Engaging your team with CareerPlug's Employee Pulse Surveys

CareerPlug's Employee Pulse Surveys give greater visibility into your team's well-being, highlight issues contributing to employee attrition, and offer actionable recommendations to reduce turnover proactively.

With Employee Pulse Surveys, you can quickly identify the underlying issues affecting your team and gain the necessary feedback to retain and grow your employees.

Watch this 30-second video to learn how to set up Employee Pulse Surveys or follow along below:

 

In this article:

• What are Employee Pulse Surveys?
• What are the benefits?
• How do I set up & use Employee Pulse Surveys with my team?
• How do I view my team's Pulse feedback?
• How can I respond to an employee's Pulse feedback?
• Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What are Employee Pulse Surveys?

Employee Pulse Surveys are CareerPlug's employee engagement tool, designed to identify employee engagement and surface feedback to drive employee retention and growth. They can help you understand what your team and employees need to be successful.

Enabling Employee Pulse Surveys gives you access to:

Employee Pulse Surveys	Send engagement surveys weekly to get a pulse on how your employees are doing. Survey sent via text message and email, depending on an employee's account preferences. If employees have not added a phone number to their profile or they've opted out of text message notifications, they will only receive an email with a link to the survey. Employees can respond from their phones with no sign-in required, making it easy to give feedback.
Pulse notifications and reminders	Set the day of the week and time when the Pulse notifications are sent to employees. Automatically send reminders to employees after 24 hours. Employees have the option to receive them via email or text.
Pulse Insights	View survey responses and feedback at an individual employee level and monitor trends in an employee's sentiment over time. Leverage employee feedback to identify areas for improvement, make informed decisions, and proactively address morale.
Pulse Overview dashboard	View aggregated employee survey responses from your account to see trends across either your entire team or your direct reports only. Quickly identify employees and areas within your team that need attention.
Pulse manager recommendations	View actionable recommendations to an employee's specific responses to address morale and growth.

What are the benefits?

Increase visibility into employee well-being	Quickly identify if an employee is struggling, feeling disconnected, or experiencing challenges.
Increase employee engagement	Gauge the level of employee engagement, identify areas for improvement, and proactively boost engagement. Engaged employees are more likely to be productive, satisfied, and committed to their work.
Make data-driven decisions	Leverage data to make informed decisions about resource allocation, organizational changes, and employee initiatives. Identify trends, track progress, and evaluate the impact of interventions related to employee engagement and satisfaction.
Reduce employee turnover	Establish regular check-ins with employees and implement recommended strategies to reduce the high cost of turnover and enhance employee retention.

How do I set up & use Employee Pulse Surveys with my team?

1. Click the Team tab in the top navigation bar.

2. Click the Pulse tab in the left navigation bar.

3. Click View Full Pulse List in the top-right corner of the Pulse Overview page.

4. Verify that all of your direct reports are listed on the Team Pulse page.

5. Click the Settings button in the top-right corner of the Team Pulse page.

6. In the Pulse Survey Settings drawer, verify that Send notification is set to On.

7. Select the Frequency at which you want employees to receive a survey notification each month from the drop-down menu: Every week or Every 2 weeks.

8. Select the Day of the Week you want to send surveys to employees from the drop-down menu.

9. Select the Time of Day you want to send surveys to employees from the drop-down menu.

10. Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the Pulse Survey Settings drawer.

Employee Pulse Surveys will now be sent to your direct reports on the designated day.

What if I don't see all of my direct reports listed on the Team Pulse page?

1. If you need to assign yourself as the manager for an employee not listed on your Team Pulse page, navigate to your Team Directory tab.

2. Click the checkbox to the left of any direct reports that are missing from your Team Pulse page.

3. Select Assign Manager from the Select an Action drop-down menu at the bottom of the page.

4. Select your own name from the Select New Manager drop-down menu.

5. Click the Submit Change button.

How do I send an Employee Pulse Survey reminder?

From the Team Pulse page (Team > Pulse > View Full Pulse List), you can identify your unengaged employees and use bulk select to quickly send them a reminder to complete the survey.

