Employee pulse survey: great questions managers can use to get real, actionable feedback

Running an employee pulse survey focused on manager effectiveness can transform how your teams operate and grow.

Getting honest, detailed feedback about managers requires asking the right questions and digging deeper into responses.

In this guide, I’ll walk through great questions managers should include and how AI-powered employee pulse surveys uncover specific examples and actionable themes.

Why traditional manager feedback falls short

Most manager feedback surveys return surface-level responses—think "good communicator" or "supportive"—without diving into what those words mean. Employees often hesitate to elaborate when filling out traditional forms, mostly out of concern that their feedback isn’t truly anonymous or that specifics might identify them. This hesitation limits honesty, and without real examples, managers get little insight into what they should keep doing or change.

It’s a missed opportunity: 77% of employees say they actually prefer to give candid feedback about their managers via surveys rather than face-to-face, largely because of the perceived safety of anonymity. [2] But standard surveys rarely give them the space or confidence to share details.

That’s where a conversational approach, powered by AI, makes all the difference. Here’s how they compare:

Conversational AI surveys solve this by asking gentle, natural follow-ups that make it feel like you’re chatting, not filling out paperwork. This approach drives richer, more actionable input for leaders who want to grow.

Essential questions for manager effectiveness pulse surveys

The right questions are half the battle—they need to prompt stories, not just ratings. These examples cross communication, support, recognition, professional development, and trust. Crafting or customizing these is even easier with tools like an AI survey generator from Specific.

• How does your manager support you when you face challenges at work?
  This reveals whether managers are actively helping or just giving generic advice. Look for specific interventions that make a difference.

• When was a time your manager recognized your work? What happened?
  Recognition is a proven driver of engagement—71% of employees will work harder when their efforts are acknowledged. [6] This question drives at stories, not just whether recognition occurs.

• Tell me about a recent conversation with your manager that was especially helpful—or not helpful. What made it stand out?
  Gets at communication quality and coaching ability, helping identify what "helpful" actually looks like.

• How confident do you feel sharing feedback or concerns with your manager? Why?
  Uncovers trust and psychological safety—critical for retention and performance.

• What’s one way your manager could better support your professional development?
  Focuses on growth opportunities, helping managers understand specific actions they can take.

• Give an example of a team goal your manager helped you achieve—what did they do to make it possible?
  Anchors feedback in outcomes, so managers learn which behaviors drive collective wins.

I’ve found these open-ended questions work best when AI-powered follow-up prompts are enabled—they’ll gently dig deeper, asking for real examples and clarity when responses start broad. That’s the sweet spot for actionable feedback. And if you want to draft your own, the AI survey generator quickly helps brainstorm or refine custom questions for any manager or team.

How conversational AI captures concrete examples

AI-driven follow-ups act like a skilled interviewer: when someone gives a vague answer, the system nudges for real-world stories. For example:

Q: "How does your manager support you when you face challenges at work?"
Employee: "They’re supportive and always available."

AI follow-up: "Can you tell me about a specific situation where your manager was available and supportive—what happened, and how did it help?"

Q: "When was a time your manager recognized your work?"
Employee: "They notice when I work hard."

AI follow-up: "Could you describe a recent instance when they noticed your hard work—what did your manager say or do, and how did you feel about it?"

Q: "What’s one way your manager could better support your professional development?"
Employee: "Maybe help me more with growth opportunities."

AI follow-up: "Can you share a time you wanted more support with development? What would have made a difference?"

This two-step approach not only draws out specifics but helps employees feel at ease—like chatting with someone who genuinely wants to listen, not just rushing through a form. Employees actually open up more in this conversational format. Thanks to these follow-ups, the entire process becomes a true conversation—a conversational survey in practice.

If you’re curious, see how automatic AI follow-up questions work to drive detailed, actionable feedback.

Analyzing feedback themes across teams

The real magic comes after collecting responses. AI multiplies the value of your survey by quickly surfacing patterns in feedback across departments or teams—especially in bigger organizations. AI-powered analysis can automatically summarize responses, pointing out strengths ("managers recognize and celebrate wins") and opportunities ("more support with career paths needed") per team or group. Companies using AI for survey analysis report a 30% increase in actionable insights within half a year. [4]

Here are a few prompts you can run to analyze feedback and spot themes, whether you want a birds-eye view or to get granular:

Identify common positive manager behaviors:

"Summarize the top ways managers across all teams are supporting employee growth in the last quarter."

Spot gaps in recognition and feedback:

"Which teams report the fewest examples of manager recognition? What patterns stand out among those responses?"

Compare high-performing teams with struggling ones:

"How does the feedback from high-performing teams about manager communication differ from teams with lower morale?"

With filtering, you can slice and compare insights—for example, look at sales vs. engineering, or new hires vs. long-tenured employees, to see where management practices are working or not. Conversational AI survey response analysis makes this type of custom reporting and deep dive effortless.

If you’re not running these surveys, you’re missing out on seeing which leadership actions actually move the needle for engagement and retention—and leaving valuable people insights untapped.

Best practices for implementing manager effectiveness surveys

For consistent, actionable insight, I recommend sending manager effectiveness pulse surveys about once a month or at least quarterly—often enough to catch problems early, but not so often that people tune out. Consistency matters: companies running continuous feedback programs are three times more likely to outperform competitors on revenue growth. [7]

When you get feedback, always close the loop. Summarize what you’ve heard, let people know what you plan to improve, and follow up—this builds trust and ensures feedback isn’t a black hole.

Strong anonymity settings help employees feel safer being open, which increases response quality and honesty. And don’t underestimate the value of customizing tone and questions to your culture—when managers and employees recognize a familiar “voice,” they’re more likely to engage and share honestly. The AI survey editor from Specific makes it easy to adjust questions, language, and tone to match your unique environment.

Transform your manager feedback process

It’s never been simpler to move beyond generic forms and collect manager feedback that drives real change. Conversational surveys bring out more honesty, depth, and specificity—fuelling continuous improvement across your organization. Create your own survey and discover how Specific’s seamless experience makes feedback a smooth, insightful journey for everyone involved.