Trust in Direct Manager Pulse Survey

A short pulse survey measuring employee confidence and trust in their direct manager — covering reliability, fairness, communication, and psychological safety — designed to surface manager-relationship issues before they escalate to disengagement or resignation.

Reliability and Follow-Through

• My manager does what they say they will do.
  Strongly disagree → Strongly agree (1–5)
• My manager is consistent and predictable in how they manage the team.
  Strongly disagree → Strongly agree (1–5)
• What is getting in the way of your manager following through or being consistent? (Optional)
  Share any specific examples or context. Your response is anonymous.

Fairness and Integrity

• My manager treats all team members fairly and without favoritism.
  Strongly disagree → Strongly agree (1–5)
• My manager takes responsibility when things go wrong rather than deflecting blame.
  Strongly disagree → Strongly agree (1–5)
• If you rated either question above a 3 or lower, please share more context. (Optional)
  Specific examples help us understand the situation. Your response is anonymous.

Open Communication and Transparency

• My manager shares information that helps me understand decisions affecting my work.
  Strongly disagree → Strongly agree (1–5)
• I feel comfortable raising concerns or disagreements directly with my manager.
  Strongly disagree → Strongly agree (1–5)
• My manager actively listens and responds thoughtfully when I share feedback.
  Strongly disagree → Strongly agree (1–5)
• What would make it easier to communicate openly with your manager? (Optional)
  Your response is anonymous.

Psychological Safety and Support

• I feel safe admitting mistakes to my manager without fear of unfair consequences.
  Strongly disagree → Strongly agree (1–5)
• My manager genuinely cares about my wellbeing, not just my output.
  Strongly disagree → Strongly agree (1–5)
• My manager advocates for me and the team when it matters.
  Strongly disagree → Strongly agree (1–5)

Overall Trust and Intent to Stay

• Overall, how much do you trust your direct manager?
  1 = No trust at all → 5 = Complete trust. This is your eNPS-style anchor question for this survey.
• My relationship with my direct manager makes me more likely to stay at this organization.
  Strongly disagree → Strongly agree (1–5)
• What is the primary reason for your overall trust rating above?
  Especially encouraged if you rated 3 or below. Your response is anonymous.
• Is there anything else you'd like to share about your relationship with your direct manager?
  This is your space to share anything not covered above. Your response is anonymous.