Why Use Employee Survey Communication Templates?
Well-written employee survey communication templates can improve employee participation rates and we’re here to help with 17 templates you can use at your organization (find below). They anticipate and address common concerns.
“Advise employees from the outset that survey responses will be reported in aggregates only and kept absolutely confidential to ensure that everyone feels comfortable providing honest answers to the questions. Some employees may question the confidentiality of online surveys, given the ability to track IP addresses, e-mail addresses and other information. Having a third-party vendor conduct the survey usually helps assuage employees' fears of being identified on surveys.” - Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Skepticism around employee survey confidentiality, for instance, will never disappear. There are always going to be skeptics. But expertly worded assurances can convince some of the most disbelieving people that their opinions are as safe as gold bullion at Fort Knox. Especially when a third-party survey vendor is involved. And because these survey communication templates have been used by numerous organizations year after year, they’re a verifiably effective tool. The bonus is that your internal human resource staff can focus their time and effort on other important tasks. There’s no need to have someone plan what needs to be written. Or to craft messages when you can use and tailor templates like those from WorkTango. Simply and easily.
Key Survey Communication Messages
Thoughtful pre-survey communication:- Clarifies the purpose (WHY)
- Emphasizes the value of everyone’s opinion (WHO)
- Secures buy-in across ALL levels,
- Assures the survey is a safe platform for everyone to express themselves with candor
- Generates higher participation rates - which means more data for better analysis
Timing Your Employee Survey Communication
The ideal time to start talking loudly about a major full-population survey is six weeks in advance. Three weeks before deploying your annual or biennial employee engagement surveyor a baseline Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion survey, for example, internal communication should be in full force. Pulse surveys require far less of a communication push. But clarity of purpose, the value of every opinion, and confidentiality assurances are just as important.
Templates for the Entire Employee Life-Cycle
What do your employees think from their first onboarding experience to their last day on the job? Every bit of information you collect goes a long way towards creating a culture where people are engaged and your organization excels. It’s important, however, that your response rates mirror your workforce across departments and geographies, occupations and demographics. Otherwise, your results may be skewed. And skewed results aren’t going to give you the kind of reliable insights needed to make credible decisions. Effective employee survey communication templates play a huge role in helping to collect that feedback. Persuasive reasons for participating elevate response rates. Messages relayed with conviction and transparency kick it up a notch. And reminder notices lift response rates even higher. Keep in mind the timing of this correspondence is as important as the content.
17 Survey Communication Templates to Boost Employee Response Rates
Here are some free pre-survey communication templates, compliments of WorkTango.
Pre-Survey Leadership Notice - Sample 1
Leaders, As you’re all aware, in our ongoing efforts to improve the employee experience at <COMPANY NAME>, we're rolling out a <DESCRIPTION - i.e., short quarterly pulse survey> to ensure the voice of our people is being consulted and heard. So that we can collect authentic feedback, we have partnered with a third-party; WorkTango will ensure that all responses remain anonymous. No one in the organization will have access to information revealing sentiment sources. Confidentiality is a major consideration for us on this initiative, and echoing this message to the members of your team will help us build trust with our people. On <DATE>, all employees will receive an email with instructions inviting their feedback. We’re hoping for full participation, and ask for your support by encouraging everyone on your teams to provide their insights. Thank you very much in advance for your part in making this initiative a success.
Pre-Survey Leadership Notice - Sample 2
Leaders, In an effort to improve the employee experience at <COMPANY> we’re kicking off a survey initiative on <DATE> to help us better hear the voice of our employees. As part of this process, we want to empower you with insights from your team by giving you access to this data through a new WorkTango Employee Experience Platform. You'll be receiving an invitation in the near future to participate in a training webinar around the tool (and how to use it for your optimal advantage). Key points to keep in mind and communicate to others:
- To collect genuine, candid feedback we have partnered with WorkTango, a specialized third-party company offering Surveys & Insights in its Employee Experience Platform to ensure all responses remain confidential and anonymous.
- Although survey participation is voluntary, we hope everyone takes the opportunity to share their opinions.
- Each survey link is unique – please do not share your link with other colleagues.
- The minimum number of responses required for anyone in our organization to see aggregated segment level data (e.g., department, location, etc.) is <number>.
