Onboarding survey questions give you an early warning system for the first 90 days. You see where new hires struggle with role clarity, tools, or team support long before it shows up as turnover or poor performance. This template helps you run consistent 30/60/90‑day check‑ins and turn the answers into concrete actions with managers.
Onboarding survey questions
All closed items use a 1–5 scale: 1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree.
- Q1. Before my first day, I received clear information about schedule, location, and what to expect. (30‑day)
- Q2. My questions before day one were answered quickly and helpfully. (30‑day)
- Q3. On my first day, I had access to the building, systems, and communication tools I needed. (30‑day)
- Q4. My laptop and core hardware were ready or delivered as promised. (30‑day)
- Q5. My first‑week schedule (meetings, training, introductions) felt structured and well planned. (30‑day)
- Q6. I felt genuinely welcomed by my team during the first week. (30‑day)
- Q7. My first impression of the company culture matched what was described during hiring. (30‑/60‑day)
- Q8. I understand the main purpose of my role and how it contributes to company goals. (30‑day)
- Q9. I have a clear picture of my key responsibilities. (30‑day)
- Q10. I know what “good performance” looks like for my role in the next 3–6 months. (30‑/60‑day)
- Q11. I understand how my performance will be measured and reviewed. (30‑/60‑day)
- Q12. I know where to find documentation about my role, processes, and standards. (30‑day)
- Q13. I know whom to contact when I am unsure about a task or decision. (30‑day)
- Q14. I have access to all core tools, systems, and permissions required to do my work. (30‑day)
- Q15. Technical issues (laptop, VPN, tools) have been resolved in a reasonable time. (30‑/60‑day)
- Q16. The onboarding training content is clear, relevant, and not redundant. (30‑/60‑day)
- Q17. I have a buddy/mentor or go‑to person who supports my Einarbeitung. (30‑/60‑day)
- Q18. I know the key processes and workflows I need to follow in my daily work. (60‑day)
- Q19. I can access learning resources when I need them (guides, internal wiki, recordings). (60‑day)
- Q20. My Führungskraft schedules regular 1:1 check‑ins with me. (30‑/60‑day)
- Q21. In 1:1s, my manager asks about my workload, stress, and well‑being. (60‑/90‑day)
- Q22. I receive timely, constructive feedback that helps me improve. (60‑/90‑day)
- Q23. I feel safe to speak up about problems or mistakes (psychologische Sicherheit). (60‑/90‑day)
- Q24. My team members are approachable and willing to help when I have questions. (30‑/60‑day)
- Q25. I feel included in team meetings and discussions, not like an outsider. (60‑/90‑day)
- Q26. For remote/hybrid work, my manager helps me stay connected to the team. (60‑/90‑day, remote focus)
- Q27. I feel that people treat me with respect, regardless of background or role. (30‑/60‑day)
- Q28. I feel comfortable being myself at work. (60‑/90‑day)
- Q29. I am invited to informal/social interactions (coffee chats, lunch, virtual hangouts). (60‑/90‑day)
- Q30. I understand the company values and see them in everyday behavior. (60‑/90‑day)
- Q31. As a remote or hybrid employee, I feel included in informal communication. (60‑/90‑day, remote focus)
- Q32. I feel I belong here and can build long‑term relationships. (90‑day)
- Q33. The pace of my Einarbeitung feels realistic for my experience level. (30‑/60‑day)
- Q34. I have enough time to learn before owning complex tasks. (30‑/60‑day)
- Q35. My current workload is manageable without constant overtime or stress. (60‑/90‑day)
- Q36. I can focus on a mix of learning and delivering, not just firefighting. (60‑/90‑day)
- Q37. I know which tasks are most important when time is limited. (60‑/90‑day)
- Q38. I feel my learning curve is steep but sustainable. (60‑/90‑day)
- Q39. Overall, my onboarding‑experience (“Onboarding‑Erlebnis”) has been positive so far. (30‑/60‑/90‑day)
- Q40. I feel confident that I can be successful in this role. (60‑/90‑day)
- Q41. If I could choose again, I would still join this company. (60‑/90‑day)
- Q42. I see myself staying with this company for at least 12 months. (90‑day)
Overall / NPS‑style question
- Q43. How likely are you to recommend working here to a friend or colleague? (0–10; 0 = Not at all likely, 10 = Extremely likely) (60‑/90‑day)
Open‑ended onboarding survey questions
- What was the most helpful part of your onboarding‑experience (“Onboarding‑Erlebnis”) so far?
- Which information, training, or support felt missing or confusing during your Einarbeitung?
- Is there anything that makes you doubt staying here for the next 12 months? If yes, what?
- What should your manager or team do differently for the next new hire?
