Employee Experience Survey Questions Template: From Onboarding to Exit

Employee experience survey questions help you see how people feel at every key moment: hiring, onboarding, daily work, growth, and even exit. Unlike pure engagement or satisfaction, you track the full journey and can trigger short “always‑on” pulses after events (onboarding, promotion, restructuring) plus deeper, periodic check‑ins.

Employee experience survey questions

Unless noted otherwise, use a 1–5 agreement scale: 1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree. For frequency items: 1 = Never, 5 = Very often. Behind the scenes you can combine these items with classic engagement question sets, for example the ones in this engagement survey guide.

Hiring & onboarding experience

I had a clear picture of my role before I accepted the offer. (Annual)
The hiring process gave me a realistic preview of day‑to‑day work here. (Annual)
My first week was well organised and helped me feel welcome. (Pulse – first week)
All tools, accounts and equipment I needed were ready on my first day. (Pulse – first week)
I know what success looks like for me during my probation period. (Pulse – week 2–4)
I know whom to ask when I have questions during onboarding. (Pulse – week 2–4)
How often did you receive helpful feedback during your first month? (1 = Never, 5 = Very often; Pulse – day 30)
Overall, my onboarding prepared me well for my role. (Annual & Pulse – day 90)

What was the most helpful part of your onboarding that we should keep?
What is one thing we should improve for future new hires?

Role clarity & enablement

I understand my key responsibilities and priorities. (Annual)
My goals for this year are clear and measurable. (Annual)
I know which decisions I can make on my own. (Annual)
I can easily find the information and documents I need to do my work. (Annual)
I have the tools and systems I need to be productive. (Annual)
Processes and guidelines relevant to my role are clear. (Annual)
How often do unclear responsibilities slow down your work? (1 = Never, 5 = Very often; Pulse – team/process review)
When priorities change, this is communicated in a timely way. (Annual)

Which additional resources or information would help you do your job better?
Where do you experience the most confusion about responsibilities or processes?

Manager & team experience

I trust my direct manager. (Annual & Pulse – after manager change)
My manager gives me constructive feedback that helps me improve. (Annual)
I feel safe to speak up if I see a problem at work. (Annual)
Conflicts in our team are addressed in a fair way. (Annual)
Our team collaborates effectively to reach our goals. (Annual)
Team meetings are focused and a good use of time. (Annual)
How often do you have meaningful 1:1s with your manager? (1 = Never, 5 = Very often; Pulse – quarterly)
People in my team support each other during busy times. (Annual)

What is one thing your manager could start doing to support you better?
What would most improve collaboration in your team?

Growth, career & internal mobility

I see realistic career opportunities for myself in this company. (Annual)
I know which skills I should build to progress in my career here. (Annual)
My manager and I regularly discuss my development. (Annual)
Access to training and learning resources meets my needs. (Annual)
Promotions here are based on fair and transparent criteria. (Annual)
I know how to find and apply for internal opportunities. (Annual)
How often have you discussed internal moves or stretch projects in the last 12 months? (1 = Never, 5 = Very often; Annual)
In the last 12 months, I had at least one development action (course, project, mentoring). (Annual)

What support would help you progress towards your career goals here?
What could we change so internal moves and promotions feel more transparent?

Everyday work, tools & processes

The tools and systems we use make my work easier, not harder. (Annual)
Our meetings have clear agendas and outcomes. (Annual)
Work processes are as simple and lean as possible. (Annual)
Cross‑team collaboration works smoothly when I need support. (Annual)
Decisions that affect my work are made in a timely way. (Annual)
Internal communication keeps me informed about important changes. (Annual)
How often do bureaucracy or approvals slow down your work? (1 = Never, 5 = Very often; Pulse – process review)
I can usually complete my tasks without needing to “chase” other teams. (Annual)

Which process in your daily work should we simplify or fix first?
Which change to our tools or workflows would help you most?

Wellbeing, flexibility & belonging

My workload is sustainable over the long term. (Annual & Pulse – after peak periods)
I can disconnect from work and recover in my free time. (Annual)
I have enough flexibility to manage work and personal responsibilities. (Annual)
I feel included and respected, regardless of background or identity. (Annual)
I feel a sense of belonging in my team. (Annual)
I know where to get support if I feel stressed or burned out. (Annual)
How often did you feel overwhelmed by work during the last two weeks? (1 = Never, 5 = Very often; Pulse – monthly)
Our company culture supports healthy boundaries (e.g. around availability and overtime). (Annual)

What would most improve your wellbeing at work right now?
What could we do to strengthen your sense of belonging?

