Pulse survey

Why are we implementing pulse surveys now?

We are launching pulse surveys as a 90 day pilot program. We know pulse surveys are effective, but our focus in the past has been on traditional engagement surveys, where feedback is collected on a bi-annual basis. Pulse surveys allow us to ‘bridge the gap’ between our bi-annual surveys and hone in on what is important in the here-and-now. Given recent changes in our organization and our collective focus on taking Sourcegraph to the next level, there is no better time to roll them out and will be taking an experimental approach to figure out the best cadence for us as an organization.

Who receives the survey?

All Teammates will be invited to participate in our pulse survey.

When will I receive a survey?

Pulse surveys are sent to all employees at random intervals during the survey period of two weeks. Spreading out survey delivery times helps mitigate recency bias in survey results. If someone on your team has received a survey and you have not, don’t worry! You’ll get a chance to participate in the survey.

How do I complete the survey?

We use Lattice to administer the survey, so you’ll receive both a Slack notification via the Lattice App integration, and an email prompting you to complete the survey. You’ll only be able to complete the survey once.

Am I required to fill out the survey?

We are all invested in the future success of Sourcegraph, which means that we’re also responsible for creating a culture and company in which we all thrive. While you are not required to complete the bi-weekly survey, we strongly encourage you to do so. The more Teammates participate, the better the insights that we’ll uncover - enabling us to develop more strategically as an organization and understand how we can build the very best employee experience imaginable.

How often do we run pulse surveys?

It is best practice to run these quick, small surveys every other week. A lot can change in two weeks at Sourcegraph, so we want to ensure that we’re constantly keeping a strong pulse on the state of the organization and understanding whether any immediate changes would be beneficial (as opposed to waiting for the next engagement survey cycle). In simple terms, we’re always looking to iterate and pulse surveys enable us to do so quickly, efficiently and in line with Teammate expectations.

How long does the pulse survey take?

Each survey should take no longer than 2-3 minutes to complete.

Surveys remain open for the entire 2-week cycle and reminders are also sent via Slack to encourage participation.

How many questions are on a pulse survey?

Each teammate receives 3 questions, out of a possible 5, every two weeks. You may answer the same question multiple times. This helps us see how Teammate sentiment changes over time. The questions we currently ask are:

• I can influence improvements in the company, regardless of my role or team. (team culture, high agency)
• My team has clear objectives that are prioritized effectively. (manager effectiveness, collaboration and productivity)
• The work I do contributes to fulfilling our organizational goals. (fit and belonging, feeling valued)
• When the organization makes changes, I am aware and understand why the change is being made. (openness and transparency, also timely)
• In general, things are better at Sourcegraph than they were a month ago. (Use the comment box to share one thing that is going better, or worse, in the last month)

During the pilot program period, we will run pulse surveys until October 1, 2022. If the pilot is successful, we will switch to a new set of questions, reflecting the priorities of the organization at that point in time.

How do we respond to pulse survey results and take action?

Every month, the People Team aggregates all data and summarizes the key themes, both at the organization and department levels. These are then shared with Executive Leadership, who will align on the key organization-wide and department-specific actions to be taken.

The following will be presented at a subsequent Company Meeting:

• Pulse survey results
• Trend observations
• Next steps/call to action

Our overarching philosophy is simple: take meaningful actions, based on in-depth Teammate feedback, and deliver the committed outcomes at pace. This will likely involve the efforts from many, if not all of us, across the organization.

Where can I see survey results?

Survey results are published to the handbook following the Company Meeting in which they were announced. A link to the handbook will be posted in Slack.

Who will be able to see my responses?

All responses are submitted anonymously. The People Team can view department-specific themes when 5 or more Teammates from a given organization (Sales, Engineering, Operations, etc.) respond to the survey. All comments are submitted anonymously, and the People Team can respond to them but cannot see who submitted the comment.

When does the pilot period end?

The pilot period ends October 1, 2022. At the conclusion of the pilot, the People Team will work with the Executive Leadership Team to evaluate the program’s effectiveness, and to choose new questions, if needed.

Are we still doing a twice-annual engagement survey?

Yes! The pulse survey does not replace the twice-annual engagement survey. The engagement survey provides an important baseline for pulse surveys, and helps inform questions we ask in pulse surveys. We are currently working to establish a regular cadence for the engagement survey, but all Teammates will be asked to participate in the engagement survey in the next month or so.