70+ Effective Employee Pulse Survey Questions (+Tips for Analyzing Results)

Employee pulse surveys are a powerful tool for gauging the immediate sentiment of your workforce, allowing you to address issues swiftly and effectively.

This guide provides a comprehensive list of questions (70+) across various themes to help you create well-rounded and insightful surveys. We included both open-ended and rating questions to effectively capture your people’s feedback. Additionally, you will find best practices for designing effective surveys and tips for analyzing the results.

1. Questions on job satisfaction

Close-ended questions: Please rate each statement based on your experience using the following scale: 1 - Strongly disagree 2 - Disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Agree 5 - Strongly agree

1. I find my work challenging and engaging.
2. I feel valued and appreciated for the work I do.
3. I am satisfied with my current role and responsibilities.
4. I have opportunities to use my strengths every day at work.

Open-ended questions:

1. What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most and why?
2. What improvements would increase your job satisfaction?

2. Questions on work-life balance and wellbeing

Close-ended questions: Please rate each statement based on your experience using the following scale: 1 - Strongly disagree 2 - Disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Agree 5 - Strongly agree

1. I have manageable stress at work.
2. I can maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life.
3. I feel supported in taking time off when needed.
4. I have the resources and support to manage my workload.
5. My work environment is safe and healthy.

Open-ended questions:

1. What changes could help you achieve a better work-life balance?
2. How often do you feel stressed at work? In what circumstances?
3. What resources or support could help you manage stress better?

3. Questions on communication and feedback

Close-ended questions: Please rate each statement based on your experience using the following scale: 1 - Strongly disagree 2 - Disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Agree 5 - Strongly agree

1. I feel well-informed about company updates and changes.
2. I receive regular and constructive feedback from my manager.
3. I feel comfortable sharing my ideas and concerns with my team.

Open-ended questions:

1. Describe the quality of communication within your team.
2. What type of feedback do you find most helpful?
3. How could the communication from leadership be improved?

4. Questions on the relationship with the manager

Close-ended questions: Please rate each statement based on your experience using the following scale: 1 - Strongly disagree 2 - Disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Agree 5 - Strongly agree

1. I am satisfied with the frequency with which my manager and I communicate.
2. I feel comfortable giving opinions and feedback to my manager.
3. My manager provides clear instructions and guidance.
4. My manager supports my professional growth.
5. My manager acknowledges my contributions and achievements.

Open-ended questions:

1. What could your manager do to improve communication and feedback?
2. What additional support do you need from your manager?

5. Questions on professional development

Close-ended questions: Please rate each statement based on your experience using the following scale: 1 - Strongly disagree 2 - Disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Agree 5 - Strongly agree

1. The feedback I receive is frequent enough to help me understand how to improve.
2. There are sufficient opportunities for career growth within the company.
3. My company contributes to my development.
4. I have had opportunities to develop new skills over the past six months.
5. I have access to the training and resources I need to grow my skills.
6. My manager supports my career goals.
7. I understand the career paths available to me.

Open-ended questions:

1. What additional support or resources would help your personal development?
2. How could the company improve its support for your career growth?
3. What skills would you like to develop in the next six months?

6. Questions on team dynamics

Close-ended questions: Please rate each statement based on your experience using the following scale: 1 - Strongly disagree 2 - Disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Agree 5 - Strongly agree

1. I feel that my team works well together.
2. Team members respect each other’s ideas and opinions.
3. Our team effectively communicates and collaborates.
4. I feel supported by my team members.

Open-ended questions:

1. How can the team better support each other?
2. What is the greatest strength of your team?

7. Questions on the workplace environment

Close-ended questions: Please rate each statement based on your experience using the following scale: 1 - Strongly disagree 2 - Disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Agree 5 - Strongly agree

1. I feel safe and comfortable in my workspace.
2. The company promotes a culture of diversity and inclusion.
3. There is a high standard for the cleanliness and maintenance of the office.

Open-ended questions:

1. What changes could improve your work environment?
2. How can the company enhance its efforts towards diversity and inclusion?
3. What aspects of the workplace environment do you appreciate the most?

8. Questions on alignment

Close-ended questions: Please rate each statement based on your experience using the following scale: 1 - Strongly disagree 2 - Disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Agree 5 - Strongly agree

1. I understand my company’s mission and goals.
2. My individual goals strongly align with our team’s goals.
3. I understand how my work contributes to the company’s overall success.
4. I feel connected to the company’s values and culture.

Open-ended questions:

1. How well do you understand the company’s strategic objectives?
2. How do you see your role contributing to the company’s mission and goals?
3. What can the company do to improve alignment between your goals and the organization’s goals?

9. Questions on workplace culture

Close-ended questions: Please rate each statement based on your experience using the following scale: 1 - Strongly disagree 2 - Disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Agree 5 - Strongly agree

1. The values of the organization are reflected in our daily work.
2. I feel a sense of belonging and acceptance within the company.
3. Our company encourages and supports collaboration across different departments.
4. My contributions are valued and recognized by the organization.
5. Our leadership team communicates effectively about company goals and values.

Open-ended questions:

1. What aspects of our company culture do you appreciate the most?
2. What changes would you suggest to improve our workplace culture?
3. Can you share an example of a positive experience you’ve had with our company culture?