Exit & renewal intent (stay/leave)

I see myself still working here in 12 months. (Annual & Pulse – critical roles)
Even with an attractive external offer, I would strongly consider staying. (Annual)
I would recommend this company as a place to work. (Annual)
How often have you thought about leaving the company in the last month? (1 = Never, 5 = Very often; Annual)
In the last 3 months, I have looked at external job offers. (1 = Never, 5 = Very often; Annual)
If I left, I would consider returning in the future. (Annual & Exit pulse)
My reasons to stay here are stronger than my reasons to leave. (Annual)
People who leave here do so for understandable reasons. (Annual & Exit pulse)

What is the most important factor that would make you stay longer?
If you ever chose to leave, which change could have convinced you to stay?

Overall / NPS-style question (optional)

How likely are you to recommend this company as a place to work to a friend or colleague? (0 = Not at all likely, 10 = Extremely likely; Annual)

General open-ended questions (cross-journey)

What is one thing we should start doing to improve the employee experience here?
What is one thing we should stop doing because it harms the employee experience?
What is one thing we should continue because it clearly works well for people?
If you could fix one “moment that matters” in our employee journey, which would it be and why?

Decision & action table

Area (question blocks)	Score / threshold	Recommended action	Owner	Target / deadline
Hiring & onboarding experience	Avg score < 3.0 or >20% “disagree”	Redesign onboarding: clarify expectations, add buddy, fix tooling checklist.	HR + hiring managers	Draft plan in 14 days; pilot next 2 cohorts
Role clarity & enablement	Avg score < 3.0	Update role descriptions and goals; run clarity workshops per team.	Department leads	Workshops scheduled within 30 days
Manager & team experience	Avg score < 3.0 in >2 teams	Launch manager coaching and team sessions on feedback & psychological safety.	HR / People + line managers	Programme live in 45 days
Growth, career & internal mobility	Avg score < 3.0 or high “don’t know”	Publish career framework; create internal mobility guidelines and communication.	HR + business unit heads	Framework published within 60 days
Everyday work, tools & processes	Avg score < 3.0 or top 3 complaint in comments	Form a process squad; prioritise 2–3 quick wins and 1 larger redesign.	Operations / IT + HR	Quick wins in 30 days; larger change in 90 days
Wellbeing, flexibility & belonging	Avg score < 3.0 or workload items >3.8 (negative)	Review staffing and shifts; agree team‑level norms on availability and overtime.	HR + people managers	Risk assessment in 14 days; measures in place within 60 days
Exit & renewal intent	>20% “often think about leaving” or eNPS < 0	Run stay interviews in critical groups; design 2–3 targeted retention measures.	HR + senior leadership	Interviews done in 30 days; measures agreed in 60 days
Participation & trust	Response rate < 60% in any unit	Clarify anonymity, involve works council, adjust channels (e.g. WhatsApp/SMS for non‑desk).	HR + works council + comms	Communication refresh before next survey cycle

Key takeaways

Use journey-based questions to see where experience breaks down.
Combine annual EX surveys with short event-based pulses.
Turn thresholds into concrete actions, owners and clear deadlines.
Slice results by group to surface fairness and inclusion gaps.
Limit follow-ups to 2–3 initiatives per quarter for real progress.

Definition & scope

This template measures the full employee experience: from hiring and onboarding, through daily collaboration and growth, to exit and potential return. It is designed for all employees, with some pulses aimed at specific events (new hires, promotions, restructurings, leavers). The results guide decisions on leadership development, processes, internal mobility, wellbeing and overall engagement, and complement broader work like performance management and retention planning.

Survey blueprints

Use the question bank as a “menu”. Below are ready-made blueprints with timing, channels and anonymity rules. A talent platform like Sprad Growth can help automate survey sends, reminders and follow-up tasks.

