Employee onboarding is a critical process that can shape how quickly and successfully a new team member integrates into the company. A well-structured onboarding not only boosts engagement but also enhances long-term retention.
But how do you know if your orientation process is hitting the mark? By using new hire onboarding surveys.
Brandon Hall Group found that a solid onboarding process can supercharge results—boosting new hire retention by 82% and shooting up productivity by over 70%!
An onboarding survey is a tool for gathering feedback from your new hires. It helps you understand their first impressions and identify areas for improvement. With the right questions and a clear template, you can gain actionable insights that set the stage for a more effective onboarding process.
In this article, we’ll show you how to conduct these surveys and achieve all your onboarding goals.
How to Conduct New Hire Onboarding Surveys (Questions + Template)
- Understanding Employee Onboarding Surveys
- Top 35 Questions to Ask in an Employee Onboarding Survey
- Feedback on the recruitment process
- Employee’s understanding and alignment with organizational objectives
- Onboarding experience and induction programs
- Role clarity and expectations
- Organizational culture and values assimilation
- Team integration and relationship with mentors
- Training provided and overall job satisfaction
- Designing an Effective Employee Onboarding Survey and Best Practices
- Processing and Implementing Feedback from Employee Wellness Surveys
Summarize this article for me pleaseUnderstanding Employee Onboarding Surveys
For starters, let’s understand the essence of onboarding surveys.
An onboarding survey is a set of questions given to new employees shortly after they join, in order to get feedback on their initial experiences with the company. It includes questions about the onboarding program, training, and company expectations.
An onboarding survey:
- Improves overall onboarding effectiveness, leading to better retention and satisfaction
- Helps identify gaps or areas for improvement in the onboarding process
- Ensures new employees feel heard and supported from day one
- Enhances engagement by fostering open communication and feedback
- Provides valuable insights into new hires’ first impressions and experiences
Studies show up to 20% of employee turnover happens within the first 45 days of employment. A well-structured onboarding process can help reduce this risk by providing actionable insights that make the onboarding process smoother.
Summarize this article for me pleaseTop 35 Questions to Ask in an Employee Onboarding Survey
New hires typically receive 54 tasks on average to complete during the onboarding process. That’s why getting their feedback is crucial—to ensure the onboarding experience is smooth, not a mountain of to-dos to conquer!
Let’s explore 35 impactful new hire onboarding survey questions that can help you refine your onboarding strategy and create a welcoming environment for new employees.
Feedback on the recruitment process
You’ve made it through the interview whirlwind and got your organization’s desired candidate. Now, it’s time to reflect on your experience with the candidates you interviewed.
These questions will help you gain feedback on the recruitment process and understand what you could have done better as a hiring/onboarding manager:
- How would you rate your overall experience with the hiring process?
- The pre-boarding process helped me feel excited about my new role.
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neither Agree nor Disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly Disagree
- I received timely feedback and updates throughout the recruitment process.
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neither Agree nor Disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly Disagree
- The job description provided to me during the hiring process was clear and detailed.
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neither Agree nor Disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly Disagree
- What’s the one thing that you would improve in the recruitment process for a better candidate experience?
Employee’s understanding and alignment with organizational objectives
A Gallup study shows that not even 50% of employees strongly agree that they know what their company stands for.
Use the following questions on your onboarding surveys to pinpoint the problem areas and find solutions quickly:
- The company’s goals and objectives were clearly discussed during your onboarding sessions.
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neither Agree nor Disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly Disagree
- I feel aligned with the company’s long-term strategic objectives.
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neither Agree nor Disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly Disagree
- I clearly understand the company’s key performance indicators (KPIs) and how they relate to my role.
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neither Agree nor Disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly Disagree
- During onboarding, I was provided with sufficient information about the company’s short-term and long-term goals.
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neither Agree nor Disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly Disagree
- I feel equipped and prepared for my new role.
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neither Agree nor Disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly Disagree
Also Read: 11 Best Employee Engagement Software
Onboarding experience and induction programs
The onboarding experience and induction programs help new hires adapt to the company’s culture and work ethic.
