A focused set of feedback culture survey questions helps you see where feedback flows well and where fear slows it down. With one reusable survey you spot patterns early, guide better 1:1s and give managers concrete topics for action instead of vague “communication issues”.
Survey questions
Unless stated otherwise, answer the following feedback culture survey questions on a 1–5 scale from “Strongly disagree” (1) to “Strongly agree” (5).
2.1 Closed questions (Likert scale)
- Q1. I receive feedback frequently enough to improve my work between formal review cycles. (Annual + pulse)
- Q2. I give feedback to colleagues regularly, not only when something goes wrong. (Annual + pulse)
- Q3. My manager gives me feedback in our 1:1s at least once per month. (Annual)
- Q4. In our team, feedback usually happens within a few days of the event. (Pulse)
- Q5. I know which meetings or channels are intended for feedback conversations. (Annual)
- Q6. I can easily request feedback from others when I need it. (Annual + pulse)
- Q7. Most feedback I receive is specific enough that I know exactly what to repeat or change. (Annual + pulse)
- Q8. Feedback here is balanced between strengths and development areas, not only focused on problems. (Annual)
- Q9. I usually leave feedback conversations with 1–3 clear next steps. (Annual + pulse)
- Q10. When I give feedback, I feel confident that it is helpful and concrete. (Annual)
- Q11. Feedback I receive is linked to clear goals or expectations for my role. (Annual)
- Q12. Feedback from different people (manager, peers, stakeholders) is consistent rather than contradictory. (Annual)
- Q13. I feel safe to speak up when I see a risk, mistake or ethical concern at work. (Annual + pulse)
- Q14. I can give honest feedback to my manager without fearing negative consequences. (Annual)
- Q15. In my team, people can admit mistakes without being blamed or shamed. (Annual + pulse)
- Q16. Challenging a decision respectfully is accepted, even when senior leaders are involved. (Annual)
- Q17. I feel comfortable sharing unpopular opinions in team meetings. (Annual)
- Q18. Critical feedback is discussed constructively, not ignored or punished. (Annual + pulse)
- Q19. My manager actively asks for feedback on their own behavior and decisions. (Annual)
- Q20. Senior leaders in our company admit when they are wrong or have changed their view. (Annual)
- Q21. My manager role‑models how to give clear, respectful feedback. (Annual)
- Q22. My manager follows up on feedback they receive and shares what they will change. (Annual)
- Q23. Leaders in this company use feedback to learn, not to defend their status. (Annual)
- Q24. I see leaders giving recognition and praise regularly, not only during review season. (Annual + pulse)
- Q25. People in my team give each other feedback without needing a manager to facilitate. (Annual + pulse)
- Q26. When conflicts arise in my team, we address them directly rather than avoiding them. (Annual + pulse)
- Q27. My colleagues help me improve my work with constructive suggestions, not just approvals. (Annual)
- Q28. I receive useful feedback from people in other teams or functions I work with. (Annual)
- Q29. Giving feedback to peers is recognised and valued, not seen as “extra work”. (Annual)
- Q30. Our team has informal rituals for feedback (e.g. retros, debriefs, demo reviews). (Annual)
- Q31. We have simple tools or templates that make feedback conversations easier to prepare. (Annual)
- Q32. Regular 1:1 meetings are scheduled and rarely cancelled without a new date. (Annual + pulse)
- Q33. Our performance review process invites two‑way feedback, not only top‑down evaluation. (Annual)
- Q34. We have clear guidance on how to give feedback respectfully across cultures and roles. (Annual)
- Q35. People are trained on how to give and receive feedback effectively. (Annual)
- Q36. Our digital systems (e.g. performance tools, 360° forms) support ongoing feedback, not just annual reviews. (Annual)
- Q37. When people raise concerns in surveys, leadership communicates back what was heard. (Annual)
- Q38. After surveys or reviews, I see concrete actions taken in my team. (Annual + pulse)
- Q39. Feedback I give leads to visible improvements in processes, tools or collaboration. (Annual)
- Q40. When commitments are made in feedback conversations, they are usually followed through. (Annual + pulse)
- Q41. Our company tracks whether feedback‑related actions are completed on time. (Annual)
- Q42. Compared to last year, our feedback culture has improved. (Annual)
2.2 Overall feedback culture rating (0–10)
- Q43. How likely are you to recommend this company as a place where people receive open, helpful feedback? (0 = Not at all likely, 10 = Extremely likely)
2.3 Open-ended questions
- O1. What would make it easier for you to give honest feedback to colleagues and leaders?
