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10 Tips for a successful Employee Survey

 

1. Put the survey in a broader context

Engaged employees create more loyal customers, experience greater well-being, are more productive, and contribute significantly to profitability. Your employee survey directly impacts your company’s ability to achieve its strategic business goals.

Define a clear purpose and goals for the survey that connect to other processes and KPIs. Talk to functions beyond HR to make the survey relevant for the entire organization.

Ask yourselves:

  • How does our internal climate affect the customer experience?

  • If we increased employee engagement, what impact would that have on productivity and profitability?

  • What change should this survey lead to, and how will it help us achieve our goals?

2. Plan for follow-up before you start

A survey alone doesn’t create change. Its real value lies in driving development and improvement. Plan for what happens after the survey already at the start — set aside time and resources for follow-up.

The work that begins after the survey is what creates the actual change. Organizations that create action plans and work with their results improve both their work climate and engagement levels.

3. Ensure every team gets its own results

The most important work happens in the teams. They have the power to influence their daily environment and drive improvements that increase engagement.

Make sure:

  • Reporting is detailed enough for each team to work with its own results.

  • Every team receives a unique report focusing on what matters most to them.

  • Managers get support to prioritize the right areas. The lowest-scoring question isn’t always the most important one—some factors affect engagement and work environment more than others.

4. Choose your questions carefully

To get relevant, actionable results:

  • Keep it short: Fewer, well-crafted questions lead to higher response rates and better data.

  • Only ask what you’ll act on: Asking for feedback and doing nothing with it decreases engagement.

  • Use proven question banks: They ensure well-formulated, validated questions that correlate with key business metrics like profitability, quality, customer experience, and productivity.

5. Secure leadership buy-in

Leadership support is key to engaging the rest of the organization.

Explain why improving the employee experience is vital and how engagement influences overall business performance. Involve leaders in defining the survey’s purpose and in interpreting the results. When leadership sees the survey as a strategic tool, it becomes a natural part of daily operations.

6. Communicate, communicate, communicate!

Motivate employees to participate and work with the results by making sure they understand the purpose and see that the company takes the process seriously.

  • Before: Let your CEO communicate the purpose and goals to add weight. Explain how results will be used and what’s expected of managers and employees.

  • During: Keep the survey visible. Share updates on participation rates and progress.

  • After: Share what actions are being taken based on the results. Highlight success stories and best practices from teams that have achieved real change.

7. Engage your managers

Managers are the key to driving change — if they understand what’s expected and feel supported. Without the right tools, they may feel exposed or defensive.

  • Explain how the survey supports both their leadership and team development.

  • Clarify expectations for how they should work with results.

  • Remove fear of “bad results” by being transparent about next steps and available support.

  • Offer coaching or facilitation for managers and teams facing challenges.

8. Don’t drop the ball after the survey

What gets measured and followed up gets done. After the survey, ensure every team creates an action plan.

  • Make sure senior leadership works with their own results and sets an example.

  • Let leadership act on the organization-wide findings.

  • Require managers to follow up and ensure every team creates and updates their plans.

If your follow-up plans are tracked in the same system as your survey, it’s easier for HR and leaders to monitor progress.

9. Budget for support where it’s needed

Some teams will need extra help — typically around 20% of groups. Plan and budget for that.

Examples of effective interventions:

  • A neutral facilitator helps the team interpret results and create an action plan.

  • Leadership coaching helps managers adopt new behaviors and strengthen their leadership.

  • Training programs prepare HR to support challenging group discussions internally.

10. Measure and follow up frequently

Frequent check-ins help maintain momentum and identify issues early.

  • Focus on a few recurring questions and KPIs to track progress over time.

  • Add rotating topics to pulse-check specific areas.

  • Regular measurements show whether your initiatives have the desired effect.

  • Communicating around ongoing insights shows that your company listens and acts on feedback.

Teams that actively work with their survey results consistently improve their work climate and engagement levels.