Employee Feedback Survey Questions Template: Open Input, Suggestions & Voice

Every employee carries ideas, concerns, and feedback that never reach leadership—until you create a deliberate channel to capture them. An employee feedback survey gives your team a clear, safe way to share what's working, what's not, and what they believe should change. When acted upon, these insights strengthen trust, improve processes, and signal that every voice truly matters.

Employee Feedback Survey questions

My manager listens to and values my suggestions.
Leadership communicates a clear vision and direction for our company.
I feel safe to speak up with ideas or concerns at work.
When employees give feedback, I see follow-up actions or changes being made.
I understand the reasons behind decisions that affect my work.
I trust that leadership takes employee input seriously.
There are opportunities for employees to propose improvements to our processes.
My ideas are considered when my team plans new projects or initiatives.
I feel comfortable raising concerns without fear of negative consequences.
The company responds quickly when employees identify problems or risks.
Communication from leadership is transparent about company priorities.
Feedback channels are accessible to everyone in the organization.
I receive regular updates on how my input is being used or considered.
My manager encourages me to share honest feedback, even if it's critical.
I feel my perspective is valued regardless of my role or seniority.

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

What is one thing we do well here that we should keep doing?
What is one thing you think the company should stop doing or improve right away?
What is one idea you would suggest to make your work or our processes better?
Do you feel your feedback is heard and acted on? Please explain why or why not.
If you were CEO for a day, what's the first thing you would change?
What obstacles or frustrations make your work harder than it needs to be?

Decision table

Question(s) / Area	Score / Threshold	Recommended Action	Owner	Deadline
Leadership direction (vision, communication of priorities)	Average < 3.0	Hold a company-wide meeting or update to clarify goals and priorities. Address employee questions openly.	CEO / Communications	≤ 14 days
Voice & safety (feeling safe to speak up)	Average < 3.0	Managers meet with their teams to discuss concerns and re-emphasize an open-door culture. Provide training on psychological safety.	HR / Team Leaders	≤ 7 days
Feedback follow-through (seeing changes from feedback)	Average < 3.0	HR reviews comments to identify top suggestions. Present an action plan to staff outlining which ideas will be implemented and why.	HR / People Team	≤ 14 days
Understanding decisions (clarity of reasoning)	Average < 3.0	Leadership sends a detailed update or newsletter explaining recent changes and how employee feedback was considered in the decision process.	Executives / Communications	≤ 30 days
Overall willingness to recommend (eNPS)	Net Promoter Score < 50	Conduct focus groups to dive deeper into issues. Develop a cross-functional task force to address root causes and report progress.	HR / Management	≤ 30 days
Idea submission & process improvement (opportunity perception)	Average < 3.0	Launch a structured suggestion channel (e.g., dedicated email or form). Share monthly updates on ideas reviewed and implemented.	Operations / HR	≤ 21 days
Manager responsiveness (listening to suggestions)	Average < 3.5	Provide manager training on active listening and coaching. Include feedback responsiveness in manager performance reviews.	HR / Learning & Development	≤ 30 days

Key takeaways

Gives everyone a safe, structured way to share honest feedback and ideas.
Raises early warning flags (low scores) so leaders can act before problems grow.
Ties feedback to clear actions and owners, making leadership accountable for follow-up.
Helps HR and managers identify exactly where to focus training or process changes.
Strengthens trust: employees see their input leads to visible improvements and decisions.

Definition & scope

This survey measures how effectively employees can share suggestions and concerns, and how leadership handles that feedback. It is intended for all staff—usually anonymously—across the organization. The results support decisions on leadership communication, culture initiatives, and targeted improvements (e.g., coaching needs or process changes) by highlighting what employees find most important. A good employee survey uses direct, unbiased questions and keeps actions visible to show that feedback drives real change.

Scoring & thresholds

We use a 1–5 scale (1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree) for closed questions. In general, an average score below 3.0 is considered critically low, 3.0–3.9 needs improvement, and ≥ 4.0 is strong. Any group (department, team, or location) scoring under 3.0 on a theme—such as leadership clarity or safety—will trigger a follow-up action within ≤ 7 days. Scores inform coaching, team workshops, or role clarification as needed to address specific issues. For open-ended responses, HR should cluster themes and prioritize recurring topics that align with low closed-question scores.

Document scoring rules in advance and share them transparently so employees understand how their ratings translate into action. This clarity builds trust and encourages honest responses, especially when employees see that low scores lead to measurable improvements rather than blame or inaction.

Follow-up & responsibilities

Timely follow-up is crucial. Managers and HR must share results quickly and outline next steps to maintain momentum. For example, any serious issues reported should be acknowledged within ≤ 24 hours. Teams should meet within ≤ 7 days to plan corrective actions, and a full response—such as training or process changes—should be in place within ≤ 30 days. Remember: if feedback is collected but nothing is done, employees will feel ignored and stop participating. Always assign a clear owner and deadline for each action item.

Manager Action: Acknowledge critical feedback (e.g., "Thank you for being honest") within ≤ 24 hours of survey completion.
Team Meeting: Within ≤ 7 days, managers and staff review low-scoring areas and propose solutions (Owner: Managers).
HR Follow-Up: Within ≤ 14 days, HR finalizes an action plan based on suggestions and shares it transparently (Owner: HR/People Team).
Implementation: Within ≤ 30 days, roll out agreed solutions or communicate why an idea may take longer and set a revised timeline (Owner: Relevant department leads).
Ongoing Communication: Send monthly updates on action status via email or all-hands meetings to close the feedback loop (Owner: Communications / HR).

