Running an employee wellbeing pulse survey is one of the most effective ways to understand how your team is really doing. Regular wellbeing checks help leaders spot issues early and build a culture where people feel valued. But the real secret? Choosing the right questions to get actionable, honest feedback—plus using AI to go deeper. You’re in the right place for the best question examples and practical tips for pulling real insights from your team’s responses.
Essential questions for your employee wellbeing pulse survey
Every good wellbeing pulse survey covers a few key areas that fuel satisfaction and high performance. Let's break down the essentials—with practical examples for each:
Work-life balance is fundamental to employee wellbeing—if people can’t manage both, stress follows them everywhere.
How satisfied are you with your current work-life balance?
Do you feel you have enough flexibility in your schedule to handle personal responsibilities?
Are you able to fully disconnect from work outside of business hours?
Why it matters: Overworked employees burn out faster and contribute less. And get this—companies with strong wellbeing initiatives see 11% more revenue per employee and 28% higher shareholder returns [1]. That’s not fluff, that’s impact.
Job satisfaction drives motivation and retention. When people enjoy what they do (and feel noticed for it), they stick around.
How fulfilling do you find your everyday work?
Do you feel recognized and appreciated for your contributions?
Are you proud to work at this company?
Why it matters: Satisfied employees deliver better service and bring their A-game—not just once, but every day.
Team dynamics shape the workday more than most leaders realize. People need harmony, not just process.
How comfortable are you collaborating with your team members?
Do you feel included in important conversations and activities?
Is your team supportive when challenges arise?
Why it matters: Positive team relationships reduce stress and boost resilience—making wellbeing a shared experience, not just an individual one.
Personal growth ensures employees see a future for themselves within the company.
Do you feel you have adequate opportunities for professional development?
Are you satisfied with the training and growth resources available to you?
Do you feel encouraged to set and pursue new goals?
Why it matters: People who can grow where they are won’t need to look elsewhere.
How AI follow-up questions dig deeper into wellbeing concerns
Traditional surveys are a bit like one-way streets—the respondent answers, then it’s over. But you and I both know the root causes of low ratings (say, for work-life balance) almost never fit into a single checkbox. That’s why dynamic AI follow-up questions are a game-changer.
Here’s how it works with Specific’s automated follow-ups: When someone shares a concern, the AI instantly generates the right probing questions—tailored to that individual’s response. So you turn “It’s bad” into “Here’s exactly where the pain is.”
Take this scenario—an employee rates their work-life balance as poor:
Employee: "My work-life balance isn’t great lately."
AI follow-up: "Could you share more about the challenges you’re facing in balancing work and personal life?"
Employee: "Meetings are scheduled late in my time zone, and projects often run over into evenings."
That detail transforms vague frustration into a clear, actionable insight.
Or, imagine someone signals low job satisfaction:
Employee: "I don’t feel appreciated in my role."
AI follow-up: "Can you describe a recent time when you felt your efforts weren’t recognized?"
Employee: "Last month, I worked overtime to finish a release, but it wasn’t acknowledged."
Now, you can fix recognition—because you know exactly what’s missing.
Importantly, Specific’s AI adapts its style and follow-ups to each person, keeping the tone empathetic and encouraging. Instead of interrogating, it just feels like a curious teammate who genuinely wants to help.
Question variations that encourage honest wellbeing feedback
The way you ask a question can be as important as what you ask—especially on sensitive wellbeing topics. Employees are more likely to open up when questions sound human, rather than clinical or judgmental. Let’s look at different phrasings and why they work.
Direct vs. Empathetic phrasing | Example |
|---|---|
Direct | “Are you satisfied with your work-life balance?” |
Empathetic | “What could help you feel more balanced between your work and personal life?” |
For stress levels, try different approaches:
Clinical: “On a scale from 1–10, how stressed do you feel at work?”
Conversational: “What’s contributing most to your stress—if anything—right now?”
Supportive: “Is there something at work that’s impacting your ability to recharge?”
For manager support, keep the tone non-judgmental:
“Do you feel comfortable sharing challenges with your manager?”
“Is there anything your manager could do to better support your wellbeing?”
“Can you recall a time your manager helped you through a tough work situation?”
For burnout risk, sensitivity is key:
“Do you ever feel physically or emotionally exhausted by your work?”
“Are there times when recharging outside of work has become difficult?”
“What might help you reduce feelings of overwhelm?”
Want more ideas on phrasing wellbeing questions with AI? You can instantly spin up variations to suit your company culture and get genuinely honest answers.
Extracting wellbeing themes with AI-powered analysis
If you’ve ever tried to read a stack of open-ended feedback, you know it’s overwhelming. Wellbeing data is rich (and messy), but analyzing it manually is slow and inconsistent. This is where Specific’s AI Summaries are incredibly powerful. You get an instant, big-picture view—what’s working, where’s the pain, and who needs support right now.
Instead of scrolling through countless comments, you see recurring topics visualized by the AI. Want to dive deeper? Just chat with the analysis to explore specific wellbeing angles.
Here’s how you might use AI analysis prompts for wellbeing survey responses:
Spotting burnout patterns:
Find employees who mention frequent exhaustion or trouble recharging, and summarize common triggers for burnout in the last quarter.
Comparing wellbeing by team or department:
Highlight differences in work-life balance ratings and top concerns between engineering and customer support teams.
Understanding remote vs. office wellbeing:
What are the most common wellbeing challenges mentioned by remote employees versus on-site staff?
Having this level of clarity means you can focus support efforts, measure change, and celebrate wins fast—without drowning in unstructured data. Check the analysis chat feature for examples of how this saves leaders countless hours and surfaces hidden trends.
Best practices for running employee wellbeing pulse surveys
Launching a pulse survey is one thing—making it effective is another. Here’s what I recommend for maximum insight without overwhelm:
Timing and frequency: Monthly or quarterly pulse checks offer a sweet spot. Too frequent, and employees tune out; too rare, and you miss the pulse. Find a rhythm and stick to it.
Building trust: Anonymity matters. When staff know their answers can’t be traced back, they’re more willing to share the real story. Even more powerful? Acting on feedback—nothing signals trust like showing you heard and are ready to help.
Closing the loop: Always share a high-level summary of what you heard, the themes you’re focusing on, and the first steps the company is taking. Even if the fix isn’t immediate, people value being kept in the conversation.
Know this: Conversational surveys—like those created with Specific—drive response rates up by feeling more like a genuine check-in than a “form to fill out.” It’s a small change that leads to big gains in participation and honesty.
Ready to create custom wellbeing checks effortlessly? The AI survey builder helps you launch engaging, tailored surveys with guided prompts in minutes, not hours.
Start measuring employee wellbeing today
If you want to build a thriving, resilient team, there’s no substitute for regular, thoughtfully-crafted employee wellbeing pulse surveys. The right questions—plus AI-powered follow-ups and analysis—turns feedback into action you can count on. Take the next step and create your own survey now. With Specific’s conversational approach, you’ll get richer insights and a more engaged team in record time.