Don’t limit employee feedback to mere job satisfaction ratings. Design an assessment that sparks continuous action and interaction.
For any company or department, this type of progress starts with a well-thought employee feedback template.
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As you surely known, gathering honest employee feedback via a digital assessment is not a simple matter of publishing an employee feedback form, verifying if nothing alarming pops up in the responses and then “getting on with it.”
It requires thoughtful planning, clear objectives, and a supportive environment. Here are a few guidelines to help ensure the feedback you retrieve is as honest and valuable as possible:
Striking the right balance between “performance review” (asking your respondent to self-assess their performance) and “employer review” (gauging your employee’s satisfaction about working in your organization) in your questionnaire is crucial to get well-rounded insights.
What the right balance is tends to depend on the exact situation. Below we’ve listed some approaches to striking the right balance and engaging employees in the process:
1. Equal emphasis on performance and satisfaction (50/50 split)
The most balanced approach is to give equal weight to both self-assessment and employer review.
This ensures that you gain insight not only into how employees perceive their own performance but also how they feel about their work environment, leadership, and overall job satisfaction. When employees are asked to evaluate both their performance and satisfaction, you get a more holistic view of their experience in the company.
Tip: Don’t just group the questionnaire into two sections. Rather mix up self-reflection and satisfaction questions intelligently but use custom scoring to categorize the results. In the video below, Pointerpro Product Director briefly explains the principle of custom scoring.
2. Dynamic weighting based on employee tenure
For newer employees, a focus on employer review may be more beneficial (e.g., 30% self-assessment, 70% satisfaction). New employees may not have a comprehensive understanding of their role or the company’s expectations, but their feedback on onboarding, management support, and team dynamics can be extremely valuable.
For long-tenured employees, the balance can shift towards performance review (e.g., 60% self-assessment, 40% satisfaction), as they may have more insight into their roles and contributions to the company’s success.
Tip: Personalize your questionnaire based on tenure. The way to do so is by using branching or “survey logic” in your assessment tool. In other words, you’d design the first set of questions to establish the respondents seniority in the company. In function of that, you can trigger diverse sets of follow-up questions. In the video below, Pointepro’s Stacy Demes briefly introduces the concept of “survey logic.”
3. Holistic feedback with a performance-satisfaction link (40/60 split)
Another option is to have a slight tilt towards employer review (60%) and 40% on self-assessment. The rationale here is that satisfied, engaged employees are more likely to perform better. By placing a bit more focus on employee satisfaction, you can identify areas where the work environment, leadership, and company culture may be affecting their ability to perform at their best.
Tip: Incorporate a questionnaire section that explicitly links performance with satisfaction. For example, ask employees to rate how much certain factors (e.g., management support, work-life balance, access to resources) affect their ability to perform well in their role. This allows you to connect the dots between how employees feel and how they perform.
4. Self-reflection focus with regular pulse surveys on satisfaction (70/30 split)
In cases where performance is crucial for the business (e.g., sales teams, fast-paced environments), the feedback form might focus more heavily on self-assessment (70%) with a smaller, ongoing focus on employer review (30%).
The rationale here is that detailed performance self-assessment can help identify gaps in skills or productivity while short, regular pulse surveys are used to monitor employee satisfaction on a more continuous basis.
Tip: Create a performance self-reflection section with both qualitative and quantitative questions. Include open-ended prompts like, “What skills do you think you need to develop to improve your performance?” and add objective metrics such as, “How often did you meet your performance targets this quarter?”
For employer review, incorporate quarterly pulse surveys with quick questions like, “On a scale of 1-10, how valued do you feel at work?” This keeps satisfaction tracking consistent without overwhelming employees.
5. Incorporating future-oriented questions (50/50 split)
Balance the feedback by focusing equally on past performance and future expectations. Employees can assess both their past performance and how the company can better support their growth.
This forward-looking approach helps align employee development with the company’s goals while also addressing satisfaction.
Tip: In the self-assessment section, add a future-oriented prompt like, “What are your key goals for the next quarter?” or “What skills would you like to develop?” In the employer review section, you could ask, “What resources or support could the company provide to help you achieve your goals?”
6. Customizing feedback for different roles (variable split)
Not all roles in the organization have the same needs for performance review or employer review. For roles with direct performance metrics (e.g., sales or production), more weight could be placed on self-assessment. For roles that are more collaborative or creative (e.g., marketing, R&D), satisfaction and work environment might play a bigger role in how well the employee performs.
Tip: Tailor the balance of questions based on the department or role. For example, ask team-specific questions in the employer review section like, “How satisfied are you with the collaboration tools provided?” for tech roles, or “How creative do you feel in your current work environment?” for more creative roles.
Whatever balance you choose to incorporate between “performance review” and “employer review,” don’t ever exclude self-appraisal from your employee feedback template.
Why? Self-appraisal in an employee feedback questionnaire gives people a chance to reflect on their own growth, skills, and achievements. It helps them take ownership of their performance and recognize their strengths. Of course, it also gets them to inpoint areas for improvement.
But most of all: It opens up the conversation with your manager about your goals and how they can support you in leveling up. It’s a powerful way to be actively involved in their personal and career development.
Here are 30 example questions for an employee feedback template, divided into 3 categories:
The approach to these employee feedback template questions combines Likert scales, multiple-choice, and frequency-based options to capture both qualitative and quantitative feedback. The Likert scale questions provide a nuanced view of perceptions and experiences, while multiple-choice questions with varied frequencies or levels of support offer straightforward, actionable insights. This mix helps gather comprehensive feedback on different aspects of managerial effectiveness and employee satisfaction.
Of course, you don’t have to stick to one employee feedback template. The advantage of an assessment platform like Pointerpro is you get to build as many questionnaires as you like. Here are a few examples of assessments that gather employee feedback, each with a different focus:
*The rise of DEI assessments reflects a growing recognition of the importance of fostering diverse and inclusive workplaces. Organizations are increasingly aware that a strong DEI framework not only promotes fairness and respect but also drives innovation, enhances employee satisfaction, and attracts top talent.
As societal expectations continue to evolve and businesses face increasing scrutiny from both employees and consumers, DEI assessments will remain crucial for evaluating and improving organizational practices.
Regularly assessing DEI helps identify and address gaps in inclusivity, uncovering biases and systemic barriers that might hinder employee engagement and performance.
For organizations, the benefits are substantial: improved employee morale, a more cohesive and creative team, and a stronger reputation as a socially responsible employer. By committing to ongoing DEI evaluations, companies can ensure they are meeting the needs of a diverse workforce, creating a more equitable environment, and positioning themselves as leaders in corporate responsibility.
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