
Pulse Surveys;
Insights Surveys.
Pulse Surveys help HR teams follow the organisational climate. They are meant to run on a recurring basis throughout the year, so decision-makers can feel the pulse of the organisation and act when something changes.
Pulse Surveys use a built-in set of questions grouped into 9 metrics. You set the frequency (every week, every two weeks or monthly), and users answer the questions on a 0 to 10 scale. The results give an Engagement Score and a score for each of the 9 metrics:
Personal Development;
Engagement with Managers;
Engagement with Peers;
Happiness & Satisfaction;
Employer Branding;
Feedback;
Work-Life Balance;
Alignment;
Recognition.
Besides the view of the organisation as a whole, the Pulse Survey reports break the scores down by group or by team. Users see a note that their answer is anonymous, and the reports show scores per metric, not individual answers.
What are Pulse Surveys?
Pulse Surveys are a short survey tool to collect regular feedback from employees. They are built on a fixed set of questions that measure engagement through 9 metrics. You cannot edit the questions, but you can choose whether each question is active.
What can I manage in Pulse Surveys?
Under Modules > Engagement Thermometer > Pulse Surveys there are three pages:
Dashboard: the eNPS score, the Engagement Score and the Participation Rate, the Pulse Survey Score Progression and Pulse Survey Metrics Breakdown charts, and, if available for your company, Pulse Survey Reports with the Group Users Thermometer Report and the Team Users Thermometer Report.
Pulse Questions: search questions by description and enable or disable each question.
Settings: turn the pulse survey on or off, choose how often it runs, write an intro message, and select the groups where the questions are active.
What should I know before I use Pulse Surveys?
If the Pulse Survey is not enabled, employees do not see the survey form and no data is collected. The dashboard shows a Pulse Survey Not Enabled message with a button to the settings. Once enabled, users receive a block of 5 questions at the frequency you set: every week, every two weeks or monthly.
The questions are fixed, so your main controls are which questions are active and which groups take part. For surveys with your own questions, dates and audience, use Engagement Thermometer - Insights Surveys Overview.
How can I access the dashboard?
Go to Modules > Engagement Thermometer > Pulse Surveys > Dashboard. This is where you see the data generated by your community's answers.
The summary cards show the eNPS score, the Engagement Score (out of 10) and the Participation Rate. The Pulse Survey Score Progression chart shows how the scores evolve over time, and the Pulse Survey Metrics Breakdown chart shows the score of each metric.
If you see Pulse Survey Reports at the bottom of the dashboard, you can export the group and team reports as Excel files. See Engagement Thermometer - Pulse Survey Reports.
How do Pulse Surveys work?
The Engagement Thermometer takes the pulse of your organisation by measuring different aspects of the workplace and of employee sentiment, through nine metrics that together describe engagement and satisfaction.
By measuring these metrics consistently, organisations get a clear picture of their current engagement levels and can identify areas for improvement.
What are the metrics in Pulse Surveys?
The metrics cover a broad range of factors that influence employee engagement and satisfaction:
Personal Development: how employees perceive their opportunities for growth and development, such as access to training, career progression and skill development.
Engagement with Managers: the quality of the relationship between employees and their direct managers, such as communication, trust and support.
Engagement with Peers: the quality of interaction and cooperation among colleagues, such as team cohesion, mutual respect and collaboration.
Happiness & Satisfaction: employees' overall happiness and satisfaction with their job and the organisation.
Employer Branding: how employees perceive the company's reputation as an employer.
Feedback: how well feedback works in the organisation, including feedback from managers and peers and the chance to share ideas.
Work-Life Balance: how well employees can balance work and personal life.
Alignment: how well employees understand and connect with the company's mission, values and goals.
Recognition: whether employees feel their efforts and contributions are acknowledged and appreciated.
Why are the pulse survey questions repetitive?
Pulse surveys use frequent touchpoints to follow how employee engagement moves over time. This helps the organisation understand what is going on, see whether initiatives had an impact, and find which metric needs attention.
Because tracking progress is the goal, it is normal for the same question to come back from time to time. This lets the organisation detect problem areas early and act quickly.
Can I see the questions of each metric and deactivate some of them?
Yes. Go to Modules > Engagement Thermometer > Pulse Surveys > Pulse Questions. The Category column shows the metric of each question. Open the actions menu of a question and select Enable or Disable. See Engagement Thermometer - Pulse Questions.
What is the eNPS?
The dashboard also shows an eNPS score.
The eNPS, or Employee Net Promoter Score, is a common metric of employee loyalty and engagement. It is the employee version of the Net Promoter Score used for customer loyalty.
In general, the eNPS is based on the question "On a scale from 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend this company as a place to work?", and answers are grouped as:
Promoters (9 to 10): engaged employees who are likely to recommend the company as a place to work.
Passives (7 to 8): satisfied but less enthusiastic employees.
Detractors (0 to 6): dissatisfied employees who are unlikely to recommend the company.
In that general definition, the eNPS is the percentage of Promoters minus the percentage of Detractors, so it ranges from -100 to 100.
On the dashboard, hover over the eNPS score gauge to see the value and its rating: below 10 is rated critical, from 10 to 74 positive, and 75 or more excellent.
Measuring eNPS regularly helps you follow trends in employee satisfaction and spot areas that need improvement.
Where can I change the pulse survey settings?
Go to Modules > Engagement Thermometer > Pulse Surveys > Settings. There you can turn the survey on or off with Enabled, set the Frequency (Every Week, Every two weeks or Monthly), write the Intro Message, and add or remove groups in Group Segmentation. Click Update to save. See Engagement Thermometer - Pulse Settings.
What about the frontend? What will my users see?
When a block of pulse questions is available for a user, it opens automatically in a pop-up on the platform home page. The user answers each question on the 0 to 10 scale, and sees a note that the answer is anonymous.
Which Pulse article should I open next?
Engagement Thermometer - Pulse Questions for enabling or disabling questions
Engagement Thermometer - Pulse Settings for activation, frequency, intro message and groups
Engagement Thermometer - Pulse Survey Reports for the group and team reports
Keep reading:
The Metrics and Emotions: Analyzing Pulse Surveys' Dual Power
Benefits of a Good Organizational Climate: Productivity and Talent Retention