15 Pulse Survey Questions to Keep a Finger on Your Workplace Culture

Annual engagement surveys alone aren’t enough to build a great workplace. If you really want to know how your team is feeling, you need to ask more often and listen just as closely. Pulse surveys are a valuable tool for this.

A pulse survey is a short, focused questionnaire sent to employees regularly to measure how they feel about their work, their team, and the organization. Unlike long-form annual surveys, pulse surveys are fast, specific, and actionable. They give you real-time insights into the health of your culture and help identify engagement issues before they grow.

Key Takeaways

• Monitor culture in real time so you can spot changes before they potentially escalate
• Identify engagement risks early for targeted interventions
• Build employee trust through consistent check-ins to foster trust

15 Employee Pulse Survey Questions to Use

Below, we cover 15 employee pulse survey questions across four key areas, plus best practices and a downloadable template to help you take action.

General Employee Pulse Survey Questions

Start with foundational questions that give you a temperature check on overall satisfaction and clarity.

These questions help identify whether employees feel valued and aligned with their work.

• How satisfied are you with your current role?
• Do you clearly understand your responsibilities?
• Do you feel recognized for the work you do?
• How satisfied are you with the communication and feedback you receive from your manager?

Asking these kinds of questions regularly will help you spot patterns and address problems before they escalate.

Employee Engagement Pulse Survey Questions

Engagement is about more than just showing up. It is about emotional investment in the job and the organization.

Use these questions to measure motivation, involvement, and belief in the company’s direction.

• Do you feel motivated to do your best work each day?
• Are you proud to work at this company?
• Do you feel your work contributes to the success of the organization?
• How likely are you to recommend this company as a great place to work?

Tracking engagement consistently helps you identify what is driving enthusiasm, or what might be draining it.

Workplace Culture Pulse Survey Questions

Culture shapes how people feel, interact, and grow in your company. Measuring it means digging into how inclusive, respectful, and collaborative your environment really is.

• Do you feel safe sharing feedback and ideas?
• Do you believe this company lives up to its stated values?
• Do you feel connected to your team?
• Do you feel comfortable taking time off when you need it to recharge?

These culture-oriented pulse questions help you track whether your values are reflected in everyday experiences.

Wellbeing and Workload Check

Even the most engaged employees can struggle if their workload is unmanageable or if their well-being is overlooked.

Pulse surveys are a great way to check in on stress levels, support, and work-life balance.

• How manageable is your current workload?
• Do you feel supported by your manager when you are overwhelmed?
• Are you able to maintain a healthy work-life balance?

This data allows HR and managers to offer timely interventions that support employee health and retention.

Best Practices for Running Employee Pulse Surveys

Asking great questions is only half the equation. To get meaningful feedback, you need to run your surveys with care.

Here are some tips to make your pulse surveys more effective:

Keep it short

Limit pulse surveys to 5–10 questions so they remain easy to complete and quick to analyze.

Maintain consistency

Ask some of the same questions over time to track trends and spot shifts in morale or engagement.

Ensure anonymity

Employees are more likely to respond honestly if they know their answers are confidential.

Act on feedback

Communicate results and follow through with action. Nothing erodes trust faster than ignored feedback.

Customize by team or role

Consider segmenting questions for different departments or seniority levels to get more targeted insights.

Example Pulse Survey Template

Here is a ready-to-use pulse survey you can roll out to your team today.

Ready to Go Beyond the Pulse Survey?

Pulse surveys are a powerful way to stay connected to how your team is doing. But to truly understand the deeper drivers of your culture, you need a broader lens.

The Positive Culture Index (PCI℠) goes beyond surface-level check-ins. It measures the root factors that shape engagement, retention, and employee well-being. PCI helps you make data-driven decisions that transform your workplace culture for the long term.

If you are ready to build a workplace where your people can thrive, PCI is the next step.