HR Skills

Implementing a Feedback Survey for New Hires




A new hire feedback survey is an important tool for gathering insights about the onboarding process, identifying areas for improvement, and enhancing the overall employee experience. It helps you understand how new employees perceive their onboarding journey and adjust your processes to better meet their needs.


1. Why Conduct a New Hire Feedback Survey?

Purpose: - Measure onboarding effectiveness: Determine if your onboarding program equips new hires with the tools, knowledge, and resources to succeed.
- Identify areas for improvement: Spot gaps or challenges in your onboarding process.
- Boost engagement and retention: Demonstrate your commitment to employee satisfaction by acting on their feedback.
- Improve future onboarding: Refine processes based on real-world feedback from employees.


2. Key Focus Areas for New Hire Feedback Surveys

The survey should focus on the following aspects of the onboarding process:

| Category | What It Covers |
|------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pre-Onboarding | Communication, preparation, and resources provided before the first day. |
| First-Day Experience | New hire’s impressions of their welcome and orientation activities. |
| Tools and Resources | Access to equipment, tools, systems, and necessary documents. |
| Training and Development | Relevance and quality of training materials, role-specific training, and overall learning support.|
| Team and Cultural Fit | Connection with colleagues, understanding of company culture, and alignment with organizational values. |
| Role Clarity | Clarity about their job responsibilities, goals, and expectations. |
| Overall Experience | General satisfaction with the onboarding process and any areas for improvement. |


3. Steps to Implement a New Hire Feedback Survey

Step 1: Define Objectives

  • Objective: Clearly identify what you want to learn from the survey.
  • Examples:
    • Are new hires receiving the resources they need to succeed?
    • How well are they integrating into the team and culture?
    • Which parts of the onboarding process need improvement?

Step 2: Choose the Right Timing

  • Objective: Collect feedback at key moments in the onboarding process to gather relevant insights.

Recommended Survey Timelines: 1. End of the First Week: - Evaluate the new hire's initial impressions and experiences.
2. End of the First Month: - Assess training quality, role clarity, and team integration.
3. End of 90 Days: - Gather insights about their overall onboarding experience and readiness to contribute independently.


Step 3: Create the Survey

  • Objective: Design a user-friendly and concise survey to encourage participation.

Survey Format: 1. Likert Scale Questions (e.g., Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree): - Example: “I clearly understood what was expected of me on my first day.” 2. Multiple-Choice Questions: - Example: “Which part of the onboarding process was most helpful?” 3. Open-Ended Questions: - Example: “What could we improve about your onboarding experience?” 4. Rating Scale (1–10): - Example: “How satisfied are you with your onboarding experience overall?”

Tips: - Keep the survey short (10–15 questions).
- Use simple, clear language.
- Ensure anonymity for honest responses.


Step 4: Example Survey Questions

| Category | Sample Questions |
|--------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pre-Onboarding | - "Did you receive all necessary information before your first day?" |
| | - "Was the onboarding communication clear and timely?" |
| First-Day Experience | - "Did you feel welcomed by your manager and team on your first day?" |
| | - "Was your workspace/equipment prepared before you started?" |
| Tools and Resources | - "Did you receive access to the tools and systems required to perform your job?" |
| | - "Are there any additional tools/resources that would have been helpful?" |
| Training and Development | - "Was the training relevant to your role?" |
| | - "How confident are you in applying what you learned during the training?" |
| Team and Cultural Fit | - "Did your manager/team help you understand the company culture and values?" |
| | - "Do you feel connected to your team members?" |
| Role Clarity | - "Do you understand your job responsibilities and goals?" |
| | - "Did your manager provide clear expectations for your role?" |
| Overall Experience | - "What did you enjoy most about the onboarding process?" |
| | - "What could we improve about the onboarding experience?" |
| | - "Would you recommend this company to others based on your onboarding experience?" |


Step 5: Use the Right Tools

  • Objective: Ensure the survey is easy to distribute, complete, and analyze.

Popular Survey Tools: | Tool | Key Features | Example Use |
|---------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
| Google Forms | Free, easy-to-use for quick surveys. | Simple onboarding feedback surveys. |
| SurveyMonkey | Advanced features for detailed analytics. | Anonymous surveys with customizable questions. |
| Typeform | Interactive, user-friendly design for better engagement.| High-response surveys. |
| Culture Amp | Designed for employee feedback and engagement. | Collect and track onboarding metrics.|
| Microsoft Forms | Seamlessly integrates with Office 365 tools. | Simple team-wide surveys. |


Step 6: Collect and Analyze Feedback

  • Objective: Use responses to identify trends, address gaps, and improve onboarding.

Key Steps: 1. Segment Data: - Group feedback by department, role type, or location to identify trends.
- Example: “IT employees rated their tool readiness lower than marketing employees.”
2. Look for Themes: - Identify recurring challenges or praise in open-ended responses.
- Example: “Multiple new hires requested additional role-specific training.”
3. Benchmark Results: - Compare feedback across cohorts to monitor improvements over time.


Step 7: Take Action and Communicate Changes

  • Objective: Show new hires that their feedback is valued by addressing their concerns.

Steps to Take: 1. Share results with stakeholders (e.g., HR, managers).
2. Prioritize key areas for improvement.
- Example: Add pre-onboarding training modules based on feedback.
3. Communicate changes to employees. - Example: “Based on feedback, we’ve introduced a new buddy program to help with team integration.”


4. Example New Hire Feedback Survey Template

| Question Type | Example |
|---------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Likert Scale (1–5) | - "I felt prepared to start my role on day one." |
| | - "The onboarding materials were easy to understand." |
| Multiple Choice | - "Which part of the onboarding process was most helpful?
(a) Orientation
(b) Training
(c) Team introductions
(d) Workspace setup." |
| Rating Scale (1–10) | - "How likely are you to recommend this company based on your onboarding experience?" |
| Open-Ended | - "What additional resources or support would have been helpful during onboarding?" |


5. Best Practices for New Hire Feedback Surveys

  1. Ensure Anonymity:
  2. Anonymize responses to encourage honest feedback.

  3. Follow Up on Feedback:

  4. Close the feedback loop by informing new hires of changes based on their input.

  5. Focus on Actionable Insights:

  6. Ask questions that directly address areas you can improve.

  7. Keep It Short:

  8. Limit surveys to 10–15 questions to increase completion rates.

  9. Iterate Regularly:

  10. Revise the survey periodically to reflect changes in the onboarding program.

6. Sample Results and Action Plan

| Category | Feedback Summary | Action Plan |
|------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| Pre-Onboarding | “More communication about first-day expectations.”| Send a detailed pre-onboarding checklist. |
| Training | “Role-specific training felt too brief.” | Add an extra week of hands-on training. |
| Tools and Resources | “Access to software was delayed.” | Coordinate with IT to ensure tools are ready. |
| Team Introductions | “Felt isolated as a remote employee.” | Introduce virtual team coffee chats or buddy programs.|


7. Conclusion

A well-designed new hire feedback survey provides valuable insights to optimize your onboarding program, improve employee satisfaction, and ensure that new hires have everything they need to succeed. Regularly collecting and acting on feedback demonstrates your commitment to creating a supportive and engaging workplace.


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