Employee surveys are one of the most powerful tools in an HR professional’s arsenal. They are the voice of your organisation, providing crucial insights into engagement, motivation, and overall workplace health. However, a survey is only as valuable as the responses it receives. Low response rates can lead to skewed data and a flawed understanding of your people.

To get an accurate and actionable picture of your team’s sentiment, you need to aim for a high response rate. Here’s a breakdown of the key strategies to ensure your employees don’t just see your survey—they complete it.

1. Communicate Effectively

Don’t just send a survey and hope for the best. To boost response rates, you need a clear communication plan. According to HR consulting firms, getting managers on board and creating a pre-survey buzz can significantly increase participation (People Insight, 2024).

  • Pre-Survey Buzz: Notify managers and employees about the upcoming survey well in advance. Explain its purpose and the estimated time it will take to complete. This allows people to set aside time and feel prepared.
  • Post-Survey Action: Crucially, you must communicate the results and the actions you’ll take based on the feedback. Employees are more likely to participate if they know their voices are being heard and that their responses will lead to positive change (Alchemer, 2024).

2. Keep it Short and Focused

Employee time is valuable. A long, cumbersome survey is a major deterrent. Research has consistently shown that longer surveys lead to lower response rates and higher non-response bias (GU.se, 2022).

  • Prioritise Quality over Quantity: Focus on a small number of questions that target your specific goals. Pulse surveys, for example, are a quick, effective way to get real-time feedback on a single topic without overwhelming your team.
  • Set Expectations: Always let employees know how long the survey will take. A quick two-minute pulse check is far more appealing than an un-timed, open-ended questionnaire.

3. Use Rating Scales and Limit Open-Ended Questions

While open-ended questions can provide rich, qualitative data, they can also be a barrier to completion.

  • Make it Easy: Most employees prefer the simplicity and speed of rating systems. Scales (e.g., “1 to 5”) make questions easier to answer, surveys faster to complete, and the data simpler to analyse.
  • Be Strategic: Limit open-ended questions to one or two per survey. Reserve these for topics where you genuinely need in-depth, qualitative feedback. This ensures you get the data you need without sacrificing your response rate (SurveyMonkey, 2024).

4. Provide Reminders and Alerts

In a busy work environment, a survey can easily be forgotten. Automated reminders are essential to ensure employees have every opportunity to complete it.

HR systems can be set up to:

  • Send a notification when a new survey is released.
  • Automatically send reminders to employees who haven’t yet completed the survey.

This automation ensures your survey stays top-of-mind without requiring manual, time-consuming follow-ups.

5. Guarantee Anonymity and Build Trust

This is arguably the most critical factor for increasing response rates and, more importantly, getting honest feedback. According to a 2025 report by CultureMonkey, up to 33% of people don’t fully trust their employer, making anonymity a non-negotiable for collecting candid responses (CultureMonkey, 2025).

  • Promise Privacy: Clearly communicate that responses are anonymous and that individual results cannot be traced back to them.
  • Deliver on the Promise: Use a trusted HR platform that guarantees anonymity. When employees are confident that their feedback is private, they feel empowered to provide candid and critical answers without fear of negative consequences.

6. Reward Participation

While rewards shouldn’t be the sole motivator, they can provide a valuable incentive to boost participation. Research shows that offering incentives can increase both response and completion rates, and it can also strengthen the relationship with participants by showing appreciation for their time (Qualtrics, 2024).

  • Focus on Value: The reward doesn’t have to be expensive. Something as simple as a team lunch, an extra half-hour off on a Friday, or an entry into a prize draw can dramatically increase engagement.
  • Be Fair: Consider rewarding every employee who completes the survey, rather than just a select few. This promotes a sense of shared goal and appreciation.

The right technology can make all the difference. An HRIS platform can help you automate your surveys, guarantee anonymity, and provide the analytics you need to act on the results.

Ready to capture meaningful feedback from your team? Discover how EmployeeConnect can help you design and automate your employee surveys, ensuring high response rates and valuable insights. Book a demo today at www.employeeconnect.com.