What is it?
The Pulse Survey is a key-issues, mini-audit of employee opinion which provides a global view of current employee feelings. It normally answers the question, "How is morale?" without the major commitment of a full survey.
When to do it?
Whenever management needs a view of all or part of the organization.
Why do it?
The Pulse Survey is used when comprehensive employee surveys are impractical. Organizations conduct the Pulse Survey to evaluate their improvement efforts. Pulse Surveys answer questions at a fraction of the expense and time involved in a full survey.
The Pulse Survey is also conducted by organizations undergoing mergers, acquisitions, deregulations, privatization, rapid growth, downsizing, industry deregulations or other major structural or cultural changes. A full survey may, in severely traumatic situations, pose a high level of risk. The Pulse Survey permits senior management to identify and respond to critical "hot spots" without exposing the organization to the downside of surfacing a large number of secondary employee concerns during a period of rapid change and strained resources.
How does it work?
The population surveyed and the issues addressed in the Pulse Survey are tailored. Once constructed, the logic of the Pulse Survey—small sample, short questionnaire and speedy turnaround—is designed to give an almost instant reading on critical issues.
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