Decision table
| Question group / area | Score threshold (1–5) | Recommended action | Owner | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre‑start & first week (Q1–Q7) | Avg <3.0 | Review pre‑start info and day‑1 checklist; fix gaps for current hire and future cohorts. | HR + Hiring Manager | Within 7 days of survey |
| Role clarity & expectations (Q8–Q13) | Avg <3.0 | Run extra 1:1 to clarify goals, priorities, and examples of “good performance”; document in writing. | Manager | ≤5 days |
| Enablement & resources (Q14–Q19) | Any item ≤2 or avg <3.0 | Escalate missing access to IT; review training plan; assign buddy for hands‑on support. | Manager + IT + L&D | Critical IT issues ≤2 days; training review ≤10 days |
| Manager & team support (Q20–Q26) | Avg <3.0 or psych. safety item ≤2 | Increase weekly check‑ins; HR coaches Führungskraft on feedback and psychologische Sicherheit; monitor next pulse. | Manager + HR/People | Plan within 5 days; first coaching session ≤14 days |
| Culture & belonging (Q27–Q32) | Avg <3.5 | Organise intro rounds, buddy coffees, and at least one social touchpoint; check remote inclusion practices. | Manager + Team Lead | First actions ≤10 days |
| Learning curve & workload (Q33–Q38) | Workload item ≤2 or avg <3.0 | Re‑prioritise tasks; remove non‑essential work; confirm clear learning plan with milestones. | Manager | ≤5 days |
| Overall experience & stay intent (Q39–Q42, Q43) | Any item ≤2 or NPS ≤6 | Run confidential follow‑up conversation; explore doubts; agree 2–3 concrete improvements. | Manager + HR | Contact ≤3 days; plan ≤10 days |
Key takeaways
- Run 30/60/90‑day onboarding surveys to catch issues before turnover risk spikes.
- Use clear thresholds (e.g. avg <3.0) to trigger concrete follow‑up actions.
- Combine scores with open answers to prioritise 2–3 improvements per cohort.
- Segment results by team, location, and remote status to uncover structural onboarding gaps.
- Share trends with leadership to connect onboarding quality to engagement and retention.
Definition & scope
This onboarding survey measures the first 90 days of employee experience: pre‑start communication, Einarbeitung quality, enablement, Führungskraft support, culture, workload, and stay intent. It’s designed for all new hires, including remote roles and internal transfers. Results guide decisions on training content, manager coaching, process fixes, and broader engagement and retention initiatives.
Scoring & thresholds
You use a 1–5 agreement scale. To keep things simple, define three zones: critical, needs improvement, and healthy. That way, you and your Führungskräfte can move from “nice data” to clear decisions quickly.
Typical thresholds for onboarding surveys:
- Critical: Avg <3.0 on any area (e.g. role clarity, tools, psychologische Sicherheit) triggers immediate follow‑up with the new hire (Manager + HR, ≤5 days).
- Needs improvement: 3.0–3.9 means “okay but fragile”; you plan targeted fixes (extra training, clearer docs, more check‑ins) and review in the next pulse (Manager/L&D, ≤30 days).
- Healthy: ≥4.0 shows a strong onboarding‑experience; you keep practices, share them as internal best practice, and monitor quarterly (HR + Managers, ongoing).
Turn scores into decisions with a simple flow:
- If any item ≤2: Manager checks comments, speaks with the new hire, agrees on 1–3 quick wins (≤3 days).
- If a whole area avg <3.0 for several hires: HR runs a root‑cause workshop with managers to redesign that onboarding step (≤6 weeks).
- If NPS (Q43) <7 or stay intent (Q42) ≤3: HR flags “early retention risk” in your people analytics and tracks progress via later surveys.
For larger organisations, integrate onboarding scores into your overall performance management and development processes. Example: low role clarity at 30 days should surface again in 3‑month goal‑setting conversations.
Follow-up & responsibilities
Onboarding surveys only help if people know who reacts to what. Define clear owners for single‑hire issues versus systemic patterns. Keep timelines short; in the first 90 days, weeks are too long.
A simple responsibility split:
- Manager: Handles individual low scores on role clarity, workload, feedback, and team support; discusses results in 1:1s and documents agreed actions (within 3–5 days after each survey).
- HR/People team: Monitors participation, aggregates results by cohort, alerts when any risk thresholds are hit, and supports managers with coaching or training content (weekly monitoring).
- IT / Workplace / L&D: Own tool access and training issues (Q14–Q19); they track tickets, fix gaps, and update onboarding programmes (within 7–14 days).
- Leadership: Reviews quarterly onboarding reports, links them to attrition and productivity, and approves structural changes (each quarter).
For very low scores or critical comments (e.g. bullying, discrimination, health & safety), set a fast lane:
- If any response mentions serious misconduct or safety risks: HR reviews the comment the same day and follows your incident process (≤24 h).