- O2. Think about the last helpful feedback you received. What made it so useful?
- O3. What is one concrete change your manager could make to improve feedback in your team?
- O4. Where do you see our feedback culture getting in the way of performance or collaboration?
Decision & action matrix
| Question block / area | Trigger threshold | Recommended action | Owner | Target timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency & channels (Q1–Q6) | Average score <3,0 or <60 % agreement | Map existing touchpoints, add fixed feedback slots in 1:1s and team meetings, communicate schedule to team. | Direct manager with HR support | Within 30 days after results |
| Quality & usefulness (Q7–Q12) | Average score <3,2 | Run a 90‑minute workshop on SBI/STAR feedback techniques, share concrete examples, integrate prompts into 1:1 templates. | HR / L&D | Workshop scheduled within 45 days |
| Psychological safety & trust (Q13–Q18) | Any item <3,0 or strong negative comments | Hold confidential listening sessions, agree 2–3 safety commitments, monitor via pulse questions Q13, Q15, Q18. | Department lead with HR Business Partner | First session within 21 days; follow‑up pulse in 60 days |
| Manager role modelling (Q19–Q24) | Manager’s team score <company average −0,5 | Offer targeted coaching, set goal for manager to request feedback monthly and share learnings with team. | Manager’s manager, supported by HR | Coaching plan agreed within 30 days |
| Peer feedback & collaboration (Q25–Q30) | Average score <3,3 | Introduce team retros or “start/stop/continue” rituals, rotate facilitation, review impact in 3 months. | Team lead | First ritual run within 30 days |
| Systems & processes (Q31–Q36) | Average score <3,0 or strong tool complaints | Simplify forms, standardise 1:1 templates, evaluate support from a talent platform like Sprad Growth. | HR / People Ops | Improvement plan approved within 60 days |
| Follow‑through & action (Q37–Q42, Q43) | Average score <3,0 or Q43 <7 | Publish 3–5 clear actions with owners, track monthly status, communicate progress in team meetings. | Business unit leader with HR | Action plan shared within 21 days; first status update in 45 days |
| Mixed results (high Q1–Q30, low Q37–Q42) | Content strong, action weak | Audit previous survey actions, close or update old items, introduce simple tracking dashboard. | HR Analytics / People Ops | Dashboard live within 60 days |
Key takeaways
- Use one question bank to run deep annual surveys and short feedback pulses.
- Group scores by dimension to pick 2–3 realistic focus areas per team.
- Trigger actions at clear thresholds, not only when people complain loudly.
- Make owners and deadlines visible so feedback leads to visible change.
- Blend this survey with performance and 360° feedback for a full picture.
Definition & scope
This survey measures how often feedback happens, how safe it feels, how useful it is, and whether actions follow. It is designed for all employees, including managers and individual contributors across offices and locations. Results guide team‑level improvements, manager coaching, leadership behaviour, and updates to your wider performance and talent development approach.
Scoring & thresholds
The main scale is 1–5 from “Strongly disagree” (1) to “Strongly agree” (5). For feedback culture survey questions, treat scores as follows: <3,0 = critical, 3,0–3,9 = needs improvement, ≥4,0 = strong area. For Q43 (0–10) treat 9–10 as “promoters”, 7–8 as “passives”, 0–6 as “detractors”.
Turn scores into decisions instead of long reports. If any dimension (for example psychological safety Q13–Q18) drops below 3,0, you trigger structured follow‑up: listening sessions, manager coaching, or process changes. Stable high scores (≥4,2) signal strengths you can reuse in other teams.
- HR calculates averages per question block and per team within 5 working days after survey close.
- People Analytics flags any team with average score <3,0 in safety (Q13–Q18) to HRBP within 24 h.
- Managers pick max. 3 low‑scoring items, co‑create actions with their teams within 21 days.
- HR reviews actions for high‑risk areas (safety, retaliation) and suggests coaching or escalation.
- Pulse surveys reuse 3–5 key items (e.g. Q1, Q15, Q38) quarterly to track trends.
Follow-up & responsibilities
Good feedback culture survey questions only matter if follow‑up is clear. Everyone needs to know who responds to which signal and by when. Define a simple chain: survey owner, executives, HRBPs, and people managers.
For very low scores in safety or retaliation risk, react faster than for process issues. For example, any average <2,5 in Q13 or Q14 should lead to an HRBP check‑in within ≤5 working days, not “next quarter’s workshop”.
