Survey response rate: what is it and what influences it
12 minute read
When it comes to employee surveys and customer feedback, aiming for a high response rate is often seen as the goal, but it’s important to look beyond the numbers.
A perfect survey completion rate can hide issues. Employees or potential respondents may feel pressured to participate, which can lead to less genuine feedback. Conversely, a low response rate might not provide a full picture of your workforce’s views or the opinions of survey respondents in customer surveys.
The key is to find a balance where the feedback is both authentic and representative of your entire team or sample size.
What is and what isn’t a survey response rate?
Your employee survey response rate is the percentage of completed survey responses. It’s a snapshot of how engaged your workforce is with the survey invitation process.
Survey research uses this metric to determine the success of a completed survey. Don’t confuse this with metrics like survey completion rate, which indicates how many people completed versus those that started the survey.
To calculate it, divide the number of responses by the total invitations sent, then multiply by 100 to get a percentage.
For instance, if you send a survey to 500 employees and get 250 responses, your response rate is 50%.
Participation rate vs. response rate
The participation rate is the percent of employees who started the survey, no matter if they completed it.
A high participation rate but a low response rate suggests employees were interested in the survey. But, they may have dropped off due to its length, confusion, or lack of relevance.
A high response rate means many employees finished the survey. That’s great for getting complete feedback.
If your participation is high but completion is low, it might be time to shorten or simplify your survey to encourage follow-through.
Understanding the difference between these metrics helps identify areas for improvement. If participation is high but the response is low, consider making the survey shorter or more engaging to boost completion.
Response rate vs. completion rate
The completion rate tells you how many participants finished the survey compared to those who started it. This is a useful metric for gauging how engaging or user-friendly your survey is. For example, if you have a high response rate but a low completion rate, it might suggest that the survey is too long or difficult to complete.
You should analyze survey results with consideration of the response rate, as a low response rate may skew the overall findings and provide an incomplete picture of employee sentiment. You can also find areas for improvement. For instance, if the completion rate is low, you might want to revisit the survey design or provide clearer instructions.
Why is an employee survey response rate important?
Your survey’s response rate is crucial for ensuring that the feedback collected is accurate. A high customer feedback or Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey response rate ensures your data is actionable.
A low response rate could result in nonresponse bias. It may only represent a fraction of your workforce, potentially those who are either highly satisfied or particularly dissatisfied, leading to a biased view that doesn’t capture the full spectrum of employee sentiment.
While high response rates are ideal and a high employee engagement index, it’s essential to also focus on the quality of the feedback collected. High response rates are often seen as a success marker, but they can sometimes mask issues like rushed or incomplete responses.
To achieve reliable survey data, it’s essential to aim for a valid and high response rate that truly reflects the collective opinions of your entire team. This involves not only encouraging participation but also ensuring that the survey process is accessible, straightforward, and perceived as worthwhile by your employees.
Additionally, consider follow-up reminders and clear communication about how the feedback will be used, which can help increase participation and, ultimately, the usefulness of the data collected.
What impacts the survey response rate?
Many factors can affect your survey response rate. Knowing these can help you design surveys that boost genuine participation without hurting data quality.
Survey timing
The timing of your survey can have a significant impact on response rates. Sending out email surveys at busy times, like quarter-end, can lead to low response rates. Surveys delivered during peak work hours are more likely to be ignored by potential respondents. They may lack the time or mental bandwidth to complete it.
To optimize timing, consider sending your surveys at a time when employees are more likely to be available and willing to participate. When you send surveys during less busy periods, the chances of matching or exceeding the typical average survey response rates improve, leading to more meaningful data collection.
For example, HeartCount’s automated pulse check surveys are scheduled to go on Friday at 11 am, as it’s proven by internal research it’s the time of the week when people are most likely to respond.
Survey relevance
The survey topic’s relevance to their roles affects employees’ willingness to respond. Employees and customers are more likely to complete eNPS, transactional, or any online survey if they find it relevant to their role or interests.
For example, a safety survey might get higher responses from workers in demanding roles. A survey on remote work policies might be more relevant to home workers.
To ensure relevance, tailor your surveys to address topics that are currently important to your employees. This might involve some research or focus groups. They would identify the key issues employees want to discuss.
For example, if company policy or structure changes, a survey can gauge employee sentiment. It can improve engagement and get more useful feedback.
