FAQs

For new customers

If you are new to Pulsely and are looking for more information, please start here.

For D&I and HR managers

Are you implementing Pulsley in your organization? Here is helpful guidance.

For survey participants

Do you have questions about participating in a Pulsely survey? Your answers are here.

For new customers

Why do companies need D&I Analytics?

To manage: If you can’t measure D&I KPIs, you can’t manage D&I or hold the organization accountable for progress
To focus: If you don’t know the gaps your programs are intended to address, you become busy with good ideas thay may not lead to progress. Companies need to deploy targeted efforts that deliver impact. This is not possible without reliable analytics that identify specific points for intervention
To save money and make progress: Invest in the actions that matter most, monitor your progress, identify what’s working/what’s not and replicate success across your company
To anticipate risks: To identify risks of loss of high-potential talent, employee churn, adverse impact, legal noncompliance, and potential liabilities.

What can Pulsely do, that my internal analytics department can’t do?

The benefits are in both the type of analytics provided and the timing. Many HR teams have expertise in people analytics, but they may not have expertise in looking at data through the lens of diversity and inclusion. Our experts inform not only what is measured but how the data is analyzed and displayed to reveal actionable insights. We have seen analytics teams get lost in deep analysis while missing the “forest for the trees” because they aren’t sure what they are looking for.

Once your response rate has reached 30% and confidentiality can be assured, Pulsely provides insights ‘real time’ and instantly. You won’t need to request an analysis from your internal analytics department. We will, in the future, nudge and proactively surface insights for you, so that you can tackle issues while in their infancy.

What kind of data do you use?

We currently offer a survey for you to explicitly collect data. We will in the future roll out automated approximation based data collection with natural language processing (NLP).

Our data collection engines will also incorporate data from different sources and feed your company dashboard with up-to-date information. Sources include smart-surveys, HRIS integrations, Leadership and HR process mapping questionnaires, and network analysis. Once activated, some of these engines can collect data and update dashboards automatically.

What is your GDPR policy?

At Pulsely, we are committed to our customers’ data privacy and information security. We’ve aligned our security programs with (i) ISO 27001, followed secure development practices, provided ongoing training for employees, and more. Our policies and procedures are reviewed and compliant with (ii) The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

All third party services that Pulsely uses in order to process Data and deliver the core speciality of its products are also compliant with (i) and (ii).

Read our full data privacy policy here.

Are surveys anonymous?

Your employees’ responses to our surveys are confidential. You will not be able to connect any specific response to any individual employee. Because our data gathering system may capture response-specific data, we may have access to an individual’s answers. All data will be aggregated before it is visible in the dashboard. Your employee response rate needs to reach 30% before it populates in the dashboard. Additionally, no group or data cut with fewer than 10 responses will be displayed. Multiple response categories may be collapsed to meet that minimum threshold or the data will not be shown.

What services and consulting do you offer?

Included in the pricing, are the following support services:

Set-up services - ie. collaboration with the client in the set-up and deployment of our solution.
Process support services including survey launch and user support
Customer success: collaboration with the client to help meet their D&I goals through an evolution of the Pulsely solution, technology and service roadmap

Besides our set-up and process support services we do not offer consulting services. We have a partner network that will be able to assist you. Please contact us for recommendations.

What D&I metrics do you measure?

The dimensions of diversity that we assess are:

Organizational Demographics

Level
Tenure
Career Progression/Promotion
Function

Default Individual Demographics

Gender
Gender Identity/Sexual Orientation
Ethnicity
Disability
Marital Status/Carer status
ty

Optional (additional metrics as necessary)

Age
Native Language
Education
Socioeconomic Mobility

Custom Demographics, as necessary

‍

The core Inclusion metrics we collect are:‍

Workplace Inclusion

Inclusion Climate
Career Experiences
Psychological Safety
Pe

Inclusion Competencies

Courage to engage
Cultural Intelligence
Learning from Others
Addressing Bias
Awareness of Systemic Bias
Willingness to Adapt
Allyship

Performance Indicators

Engagement
Team Effectiveness
Intent to Stay

What is the Guided Best Practices Library?

The Best Practice Library is our curated Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) best practice repository. It serves as a source of expert recommendations for D&I managers that need guidance on effective approaches to boost any specific D&I metric. The best practices library is updated regularly. It is created by our global community of D&I practitioners and the Pulsely team. Information is organised and indexed in a way that makes it easy to access, filter according to your goals, and incorporate into your action plan..

The Best Practice Library is currently being developed and is grounded in leading social science and organizational change.

Do you benchmark company data with industry or geographic data?

