What to aim for

• A response rate of 70% or higher gives you a reliable view of team sentiment.
• A response rate above 50% is enough to support useful conversations and spot early trends.

Consistency is key — regular input from a solid portion of your team builds a dependable picture over time.

Make each response count

We’ve found that strong, consistent response rates are more likely when teams meet after every pulse measure — whether that’s weekly or monthly.

Remember: It can be tempting to delay conversations until you have a "good" response rate, but it’s more effective to meet as soon as possible after each pulse.

Ask teams to use the Presentation view to guide their team discussion, even if no Happiness score is available for that week/month. When people know their responses will be reviewed and talked about regularly, they’re more likely to see the value in responding each time.

Define your own normal

Every team is different. Some see a typical response rate around 85%, while others may start closer to 60% and work to improve it gradually. It’s helpful to track your team’s average and watch for any spikes or dips so that you can use the knowledge of what was behind the higher or lower participation to help build and maintain good response rates.

Why response rates fluctuate

Participation can drop for all kinds of reasons — holidays, shift patterns, part-time schedules, and travel can all play a part.

To support better participation:

• Ask teams to discuss results after every pulse - don't wait for strong resposne rates.
• Admins can adjust when Friday Pulse sends questions in your Account Settings > Scheduler to fit your team’s rhythm.
• Admins can also use the Pause questions option on the Scheduler page to stop questions going out in the weeks or months when many people are away.

Take a look at other ways you can boost response rates