How to choose the right survey type in Employee surveys

Which survey type should I choose in Employee surveys?

Choose the survey type based on what you want to measure:

• Measure overall employee engagement: Use the Engagement model as a baseline measurement or continuous measurement.
• Measure engagement with fewer questions: Choose Diagnose Engagement Drivers, Diagnose Engagement Drivers (Large), or an in-depth driver pulse.
• Assess specific workplace conditions: Choose a predefined Workplace assessment.
• Measure another topic with a ready-made pulse: Choose a predefined Focus pulse for topics such as wellbeing, psychological safety, inclusion, onboarding, teamwork, change, or remote work.
• Create your own pulse: If you do not find a predefined pulse that suits your needs, create your own pulse using predefined questions, questions you create yourself, or both.

Important: There are two places called Engagement model in Employee surveys, and they contain different survey options. Under the Employee surveys > Questions > Engagement model tab, you can find information about baseline and continuous measurements. Under the Employee surveys > Questions > Pulse library tab, go to the Engagement model section to find shorter engagement pulses such as Diagnose Engagement Drivers, Diagnose Engagement Drivers (Large), and in-depth driver pulses.

When should I use the Engagement model as a baseline or continuous measurement?

Use the Engagement model as a baseline or continuous measurement when you want to measure overall employee engagement using the full standard Engagement model.

The Engagement model contains 7 engagement drivers and 29 questions. Each driver has 4 questions, except Pride, which has 5 questions including the eNPS question.

• Baseline measurement: Sends all 29 Engagement model questions at once. Use a baseline measurement to establish a starting point for engagement levels in the organization.
• Continuous measurement: Sends the 29 Engagement model questions over 4 rounds. The first round includes 8 questions, and the next 3 rounds include 7 questions each. The cycle repeats until you manually stop it.

Baseline or continuous Engagement model measurement gives you:

• An engagement overview across the organization
• One KPI for overall engagement
• One KPI for each engagement driver
• An eNPS score/KPI
• Trend tracking over time
• Minimal administration after the model is started

Baseline or continuous Engagement model measurement is a good choice if you want to measure overall employee engagement using the standard Engagement model without building your own survey from scratch.

To find information about the Engagement model, go to Employee surveys > Questions > then select the Engagement model tab.

What does the Engagement model measure?

The Engagement model measures employee engagement across 7 drivers:

• Alignment: Belief in the organization's goals and values.
• Collaboration: A strong team spirit and well-functioning cooperation.
• Development: Fulfilment with your current job content and development opportunities.
• Leadership: Leadership capabilities and trust in your immediate manager and top management.
• Pride: The self-esteem you feel from being associated with the organization.
• Recognition: A sense of being valued.
• Well-being: Working conditions that support sustainable and healthy employment.

When should I use the Engagement model section in the Pulse library?

Use the Engagement model section in the Pulse library when you want a shorter engagement pulse instead of the full baseline or continuous Engagement model measurement.

To find these pulses, go to Employee surveys > Questions > then select the Pulse library tab > go to the Engagement model section.

The Engagement model section in the Pulse library includes:

• Diagnose Engagement Drivers: Sends one question from each engagement driver, for 7 questions in total.
• Diagnose Engagement Drivers (Large): Sends two questions from each engagement driver, plus the eNPS question, for 15 questions in total.
• In-depth driver pulses: Use these when you want to focus more closely on a specific engagement driver.

Diagnose Engagement Drivers pulses send all selected questions at once. They give one KPI for overall engagement, but they do not give a separate KPI for each engagement driver.

Open an Engagement model pulse to read more about the pulse and see which questions are included. You can also preview individual questions before using the pulse.

Tip: We recommend measuring employee engagement regularly over time, whether you use the Engagement model as a baseline or continuous measurement or use Diagnose Engagement Drivers pulses. Regular measurements make it easier to follow changes in engagement over time.

Important: The Engagement model section in the Pulse library is not the same as the separate Engagement model tab. The Pulse library section contains shorter engagement pulses. The separate Engagement model tab is for the full standard Engagement model used as a baseline or continuous measurement.

When should I use Workplace assessment in the Pulse library?

Use Workplace assessment in the Pulse library when you want to assess specific workplace or work environment conditions with a predefined set of questions.