We believe the most effective benchmarking data is internal data. It is critical that you assess your baseline and identify where inequities may exist. Identifying and addressing those inequities before they become a liability is a priority. After implementing solutions, you will then measure your progress toward closing those gaps and continue to monitor and re-prioritize your other metrics. Making progress toward your goals is the ultimate purpose of benchmarking.

Of course many companies find that benchmarking against their competitors is a useful motivation. One important caveat is to not let the results of external benchmarks provide a false sense of reassurance. Being a leader in a lagging industry is nothing to brag about. All it takes is one committed competitor to make progress and you have lost your advantage; without momentum it may take you longer than you expect to regain your leadership position.

Whenever external benchmark data is publicly available, we provide industry and geographic benchmarks.

Our data science team will collect the most relevant and recent data. Benchmarks will be presented alongside your data in the Pulsely app and in ad hoc reports.

How does Pulsely ensure employee participation on surveys?

Pulsely data collection instruments have been carefully designed to generate high levels of participation and completion. Employees often mention that the questions in our Inclusion Survey are fascinating and thought-provoking, as they are not the typical employee engagement questions.

We also believe that communication and trust between the employee and the employer strongly influence response rates. We offer a communication plan and templates that include messages from leaders to establish the importance of the project to the organization and to the executive team. They also ensure confidentiality and intent to improve the workplace. Pulsely helps you reinforcing the Data-Insight-Action loop so that employees believe their contributions will be valued and acted upon.

What kind of companies benefit from Pulsely?

We believe that all companies from all industries benefit from a diverse and inclusive culture. That said, companies with executive D&I commitment, dedicated resources, and a willingness to discuss the challenging topic of systemic inequities benefit the most from using Pulsely.

The potential benefit you can achieve with Pulsely is a function of your current internal state and the nature of the industry you operate in.

Internal D&I state: Keep in mind that most companies want to believe they are doing much better than they actually are - stop guessing and start knowing! Otherwise it is like hoping to lose weight without ever stepping on a scale.
If your company does not have a structured approach to D&I, you can benefit from a lot of low hanging fruit that becomes evident once you understand your greatest challenges and how to address them.
If your company has been at this work for a while but is not seeing much progress, the diversity fatigue can be frustrating. With D&I analytics you will be able to pinpoint your barriers to progress and implement solutions to close those gaps.

If your company has a more sophisticated approach to D&I and is using people analytics to identify workforce gaps, you can now include Pulsely’s inclusion metrics to diagnose the role inclusion plays in your challenges; the solutions you implement become much more focused and measurable. External industry dynamics: It’s important to consider the external industry dynamics in relation to your internal D&I state when estimating the potential D&I benefits. If your clients are not diverse then you may not be getting pressure from customers (( e.g. a construction engineering company consisting of white male engineers only pursing only contracts with companies owned by similar men) The initially perceived benefits might be lower than if you are a consumer facing tech company like TikTok, who’s users and customers represent a broader spectrum. That said, in the engineering company example, you may only be able to attract new talent from a portion of the available talent and wouldn’t you want to build your team with the most talented engineers? In addition, better decision making with a diverse team might be exactly what you need to set yourself aside from the competition.

How is Pulsely different from an engagement survey?

Many companies do have annual engagement surveys that assess key elements of the culture and the employee experience. What we have seen is that even when there is demographic analysis of engagement results, companies may know WHO may be less engaged by not WHY, so they struggle to identify WHAT to do differently to increase engagement.

At Pulsely we know that inclusion is a precursor to engagement. Our diagnostic questions assess the underlying causes of the problem by evaluating research-identified barriers to inclusion that underrepresented employee groups may face. With our actionable insights you can implement solutions that are directly related to challenges specific groups are facing and you can measure your progress!

Even if your organization requires you to do an annual engagement survey, Pulsely is value-add. The diagnostic direction you get from Pulsely will enable you to make greater gains in your engagement numbers.

How is Pulsely different from other providers?

Measuring inclusion is complex. There is no definitive set of metrics to assess an

organization’s inclusiveness. Through our expertise in D&I research and consulting, we know the underlying systemic challenges that are usually only identified during time consuming and expensive qualitative research. Our analytics platform is developed to efficiently and quantitatively evaluate the drivers of inclusion that lead to engagement and other positive business outcomes. This assessment allows you to determine which of the many different possible causes are impacting your workplace most significantly so that you can focus your efforts on solutions that will make a difference. With actionable insights and recommended practices linked to your areas of opportunity, you can focus your efforts and make progress.

We are not an HR company or a survey house building an inclusion module The function of our platform is designed from the ground up to gather and analyze your workplace through the lens of diversity and inclusion. The power of Pulsely comes from our data-mining algorithms to find the story in your data.

Our technology-driven approach to diagnostics and measurement allows you to dedicate more of your limited resources to implementing solutions that will accelerate your progress.

