1. Clarify your survey purpose and goals
Before you start and build your questionnaire, it’s critical to define clearly what you Before building your questionnaire, take time to define what you want to learn and why. This will guide every decision that follows — from question design to action planning.
Ask yourself:
What do we want to know? (e.g. engagement, wellbeing, leadership, inclusion)
Why do we want to know it? How does it link to our people or organisational strategy?
What will we do with the data once we have it?
How will we know if we’ve been successful? (e.g. improved scores, lower turnover, stronger trust)
Who needs to be involved — senior leaders, HR, managers, communications teams?
👉 Tip: Clarity at this stage helps you select the right survey type and focus questions that will generate insights you can act on.
2. Define how you’ll use the results
The most valuable surveys are those that lead to visible action. Before launching, plan exactly how you’ll interpret and respond to the data.
Consider:
Who will have access to results (leaders, HR, managers, teams)?
At what level will you analyse responses (organisation, division, team)?
How will you share findings and decide priorities?
How will you close the feedback loop — showing employees what’s changing as a result of their input?
Employees quickly disengage if they don’t see outcomes from previous surveys. Building this into your plan early will make your process more credible and sustainable.
3. Choose the right survey type and scope
Within the People Insight platform, you can choose from several survey types — Engagement, Pulse, Lifecycle, or Custom. Each serves a different purpose:
Engagement Survey: broad, in-depth understanding of your culture and performance drivers.
Pulse Survey: shorter, more frequent check-ins to monitor progress.
Lifecycle Survey: captures experiences at key moments (e.g. onboarding, exit).
Match the survey type to your goals and your capacity to act. Avoid “survey fatigue” — it’s better to do fewer, well-timed surveys that lead to meaningful action.
4. Prepare your survey logistics
Before you start building your survey, make sure your logistics are ready.
Step | Description |
Upload your participant file | Ensure employee data (name, team, department, demographic tags) is accurate in the Panel Tab. |
Check hierarchy setup | Set up your organisational structure for reporting. |
Set survey parameters | Configure start and end dates, reminders, and anonymity settings in the Overview Tab. |
Design your survey | Add questions, apply branding, check translations in the Design Tab. |
Plan dashboards | Confirm who needs access to results and which filters or metrics they’ll use. |
Test access | Make sure all participants can access the survey (especially field or remote staff). |
5. Plan and execute excellent communication
Good communication can make or break a survey. Our research shows that well-timed, clear and authentic communication can increase response rates by up to 20 percentage points.
Here’s how to plan your comms at each stage:
🗣️ Pre-Survey Communication
Objective: Build understanding and trust before the survey launches.
Announce why you’re running the survey — link it to organisational goals and past commitments.
Explain what’s in it for employees: their feedback shapes real change.
Reassure about anonymity and confidentiality.
Share what to expect: survey length, timing, how to access it, and who to contact for support.
Encourage leaders and managers to talk about the survey in their own teams — personal endorsement drives engagement.
📬 During the Survey
Objective: Keep momentum and maximise participation.
Launch with a clear, positive message from a senior sponsor (e.g., CEO, HR Director).
Send friendly reminders midway through. Personalised nudges and manager encouragement make a big difference.
Share progress updates (e.g. “We’re at 65% response rate — can we reach 80% by Friday?”).
Make participation easy — include links in emails, intranet banners, or QR codes for mobile users.
📣 Post-Survey Communication
Objective: Close the loop and sustain engagement.
Thank participants for taking part and share high-level findings promptly.
Summarise key themes and explain what you’re doing next — even if detailed plans are still being developed.
Highlight early actions or commitments from leaders to show momentum.
Provide timelines for follow-up, deeper dives or manager-level action planning.
Remember: communication isn’t a one-off message — it’s a conversation that starts before the survey and continues long after.
👉 Need help?
If you’re not sure how to structure your communications, our People Insight consultants can help you create tailored comms plans, email templates, manager toolkits, and engagement materials to fit your culture and tone of voice.
6. Build trust and prepare your people
Trust underpins honest feedback. Employees will only respond candidly if they believe:
Their answers are confidential and can’t be traced back to them.
Leadership genuinely wants to listen and act.
The survey isn’t a tick-box exercise — it’s part of a real change effort.
To reinforce this trust:
Communicate transparently.
Encourage leaders to be visible sponsors.
Keep the survey short, relevant and easy to complete.
Share stories of action from previous surveys where possible.
7. Final Pre-Launch Checklist
✅ Clear purpose and survey goals defined
✅ Survey type and audience chosen
✅ Participant data and hierarchy uploaded
✅ Questions built, tested, and branded
✅ Survey settings configured
✅ Communications plan scheduled (pre-launch, reminders, post-survey)
✅ Dashboard and reporting access arranged
✅ Resources ready for analysis and action planning
In summary
Taking the time to prepare properly before launching your survey ensures you collect meaningful data that drives real action.
Plan your purpose, logistics, and communication upfront — and you’ll set the stage for higher participation, more trust, and stronger results.
If you’re unsure where to start, People Insight can guide you — from defining goals and designing questions to creating a tailored communication strategy and post-survey action planning framework.