To find workplace assessments, go to Employee surveys > Questions > then select the Pulse library tab > go to the Workplace assessment section. 

Workplace assessment includes predefined assessments for:

• Chemical assessment
• Ergonomic conditions
• Organizational conditions
• Physical conditions
• Psychosocial conditions
• Remote working conditions
• Sick leave assessment
• Training, Safety and Routines

Choose the workplace assessment that matches the area you want to examine.

Open a Workplace assessment pulse to read more about the pulse and see which questions are included. You can also preview individual questions before using the pulse.

When should I use Focus pulses in the Pulse library?

Use Focus pulses when you want a ready-made pulse survey for a specific topic outside the standard Engagement model or Workplace assessment categories.

To find Focus pulses, go to Employee surveys > Questions > then select the Pulse library tab > go to the Focus pulses section. 

Focus pulses cover topics such as wellbeing, psychological safety, inclusion, onboarding, organizational change, teamwork, remote work, and business plan follow-up. Examples include Wellbeing pulse, Psychological safety, Workplace inclusion, Onboarding, Change tracking, and Team Efficiency - inspired by Google's Project Aristotle.

Open a Focus pulse to read more about the pulse and see which questions are included. You can also preview individual questions before using the pulse.

If a predefined Focus pulse is close to what you need, you can copy the pulse and edit the copy instead of creating a new pulse from scratch.

When should I create my own pulse?

Create your own pulse when the predefined pulses do not match exactly what you want to ask.

To create a pulse, go to Employee surveys > Questions > then select the Pulse library tab.

From the Pulse library, you can create a new pulse and add:

• Predefined questions available in Employee surveys
• Questions you create yourself
• A combination of predefined questions and your own questions

Pulses you create or save, and pulses shared with you, are available under My pulses/shared with me in the Pulse library for future use. This section is shown when there are pulses available there.

Related article: How do I create a pulse survey in Employee surveys?

When should I use the Question library?

Use the Question library when you want to browse individual questions and find questions for a custom pulse.

To open the Question library, go to Employee surveys > Questions > then select the Question library tab.

Use the filters to find relevant questions by topic.

• Preview a question: Click the magnifying glass icon.
• Save a question for future use: Click the button in the upper-right corner of the question to add it to Company questions.
• Use saved questions: Questions saved to Company questions are easy to find when you create your own pulse survey.

How is the Pulse library organized?

The Pulse library is divided into sections based on the type of pulse you want to use:

To open the Pulse library, go to Employee surveys > Questions > then select the Pulse library tab.

• Focus pulses: Ready-made pulses for specific topics such as wellbeing, inclusion, onboarding, teamwork, and change.
• Engagement model: Shorter engagement pulses, including Diagnose Engagement Drivers, Diagnose Engagement Drivers (Large), and in-depth driver pulses.
• Workplace assessment: Predefined assessments for specific workplace and work environment conditions.
• My pulses/shared with me: Pulses you have created or saved, and pulses shared with you. This section is shown when there are pulses available there.

Important: The Engagement model section in the Pulse library contains engagement pulses. It is different from the separate Engagement model tab used for baseline and continuous measurements.

FAQs

Can I use all 29 Engagement model questions at once?

Yes. A baseline measurement sends all 29 Engagement model questions at once.

Can I send Engagement model questions over time?

Yes. A continuous measurement sends the 29 Engagement model questions over 4 rounds. The cycle repeats until you manually stop it.

Are Diagnose Engagement Drivers pulses part of the Engagement model tab?

No. Diagnose Engagement Drivers and Diagnose Engagement Drivers (Large) are in the Engagement model section of the Pulse library. In-depth driver pulses are also available there.

Is the Engagement model in the Pulse library the same as the Engagement model tab?

No. The Engagement model tab is for the full standard Engagement model used as a baseline or continuous measurement. The Engagement model section in the Pulse library contains shorter engagement pulses.

Where do I find workplace assessments?

Go to Employee surveys > Questions > then select the Pulse library tab > go to the Workplace assessment section. 

Where do I find pulses I created or pulses shared with me?

Go to Employee surveys > Questions > then select the Pulse library tab > go to the My pulses/shared with me section. This section is shown when pulses are available there.