The following onboarding survey questions can help assess the effectiveness of these programs:
- How satisfied are you with the overall onboarding process (on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest level of satisfaction)?
- Was the onboarding process well-organized and easy to follow? (Yes/No)
- Were the orientation sessions informative and relevant to your role? (Yes/No)
- How effective was the onboarding software/materials in helping you understand the company and your role? (on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the least and 5 being the most effective)
- Did the induction program include training on the company’s tools, systems, and software relevant to your role? (Yes/No)
Role clarity and expectations
Unclear job expectations are a common reason for early employee turnover. If new hires feel overwhelmed or misaligned with their jobs, they can’t perform their best and eventually quit quietly.
Onboarding feedback about their role clarity can help you quickly identify where the new joiners are struggling and resolve these issues. Try employee onboarding survey questions like:
- Does the role align with your short and long-term career goals? (Yes/No)
- Do you feel your role aligns with the skills and experiences you were hired for? (Yes/No)
- How clearly have the career progression opportunities within your role been communicated to you?
- Did the onboarding process prepare you for your day-to-day tasks and responsibilities? (Yes/No)
- Do you understand how your performance will be reviewed and assessed? (Yes/No)
Organizational culture and values assimilation
Understanding and embracing the organizational culture early on helps new hires adapt quickly to their new environment. Onboarding surveys can gauge how well new hires understand and embody these values.
The following questions will help gather insights into whether the organizational culture is effectively communicated and embraced:
- How aligned do you feel your values are with the company’s values?
- How inclusive do you find the company culture based on your onboarding program?
- Were you encouraged to participate in cultural activities or events during your onboarding? (Yes/No)
- Do you feel included in the overall company culture? (Yes/No)
- How well do you understand the company’s core values and how they influence daily operations?
Team integration and relationship with mentors
A good relationship with their mentor encourages the new hires to learn and implement new ideas in their work. According to an employee retention report from TINYpulse, employees who rate their mentor or manager’s performance as subpar are four times more likely to look for a new job.
Onboarding surveys must assess how well new hires integrate into their teams and whether they receive adequate support from mentors. Try including some of these questions:
- Did you feel welcome by your team members during your first week? (Yes/No)
- Have you had the opportunity to meet and interact with all key team members? (Yes/No)
- How effectively did your mentor address any concerns or questions you had? (on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the least and 5 being the most effective)
- What additional support or resources would have helped you integrate more smoothly into the team?
Training provided and overall job satisfaction
The quality of training provided during onboarding significantly impacts a new hire’s confidence and ability to perform their job effectively. Use these questions to evaluate your training process:
- How would you rate the quality of the initial training on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)?
- Were the training materials and resources provided to you comprehensive and helpful? (Yes/No)
- How satisfied are you with the pace of the training provided? (on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest level of satisfaction)
- Were there any areas where additional training or resources are needed?
- How would you rate our current training software on a scale of 1 to 5?
- How likely are you to recommend this company to a friend or colleague based on your onboarding experience?
- Very likely
- Somewhat likely
- Not likely at all
- Does the onboarding training help you understand the structure and process we follow in our company? (Yes/No)
With these questions, you can create impactful surveys that gather valuable insights. Now, let’s explore how to design effective surveys that drive meaningful improvements.
Summarize this article for me pleaseDesigning an Effective Employee Onboarding Survey and Best Practices
Creating an effective employee survey is more than just asking the right questions. It’s also about delivering the survey efficiently and ensuring you get the most out of the feedback provided.
There are several user-friendly employee survey software available that refine your survey process. The right tools can help by:
- Simplifying survey creation with easy-to-use templates and customization options
- Increasing engagement with visually appealing, user-friendly surveys
- Centralizing data collection and analysis, making it easier to collaborate and improve processes
- Automating follow-ups and reminders to ensure maximum participation
One such tool is ClickUp.
Send out surveys via trusted platforms—ClickUp
ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity platform that streamlines task management, collaboration, and data collection. For onboarding surveys, it can create customized forms, track responses, and use built-in feedback form templates to ensure a smooth feedback process for new hires.
