Pulse survey vs engagement survey – what are the key differences?

Pulse survey vs engagement survey – what’s the difference? And where to begin?

We hope this blog will give you the answers you’re looking for.

First, it’s important to know what each survey involves.

Pulse survey – typically either a highly focused topic specific survey, such as change, internal communication, learning and development etc. or used for monitoring purposes to track changes in scores over time, or used to monitor overall engagement.

Engagement survey – a comprehensive survey to provide a holistic view of the relationship your employees have with the company.

Pulse survey or employee engagement survey, both involve a team of expert psychologists assembling a bespoke set of questions to provide you with an accurate, detailed report that reflects you and your company’s needs.

So, pulse survey vs engagement survey – the key differences

• Purpose – As you may have noticed after reading the descriptions above, one of the key differences between a pulse survey vs engagement survey is purpose. Employee engagement is primarily used as a foundation for your company to develop strategies and implement effective changes. A pulse survey is to track the impact of these new strategies and changes.

• Frequency – Pulse surveys are conducted regularly, and therefore more frequently than engagement surveys. Pulse surveys are designed to monitor the impact new strategies and/or company developments have on the relationship between the company and its employees. Naturally, this means they are regularly and frequently conducted. However, an employee engagement survey is designed to provide a holistic overview of the relationship between the company and its employees and therefore it’s unnecessary to conduct these surveys as frequently as pulse surveys.

• Scale of focus – Another key difference between a pulse survey vs engagement survey is the scale of focus. The engagement survey, as previously discussed, provides a holistic overview as part of a complete, comprehensive report. This overview is created by developing an extensive, bespoke, array of questions designed to yield detailed expansive insight. This is unlike a pulse survey. Whilst the questions are equally as insightful, they evaluate specific factors (eg how effective your new management strategy is) and therefore provide a focused, rather than holistic, survey report.

Pulse survey vs engagement survey – which one do I need?

Well for starters the two are not mutually exclusive. Far from it. Conducting an employee engagement survey in conjunction with pulse surveys will provide you with the most accurate and insightful overview of your company.

In our experience, combining both employee survey services is most effective when an employee engagement survey is conducted prior to the pulse survey(s).

Our employee engagement surveys provide clients with a comprehensive report summarising findings from an in-depth bespoke survey designed by experts and completed by employees. This is the best way to examine the strengths and weaknesses of your company processes based on feedback from staff. From this point onwards you can implement changes and improvements.

To monitor the effectiveness of your new strategies it’s time to conduct frequent pulse surveys. Make sure you’re heading in the right direction and provide reports to management during strategy and training sessions. However, one of the fundamental principles here at The Survey Initiative is that no two companies are the same and neither is the advice we offer each client. We guarantee that when you get in touch with The Survey Initiative, you will receive employee survey services and advice as unique as your company and its individual needs.

So you shouldn’t be asking ‘pulse survey vs engagement survey’, but how can they combine to provide me with the most helpful insight into my company?

If you’re interested in staff satisfaction, or employee engagement, head to our employee survey services page or visit our news page to take a look at some of our previous blogs. And if you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our team of psychologists are experts in their field and are more than happy to answer any questions or enquiries you might have.