Team pulse survey
A pulse survey only works if people answer honestly and it stays short enough to run often. This one is six questions on workload, clarity and blockers, run anonymously so the answers say what people really think.
Best for: Managers and people teams checking on team health between annual reviews.
Use this template freeHow manageable has your workload been this week?
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The questions
- 1How manageable has your workload been this week?Opinion scale1-5. Watch it over several weeks rather than reading any single week.
- 2How clear are you on what's expected of you right now?Opinion scale1-5. A drop in clarity often shows up before work slows down.
- 3What's blocking you or slowing you down most right now?Long textAn open answer keeps it honest. A checklist only finds the blockers you already guessed.
- 4If you could change one thing about how the team works, what would it be?Long textOne change makes people pick a priority instead of venting.
- 5How supported do you feel by your manager this week?Opinion scale1-5. A private signal that rarely comes up in standups.
- 6Anything you want leadership to know?Long textAn optional open door catches what the other questions missed.
Sample replies, counted
These replies are made up to show the method.
Asked: What's blocking you or slowing you down most right now?
Three standups a day across two projects. I lose my mornings.
Too many meetingsPRs sit for two days before anyone reviews them
Waiting on reviewsI don't know if the dashboard or the export is the priority this sprint.
Unclear prioritiesMeetings. Every afternoon has a sync now.
Too many meetingsDesign review keeps getting pushed, so I'm building on guesses.
Waiting on reviewsWe got two different answers about the deadline this week.
Unclear prioritiesCalendar is wall to wall Tuesday to Thursday, no time to actually build.
Too many meetingsMy laptop is really slow with the new build tools.
Other
| Label | Replies |
|---|---|
| Too many meetings | 3 |
| Waiting on reviews | 2 |
| Unclear priorities | 2 |
| Other | 1 |
Three of eight people name meetings, so try one meeting-free block a week and ask again next round. Unclear priorities came up twice in the same week, which is cheap to fix with one written list.
How to run it well
- Keep it anonymous and say so plainly. Once people suspect answers can be traced, scores go up and honesty goes down.
- Keep the questions the same every round. The value is the trend, and changing the wording breaks the comparison.
- Fix at least one blocker each round and tell the team you did. A pulse survey with no follow-through teaches people to stop answering.
- Watch the clarity and support scores closely. They tend to slip before workload complaints or resignations show up.
When not to use this: A pulse is too thin for a once-a-year deep look at how people feel about their work. Use the employee engagement survey for that, and keep the pulse for the weeks in between.
FAQ
How often should we run a pulse survey?
How do we keep it anonymous in a small team?
What's a healthy response rate?
Where the method comes from
- Gallup's Q12 Employee Engagement Survey, Gallupgallup.com
- Writing Survey Questions, Pew Research Centerpewresearch.org
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