Employee experience surveys are short surveys that measure what employees go through at critical moments in their time with the organization, from candidacy to exit. Unlike the annual engagement survey, each one is run right after the relevant moment, with questions specific to that moment: orientation at onboarding, adjustment on day 90, the transition process at promotion, reasons for leaving at exit, and so on. Below you will find sample questions for every stage of the lifecycle, along with tips on how to run these surveys.
- Employee experience is the sum of an employee's perceptions across every touchpoint they have with the organization, from candidacy to exit.
- Experience surveys are short surveys tailored to critical moments in the lifecycle: onboarding, day 90, promotion, return from leave, exit.
- Engagement is an outcome, and experience is the set of inputs that produces it; measuring both together shows which moments affect engagement.
- Because these surveys go to small groups, results should be reported in aggregate on a quarterly or annual basis.
Employee experience and engagement
Employee experience is the sum of an employee's perceptions across every touchpoint they have with the organization: from the recruitment process to the first day, from the tools they use to their conversations with their manager, from the promotion process to their last day. Engagement is the bond with the organization, intent to stay and willingness to make an extra effort that result from these experiences.
In other words, experience is the input and engagement is the outcome. The annual engagement survey shows the outcome; experience surveys show which moments produced it. We explain what an engagement survey measures in our post on what an employee engagement survey is.
Experience surveys across the lifecycle
| Stage | When? | What does it measure? |
|---|---|---|
| Candidate experience | At the end of the application process (for both hired and rejected candidates) | Clarity, speed and fairness of the recruitment process |
| Onboarding | At the end of the first week | Pre-start preparation, the first day and the welcome |
| Orientation and adjustment | On day 30 and day 90 | Understanding the role, fitting into the team, expectations being met |
| Development and performance | After performance reviews and training | Usefulness of feedback, development support |
| Promotion and role change | A few weeks after the change | Fairness of the transition and support during it |
| Major life events | On return from extended leave (e.g., parental leave) | Support and flexibility during the return |
| Exit | Once the exit is confirmed | Reasons for leaving and overall experience |
Candidate experience questions
- The application process was clear and easy to understand.
- Throughout the process, I was kept informed about next steps in a timely manner.
- I was treated with respect in the interviews.
- The information I received about the position was realistic and complete.
- Regardless of the outcome, I would recommend this organization to others as a place to work.
The views of candidates who were not hired are also valuable for the employer brand; consider sending this survey to all candidates.
Onboarding (first week) questions
- I received the information I needed before my first day.
- On my first day, my computer, access rights and workspace were ready.
- My team welcomed me warmly.
- During my first week, I knew who to go to for what I needed.
- At the end of my first week, I feel I made the right decision in choosing this organization.
Orientation and adjustment (day 30 and day 90) questions
- I clearly understand my role and responsibilities.
- My job matches what was described to me during the recruitment process.
- The orientation program prepared me well to start my job.
- My manager met with me regularly during my first months.
- I feel I belong to my team and the organization.
- I have received the training I need to do my job.
- I can see myself still working at this organization a year from now.
Departures within the first year often stem from problems at this stage, which is why the day-90 survey is one of the most critical experience surveys. We covered the types of surveys used during the onboarding process in our post on recruitment surveys.
Development and performance questions
After a performance review:
- My performance review was useful for my development.
- The feedback I received in the review was concrete and clear.
- My goals for the coming period are now clear.
- I believe the evaluation was fair.
After training:
- The training I received was directly relevant to my job.
- I will be able to apply what I learned in the training to my work.
- My manager gives me opportunities to apply what I have learned.
Promotion and role change questions
- The promotion or role change process was transparent and fair.
- The expectations of my new role were clearly explained to me.
- I received enough support during my transition to my new role.
- I have access to the training I need in my new role.
Sending a short survey to employees whose internal applications were not accepted is also useful for understanding trust in internal mobility:
- It was clearly explained to me why my application was not accepted.
