In a fast-growing company, business pivots, changing priorities, and introducing new technology are common. But they can’t just be top-down decisions.

You need to understand the pulse of your employees and managers if you really want them to champion the company’s decisions.

If you don’t, there’s a high cost to pay. The cost of disengaged employees is pegged at  $8.8 trillion in lost productivity, according to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report. That's equal to 9% of global GDP.

Pulse surveys can offer fast-growing organisations useful information on employee sentiment, concerns and engagement levels - this offers valuable insights into the actionable steps that the HR team can take. Leaders and managers can focus on the key areas where the business is failing to deliver on employee expectations.

Pulse surveys in fast-changing businesses

Due to the dynamic nature of rapid growth, traditional feedback channels might not capture real-time shifts in employee attitudes.

Pulse surveys, conducted frequently and swiftly, allow leadership to promptly identify emerging issues, adapt strategies, and implement changes that align with the evolving needs of the workforce.

This proactive approach not only enhances employee satisfaction and retention but also promotes an agile and responsive organisational culture crucial for sustained success amidst growth.

While companies can use multiple survey tools to capture the data, what you use the data for is very important. Here are a few features you need to look for while shortlisting technology that leverages pulse surveys.

·       Ensure real-time insights

Real-time insights from employee pulse surveys offer HR leaders in fast-growing companies a powerful tool to swiftly assess and address the evolving needs of their workforce.

These insights provide an up-to-the-minute understanding of employee sentiments, enabling HR to detect potential issues - whether it is to do with employee-manager relationships, work-life balance, learning and development opportunities or improving psychological safety - all with the goal of reducing stress, improving a culture of wellbeing and rewards. 

It can be used to track engagement levels and identify trends in real-time. This agility allows for timely interventions, targeted strategies, and adjustments in response to the dynamic challenges that arise in fast-paced growth environments.

By staying closely attuned to employee feedback through real-time pulse surveys, HR leaders can foster a more engaged and adaptable workforce, ultimately contributing to the organisation's sustained success amidst rapid expansion.

·       Look for embedded analytics

Through in-depth analysis, HR can uncover underlying trends, patterns, and correlations in employee sentiments. This enables them to make informed decisions, develop targeted strategies, and allocate resources effectively to address critical areas. Embedded analytics is the integration of analytical capabilities and data visualisations into another software application.

Analytics not only help HR leaders identify potential challenges but also measure the impact of interventions over time, ensuring that their responses align with the evolving needs of the workforce in a rapidly changing environment.

Employee pulse surveys yield valuable analytics that include 

These analytics delve into the depths of employee experience, unveiling levels of engagement, sentiments towards workplace facets, trends over time, and distinct concerns across demographics. By leveraging this data, organisations gain actionable insights to enhance workplace culture, address concerns, predict future trends, and refine strategies, fostering improved employee satisfaction, retention, and organisational performance.

·      Option to  create anonymous surveys

Anonymous surveys, as part of employee pulse surveys, offer a valuable advantage by creating a safe and open avenue for honest feedback from employees in fast-growing companies.

With the assurance of anonymity, employees are more likely to share candid opinions, concerns, and suggestions without fear of repercussions.

This unfiltered insight empowers HR leaders to gain a genuine understanding of the workforce's experiences, enabling them to address issues, improve engagement, and implement effective strategies tailored to the unique needs of a rapidly evolving organisation.

·       Review for detailed dashboard

Detailed dashboards in employee pulse surveys provide HR leaders in fast-growing companies with a comprehensive visual representation of employee feedback and sentiments. These dashboards offer a holistic view of trends, allowing HR to identify areas of concern or success quickly.

The granularity of data enables deeper analysis, aiding in understanding specific issues and their potential causes.

By visualising data over time and across various demographics, HR leaders can make informed decisions, track the impact of interventions, and drive proactive strategies that align with the organisation's growth trajectory while fostering a supportive and engaged workforce.

In conclusion, employee pulse survey software serves as a vital tool in gauging and enhancing employee engagement. By systematically measuring factors like job satisfaction, work culture, relationships, and communication through regular surveys, organisations can maintain a dynamic understanding of their workforce's sentiments.

Whether conducted bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly, these surveys function as valuable check-ins that empower companies to adapt, address concerns, and cultivate a thriving work environment. Through the implementation of such software, organisations can nurture employee satisfaction and foster a culture of open communication and continuous improvement.

Find out more about pulse surveys using technology. This article is part of a series on HR technology in emerging businesses in partnership with Keka; find more articles here. Download the ebook on Improving Performance Management and get a comprehensive understanding of the latest workplace shifts.