For D&I and HR managers

What communications should support this program?

Communications about the purpose, relevance, and confidentiality of the Pulsely program are critical for driving participation and maximizing survey response rates. Most importantly, executive championship and messaging is necessary to establish the connection to business performance, build trust for employees to be honest with their responses, and ensure employees that results will be acted upon. Without this, employees may not believe participation will positively benefit them or the company. Our Pulsely Implementation Guide has an entire chapter on the recommended communication plan with templates for each message.

Can I change the diversity dimensions?

Out of the box, we offer a default set of carefully selected diversity dimensions. It is possible to add additional diversity questions that capture essential information for you as a client. We recommend that you only ask questions that you will act on. Asking the question creates the expectation for employees that the issue will be addressed. Please review the Pulsely Data Decisions document and then contact us if you’d like to add additional diversity dimensions.

Does Pulsely have questions designed to inquire about political affiliation or religion?

There is almost no end to the diversity dimensions a company can evaluate. However, there are limitations to the number of challenges you can address and the solutions you can implement. We encourage you to carefully consider the priorities of your organisation. Keep in mind that by collecting data on individual demographics, you create an implicit promise that you will take action on results that show a disparate experience. Ask yourself: "If religious minorities and/or those in a political minority do not experience inclusion in the workplace, am I (and my organization) equipped to have the conversation and take action at this stage?" We purposefully did not include dimensions like these among our default options but we encourage you to request them to be added if you feel like these are a priority for your current strategy.

Can I add customised questions?

We have selected the most common dimensions of diversity that organisations are addressing, individually or intersectionally, with their D&I programming. For most companies, these default demographics will give you more than enough to analyze and address for your workforce. There are specific cases where additional questions are essential to your business. For example, if your company has recently completed a merger or acquisition, you may need to compare how inclusion may be impacting the experiences and performance of those groups.
After you review the Pulsely Data Decision guide, contact us if you’d need to add additional diversity dimensions. Your Pulsely Advisor can discuss the customization costs associated with your needs.

How come "I choose not to answer" is not listed as a default choice for demographics?

We have found that giving an explicitly listed option to not identify increases the number of people that decide not to self-identify. Through user research we found that by mentioning that all demographics are optional, about 5-10% of respondents don't list their demographics (by not answering those questions). But when given an explicit "I choose not to identify option," the non-response rate doubled.

Considering all this, there are certain demographics that for reasons of sensitivity or legal purposes, the specific option to not answer is necessary. In particular, we include the explicit "I prefer not to say" option for questions on gender, gender identity and sexual orientation.

How is data aggregated in Pulsely?

Each company can choose different levels of data aggregation. We do set absolute minimums and would never show responses from a group of less than ten respondents to ensure statistical reliability and confidentiality. Data from smaller groups will roll up into the next highest level where it meets the data visibility threshold.

Why is some data not displayed on my dashboard?

Occasionally when viewing your dashboard or when looking through particular segments' data, you may notice that some of the dashboard does not display results or the heatmap may have a blank cell for a particular driver. This is because you haven’t met the Reporting Group Minimum requirements for this particular view.

Your company can increase their own Reporting Group Minimum requirements but may not go below 10. If you have questions about your company’s settings, please speak with your Pulsely Advisor.

Who has access to the dashboard?

For a variety or reasons, we recommend that you limit access to the dashboard within your organization. No doubt, your legal team will ask you to control who has visibility into this data so that it is used only for productive purposes. With your Pulsely program, you will receive two user logins. Both of those users can participate in the dashboard training. You will then be able to download reports and insights, as needed, to share with your relevant stakeholders for monitoring progress and ensuring accountability.

If you employ an outside consultant and want them to have access to your dashboard, you can request a third login; this request needs to be received in writing (email is sufficient) by your Pulsely Advisor. You can revoke this access at any time and you will be responsible for notifying us when their access is no longer required.

Can I look at the data by region or business level?

If these metrics are included in your demographic questions, you will be able to review your data through these filters using your dashboard. Please keep in mind the minimum reporting group sizes when anticipating the type of information you can expect. Your employee population size, response rate, or demographic breakouts can impact the value you get from this level of analysis.

For example, if you have a department of only 15 people and 10 of them respond, you can get results for the department as a whole; you will not be able to compare ethnicity or other groups within that department. Each reporting subgroup must have AT LEAST 10 people. As another example, if you have 25 senior leaders that respond but only 5 of them are women, you will not have the ability to compare results by gender; you will need to collapse a number of levels until you have the minimum reporting group size for the metric you want to evaluate.

How is the inclusion score calculated?