- If a new hire indicates regret about joining or not staying 12+ months: Manager and HR schedule a joint conversation (≤3 days) and agree concrete next steps.
- HR logs all critical follow‑ups (without unnecessary personal details) to ensure accountability and to brief leadership if patterns appear.
A talent platform like Sprad Growth can help automate survey sends, reminders, and follow‑up tasks, so managers don’t lose track between many new starters.
Fairness & bias checks
Onboarding should feel fair whether you sit in HQ, a remote hub, or a small site. Use segmentation to spot gaps, but always respect anonymity and GDPR.
Useful cuts for fairness checks:
- Organisational: department, team, site, business unit, reporting line of the Führungskraft.
- Working model: remote, hybrid, on‑site; shift patterns for blue‑collar teams.
- Employment type: external hire vs. internal transfer, junior vs. senior roles.
Combine this with the guidance from your broader employee survey templates and GDPR/works council checklist. For DACH, common rules are: no breakdowns for groups <5 respondents, clear legal basis under GDPR (usually legitimate interest or consent), and early involvement of the Betriebsrat when launching recurring surveys.
Typical patterns and responses:
- If remote hires score >0.5 points lower on belonging and team support than office hires: introduce structured virtual welcomes, buddy calls, and hybrid meeting rules (HR + Managers, ≤1 month).
- If a specific site or team has consistently low scores on psychologische Sicherheit: HR runs a facilitated team session and offers leadership coaching (≤6 weeks).
- If internal transfers rate role clarity lower than external hires: tighten internal job descriptions and handover processes (HR + Managers, next hiring cycle).
Examples / use cases
1. Fixing role confusion at 30 days
A new sales hire scored Q8–Q13 around 2.5 and wrote in comments: “I’m not sure which accounts I own or how I’m measured.” HR flagged this as critical; the manager scheduled a 60‑minute 1:1 within three days, mapped concrete responsibilities, and documented quarterly targets. In the 60‑day survey, role clarity rose above 4.0, and the rep hit early pipeline goals instead of drifting.
2. Redesigning IT onboarding after repeated low scores
Across three cohorts, average scores for tools and access (Q14–Q15) sat at 2.8. Several hires reported waiting a week for key system rights. HR pulled a 3‑month view, presented it to IT and leadership, and together they created a pre‑provisioning checklist and a “day‑1 ready” SLA. Within the next quarter, averages climbed to 4.3, and new hires reached full productivity about two weeks faster.
3. Supporting a remote hire’s belonging
A remote product designer gave strong scores for role clarity but 2.0 on belonging (Q27–Q32) and wrote: “I barely know anyone outside my direct squad.” The manager and HR added a buddy in another team, set up virtual coffee chats, and invited the designer to a cross‑team design guild. At 90 days, belonging improved to 4.0 and the employee rated NPS = 9, saying the culture “clicked” once informal contact increased.
Implementation & updates
Think of this survey as a recurring process, not a one‑off project. You can start small with one area, then roll it out company‑wide once it works for HR, Führungskräfte, and the Betriebsrat.
Core process: triggers and flow
- Triggering: Schedule surveys automatically based on start date at 30, 60, and 90 days (HR/People Ops, setup once, then ongoing).
- Communication: Tell new hires in week 1 why you run onboarding surveys and how data is used and protected (Manager + HR, during induction).
- Anonymity: For very small cohorts, aggregate results across several months or teams so individuals cannot be identified (HR, always‑on rule).
- Routing issues: Configure alerts so critical comments or very low scores send a notification to HR and the responsible manager (HR/IT, setup and quarterly test).
- Learning loop: After each cohort, identify 2–3 improvements, assign owners, and review progress in the next quarter (HR + Leadership).
Survey blueprints
a) 30‑day onboarding pulse (focus: basics & first impression)
Goal: Check logistics, first‑week experience, and early role clarity. Keep it short (8–12 items) so new hires don’t feel overwhelmed.
- Suggested items: Q1–Q7, Q8–Q9, Q12–Q13, Q33–Q34, Q39, plus 1–2 open questions.
- Owner: HR sets up; manager follows up on individual issues (≤5 days after results).
- Use case: Fix missing access, weak welcomes, and unclear first tasks for the current cohort.
b) 60‑day onboarding survey (focus: enablement & support)
Goal: Understand if the new hire can perform core tasks, gets feedback, and manages workload. They now have enough experience to assess enablement quality.
- Suggested items: Q7, Q10–Q11, Q14–Q19, Q20–Q24, Q33–Q38, Q39–Q40, Q43, plus open questions.
- Owner: Manager and HR review together; agree on any extra coaching or training (≤10 days).
- Use case: Adjust training plans, fix repeated tool issues, and coach Führungskräfte on support habits.