- I would consider applying internally again in the future.
Return from leave questions
These are used after periods such as parental leave or extended medical leave. The questions should focus on the organization's support during the return, not on the person's individual circumstances.
- During my leave, the organization kept in touch with me as much as I wanted.
- When I returned, I received support in getting back up to speed.
- On my return, I was given the flexibility I needed.
- I do not feel my leave has affected my career opportunities.
Everyday work experience questions
Beyond lifecycle moments, the areas that make up an employee's day-to-day experience should also be measured. These questions can be added to the annual survey or to pulse surveys:
- Digital experience: The systems and tools I use make my job easier. I can easily find the information I need. When I have a technical problem, I get support quickly.
- Physical environment: My work environment helps me do my job efficiently.
- Hybrid work: I can work equally productively on days in the office and on days working remotely.
- Processes: I do not have to deal with unnecessary approvals and bureaucracy to do my job.
- Internal services: I receive the services I need from support functions such as HR, IT and administrative services in a timely manner.
Exit questions
Exit is the final, and most candid, moment of the experience journey. You can find detailed sample questions in categories such as reasons for leaving, manager, career and pay in our post on exit survey questions.
Common questions to add to every survey
Adding the same two questions to every experience survey makes it possible to compare different moments with one another:
- On a scale of 0 to 10, based on this experience, how likely are you to recommend this organization to a friend as a place to work?
- If there were one thing you would like us to change about this process, what would it be? (open-ended)
The recommendation question can be scored the same way as eNPS; we explain the calculation in our post on what eNPS is.
How should experience surveys be run?
- Send them close to the moment: Send the survey right after the relevant experience. Ask about an experience weeks later and the answers tend to reflect a general impression.
- Automate them: Use events in your HR system, such as start dates, promotions or returns from leave, to trigger surveys automatically.
- Keep them short: Do not exceed 5–10 questions in any moment-specific survey. Employees who receive several surveys a year may develop survey fatigue; we covered ways to protect participation in our post on employee survey response rates.
- Report in aggregate: The number of employees who start or are promoted in a given month is usually small. To protect anonymity, report results in aggregate on a quarterly or annual basis, not individually, and only when a minimum group size is reached. For details, see our post on anonymity and KVKK in employee surveys.
- Assign an owner: Every moment should have an owner: the recruitment team can be responsible for candidate experience, HR business partners for orientation, and managers for their teams' adjustment. Results should be shared with these people regularly.
How should the results be used?
- Map the journey: Put the scores for each stage side by side and find the weakest moment in the employee journey.
- Read them alongside engagement: Compare experience survey results with the results of the annual engagement survey. For example, look at where new employees with low engagement scored low in their day-90 surveys.
- Match them with behavioral data: First-year turnover is the most important validation data for orientation and adjustment surveys. We explain how these metrics are calculated in our post on how to measure employee engagement.
- Track change: Track the impact of a process improvement in the next round of the same survey.
Frequently asked questions
What is an employee experience survey?
Employee experience surveys are short surveys that measure what employees experience at critical moments in their time with the organization (such as onboarding, orientation, development, promotion, return from leave and exit). Unlike the annual engagement survey, they are run close to the time the employee goes through that moment.
What is the difference between employee experience and employee engagement?
Employee experience is the employee's perception across every touchpoint they have with the organization; engagement is the bond with the organization, intent to stay and willingness to make an extra effort that result from this experience. Experience is the input; engagement is the outcome.
When should an employee experience survey be run?
Each survey is run right after the relevant moment: one week after starting, on day 30 and day 90, a few weeks after a promotion or role change, on return from extended leave, and once an exit is confirmed. A general experience or engagement survey can also be run once a year.
How many questions should an employee experience survey have?
For moment-specific surveys, 5–10 questions are enough. Because these surveys arrive at different times during the year, keeping them short helps prevent survey fatigue.
