In Pulse surveys we are not trying to generalize from a relatively small sample to a much larger population like we often see in customer or political research. With Pulses we are mostly talking about participation rates well above 50% (which is about the rate achieved in US elections) and generally in the 65-85% range. These are rates that political scientists and market researchers can only dream of.
In small organizations/schools/districts (<50) we should be aiming a little higher, perhaps 80-90% is a good minimum benchmark allowing us to hear from four out of five people on average.
As we move to larger organizations we can scale our expectations down. For example, with 500 students, we will probably get a good sense of where were at with 70% of students so 70-80% is a good benchmark.
Moving up to organizations of 1000+, we can probably aim for around 65% as a lower bound, even though higher rates allow a stronger sense of involvement psychologically.
NOTE: Sometimes there will be reasons for even the above participation rates to be difficult, and one can certainly still get good statistical estimation from smaller samples in large school districts/organizations.
Putting participation rates into perspective is often one of the first steps towards a healthier attitude to feedback that your organization can make. In the medium and longer term the best way to increase participation rates is to:
- Talk about the importance of participation in pre-survey communications. Let them know the survey is coming and why their voice is valued.
- Share results quickly and openly, both the ones to celebrate and the areas for improvement.
- Demonstrate a genuine intent to make practical changes that can be seen and felt. And then take action to do it!
Those who did not respond this time may just be ready to join in next time.
Great participation leads to great data, which leads to great results!