In recent years, more and more companies have shown interest in employee pulse surveys – short, regular surveys designed to understand employees’ everyday experiences and attitudes. These surveys have become trendy and seemingly easy to implement. But behind this speed and convenience lies a critical question:
Do pulse surveys really deliver what we expect from them?
To choose the most suitable approach, it’s important to understand the nature, strengths, and limitations of both types of surveys.
What is a Pulse Survey?
Pulse surveys are a quick and simple way to gather feedback on employee engagement or attitudes. They are short, focused on a few questions, and often conducted with a smaller segment of employees. This means they:
- Require little time from employees or managers,
- Allow for fast reactions to current issues,
- Promote ongoing dialogue with the team.
However, this simplicity can also be a downside – the narrow scope and fragmented data can lead to hasty conclusions or a distorted perception of reality, especially if decisions are based on just a few negative comments.
What Does an Organizational Survey Offer?
In contrast, an organizational survey, such as Tripod’s Organizational Wellbeing Survey, provides a deeper and more structured view of the entire organization. These surveys are grounded in scientific research and:
- Involve the entire workforce,
- Address key aspects of organizational development – leadership, collaboration, culture, motivation, efficiency, and more,
- Provide both quantitative and qualitative data – allowing year-on-year comparisons,
- Reveal causal links between strengths and areas for development.
This approach requires more time and effort, but it also reveals the context – not just what is happening in the organization, but why.
Which Should You Choose?
Our experience at Tripod shows that the best results come from combining both approaches:
conducting a comprehensive organizational survey one year, and a pulse survey the next to monitor specific focus areas.
This way, you get a strategic overview along with the flexibility to respond to daily challenges.
In Conclusion: A Choice with Growth in Mind
If your goal is simply to “check how employees are feeling today” – a pulse survey may be sufficient.
But if you want to understand where your organization is heading and how to strengthen it long-term,
an organizational survey is an invaluable tool.
The smartest move is to combine both approaches – letting speed support quality, and quality drive meaningful development.
Would you like to find out which approach suits your team best?
Get in touch with us at Tripod Link – we’ll help you choose the most effective solution.
Similar news
When High Potential Becomes High Risk: Identifying Derailers Early
Hiring a new team member with stellar credentials and apparent high potential is every manager’s dream. But what happens when that high potential quietly turns into high risk? In HR and organizational psychology, derailers describe personality traits or behavioral patterns that can derail one’s career in the wrong direction due to overlooked or overused traits that are overshadowed by high potential; these often surface only after hiring […]
From Traits to Competence: How Tripod Tests Strengthen Evidence-Based Talent Assessment
Modern organisations increasingly recognize that strong performance is driven not only by skills and experience but by competence—the behavioural patterns underlying how people think, interact and solve problems. Personality traits and cognitive abilities shape these behaviours, making psychological assessment a powerful tool for evidence-based HR. What Competence Really Is Competence can be understood through the […]
Self-Presentation for Different Interview Types
In today’s recruitment landscape, candidates often move through several interview formats before receiving an offer. Each format – phone, video or on-site – requires a different approach to communication, environment, and energy. While your skills stay the same, the way you present them must shift to match the setting. Understanding these nuances not only helps […]
What You Need to Know When Planning a Career in IT
In recent years, the pace of IT recruitment has slowed down. The sector has grown, but at a slower rate than before 2023, and the demand for specific specializations has shifted significantly. While there is no shortage of CVs on the job market, companies are increasingly facing not a lack of candidates, but a very […]
Why Do We Sometimes Fail to See the Obvious? Confirmation Bias in HR Practice
Since I began working in consulting, I’ve repeatedly encountered a recurring pattern. When meeting with potential clients, I often hear things like: “I’ve been working in HR for over 10 or 20 years – I know what I’m doing. What exactly could you offer me?” Or: “I’ve taken hundreds of different tests – what could […]
From AI Adoption to AI Adaptation: The Skill Employers Are Already Hiring For in 2025
Two years ago, adding “proficient in ChatGPT” to your CV made you look innovative. Today, it’s the new “Microsoft Word.” Everyone’s using AI — what matters now is how you’re using it. In 2025, the conversation has shifted from AI adoption to AI adaptation. This isn’t about learning the tools — it’s about changing how […]
Why Hiring Salespeople Is Hard — And How We Help Companies Get It Right
At Tripod Link, we specialize in hiring top-performing salespeople — from Business Development Managers to Account Executives — because we know how hard sales recruitment really is. Whether it’s a Business Development Manager, Account Executive, or Sales Manager, the message is the same: “We need someone who can drive results — and fast.” We get […]
Decline in leaving considerations – possible causes and impact on the labor market
Tripod has been surveying employees of Estonian and international organizations for almost 30 years and has always investigated their intention to change jobs, i.e. to leave their current employer. In 2023, we saw the highest rate of intention to leave in the history of Tripod’s surveys, which was 35%. In contrast, when we summarized the […]