1. Select Unengaged Employees from the Show Me... drop-down menu in the upper-left corner of the Team Pulse page.

2. Click the checkbox to the left of any unengaged employees' names.

3. Select Send Pulse Reminder from the Select an Action drop-down menu at the bottom of the page.

4. Click the Send Reminder button.

How do employees use Employee Pulse Surveys?

Employee Pulse Surveys ask employees a rotating set of questions concerning their well-being (e.g., day-to-day needs, connectedness, growth). Employees will receive survey notifications weekly on the designated day and time.

These notifications — sent via text message and email — include a link with five questions for employees to answer. Employees can answer as few or as many questions as they'd like each week, and there's an option to add comments with each answer.

If employees have not added a phone number to their profile or they've opted out of text message notifications, they will only receive an email with a link to the survey.

To receive Pulse notifications via text message, employees need to:

1. Sign into CareerPlug.

2. Navigate to My Profile (person icon) > Settings.

3. Click the Edit button in the top-right corner of your Profile Settings.

4. Enter a Phone Number for Notifications in the open field.

5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Save button.

How do I view my team's Pulse feedback?

Employees' Pulse survey responses from your account are aggregated to show trends across your entire team. Get early insights into areas of employee sentiment that need improvement and areas that are performing well and should be celebrated.

1. Click the Team tab in the top navigation bar.

2. Click the Pulse tab in the left navigation bar.

3. Review each section of your Pulse Overview dashboard:

• Overall Rating

• Needs Attention

• Category Ratings

• Current Survey Scores

Overall Rating

The Overall Rating section averages individual ratings from employees' Pulse survey responses across your team, providing you with an at-a-glance view of how your team is doing.

At the bottom of the tile, you can see whether the Overall Rating is trending upwards or downwards compared with the last survey results.

Needs Attention

The Needs Attention section highlights individual employees — and areas within your organization — linked to negative Pulse survey responses that you should address. 

Clicking the name of any employee listed in the Needs Attention section will redirect you to the Pulse tab of their employee profile. From there, you can review their Pulse responses.

Category Ratings

The Category Ratings section averages ratings from your team's Pulse survey responses across 3 categories and 10 subcategories, helping you identify which areas to address. The ratings from these 10 subcategories are averaged and rolled up into 3 main categories: Essentials, Connection, and Growth.

To the right of each roll-up rating, you can see whether the rating is trending upwards or downwards compared with the last survey results.

Current Survey Scores

The Current Survey Scores section displays individual survey responses for any employees who responded to the most recent Pulse survey.

Clicking the name of any employee listed will redirect you to the Pulse tab of their employee profile.

How can I respond to an employee's Pulse feedback?

Besides the Pulse Overview dashboard, you can view survey responses at the employee level to see their specific feedback, needs, and trends.

1. Click the Team tab in the top navigation bar.

2. Click the Pulse tab in the left navigation bar.

3. Click View Full Pulse List in the top-right corner of the Pulse Overview page.

4. Click the View Pulse button to the right of any of your direct reports.

On the Pulse tab of the employee's profile, you'll see each survey question/statement represented by a tile. Each tile shows:

• The survey question/statement
• An average of the employee's sentiment (if available) represented as weather conditions (cloudy, sunny, etc.)
• A chart showing the employee's responses to the statement
• An actionable recommendation (if applicable) to address an employee's response to a specific statement

5. Click any tile on an employee's Pulse Insights page to see more details on manager recommendations or the employee's comments about a particular statement (if submitted).

6. Review the Manager Recommendations and consider how you can apply the recommendations to your employee.

7. Review the Employee Comment(s) to get more details on your employee's feedback.

7. Click the Create To-Do or 1-on-1 Follow-up buttons to create a follow-up task to effectively track your actions and resolve any concerns or suggestions raised by the employee.

8. Complete all fields in the Follow-Up Task: Take Action! drawer:

• Task name

• Due Date

• Follow-up notes

• Message to employee

9. Click the Create Task button.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q: How often are Employee Pulse Surveys sent?

A: It depends on how you set up Pulse notifications. Surveys can be sent weekly or every other week on the day and at the time of your choosing.

Q: Are Pulse responses anonymous?

A: No, but Pulse responses are not visible to other employees or other hiring managers.