Here’s how ClickUp can elevate your employee onboarding surveys.
Creating survey forms
Ideal for building customized surveys, the ClickUp Form View lets you create specific fields and questions tailored to your organization’s needs. You can also create anonymous surveys, customize thank-you messages, and tailor every detail to encourage honest employee feedback and boost engagement.
Collating data gathered from surveys
Use ClickUp Docs to store survey insights, collaborate on improvements, and keep everything in one place for easy access.
After each survey, compile responses into a dedicated document, where you can organize feedback by themes, track trends, and note actionable insights. Team members can collaborate seamlessly, adding comments or suggesting edits directly in the document, so ideas for improvements are easy to capture and refine in real time.
Using readymade templates
With pre-built ClickUp Templates, you can focus on improving the process rather than designing it. We’ve listed the best templates that can help you improve your onboarding process.
The ClickUp Onboarding Checklist Template
The ClickUp Onboarding Checklist Template streamlines onboarding with a comprehensive checklist, step-by-step task instructions, and real-time progress updates to ensure nothing is missed.
With this task template, you can improve your onboarding process by adding Custom Statuses, such as ‘In Progress,’ ‘Completed,’ and ‘Pending Review,’ to monitor each task’s progress. Use Custom Fields for essential employee details like Job Title and Work Email and leverage various Custom Views to tailor your ClickUp workflow.
ClickUp Onboarding Checklist Template allows you to:
- Equip new hires with all the essential information for a smooth start
- Speed up the process of getting employees up to speed
- Deliver a consistent onboarding experience for every new team member
- Minimize the risk of onboarding errors or miscommunication
ClickUp’s Employee Onboarding Templates
ClickUp offers two employee onboarding templates for users.
The first ClickUp Employee Onboarding Template transforms your employee onboarding process by offering a clear framework with a detailed checklist, designated task assignments, and automatic reminders to ensure everything stays organized.
Implement Custom Statuses like ‘In Progress,’ ‘Completed,’ and ‘Pending Review’ to effectively monitor task progress. Utilize Custom Fields to gather essential details such as Job Title, Work Email, and Department, and explore various Custom Views to personalize your setup.
This ClickUp Employee Onboarding Template helps you:
- Ensure a seamless transition for new employees, helping them adjust to their roles quickly
- Provide an efficient setup process that equips new hires with the tools they need to succeed
- Increase employee engagement and job satisfaction by delivering a consistent onboarding experience
- Reduce the time it takes for new hires to become productive team members while minimizing onboarding errors and enhancing communication
If using the above template sounds complex, you can use the other ClickUp Employee Onboarding Template, which is more beginner-friendly.
This template ensures you have everything you need to hit the ground running (without the overwhelm):
- Organize and track onboarding tasks for new hires
- Ensure all onboarding steps are completed with Custom Fields and Subtasks
- Assign responsibilities and outline key goals for the new role
- Provide resources and key contacts for support during the onboarding process
The ClickUp New Hire Onboarding Template
The ClickUp New Hire Onboarding Template transforms the onboarding experience into a seamless process. Its well-structured framework, clear task directions, and live progress tracking keep everything on course.
With the ClickUp New Hire Onboarding Template, you can:
- Equip your new hires with essential resources to gain a headstart in their roles
- Shorten the time needed for them to adapt and contribute to the team
- Foster an onboarding process that is consistent and enhances employee satisfaction
- Mitigate potential miscommunications and errors during the onboarding phase
The ClickUp Remote Onboarding Template
Finally, the ClickUp Remote Onboarding Template makes remote onboarding easier and more efficient by offering a clear plan, step-by-step instructions, and real-time tracking to keep everything on track.
Use it to:
- Give your remote employees all the tools and resources they need to succeed
- Help them adjust to the team quickly, even while working from home
- Create a consistent onboarding experience that keeps remote employees engaged
Ask the right questions
Focus on gathering insights that will help improve the onboarding experience, from role clarity to team integration. With ClickUp Brain, ClickUp’s built-in and multipurpose AI assistant, generating the right onboarding questions becomes effortless.
