Why Pulse Surveys Are the Perfect Companion to Annual Employee Surveys

Once a year employee, people and culture surveys offer critical insights for strategic planning, but capturing sentiment once a year will miss real-time shifts in morale, engagement, and inclusion, especially with the world in a constant state of flux. That’s where Diversio Pulse Surveys come in: short, targeted check-ins that provide timely feedback and enable quick action.

Why Annual Surveys Need Backup

While annual engagement surveys give a broad snapshot, they represent a single moment in time. Employee sentiment can change quickly due to internal shifts or external events. By the time results are analyzed, the data may already be outdated.

Deloitte warns that relying solely on annual surveys can lead to overlooked issues like burnout or exclusion. Pulse Surveys offer a solution by creating a continuous feedback loop that helps catch and address problems early.

The Demand for Real-Time Feedback

Employees—especially from younger cohorts — expect regular opportunities to share input and see visible responses. Leaders, in turn, need up-to-date insight to make agile decisions. Diversio Pulse Surveys support this by fostering ongoing dialogue and enabling quick course corrections when needed.

McKinsey notes that continuous listening builds trust and can improve workplace culture and retention, especially during pivotal changes like remote transitions or restructuring.

What Are Diversio Pulse Surveys?

Diversio Pulse Surveys are short (usually under 10 questions), focused surveys deployed regularly (weekly, monthly, quarterly) or after specific events like policy updates or DEI training. At Diversio, we use them to track feedback on key initiatives and organizational changes.

Key Benefits:

  • Frequent & Agile: Identify issues early and respond quickly.
  • Short & Focused: Reduce survey fatigue and increase participation.
  • Honest Feedback: Confidential responses encourage candor.
  • Instant Insights: Dashboards visualize results immediately.

Diversio Pulse Surveys don’t replace annual ones—they enhance them with real-time clarity.

Turning Feedback into Action

Collecting feedback isn’t enough, leaders must respond. Even small changes based on survey insights build trust and reinforce that employees are heard.

Best practices include:

  • Sharing Results: Transparently communicate findings.
  • Acknowledging Feedback: Thank employees for participating.
  • Taking Action: Follow up with tangible steps, even minor ones.
  • Leadership Accountability: Make responding part of managers’ performance goals.

Real-World Success Stories

  • Financial Firm Merger: Pulse checks during a merger helped identify concerns early—like role confusion—and guided timely interventions to maintain morale.
  • McKinsey Weekly Pulses: Starting in 2020, McKinsey used a 2–3 question weekly pulse to monitor sentiment during the pandemic. With 90% participation, this approach shaped real-time responses to stress, inclusion, and productivity concerns.

The Best of Both Worlds

Annual Diversio surveys remain essential for strategic planning. But pairing them with Diversio Pulse Surveys adds the agility needed in today’s fast-moving workplace. Together, they provide a dynamic, responsive employee listening strategy.

Want to add Diversio Pulse Surveys to your strategy? Contact your Daniel Fellows today to get started.

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Daniel Fellows
Daniel Fellows is the General Manager of Diversio UK and EU, leading the company's expansion. Daniel was the founder and CEO of Get-Optimal.com a technology and software company building AI solutions focussed on driving and delivering equitable solutions globally. As a former Director of Marketing at Indeed.com, Microsoft, and Vodafone Daniel has a commitment to positive and authentic change that enables equal opportunities for all.
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"We needed to slice and dice the data in multiple ways and visualize the data in clear and accessible ways and you know Diversio’s survey and platform ticked all the boxes."
Ekua Quansah
Head of EDI, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research

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