Employee Surveys – Everything You Need to Succeed

Employee Surveys – Everything You Need to Succeed

Employee surveys are a powerful way to understand engagement, wellbeing, and how your organisation experiences change. But measuring alone isn't enough – the real value comes from understanding the results, acting on the insights, and following up over time.

Organisations that do this well work continuously with their results, involve managers and employees in the conversation, and turn insights into concrete actions. That way, surveys become a natural part of ongoing improvement – not a one-off exercise.

This guide walks you through the full process, from getting started to acting on results.

Define your purpose & goals

Understand why you're measuring and what you want to achieve

A clear goal makes it easier to interpret results and prioritise the right actions. Many organisations also use benchmarks to get an initial indication of where they stand.

Useful resources

Define a purpose and a plan for upcoming surveys

Medarbetarundersökningar - Användningsområden

KPI benchmark

How benchmarks are calculated

Communicate your plan – consistently

Build a smooth, ongoing way of working with the help of an annual calendar.

An annual survey calendar gives you a clear overview of the pulse surveys planned throughout the year, making it easier to plan ahead and set expectations. It also helps you communicate clearly – showing both what you measure and when.

A good tip: share the calendar internally so that managers and employees understand when surveys will happen and what to expect.

Once the process is running, the focus shifts to keeping things simple and building a natural rhythm across the organisation.

Useful resources: Yearly plan in Employee Survey

Boost participation & response rates

Lay the groundwork for high participation.

A high response rate is about more than sending reminders – it depends on a clear purpose, genuine involvement, and the right conditions in your organisation. This section gives you practical tips for increasing engagement and building a process that employees actually want to take part in.

Useful resources: How to achieve a high response rate

Results & insights

Understand what your results are really telling you

Results show direction – but the real value is created in how you interpret them and the conversations they spark. Here you'll find support for understanding what matters most and where to focus.

Useful resources: Working with results

Set your leaders up for success

Turn insights into concrete improvements

Real change only happens when results lead to dialogue and action. Focus on a few clear priorities and make sure your leaders have what they need to take the work forward with their teams.

Useful resources: Manager user guide

Keys to success

Make your surveys drive real impact

• Set a clear direction from the start – know what you want to understand and how results will be used
• Build a recurring structure where measuring, dialogue, and follow-up become a natural part of work
• Use results as a basis for conversation – that's where insights deepen
• Prioritise and focus – choose a few areas where you can actually make a difference
• Make sure managers have the right conditions to take results forward in their teams, with HR support where needed
• Communicate clearly what happens after a survey – it builds trust and increases engagement
• Follow up over time, for example through regular pulse surveys, to track progress and impact