Simply input the focus areas you want to explore, like role clarity or team integration, and ClickUp Brain will instantly suggest relevant, well-structured questions.
Ensure anonymity
Want honest feedback? Go anonymous! When new hires know their identity is a secret, they’re more likely to spill the real tea. With ClickUp Forms, you can create anonymous surveys that keep names out of it, encouraging people to be candid about their onboarding experience.
👀 Did you know? Anonymous surveys can get response rates of over 90%!
Keep it short
Quality over quantity is key—shorter surveys get more responses.
👉🏼 And here’s a fact: surveys that take over 25 minutes lose more than three times as many respondents as those under five minutes!
So, let ClickUp Brain help you keep it brief and impactful, ensuring more people complete your survey and provide valuable feedback.
Create a communication plan
Ensure everyone knows what’s expected regarding participation, and send out reminders to help collect responses. You can use ClickUp Automations to set up reminders that will go out automatically so nobody forgets to complete the survey.
This way, you’ll increase your chances of getting more thoughtful answers without chasing people down.
Offer incentives
Get employees excited to participate by offering fun incentives to complete the survey! This way, everyone knows there’s a sweet reward waiting for them, making it more likely they’ll jump in and share their thoughts!
Send a thank-you message
Remember to say “thank you!” It’s like giving them a virtual high-five! Just a little message to show that you care about their feedback can boost their engagement and keep the good vibes going.
By following these best practices and using tools like ClickUp, you can design surveys that truly improve your onboarding process.
Summarize this article for me pleaseProcessing and Implementing Feedback from Employee Wellness Surveys
The real value of onboarding surveys comes from how you process and act on the feedback. Let’s look at how you can do this.
Analyzing and interpreting results
Start by looking for trends and key issues in the survey results. The numbers (quantitative data) can reveal patterns, while comments (qualitative feedback) provide valuable insights into specific concerns. This analysis helps you prioritize actions that will most impact employee well-being.
Want to make analyzing survey results even easier? Check out ClickUp Dashboards!
They provide real-time data visualization and progress tracking so you can stay updated on survey outcomes and encourage more employees to share their thoughts in future surveys.
ClickUp’s Engagement Survey Action Plan Template can then help you determine the best steps based on the survey findings.
Here are some benefits of this template:
- It offers a clear method for analyzing survey data
- It helps pinpoint areas for improvement and set achievable goals
- It allows you to develop a practical plan for boosting employee engagement
- It enables you to monitor progress and assess the effects of your changes
Using data to improve performance and reduce turnover
Wellness surveys can provide insights into factors affecting productivity and engagement. Addressing the issues raised can prevent burnout and reduce turnover. When employees see that their feedback leads to real change, it boosts their motivation and performance.
Monitoring progress and making necessary changes
Keep track of how your changes are impacting the workplace! Review metrics like engagement and turnover regularly to ensure you’re on the right path. This will allow you to make timely adjustments and enhance the employee experience.
Evaluating improvements in performance indicators and productivity
After implementing changes, it’s important to evaluate their effectiveness. Consider creating a 30-60-90 day plan to help assess your wellness initiatives.
Comparing data from before and after the surveys will help you see how well your wellness initiatives work. Monitoring satisfaction, productivity, and retention improvements ensures your programs meet employees’ needs.
Relying on Human Resource Management Systems
HR management platforms are essential for keeping your data organized. These systems help you manage survey results, offering tools to store, sort, and analyze feedback efficiently. With everything in one place, spotting areas needing attention is easier.
ClickUp’s HR Management Software makes it easy to keep track of employee information, performance, and tasks.
Summarize this article for me pleaseElevate your onboarding experience using ClickUp
By conducting thoughtful new hire onboarding surveys, you can create an experience that resonates with your employees and sets them up for success.
Companies that invest in understanding their new hires’ needs—much like industry leaders do—will build a strong foundation for engagement and retention. A mechanism for providing feedback to your employees to drive positive outcomes will always be a cherry on top.
As you create your surveys, use ClickUp to simplify the process and keep everything on track. Get started with ClickUp today!
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