Goal: Check culture fit, psychologische Sicherheit, and intent to stay. This survey closes the onboarding chapter and hands over to your regular engagement or performance cycles.
- Suggested items: Q21–Q26, Q27–Q32, Q35–Q42, Q43, plus open questions.
- Owner: HR consolidates results per cohort; managers discuss outcomes in the final onboarding 1:1 (≤14 days).
- Use case: Predict early attrition risk and identify teams with consistently strong or weak onboarding‑experience.
d) Onboarding survey for internal transfers
Internal moves need fewer questions but still benefit from structure. Focus on new expectations, team culture, and support from the new Führungskraft.
- Suggested items: Q8–Q13, Q18–Q19, Q20–Q25, Q30, Q33–Q38, Q39–Q41, selected open questions.
- Timing: 30 and 90 days post‑transfer, no full 60‑day survey.
- Use case: Track how well your internal talent marketplace and career moves land in practice.
e) Remote / fully distributed roles
For remote hires, emphasise virtual integration and communication norms. Blend this with your standard pulses.
- Suggested items: Q3, Q7, Q14–Q16, Q20, Q23–Q26, Q31, Q33–Q38, Q39–Q43, remote‑focused open question.
- Owner: Manager ensures regular video 1:1s; HR checks remote vs. office segments in reports.
- Use case: Close the gap where remote hires feel informed but not truly part of the team.
DACH‑specific notes: GDPR & Betriebsrat
In the DACH region, coordinate early with your Betriebsrat on survey scope, anonymity rules, and data usage. Keep questions focused on work context, not health or highly sensitive personal data. Define retention windows for raw responses (e.g. delete after 12–24 months) and restrict access to detailed comments to HR and selected Führungskräfte. Your global employee survey policies and tools for skill and development management should reflect the same GDPR standards.
Metrics to track over time
- Participation rate per survey wave (target ≥70 % at 30 days).
- Average scores by dimension (role clarity, enablement, manager support, belonging, workload).
- Share of cohorts with critical scores (avg <3.0) in any key area.
- Time‑to‑productivity indicators (e.g. first ticket closed, first project delivered) vs. onboarding scores.
- First‑year attrition rate by cohort, manager, and location.
Conclusion
Onboarding surveys give you a structured way to listen to new hires during the riskiest phase of the employment journey. Instead of guessing why someone leaves in month six, you see patterns around unclear roles, missing tools, weak feedback, or low belonging in the first 90 days. That improves retention and helps new colleagues reach productivity faster.
At the same time, these onboarding survey questions make 1:1 conversations more concrete. A manager doesn’t just ask “How is it going?” but can pick up: “You rated workload low; let’s reprioritise together.” Over time, cohorts create a data trail that shows which teams and sites run strong Einarbeitung—and where you need to coach Führungskräfte or update processes.
Next steps: pick one pilot area and implement the 30‑day pulse; load a slimmed‑down version of this question bank into your survey tool; agree response thresholds and owners with HR and managers. After one or two cohorts, review the results, document 2–3 concrete changes, and then expand to full 30/60/90‑day coverage. With a simple, repeatable loop, onboarding becomes a measurable part of your overall people strategy, not a black box.
FAQ
- How often should we run onboarding surveys?
For each new hire, 30, 60, and 90 days work well. 30 days checks logistics and first impressions; 60 days focuses on enablement and feedback; 90 days looks at culture fit and stay intent. Organisation‑wide, review aggregated onboarding results at least quarterly and connect them to turnover and performance data. - How long should the survey be?
For 30 days, aim for 8–12 closed questions plus one open text. At 60 and 90 days, 15–20 items are fine, since new hires have more context. If you use this full bank, create shorter blueprints per milestone. Always tell people how long the survey takes (e.g. “5 minutes”) to reduce drop‑off. - What if someone gives very low scores?
Treat any item ≤2 or NPS ≤6 as a red flag. Check the comments, then respond personally: the manager schedules a 1:1 within a few days, and HR joins if needed. Focus on listening first, then agree a small set of concrete actions. Document them and follow up in the next 1:1 or survey so the new hire sees that their feedback matters. - How anonymous should onboarding surveys be?
In larger cohorts, you can keep them fully anonymous and only act on patterns or very serious comments. In small teams, you might choose “confidential but not anonymous” surveys, clearly explain who sees what, and why. Many DACH companies mix both: anonymous for analytics, plus a few onboarding questions in regular, named 1:1s. Align setup with GDPR and your Betriebsrat. - Do onboarding surveys really improve retention?
Yes—if you act on them. Research from the Society for Human Resource Management shows that structured onboarding programmes are linked to higher engagement and lower turnover (SHRM: Onboarding Key to Retention). The survey itself doesn’t keep people; the value comes from using results to fix broken steps, coach managers, and improve each cohort’s experience compared to the last.
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.
