Keep Your Finger on the Pulse With Your Remote Workers

TL;DR: Remote work can make it harder to stay connected with your people, but quick, focused pulse surveys make it simple to understand what they need and act fast.

The essentials of remote working

The essentials your people need while working from home include: 

- Adequate space to work, such a desk or table that is separated from their day-to-day activities 

- The ability to access the systems required to do their job, for example, email and CRM systems 

- A way of communicating with other colleagues during work hours

Since Covid‑19, remote working has become the norm for many organisations. But that doesn’t mean it’s always easy to manage. For teams unfamiliar with remote working or for large organisations with thousands of employees, checking in with everyone individually just isn’t realistic.

That’s where pulse surveys come in. They offer a simple, effective way to understand how your remote workers are doing and what support they need.

The essentials your people need when working remotely

To work comfortably and effectively from home, your people need a few basics in place:

• A suitable workspace: a table or desk that’s separate from day‑to‑day activities
• Reliable access to systems: such as email, CRM, or other core tools
• A way to communicate: staying connected with colleagues and managers throughout the day

If any of these things are missing, it can have a big impact on wellbeing, productivity, and engagement.

Why pulse surveys work so well for remote teams

A pulse survey is designed to be quick to complete, easy to understand, and focused on getting a real‑time snapshot of how people are feeling. The sweet spot is just a few targeted questions that take no more than five minutes to answer.

Here are some simple, effective questions you could use:

• “I have space at home where I can work comfortably.” (Yes/No)
• “I feel like I can switch off from work outside of working hours.” (Yes/No)
• “I can keep in good contact with my colleagues.” (Strongly agree → Strongly disagree)
• “I have the correct access to the systems I need to carry out my job.” (Yes/No)

These questions give you clear insights into what’s working and what needs attention.

Turning insights into action

A pulse survey only makes a difference when you act on what people tell you.

For example:

• If many people select “No” for system access, your IT team can quickly step in with instructions, fixes, or remote support.
• If people say they can’t switch off, consider running a short follow‑up pulse focused on wellbeing. This helps you pinpoint what’s driving the issue and what support might help.

Sometimes the biggest improvements come from the smallest follow‑ups.

Tips for running a successful pulse survey

To get the best results:

• 🎯 Send to a specific demographic
• ⏱️ Keep it short and focused on one topic
• ✏️ Ensure your questions are clear and actionable
• 📣 Do something with the results and tell people what you’ve done

Showing your people that their feedback leads to real action encourages them to take part again in future.

Make it happen with The People Experience Hub

In our platform, The People Experience Hub, you can set up and send a pulse survey in just a few minutes, keeping your finger firmly on the pulse of your remote workforce.

If you’d like to see how it works, book a demo or talk with us