We’re excited about next steps and are here to support you throughout this process. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Pre-Survey Leadership Notice - Sample 3
Leaders, As you know, we’re kicking off a survey initiative on <DATE> to help us hear the voice of our employees and use data to improve the employee experience. One of the primary goals of this initiative is to give you visibility into your team’s data, so that these empowering insights around what’s going well and where improvements would be beneficial, can guide your leadership actions. The People Team at <COMPANY NAME> are here to support you every step of the way, especially when it comes to understanding the data and navigating challenges, so feel free to reach out. Key points to keep in mind and communicate to others:
- To collect genuine, honest feedback we've partnered with WorkTango, a specialized third-party company offering Surveys & Insights in its Employee Experience Platform to ensure all responses remain confidential.
- The minimum number of responses required for anyone in our organization to see aggregated segment level data (e.g., department, location, etc.) is <number>.
- Although survey participation is voluntary, we hope everyone takes the opportunity to share their opinions.
- Each survey link is unique – please do not share your link with other colleagues.
Keep a look out for a calendar invite scheduling training for the WorkTango Survey & Insights software we'll be using for this initiative.
Pre-Survey Notice to All Employees
Team, In an effort to continuously improve our employee experiences at <COMPANY NAME>, a <DESCRIPTION - i.e., short quarterly pulse survey> is being introduced to ensure everyone’s voice is consulted and heard. Your candor is key. So is anonymity. To that end, we have partnered with WorkTango, a specialized third-party company offering Surveys & Insights in its Employee Experience Platform to ensure all responses remain confidential. That means no executives, no leaders, no one in the organization, period, will have the ability to see individual responses. On <DATE> you will receive an email, with more instructions, inviting you to share your feedback. Please take this opportunity to participate. Thank you in advance for taking a few minutes to help make <COMPANY> an ever-better place to work!
Pre-Launch Reminders - For Employees
Team, As you know, our <DESCRIPTION - i.e., short quarterly pulse survey> is taking place on <DATE>. Please look out for an email from pulse@worktango.com with a link to the survey. Your link is unique, so please don't forward it to others. This enables WorkTango to track response rates and aggregate data (by location, department, etc.). The goal is for the entire organization to participate so that insights about the employee experience here at <COMPANY NAME> are heard, and drive meaningful improvements. Please contact <PROJECT CONTACT> with any questions or concerns.
Messaging to Reinforce Confidentiality & Position WorkTango [3rd-Party Survey Vendor]
Description: WorkTango helps companies hear the voice of their employees, which is integral in today’s rapidly changing workplace. The WorkTango Surveys & Insights platform creates a space for employees to confidentially offer their feedback and helps organizations get real-time insight to quickly act on feedback, make better decisions, and build a more aligned and engaged workforce.
Communication copy: We have selected WorkTango as a third-party vendor to ensure that everybody’s responses and comments remain confidential. That means no executives, no leaders, no one in the organization, period, will have the ability to see individual responses. Anonymity is a major consideration for this initiative as intentions are to use this honest feedback for better-decision making to improve everyone’s work experience. Please see WorkTango’s employee promise for more information.
Survey Invite Email Examples
The stage is set. It's time to launch. Suggested invitation components include:- Context - why this initiative matters
- Confidentiality and anonymity details
- Expiry date – when the survey needs to be completed by
- Approximate time survey takes to complete
General Survey Email Invite - Sample 1
Your opinion matters. We strongly believe our people make this organization unique. As we continue to evolve, employee engagement is critical to our future success. To achieve this, we must commit to a culture where we invest in constant process improvement built on employee feedback. Your input is important! Please complete this survey by <DATE & TIME>. It shouldn’t take more than X minutes. WorkTango, an independent vendo offering Surveys & Insights in its Employee Experience Platform is managing this initiative to protect the confidentiality of all responses. The end goal is to use consolidated feedback, including comments, to better understand how the employee experience at <THE COMPANY> can be improved. Thank you,
General Survey Email Invite - Sample 2
We are asking for your honest, uninhibited feedback to help improve the employee experience at <YOUR COMPANY>. The only way we can improve as an organization is by consulting and listening to the voice of employees. This is your opportunity to let us know how we’re doing as a company. Your feedback is confidential and anonymous to anyone within the organization. Please take X minutes to complete the survey by <EXPIRY DATE>. Thank you in advance for taking a few minutes out of your day to help make <YOUR COMPANY> an ever-better place to work!
