Increase profitability by 23%
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Increase profitability by 23%
Boost productivity by 21%
Carrying out an employee survey is all well and good. In fact, we rather encourage it. However, it doesn’t matter how many surveys you carry out if your response rate is insufficient. Your data won’t be reflective, it won’t be useful and it won’t be actionable.
Your employee survey response rate reflects the proportion of your workforce that participates in your employee survey. A high response rate provides confidence that the feedback you receive is representative of your entire organisation. A low response rate, on the other hand, might just indicate employee disengagement, mistrust or broader cultural issues that need addressing.
In this guide, we’ll explore:
What constitutes a good employee survey response rate
Common barriers to participation
10 practical steps to boost your survey response rates
Related: 7 Ways to improve your HE survey participation rate
A good employee survey response rate typically falls between 70–80%, with 90% or more considered excellent. These benchmarks are based on People Insight’s all-sector data, but your survey dashboard should let you compare your performance with others in your industry.
A response rate below 70% could point to reluctance or resistance among your employees. To address this, you need to identify and remove barriers to participation — whether that’s improving your survey communication plan, enhancing trust in confidentiality or involving leadership in the process.
High response rates result in:
More reliable insights across the organisation
Actionable data at the team or demographic level
Greater employee trust in the process
Low participation, however, reduces the reliability of results and limits your ability to act confidently on employee feedback.
Quite a few organisational and structural factors can significantly affect your employee survey response rate. Understanding these influences can help you anticipate challenges and tailor your strategy to encourage participation across all employee groups.
Office-based employees are generally more likely to participate in surveys because they have regular access to computers and internet connectivity. In contrast, field-based or mobile staff (especially those without reliable internet or company devices) often find it harder to access and complete surveys. To boost response rates among these groups, consider using mobile-friendly survey formats, QR codes and providing shared devices in accessible locations.
In organisations where staff work closely together, physically or virtually, survey participation tends to be higher. Centralised teams benefit from stronger internal communication, making it easier to spread the word and build momentum. Remote or widely dispersed teams, on the other hand, may feel isolated or less engaged with central initiatives, making it essential to use multiple communication channels and personalised outreach to drive involvement.
Workplaces with a single, dominant language spoken by the majority of staff usually see better participation rates. When there are many different mother tongues, or when only a small proportion of employees speak the ‘official’ business language fluently, surveys may be misunderstood or ignored. Providing translated versions of the survey and communications in employees’ native languages can go a long way in overcoming this barrier and making all staff feel included.
Smaller organisations tend to achieve higher employee survey response rates because they often have more cohesive cultures, fewer communication layers and simpler approval chains. In contrast, large or complex organisations may struggle to coordinate messaging consistently across departments or geographies, leading to diluted engagement. In these cases, tailored messaging by region or department and strong leadership endorsement are critical.
Employees with greater control over their daily schedules, such as knowledge workers, typically have more flexibility to take part in surveys. Those working in tightly structured environments, like production lines or service roles, may find it difficult to step away from their tasks. To improve participation here, it’s important to schedule dedicated time during shifts and offer simple, fast survey formats that respect their time constraints.
Perhaps one of the clearest differentiators is whether employees are expected to complete surveys during work hours or in their own time. Allowing staff to respond during the workday shows that their input is valued and prioritised. Asking them to do it in their personal time, however, often results in lower engagement and resentment. Where possible, build survey time into the working day, whether during team meetings, at shift changes or via special drop-in sessions.
Poor timing is a common reason for low participation; but it’s also an easy fix. If your employee engagement survey launches when staff are on leave, in training or busy with other internal initiatives, it may go unnoticed.
Before choosing a launch date, consider your internal calendar and any external events. Avoid clashing with school holidays, peak workload periods or even major sporting events, which can distract staff and reduce engagement. A well-timed survey is far more likely to capture attention and responses.
To achieve high response rates, your survey needs to be visible and well promoted from start to finish.
Start with a strong, recognisable brand for your campaign. This could include a catchy name, logo and strapline. Humour and wordplay can work well. For example, Fuller’s used “Your Shout” and Bostik went with “Stick it to us.” These light-hearted approaches created a buzz and helped get employees on board.
