Onboarding • 6 MIN READ
How to Design an Onboarding Feedback Survey That Actually Improves Things
APR 13, 2026
Asking new hires about their onboarding experience is only useful if you ask the right questions and act on what you hear.
When to survey and what to ask
Run two surveys: one at 30 days and one at 90 days. The 30-day survey focuses on the practicalities of joining: was the equipment ready? Did they receive the introductions they needed? Do they understand their role? Were their manager and HR accessible? The 90-day survey goes deeper: do they feel they belong? Do they understand the culture? Do they feel their manager supports their development? Would they recommend the organisation as a place to work? Keep each survey to eight questions or fewer; brevity dramatically increases completion rates.
Acting on the results
Survey data is only useful if it drives action. After each monthly cohort's 30-day results come in, hold a 30-minute review with the HR team: what scores are below your target? What do the open-text comments say? What was different about the experience for this cohort compared to the previous one? Assign someone to investigate and propose a change to the onboarding process within two weeks. At 90 days, share the results with hiring managers and hold them accountable for addressing any management-specific gaps before the next hire joins their team.
