USPS wants to hear from its employees.
The next Postal Pulse employee survey will be conducted from Tuesday, May 14-Friday, June 14. You’ve probably heard about the survey before — and maybe you’ve even participated in the past — but you might not fully understand what the Postal Pulse is all about.
Here’s what you should know:
• The Postal Pulse is a tool to help USPS become a better place to work. The survey measures “employee engagement,” a term that’s used a lot these days but isn’t always easily understood.
Basically, engagement refers to employees’ overall approach to their work, including their involvement, their enthusiasm and their commitment.
• The survey results show USPS is improving. The survey measures engagement on a scale of 1 to 5, also known as a “grand mean score.” Last year’s results show the score was 3.34, the most significant increase since 2015, the year the survey was introduced.
The engagement rate has increased, too: A quarter of respondents identified themselves as engaged in 2017, up from 17 percent four years ago.
• The questions are designed to produce useful information. The Postal Pulse consists of 13 questions that aim to produce insightful data that USPS can use to make changes and improvements.
The first 12 questions were designed by experts at Gallup, the research organization that conducts the survey on the Postal Service’s behalf. USPS added a 13th question to gauge overall satisfaction, which is not factored into the engagement measurement.
Many major companies and organizations use Gallup’s questions in their employee surveys. Some of the questions might seem unusual, such as the one that asks if you have a best friend at work. However, this question, like the others, helps the Postal Service and other organizations gauge how respondents feel about their workplaces.
• The survey has a comments box, too. The box allows you to provide feedback in your own words, in addition to measuring the level of engagement in your environment via your responses to the 12 questions.
• You have three ways to complete the survey. Beginning May 14, non-bargaining employees will receive an email from Gallup that will contain a link to a secure survey site.
Bargaining employees will receive the survey at work and at home, also beginning May 14. If you receive the survey at home, you can bring it to work and receive time to complete it on the clock.
All employees can complete the survey on LiteBlue, using personal or work computers. You’ll need your ID number and password to log in.
• The survey is confidential. Individual survey responses will remain confidential, although feedback submitted through the comments box will be categorized and shared with USPS leadership.
If you have questions about the Postal Pulse survey or want more information, you can email the Employee Engagement team at engagement@usps.gov or check out the Employee Engagement LiteBlue page.