Blueprint	When to send	Length & content	Channel & anonymity
Onboarding Experience (30/90 days)	Day 5–7, day 30, day 90	10–12 items: “Hiring & onboarding” block + 1–2 role clarity items; 2 open questions.	Email + Slack/Teams; anonymous if ≥5 new hires per cohort, else HR‑only named feedback.
Post‑Promotion / New Role Pulse	6–8 weeks after promotion or internal move	10–12 items: role clarity, manager support, growth; 1–2 wellbeing items; 2 open questions.	Email or in‑app; anonymous at aggregate level (team/function) to reduce bias in small groups.
Post‑Change / Restructuring Pulse	2–4 weeks after major org change	12–15 items: role clarity, team, processes, wellbeing, stay intent; 2 open questions on change.	Email + mobile link (WhatsApp/SMS for non‑desk); anonymous, only reported for groups ≥7.
Annual Employee Experience Survey	Once per year, steady period (no big change week)	25–35 items: all 7 blocks, plus overall NPS question and 3–4 open questions.	Email + Slack/Teams + QR posters; fully anonymous, minimum cell size 5.
Exit / Alumni Pulse	1–5 days before leave date and again 3 months after	8–12 items from “Exit & renewal intent”, onboarding, manager; 3 open questions.	First pulse semi‑confidential (HR access only), second anonymous external link.

Scoring & thresholds

For Agreement items, use 1–5 (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree). Frequency items also use 1–5 (Never – Very often). Define clear ranges so everyone interprets results consistently.

Average < 3.0 = critical zone: immediate action, deep dive into comments, manager follow‑up.
Average 3.0–3.9 = needs improvement: discuss with team, design 1–2 targeted changes.
Average ≥ 4.0 = strong: keep practices, share stories as internal good examples.
For 0–10 NPS: 0–6 = detractors, 7–8 = passives, 9–10 = promoters; track overall eNPS.
React to very low individual items (avg < 2.5) even if the block average is higher.

To turn scores into decisions, map each block to specific levers: low onboarding scores trigger improvements in pre‑boarding and buddy systems; low growth scores connect to career frameworks or internal marketplaces like the ones discussed in talent marketplace guides.

Follow-up & responsibilities

Survey data has value only if follow‑ups are fast and clear. Decide beforehand who owns which signals and within which timeframes.

HR / People team: own survey design, governance, analysis and company‑wide themes; share results ≤14 days after closing.
People managers: discuss team results within 14 days; document 1–3 concrete actions with dates.
Senior leadership: review cross‑company patterns quarterly; sponsor 2–3 structural initiatives per quarter.
Works council / employee representatives: agree survey purpose, anonymity rules and communication before rollout.
Critical feedback (e.g. misconduct, health risk) with scores < 2.0: HR reviews within ≤24 h and follows internal escalation.

Fairness & bias checks

Experience can look very different by location, role, contract type or demographics. Use segmentation to spot unfair patterns without exposing individuals.

Analyse results by team, site, job family, tenure, full‑time vs part‑time, remote vs onsite, where group size ≥5.
Example: Remote staff show much lower team‑belonging scores than office staff; respond with virtual rituals and better tooling.
Example: Women in one business unit rate promotion fairness < 3.0 while men rate ≥ 4.0; review promotion cases and criteria with HR and leadership.

Run simple bias checks on your questions and interpretation: avoid leading wording, compare scores with objective indicators (turnover, absenteeism), and involve diverse stakeholders when turning survey data into decisions. Resources like employee survey templates with works council checklists can help you structure this.

Examples / use cases

Case 1 – Weak onboarding, strong teams

A scaleup saw onboarding scores around 2.7, while manager and team items were > 4.0. New hires liked their teams but felt lost in the first weeks. HR and hiring managers introduced a standard 30–60–90‑day plan, a buddy system and a tooling checklist per role. Six months later, onboarding scores rose to 3.8 and early attrition in the first 90 days dropped by 25%.

Case 2 – High workload risks in one function

In a customer support unit, wellbeing and workload questions averaged 2.6, and many comments mentioned stress and overtime. Leadership paused new side projects, adjusted staffing, and set clear rules on out‑of‑hours contact. HR offered group sessions on coping with stress. Three months later, workload scores moved above 3.4 and sickness absence stabilised.