Use multiple channels to reach all staff, including posters, desk drops and launch events for office-based teams. For remote or offline employees, rely on email, intranet posts and instant messaging, plus QR codes on printed materials to give quick access to the survey.
Don’t be afraid to send several reminder messages. Many people need a few nudges before they take part. Make sure every reminder explains what to do, when the survey closes and reassures staff about confidentiality. If you need help with your internal comms, we have an incredible survey communication team who provide a wealth of resources and help.
Employees may start the survey but abandon it if the experience is clunky or time-consuming. To prevent this, work with a survey provider that offers clear, intuitive technology.
The design of your survey matters too. Questions should be concise, neutral and easy to understand. For a full employee engagement survey, aim for around 35 questions, which should take about 15 minutes to complete. A shorter pulse survey might include 10 to 20 questions.
Incentives can be a useful way to boost survey awareness and participation, as long as they’re handled carefully.
Some organisations offer prize draws with vouchers or small gifts for participants. Others take a more collective approach, like making a charitable donation for every completed survey. The University of Surrey, for instance, planted a tree for each survey response and featured this message throughout their communications to highlight the positive impact of taking part.
Whatever method you choose, be mindful of confidentiality and make sure the incentive doesn’t compromise trust in the anonymity of responses.
Real-time dashboards allow you to track participation throughout the survey window. By checking in weekly, you can identify which teams or demographics need extra encouragement or support.
If a department is lagging, work with line managers to address any barriers. If field staff or part-time employees are underrepresented, consider adjusting your messaging to emphasise flexibility and confidentiality.
One of the biggest reasons people don’t complete surveys is simply a lack of time during the workday. This is especially true for production staff or shift workers who can’t easily take a break.
To address this, ask managers to schedule time specifically for the survey. Provide shared devices like tablets or workstations in communal areas. For hourly or part-time staff, consider holding informal sessions where they can complete the survey with refreshments and social interaction to create a more relaxed experience.
Endorsement from leaders and line managers can make or break your response rate. When leaders are visible, supportive and clear about why the survey matters, it encourages participation.
Managers should be briefed in advance so they feel confident discussing the survey and addressing any concerns. Survey champions (staff from different departments who act as internal ambassadors) can also help by promoting the survey, answering questions and encouraging colleagues to take part.
One of the most common reasons employees don’t take part is fear that their responses will be tracked back to them.
Reassure staff consistently that their responses are confidential. If you’re using an external survey partner, make it clear that they apply strict privacy standards and minimum reporting thresholds so individual answers can’t be identified. You can even share a short explainer video to show how survey data is handled and protect anonymity.
Survey fatigue isn’t about the number of surveys — it’s about the lack of action that follows. When employees feel their feedback doesn’t lead to change, they’re less likely to participate next time.When employees feel their feedback doesn’t lead to change, they’re less likely to participate next time.
Only run surveys as frequently as you can meaningfully respond to the results. If you run multiple pulse surveys or feedback loops, ensure you have the capacity to analyse and act on each one. Clear, timely communication about what’s being done helps to build trust and increase participation in future rounds.
The quickest way to erode trust in the survey process is to ignore the feedback. If people don’t see meaningful change, they will stop engaging.
Review your past surveys. If the statement “I believe action will be taken as a result of this survey” scored poorly, make this a priority. This time, commit to a visible and structured post-survey action plan. Refresh your branding, choose a senior leader to act as the face of the campaign and get managers involved early.
Set deadlines for reporting and action planning and update staff on progress. When employees see that their voices lead to real outcomes, they are far more likely to participate again.
Improving your employee survey response rate requires clear communication, visible leadership support and, most importantly, action. When employees see that their feedback leads to meaningful change, they’re more likely to engage in future surveys.
It won’t happen overnight, but with the right strategy and commitment, your participation rates will improve, along with trust and engagement.
Looking to carry out an employee survey? Get in touch for a walk-through of our platform and find out exactly how we can help you, and how we have helped thousands of companies, big and small, across the UK and beyond.