Q: Who can see an employee's Pulse responses?

A: Only an employee’s direct manager can see their survey responses and feedback.

Q: Is there any other way to view Pulse feedback besides from within an individual employee's profile?

A: Yes. On the Team Pulse page, managers can see which employees have responded and how recently.

Q: How do I encourage more employees to complete the survey?

A: If you notice low survey engagement from an employee, connect with them in person. Explain what you are hoping to accomplish and that you are committed to taking action on their feedback.

Q: How do I know what to do with the feedback I receive as a manager?

A: Pulse visualizes data to help you uncover patterns in overall and individual employee morale and sentiments. Pulse also offers specific and actionable manager recommendations for an employee's survey responses.

Q: What questions will employees be asked for Employee Pulse Surveys?

A: There are 50 questions across 3 categories and 10 subcategories. Employees will only ever be asked 5 questions at a time, and the questions selected are randomized. See the full list of questions below, which are organized by subcategory. You can also see what category each question belongs to.

• Role Clarity and Preparedness

  • "I understand what my supervisor expects from me." (Essentials)

  • "I have had adequate training to do my job." (Essentials)

  • "I understand how to do my job." (Essentials)

  • "I have access to the resources I need for my work." (Essentials)

  • "I understand how much I will be paid and how I will receive it." (Essentials)

• Recognition and Appreciation

  • "When I get recognition, it feels meaningful, not just routine." (Connection)

  • "My contributions are appreciated by my team." (Connection)

  • "I know I will be recognized for excellent work." (Connection)

  • "The amount of recognition I receive is appropriate." (Connection)

• Growth and Development

  • "I receive support in developing new skills." (Growth)

  • "I have opportunities to learn and grow at this job." (Growth)

  • "Someone at work actively supports my growth and/or development." (Growth)

  • "I see the potential to grow at this company." (Growth)

  • "My manager challenges me to continually do better." (Growth)

• Team and Collaboration

  • "My team works well together." (Connection)

  • "People on my team help each other succeed." (Connection)

  • "In my team, I am surrounded by people who share my values." (Connection)

  • "My teammates have my back." (Connection)

  • "This is a friendly place to work." (Connection)

  • "I often have fun at work." (Connection)

  • "I trust my coworkers to do high-quality work." (Connection)

• Feedback and Communication

  • "I feel comfortable giving feedback to my teammates." (Connection)

  • "Communication in my team is open and honest." (Connection)

  • "I feel comfortable giving feedback to my manager." (Connection)

  • "My input is valued at work." (Connection)

  • "I receive feedback that helps me improve my performance." (Connection)

  • "I know my feedback is valued." (Connection)

• Autonomy and Empowerment

  • "I have the freedom to decide how I approach my work." (Growth)

  • "I'm trusted to make decisions without being micromanaged." (Growth)

  • "I get to use my strongest skills every day at work." (Growth)

  • "My work is challenging." (Growth)

• Company Confidence

  • "I trust the leadership team." (Connection)

  • "Our company mission makes my work feel meaningful." (Connection)

  • "I see myself working here 12 months from now." (Connection)

  • "I would refer a friend to work at this company." (Connection)

  • "I have great confidence in my company's future." (Connection)

  •  "Our company mission motivates and inspires me." (Connection)

• Manager Support

  • "I have a great working relationship with my manager." (Essentials)

  • "I know who to go to when I need help." (Essentials)

  • "Management has been available for me when I need them." (Essentials)

  • "My manager has my back." (Essentials)

  • "I am satisfied with the frequency of communication with my supervisor." (Essentials)

• Trust and Psychological Safety

  • "At least one teammate cares about my well-being outside of work." (Connection)

  • "I can speak up without fear of negative consequences." (Connection)

  • "I am treated with respect by my colleagues." (Connection)

  • "This is a safe place to work." (Connection)

• Workload and Well-Being

  • "My workload feels manageable." (Essentials)

  • "This company cares about my well-being." (Essentials)

  • "I can take time off without guilt or pressure." (Essentials)

  • "I have a healthy balance between work and my personal life." (Essentials)

  • "I am having a good week." (Essentials)

  • "I have someone at work I can confide in." (Essentials)