Effective pulse survey questions for remote teams

As remote work becomes increasingly prevalent, understanding remote employees’ unique challenges and needs is crucial. Doing so helps them feel connected, supported, and engaged, even when working from a distance.

Close-ended questions: Please rate each statement based on your experience using the following scale: 1 - Strongly disagree 2 - Disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Agree 5 - Strongly agree

1. I feel connected to my team and the company, even while working remotely.
2. I have the necessary tools and technology to perform my job effectively from home.
3. Communication with my manager and colleagues is effective and frequent.
4. I feel included in team meetings and company updates despite working remotely.
5. I can maintain a healthy work-life balance while working from home.
6. My contributions are recognized and valued, even when I am not physically present.
7. I have opportunities for professional development and career growth while working remotely.

Open-ended questions:

1. What challenges do you face while working remotely that we should address?
2. How can the company better support your remote work environment?
3. What aspects of remote work are most beneficial, and what would you like to see improved?

Best practices for crafting surveys that collect meaningful insights

Follow these best practices for creating effective surveys that collect meaningful insights you can use for action planning.

Select the right timing and frequency

Schedule the surveys during projected low periods to make the most out of them. However, avoid the holiday season to have a higher participation rate.

It’s also important to check in whenever you go through a tough situation, such as a business slump, reorganization, or downsizing. Not only does this boost morale, but asking for input during critical times can send a positive message to your team.

Finally, create a cadence combining pulse and annual engagement surveys for a more comprehensive view of key employee engagement metrics and drivers.

Get buy-in from senior management

Conducting pulse surveys is pointless if you can’t act on feedback and you can’t take action without leadership support.

Managers must not only support surveying but also actively participate in, promote, and implement action plans.

To get leadership management on board, emphasize the ROI of pulse surveys. Explain how they align with your organization’s business objectives, such as:

• Improving employee experience
• Reducing turnover
• Cutting recruitment costs

Generate a trusting environment

Employees need to understand that pulses are meant to give them a voice, not spy on them. They can be hesitant to be honest and share their thoughts if they think you’ll know who wrote what.

One way to address such concerns is to anonymize survey participants. Additionally, ensure solid internal communications explaining why you’re conducting the survey, what you’ll do with the results, and how it will benefit them.

Create the perfect survey

Follow these tips for creating surveys that collect high-quality data.

1. Keep it short and focused: To encourage higher response rates, ensure your survey is concise and focuses on key areas of interest—the shorter the cadence, the shorter the survey should be (e.g., a monthly pulse survey should have maximum ten questions)
2. Use clear and simple language: Avoid jargon and keep questions straightforward to avoid confusion
3. Avoid grouping items in one question: Instead of asking, “How satisfied are you with your salary and benefits?” ask about them in separate questions
4. Mix question types: Use a combination of Likert scale questions, open-ended questions, and multiple-choice questions to gather diverse feedback
5. Ensure anonymity: Guarantee confidentiality to encourage honest and open feedback
6. Pilot the survey: Test the survey with a small group before full deployment to identify any issues or areas for improvement
7. Provide clear instructions: Ensure respondents understand how to complete the survey and what each question aims to measure

Communicate with your employees

Even if you take action, it won’t mean anything if your employees haven’t noticed that the change came from their feedback. Keep them informed before, during, and after the surveying process.

Transparent communication inspires trust, boosts engagement, and enhances authenticity.

Lastly, use multiple internal communication channels. Use email, team meetings, and your internal communication tool of choice (e.g., Microsoft Teams or Slack).

Analyze survey results

Once you’ve gathered the data, you’ll need to analyze it to understand what lies in the responses. Identify trends and patterns in the responses to find relevant insights.

Consider these key questions:

• How are your employees feeling?
• What is not working?
• Which areas have a positive perception?
• Is there anything you can learn from that?
• How do the results compare to the last survey?
• What trends are you seeing?
• Are your previous action plans effective?

Lastly, benchmark your organization’s results against industry standards, similar organizations, or national employee norms.

Establish action plans

Taking action on your survey results is the most critical part of your pulse survey strategy.

Once you’ve finished analyzing the results and insights, get together with managers and leaders to discuss how the results align with your organization’s goals and priorities.

Ask questions such as:

• Is employee engagement on track with expectations?
• What is the most pressing issue at the moment?
• How can we improve employee experience with what we’ve learned?

Create an action plan and implement the changes based on the feedback.

Remember to communicate your action plans to your employees to fight survey fatigue and reap the benefits of pulse surveying.

Automate your pulse surveys and boost engagement with Deel Engage

By regularly conducting employee pulse surveys, you can stay attuned to your workforce’s needs and concerns, ensuring a more engaged, satisfied, and productive team.

Taking action according to your findings and communicating with your employees is critical to a successful surveying strategy. Deel Engage ’s specialized tools will help you achieve this:

• Set up recurring surveys with open-ended or rating questions
• Define the target audience of your survey according to specific group belonging (team, department, location), hire date, or more
• Send reminders to employees via email or your internal communication tool
• Use the Slack plug-in to collect data where your employees spend a lot of time
• Use feedback analytics to understand the most pressing issues shared by your employees
• Address learning and development concerns with the career management and training modules of the tool
• Deel HR, our truly global HRIS solution, is always included for free

‍Automate your survey processes with Deel Engage and unlock powerful analytics today.