Why more and more HR managers are switching to short pulse surveys instead of an annual employee satisfaction survey
In the world of Employee Satisfaction Surveys, the annual survey is a widely used approach. Although it seems useful at first glance, an annual frequency also has some disadvantages. Outdated data, lack of real-time insights and missed opportunities for continuous improvement are just some of the challenges organizations can experience when using an annual ESS. In this article, we explore these disadvantages and examine alternative approaches to conducting effective employee surveys, including the increasingly popular pulse surveys.
- Outdated data: Since an annual ESS is only conducted once a year, the collected data can quickly become outdated. Work environments and employee satisfaction can change throughout the year, meaning the results may not be fully accurate or representative at the time of analysis and action.
- Lack of real-time insights: Due to the limited frequency of an annual ESS, organizations cannot gain real-time insight into employee satisfaction and engagement. This can limit the ability to respond quickly to problems or opportunities.
- Missed opportunities for continuous improvement: An annual ESS can make it harder to foster a culture of continuous improvement. It can result in a longer timespan between identifying problems and implementing improvements, which can lead to missed opportunities for quick and effective interventions. For example, it does not offer the ability to quickly measure the effect of an HR project. After all, with an annual frequency, you only measure the effects of HR projects after a year.
It is important to carefully consider the frequency and timing of the ESS or pulse survey and adjust it to the specific needs and dynamics of the organization if necessary.
Learned: software for employee satisfaction surveys and short pulse surveys
At Learned, we have developed a new methodology to achieve a higher participation rate and gain real-time insight into employee engagement. We do this with a combination of an ESS and pulse surveys.
The methodology for a modern employee satisfaction survey
Instead of an annual ESS, we recommend organizations start with a baseline measurement, followed by ongoing pulse surveys.
- Baseline measurement: This is a one-time questionnaire with questions about all the themes you want to measure, comparable to a traditional ESS. You can choose to add all themes or select the most important ones, depending on the goal you want to achieve. This way, you also ensure that employees spend less time filling out the questionnaire.
- Ongoing pulse surveys: After the baseline measurement, the process is followed by ongoing pulse surveys. These are short surveys with usually a weekly frequency, where employees fill out only one or a few questions at a time. The questions rotate across different themes and per employee.
With this approach, your organization quickly gains insight into the status of the most important drivers of employee engagement. Moreover, it provides real-time insight into the effect of your HR projects to improve employee engagement. Due to the short and frequent nature of the surveys, you prevent survey fatigue and ensure a high participation rate.
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