Why pulse surveys are the key to improving employee engagement

"Annual or semiannual surveys conducted as perfunctory exercises fail to capture the fast-changing dynamics of today's workplace. Their delayed results-often taking months to reach managers-render them largely unactionable, leaving employee concerns unaddressed. Moreover, few leaders in organizations, including line managers who most directly influence engagement, have ever been held accountable for improving their leadership effectiveness and team engagement. As a result, employees, perceive their employer's efforts as insincere, grow jaded, frustrated, and cynical, paradoxically becoming even less engaged."

"Pulse surveys are concise-typically 1-5 questions employees can complete in minutes-that capture employee sentiment in real time, enabling workplace managers and companies to swiftly respond. Phil Willburn, vice president of People Analytics, Insights, & Experiences at Workday, an HR technology company specializing in workforce analytics, so strongly believes in their data-driven impact, his company has "pulsed" its own employees weekly for over seven years."

U.S. employee engagement has remained around 31% since 2013, showing little improvement. Annual or semiannual surveys operate as perfunctory exercises, produce delayed results, and often leave concerns unaddressed. Few organizational leaders and line managers have been held accountable for improving leadership effectiveness and team engagement. Employees often perceive employer efforts as insincere, which increases cynicism and reduces engagement. Pulse surveys, consisting of 1–5 quick questions, capture real-time sentiment and enable swift managerial response. Emerging research links employee well-being to productivity, retention, and true workplace vitality. Measurement is essential to identify and address issues promptly.

Read at Fast Company