Do you use pulse surveys to gauge employee sentiment but notice that your response rates are too low? Use these 7 techniques to increase your overall response rates.

1: Use 1-2 surveys per email.

If your audience sees too many questions in one email, they might mistake it for a long-form survey, which can come across as intimidating.

2: Educate your audience.

Be transparent about why you’re implementing pulse surveys and what your goals are. Show employees that their feedback will help make a positive change within the organization.

3: Let them know it's anonymous.

Employees are more likely to answer a survey if they can remain anonymous. Inform them that only the communications team (for example) will see their responses.     

4: Ensure your survey is visible and accessible.

Check the following to ensure your survey will be seen: Font size & color, line spacing, positioning of the survey, and background color. 

5: Keep questions simple, specific, and quick to answer.

The quicker and easier to answer the survey, the more likely you’ll have responses. The more specific the question, the stronger the opinions will be. Specific questions will help narrow your focus when reviewing the feedback and implementing changes.
For example, broad questions like “Did you enjoy this newsletter? Yes or No” will not help you determine what to improve. 

6: Try not to ask the same question over and over.

Your audience might tire of answering the same question and may wonder if you’re even using their feedback.

7: Show you listened.

You can build trust with your audience if you’re able to share how you’ve made improvements or changes based on their feedback.