- HR / People Ops owns survey design, launch and high‑level reporting every 12 months and for interim pulses.
- Direct managers discuss their team results in a 60‑minute meeting and agree 2–3 actions within 21 days.
- HRBPs support teams with scores <3,0 on Q13–Q18, scheduling deep dives within 14 days.
- Executive team reviews company‑wide themes, sets 3 cross‑company priorities within 30 days.
- People Ops tracks action completion monthly and reminds owners if deadlines slip by >7 days.
Fairness & bias checks
Feedback culture is rarely identical across locations, roles or demographics. You need fairness checks so you don’t average away problems of specific groups. Use your HRIS attributes to compare scores across business units, sites, seniority and contract types.
Watch for large gaps (≥0,5 points) between groups on safety (Q13–Q18) and upward feedback (Q14). These often signal manager behaviour, power distance or inclusion issues rather than “sensitive employees”.
- People Analytics slices results by team, location, tenure band and manager vs. IC within 10 days.
- HR flags any group scoring ≥0,5 below company average on Q13–Q18 for focused interventions.
- HRBPs run qualitative follow‑ups with at‑risk groups, documenting themes without exposing individuals.
- Leaders commit not to hunt for “who said what”, protecting anonymity and legal compliance (e.g. GDPR).
- Survey owner reviews question wording annually to remove biased or ambiguous items.
Examples / use cases
Use case 1: From silent team to regular retros
A product team scored high on Q1–Q6 (frequency) but low on Q15 and Q17. People often received feedback, yet did not feel safe admitting mistakes or sharing dissenting views. Comments mentioned “polite but fake harmony”.
The manager, HRBP and team agreed to introduce fortnightly retros with clear rules: focus on processes, not people; everyone speaks once before anyone speaks twice. After 3 months, Q15 and Q17 moved above 3,8 and the team raised issues earlier, which reduced production bugs.
Use case 2: Leadership roadshow after low follow-through
Company‑wide scores for Q37–Q40 (follow‑through) were low (<3,0), while other areas were solid. Employees wrote that “surveys disappear into a black hole”. Engagement scores from an earlier employee engagement survey had also declined.
The executive team launched a “You said, we did” roadshow. Every quarter they published 5 survey themes with specific actions, owners and status. In the next cycle, Q38 increased by 0,7 points and comment volume dropped while becoming more constructive.
Use case 3: Manager coaching on upward feedback
One sales manager’s team scored far below average on Q14 (“I can give honest feedback to my manager without fearing negative consequences”). HRBPs also saw high attrition in that team. The manager was surprised; 1:1s seemed “fine”.
HR organised 1:1 coaching and shadowed three of the manager’s conversations. They found defensive reactions to criticism and subtle retaliation on stretch assignments. After role‑play training and explicit commitments to invite criticism, Q14 rose above 3,5 and attrition normalised over 2 quarters.
- HRBPs regularly scan for outlier managers on Q14 and Q21 and offer coaching within 30 days.
- Team leads with strong scores share their feedback rituals in manager communities each quarter.
- HR includes feedback culture patterns in talent reviews and promotion decisions every 12 months.
Implementation & updates
Start small, then scale. Pilot these feedback culture survey questions with 1–2 departments, fix wording issues, validate anonymity rules, then roll out company‑wide. Align with other surveys (engagement, performance) so people are not spammed with overlapping questionnaires.
Set anonymity thresholds (for example minimum n=5 per segment) and communicate them clearly. In DACH, involve the works council early and document your GDPR basis, aligning with any existing employee survey framework.
- HR defines survey cadence (annual deep dive + quarterly pulse) and aligns dates with leadership within 30 days.
- Legal / Data Protection reviews survey setup, data retention and anonymity thresholds before first launch.
- Communications drafts a simple “why this survey” message for all employees 1 week before launch.
- People Ops configures survey tool (e.g. Sprad Growth or similar) and tests flows with 10–20 pilot users.
- Every 12 months, HR and HRBPs review items, retire low‑value questions and add 1–2 new ones if needed.
Survey blueprints: how to use this question bank
You rarely need all 40+ items at once. Use smaller, purpose‑built sets of feedback culture survey questions. Combine them into four survey “recipes” that cover most scenarios.
Blueprint A: Feedback Culture Baseline (15 questions, annual)
Goal: get a full picture for each team once per year.
- Include: Q1–Q3, Q7–Q9, Q13–Q16, Q19, Q21–Q22, Q25, Q37–Q38, Q43.