Fairness & bias checks

Analyze results by sub-groups—such as location, department, gender, tenure, or remote vs. office—to detect any hidden patterns. Overall averages can mask disparities; for example, it's common for women or minority employees to report feeling less included or heard than the majority. If any group consistently scores lower, investigate the cause promptly.

Typical examples include:

If one office or demographic reports much lower safety/voice scores, organize targeted listening sessions to understand their concerns and co-develop solutions.
If remote employees rate communication poorly versus office staff, improve virtual meeting practices, asynchronous updates, or documentation for distributed teams.
If senior leaders have much higher scores than frontline teams, ensure middle managers bridge the gap through better communication, coaching, and active listening.

Regularly review anonymized breakdowns during calibration meetings and address systemic issues—such as unequal access to information or inconsistent management practices—to ensure every group feels equally heard and supported.

Examples / use cases

Tech company communication gap: After a survey showed a 2.5 average on "I understand company direction," leadership held a town-hall and began monthly email updates explaining decisions and strategic priorities. Within two quarters, understanding scores rose by 1.0 point on average, and voluntary turnover decreased by 8 percentage points.

Retail chain suggestion loop: Employees frequently noted in the open-ended feedback that staff schedules were causing burnout and unexpected gaps. HR formed a scheduling committee including hourly workers and implemented more flexible shifts within 3 months. Subsequent survey results showed a 20% increase in satisfaction with workload planning and a 12% drop in unplanned absences.

Global office fairness: A multinational firm segmented results and found women in one region rated "feel heard" 1.5 points below others. Leadership then provided bias-awareness training for managers and set up a mentoring program with monthly check-ins. Six months later, that office's "heard" score aligned with the global average, and promotion rates for women improved by 15 percentage points.

Implementation & updates

Start small: pilot this survey in one department to test questions and process. Choose an engaged team and run the survey anonymously using a platform such as Sprad Growth, which automates distribution, reminders, and value tracking across office and frontline staff.

After pilot: Gather feedback on the survey itself, revise questions if needed, then roll it out company-wide (Owner: HR, within Q1).
Train managers on interpreting results and responding constructively (Owner: People Team, training in first post-survey month).
Use a survey platform to automate distribution, reminders, and follow-up task assignment for seamless execution.
Track metrics such as participation rate (aim ≥ 80%), average scores per theme, eNPS, and percentage of action items implemented by deadline.
Review content and thresholds annually (Owner: HR) to keep questions relevant and targets ambitious as the organization evolves.

Regular iteration ensures the survey remains a living tool that adapts to changing priorities and maintains high engagement over time.

Conclusion

An open feedback survey like this uncovers issues early, improves manager–employee dialogue, and focuses improvements on what truly matters to your people. By collecting honest suggestions regularly, you spot warning signals—such as trust or communication gaps—well before they escalate into turnover or disengagement. The visible feedback loop, showing that comments lead to action, builds a culture of trust and continuous improvement.

Next steps: pick a pilot team and schedule the first survey using a tool like Sprad Growth if available. After gathering responses, share themes with that team and assign owners for action items with clear deadlines. Finally, roll out the survey more broadly and repeat periodically—quarterly or twice a year—so that employees see tangible progress from their input and feel genuinely heard.

FAQ

How often should we run this survey?

We recommend doing it regularly but not too frequently—typically quarterly or at most twice a year. Enough time (e.g., a quarter) should pass between surveys to allow changes to take effect and for meaningful results to emerge. Running it more often risks survey fatigue and makes it harder to track the impact of specific interventions.

What if we get very low scores?

Address them directly and quickly. Communicate to employees that you've heard the concern, involve those teams in creating solutions, and start implementing fixes immediately. Low scores should trigger specific action plans (see decision table above) and be reviewed in leadership meetings to ensure accountability. Transparency about timelines and progress prevents cynicism and shows that feedback drives real change.

How should managers handle negative comments?

Managers should listen calmly, thank employees for honesty, and avoid defensiveness or dismissiveness. Share negative feedback (anonymously) with HR or leadership to ensure support and resources. Schedule follow-up discussions if needed to understand root causes. Importantly, act on the issues raised—delaying or ignoring them can breed cynicism and erode trust faster than not asking at all.

How do we involve leaders and staff in this process?

Involve leaders by having them sponsor the survey and commit publicly to follow-up actions, such as giving updates in town-halls or team meetings. Encourage staff by ensuring anonymity, showing quick wins, and regularly communicating what was done with the feedback. You can even crowdsource survey questions from employees during design for higher engagement and relevance. Consistent communication keeps everyone involved and demonstrates that their voice truly matters.

How will we keep the survey fresh and relevant?

Review and update the question set annually. As projects, priorities, and organizational challenges change, tailor questions accordingly. For example, if a new company initiative rolls out, add items to gauge its impact and clarity. Also revisit scoring thresholds over time—if the company improves baseline scores, raise targets to push for continuous excellence and avoid complacency.

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.