We calculate an overall inclusion score by combining the values obtained in each driver, using sophisticated algorithms.

For survey participants

Please note: this is general information and the exact details may differ depending on your organization’s implementation choices.

This survey asks about some sensitive information - is it anonymous?

Your answers are anonymous to your employer. Pulsely, as a third-party provider, may have access to data that indicates your identity or your computer’s identity. However, we assure 100% CONFIDENTIALITY to respondents. While raw data may be available to us, it is only used for troubleshooting purposes. Data provided to your employer is only reported in aggregate. Even though your employer has a dashboard to interpret the data, no data is visible for any reporting group size less than 10. . For example if only 6 respondents in a department are from an ethnic minority, that department would not be able to compare responses by ethnicity. Your answers are private and confidential, and your participation is voluntary. Your employer realizes they are asking for your trust in sharing your honest answers and in self-identifying on demographic questions. They agree to honor that trust by improving the workplace based on insights across groups.

If my identity is private, how do I get sent reminders to complete the survey?

There’s an important distinction between your answers being confidential and anonymous. Your response is confidential to Pulsely (the system) and your feedback is shared anonymously to your company. Pulsely tracks each individuals’ response status to a survey – in order to know if they should be reminded about unanswered questions – but this information is not visible to anyone in your company. Whether you have responded to the survey is never revealed to your managers. We take confidentiality extremely seriously at Pulsely – whenever you have questions please feel free to contact us at askpulsely@pulsely.io.

What if I leave the page without answering all the questions, will they be saved for when I come back?

Because we do not store cookies on your device, your answers will not be saved unless they are submitted after completing the entire survey. Even if you return to the page in the same browser and on the same device, the answers you’ve given will not be saved for you. We highly encourage you to set aside the alloted time to complete the survey without interruption so that you do not need to start over again later.

Can I edit my answers if I change my mind?

Before you have submitted the survey you can simply scroll or use the upward arrow key on your keyboard to go back and revise any answer. If you have submitted the survey there may be a chance to make revisions by contacting us and asking for the survey to be sent again. By doing this you will need to answer all the questions again, so this is an option to use only if you feel very strongly that you need to make changes.

What if I don’t know how to answer one of the questions?

Some questions can cause us to think about ourselves and the workplace in new ways that can seem confusing or difficult. If that is the case, don’t skip over the hard work of thinking critically because every question is valuable input for an organisation assessing the often intangible concept of inclusion. We encourage you to push yourself to think it through. If you truly cannot answer the question (for example, if you cannot decipher the meaning) please skip the question rather than giving an arbitrary score. Random scores can create a false impression of how a whole group of people are feeling – so it’s best to not answer.

When will our management see the answers I give?

The feedback you provide is aggregated and then becomes visible to management on their Pulsely dashboards, as soon as 30% of employees have responded. Specific metrics will only be displayed when the question or category meets the Reporting Group Minimum requirements of 10, or higher if requested by your company. This makes Pulsely a great way to give your view on what’s happening right now – whether that’s to praise something or raise an issue you need resolving.

Why do I sometimes get the same question again?

In order to measure, adjust and improve how your organisation works, it’s important to be as scientific as possible. This means, occasionally you’ll receive a question that you’ve been asked in the past. Answering the same question again is the most accurate way for you to show if your experience at work is getting better over time.

If I'm the only person that fits under a certain demographic, how will my answers be kept anonymous?

At Pulsely, we use a tool called “Reporting Group Minimum.” If you are in any demographic group that does not meet the Reporting Group Minimum of 10, your results will not be shown. They will still count towards the aggregate score, but it is impossible to filter down to any demographic (or combination of demographics) that is below the Reporting Group Minimum.

How will my response, even if it's not identifiable, be used?

The team will be able to analyze the aggregated results and distill them into a few, select focus areas. To build a diverse and inclusive organization, we need to understand the employee experience, and that starts with understanding how people from all backgrounds evaluate the constructs of Diversity and Inclusion.

How were these questions developed?

The Diversity and Inclusion Survey was developed to assess key metrics identified by scientific research. The individual survey items were developed by experts in diversity and inclusion, data analytics and social science from Pulsely, with input from industry leaders. Some of the questions were chosen based on rigorous testing to ensure we are measuring what we intend (validation). Other questions were chosen based on leading research on the growth mindset, belonging, uncertainty, and other inclusion research topics. All of the questions are worded and ordered in a way to ensure robust, statistical validity.

I care about Diversity and Inclusion - how can I help my organization move forward?

Every organization will use their survey results differently, so to figure out how you can get involved, we recommend getting in touch with the team facilitating the survey at your organization. This might be your HR/People team internally - keep an eye out for a Survey Invitation email, which will likely come from the team you can get in touch with!