- Audience: all employees with ≥3 months tenure.
- Use O1–O3 as open questions.
- Run: annually, aligned with performance or engagement survey.
Blueprint B: Post-Feedback-Training Survey (10–12 questions)
Goal: see if training changed behaviour and perceived quality.
- Include: Q2, Q4, Q7–Q10, Q15, Q21, Q24, Q30, Q38.
- Add O2 and O3 for qualitative impact stories.
- Audience: participants of feedback workshops and their direct reports.
- Run: 6–8 weeks after training, then again at 6 months.
Blueprint C: Team-Level Feedback Pulse (8–10 questions)
Goal: monitor core aspects quarterly without survey fatigue.
- Include: Q1, Q4, Q15, Q18, Q25, Q32, Q38, Q40, Q42.
- Audience: whole team or business unit.
- Use O1 or O4 when large changes or conflicts are present.
- Run: quarterly, with 7–10 day response window.
Blueprint D: Manager Upward-Feedback Mini Survey (10–12 questions)
Goal: focused upward feedback on one manager while protecting anonymity.
- Include: Q1, Q3, Q7, Q13–Q15, Q19, Q21–Q22, Q24, Q40.
- Add Q43 for “Would you recommend this manager?” at team level.
- Audience: direct reports only; ensure ≥5 responses per manager.
- Run: annually or as part of broader manager effectiveness and performance cycles.
Conclusion
A strong feedback culture does not appear by accident. It grows when you measure what really happens, make it safe to speak up, and respond visibly to what people say. With one flexible set of feedback culture survey questions, you can spot where feedback is frequent, where it is feared, and where it fails to lead to action.
Three things tend to change fastest once you introduce this survey properly: you detect tensions earlier, 1:1 conversations become more concrete, and teams agree clearer priorities for development. Your next steps are simple: choose a blueprint that matches your current need, configure the questions in your survey or talent platform, and agree who will own follow‑up per team before you send the first link.
After the first round, resist the urge to redesign everything. Instead, run at least one pulse using a subset of core items, check whether actions moved the scores, and only then adjust items or thresholds. Over 2–3 cycles, this discipline turns a one‑off survey into a reliable steering tool for feedback, performance and learning.
FAQ
How often should we run a feedback culture survey?
Run one full baseline survey per year using 12–18 questions, then lighter pulses every quarter focused on 5–8 items. Annual results guide strategy and manager development. Pulses check whether actions worked and catch new issues early. Avoid overlapping with other big surveys in the same month to prevent fatigue.
What should we do if psychological safety scores are very low?
Treat averages <3,0 on Q13–Q18 as high‑risk. Do not start with training alone. First, HRBPs and leaders run confidential listening sessions to understand concrete situations and behaviours. Then agree specific protections (no retaliation, anonymous escalation routes), coach managers, and monitor with targeted pulse questions. Document steps carefully for compliance and trust.
How do we handle very critical open comments about managers?
Protect anonymity first. Cluster comments by theme rather than quoting verbatim in small teams. Share patterns with the manager’s manager and HRBP, then decide on coaching, mediation or, in extreme cases, investigation. Encourage managers to thank teams for honesty, not defend themselves. According to Harvard Business Review, how leaders react to criticism strongly shapes long‑term culture.
Can we combine this with engagement or 360° feedback surveys?
Yes. Many companies integrate 6–10 of these feedback culture survey questions into broader engagement or manager‑effectiveness surveys. Keep the total survey length reasonable (ideally <40 items) and avoid duplicate wording. For senior leaders, combine culture items with 360° questions about coaching and inclusion so development plans are grounded in clear data.
How should we update the question bank over time?
Review items annually with HR, People Analytics and a few managers. Remove questions that never drive actions, clarify any items people misinterpret, and consider adding 1–2 new ones on emerging topics (for example, hybrid collaboration). Keep core trend items stable so you can compare year‑over‑year. Log changes so future teams understand score shifts.
- People Analytics slices results by team, location, tenure band and manager vs. IC within 10 days.
- HR flags any group scoring ≥0,5 below company average on Q13–Q18 for focused interventions.
- HRBPs run qualitative follow‑ups with at‑risk groups, documenting themes without exposing individuals.
- Leaders commit not to hunt for “who said what”, protecting anonymity and legal compliance (e.g. GDPR).
- Survey owner reviews question wording annually to remove biased or ambiguous items.
Jürgen Ulbrich
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.