Case 3 – Hidden promotion fairness gap

The annual EX survey showed solid engagement but low confidence in promotion fairness among more senior staff in one region. A closer look revealed unclear criteria and inconsistent communication. HR and the regional head rolled out a transparent promotion rubric, aligned it with the company’s talent development framework and created quarterly “career Q&A” sessions. Next year, fairness scores increased by 0.8 points and internal move rates improved.

Implementation & updates

Roll this survey in stages and keep it aligned with your real employee journey – from candidate to alumni. Especially in DACH, align early with the Betriebsrat and your GDPR officer.

Map touchpoints: recruiting, offer, onboarding, probation, yearly cycle, promotion, org changes, exit/alumni; assign which pulse to which event.
Pilot with 1–2 departments for one full quarter; test question clarity, channels (email, Slack, WhatsApp, QR) and reporting.
Document anonymity rules and data retention (e.g. delete raw data after 24 months; keep only aggregated trends).
After each survey cycle, select max. 3 EX initiatives for the next quarter; track owners and delivery status.
Review questions and thresholds every 12 months; drop low‑value items, add new ones if your organisation changes.

For small teams, aggregate results over time (e.g. two waves) or across similar teams to keep anonymity. Use a simple KPI set to track progress: response rate (target ≥ 70% annually), average score per block, number of agreed actions per team, completion rate of actions, and trends in voluntary turnover. Over time, connect EX survey insights with data from your engagement and retention work to see which levers matter most.

Conclusion

Well-designed employee experience survey questions let you see the whole journey, not just one engagement snapshot. You spot weak “moments that matter” early, whether that is a confusing first week, unclear expectations after a promotion, or a team that feels burned out. That gives HR and leaders a much better basis for honest conversations and targeted changes.

The real benefit comes when you consistently translate results into decisions: clearer roles, better leadership habits, simpler processes, stronger career paths. You also reduce guesswork in people discussions because you can link hard data from multiple survey moments to themes from performance reviews and stay interviews.

Concrete next steps: choose one pilot area (for example, new hires and promotions), configure the relevant question subsets in your survey tool, and agree on owners plus timelines for follow‑up. Once the pilot runs smoothly, expand to an annual EX survey and a few high‑impact pulses. Over 1–2 cycles you will build a living picture of your employee experience – and a practical roadmap to improve it.

FAQ

How often should we run employee experience surveys? For a complete view, combine one annual EX survey with several short pulses. Typical pattern: annual survey for all employees; onboarding pulses at 5–7, 30 and 90 days; post‑promotion pulses at 6–8 weeks; post‑change pulses after restructurings; exit/alumni pulses. This mix gives you both trend data and timely signals when something breaks in the journey.

What should we do if scores are very low in one area? Treat averages below 3.0 as a clear signal to act. Start with a focused deep dive: look at which specific items are weakest, read all related comments, and run a few qualitative conversations or focus groups. Co‑create 1–3 changes with the affected employees, communicate them clearly, and decide when to re‑measure. Avoid launching too many generic initiatives at once.

How do we handle very critical comments in open answers? First, scan for risk topics (health, safety, harassment, compliance) and route them to HR or compliance under your internal protocol. For the rest, cluster comments into themes and frequency, not individuals. Focus discussions on patterns, not who wrote what. Thank employees publicly for honest input and show, in concrete examples, how their feedback led to change to build trust in future surveys.

How can we keep surveys GDPR‑compliant, especially in DACH? Define a clear legal basis (usually legitimate interest plus voluntary participation), minimise data (no unnecessary identifiers), and set retention periods. Pseudonymise or anonymise response data quickly, and avoid reporting for groups smaller than 5 people. Involve your data protection officer and works council early. The approach in many companies follows similar principles to those described in the global engagement research by Gallup, but adapted to local law.

How do we keep the question set up to date? Review the question bank at least once a year. Look for items that never change or that no one uses in decisions and remove them. Add new questions only if they connect directly to a decision you are willing to take (for example, new remote‑work policies). Use pilots, manager feedback and simple A/B tests to refine wording. Over time, keep a stable “core” of questions so you can track trends, and a small “experimental” set for emerging topics.

Jürgen Ulbrich

CEO & Co-Founder of Sprad

Jürgen Ulbrich has more than a decade of experience in developing and leading high-performing teams and companies. As an expert in employee referral programs as well as feedback and performance processes, Jürgen has helped over 100 organizations optimize their talent acquisition and development strategies.