Pulse Survey Email Invite (Quarterly/Monthly/Weekly)
Welcome to <DESCRIPTION - i.e., short quarterly pulse survey>, the first in a series of people-related surveys HR will be sending out each month/quarter. As you know, our annual engagement survey provides important insights at a point in time. But this initiative enables us to take a pulse check on a more frequent basis. It’s important that we continue to get your insights about your employee experience at <YOUR COMPANY>. This X-minute survey includes X questions focused on <TOPIC(S)> at <YOUR COMPANY>. If you run into any difficulties completing it, have questions, concerns, or any other feedback you’d like to share, please send it to support@worktango.com. Thanks for your support.
Specific Project Survey Email Invite
Your opinion is important! Please take a moment to respond to this brief survey about the <PROJECT/INITIATIVE> program at <YOUR COMPANY>. Your survey response is confidential and anonymous to anyone within our organization. Feedback will be used to improve how <PROJECT/INITIATIVE> is implemented, managed and communicated. The survey will close at <EXPIRY DATE> and should take less than X minutes to complete. If you have any questions or concerns, please email <INTERNAL CONTACT>.
Survey Reminder Email Notices
Reminder Email Notice #1
Subject: Reminder: We still haven’t heard from you! Hello there, You are receiving this email as a reminder to complete the <DESCRIPTION - i.e., short quarterly pulse survey> survey. This notice has been sent to you by means of our third-party survey vendor as data indicates you haven't yet or have only partially completed this employee voice survey. Please be assured your individual responses are confidential and anonymous. No executives, no leaders, no one in the organization, period, will have the ability to see individual responses. The employee survey will remain open until <DATE/TIME>. Your opinion matters and will help <COMPANY> continue building a positive workplace culture. Thank you!
Reminder Email Notice #2
Subject: Only X days left to provide your feedback Hi again, Your feedback is highly valued! Please participate in this <DESCRIPTION - i.e., short quarterly pulse survey> survey to provide insights about your experience at <COMPANY>. If you have questions about WorkTango or the <DESCRIPTION - i.e., short quarterly pulse survey> survey, please reach out to support@worktango.com. Reminder: Do not forward this email to other individuals - it is a unique link created just for you! Thank you!Reminder Email Notice #3
Subject: Last chance to provide your feedback! Our survey is nearly closing and we still haven’t heard from you! Our goal is to hear from as many employees as possible, and that means you! Please take a few minutes to offer your feedback by clicking the link below. As a reminder, your individual responses are confidential and anonymous to anyone at <COMPANY>. Thank you!
Reminder Email Notice - Extension (for use when survey close date has been extended)
Subject: Survey extended - last minute chance to provide your feedback! In an effort to improve response rates for a broader and more solid read on employee experience at <COMPANY> the survey deadline has been extended and will remain open until <DATE/TIME>. Please, take a few minutes to offer your valuable feedback. Change is in the wind – with your help. Thank you!
Reminder Email Notice - Response Rates Update Email for Leaders
Subject: Your team’s real-time participation rates Leaders, Below, please find our organization’s current response rates by X. Please gently encourage your team to participate. Our goal is to hear from as many employees as possible. And your support is both needed, and appreciated. If you or anyone on your team have any questions, please contact <PROJECT LEAD>. There are only X days left, so please make this a priority. Thanks in advance for your support in making <COMPANY> an ever-better place to work.
Response Rate live report example by Job Family.
Post-Survey Thank You ToAll
Team, Thank you for taking the time to participate in <DESCRIPTION - i.e., short quarterly pulse survey>. A participation rate of X% was achieved, which is <BELOW/MEETS/EXCEEDS> our goal. Our leaders have been provided results in aggregate and will begin to share with the broader organization within <TIMEFRAME>. Here’s what you can expect:
- Transparency – plans are underway to share the overall results with the entire organization as soon as possible
- Continuous active listening– we believe what gets measured gets improved, and this survey is one step in our strategy to improve the employee experience
- Action – leaders are being tasked with actioning the results and will be held accountable for implementing change