Survey length
Survey length is a critical factor in determining response rates. Surveys over 7-8 minutes have 5-20% lower response rates.
Employees may start a lengthy survey with good intentions, yet they may lose interest or become fatigued as they progress. This can lead to incomplete responses or drop-offs.
To maintain engagement, it’s essential to prioritize quality over quantity. Create shorter surveys and ask only the most relevant questions. Use a mix of question types, like multiple-choice, rating scales, and open-ended ones. This will make the survey more engaging.
This approach helps reduce survey fatigue and ensures that the data collected is focused and actionable.
Survey design
A well-designed survey boosts survey completion. It’s important to test your survey question and layout to optimize for all platforms.
Survey design encompasses various elements, including layout, question format, and user experience.
A survey with a clean, easy-to-use design is more likely to be completed than one with a cluttered or confusing interface.
By examining the total number of completed surveys, you can gauge how effective your survey design is at engaging participants and encouraging them to provide full responses.
To enhance user experience in survey design, follow these best practices:
- Use a clean layout: Keep the design simple and uncluttered to maintain focus on the questions.
- Include clear instructions: Provide simple guidance at the start and throughout the survey. This will ensure respondents know what’s required.
- Optimize for mobile: Ensure the survey is mobile-friendly and test it across various devices.
- Test before launch: Pilot the survey with a small group to identify and fix design or clarity issues based on their feedback.
For example, with HeartCount’s automated pulse check survey, you’re safe and sound, as delivery is clean and user friendly, and, most importantly, ready-made for you.
Easy access
Ensure your survey works on all devices and platforms to suit employees’ preferences. Surveys that work on mobile devices and desktops help improve survey completion rates across the board.
For example, with HeartCount, you can deliver pulse check surveys on your platform of choice: email, teams, slack, sms… Seamlessly and according to the different needs of your brunches or departments.
Survey type
Different types of surveys, like telephone surveys or online surveys, can yield different response rates.
Anonymity and confidentiality
Employees are significantly more likely to participate in a survey if they are assured that their responses will remain anonymous and confidential.
When employees trust that their honest opinions won’t be traced back to them, they feel safer in sharing candid feedback. This trust can lead to more accurate and insightful responses, which are crucial for obtaining a true understanding of employee sentiment.
To reinforce this trust, it’s important to clearly communicate the measures you’ve put in place to protect anonymity and confidentiality, such as using third-party survey tools or ensuring that individual responses are never disclosed to managers or peers.
By prioritizing and emphasizing these protections, you can create an environment where employees feel secure in participating fully and honestly.
With HeartCount, you can choose an anonymous vs confidential survey, depending on what’s working best for your company culture.
Communication about the purpose of the survey
Effectively communicating the purpose of your survey and how the results will be utilized is key to motivating employees to engage. When employees understand that their feedback is not just being collected for the sake of it but will actually lead to tangible, meaningful changes, they are more likely to take the time to participate thoughtfully.
Clearly outline the specific goals of the survey, whether it’s to improve workplace policies, enhance team dynamics, or address specific concerns.
Providing examples of past changes made as a result of employee feedback can also help build credibility and trust in the process. When employees see a direct link between their input and positive outcomes, their willingness to engage increases, leading to richer, more valuable data.
Employee’s previous experience
Employees’ previous experiences with surveys can influence their current participation. Positive experiences, where feedback leads to change, may boost engagement. In contrast, ignored feedback can deter participation. If past surveys led to successful policy changes, employees are more likely to participate in future surveys.
Relationship with management
The relationship between employees and management affects survey participation. Trust and open communication can lead to a higher response rate, as employees feel their feedback is valued.
Survey participation will be higher in a company where management acts on employees’ feedback.
To improve your survey response rate, address these factors. It will make the data more reliable and useful.
What is a good survey response rate?
Determining a good average response rate can vary depending on factors like company size, the number of employees, and survey type. Higher response rates are desirable, but an acceptable response rate still allows you to gather actionable insights. Generally, higher survey completion rates mean better feedback. But “good” can differ. Here’s a general guideline:
- Small organization (fewer than 500 employees): Aim for 80-90%. Small teams often have more personal interactions, which can lead to higher engagement.
- Large organizations (500+ employees): 70-80% is typical. Larger organizations might struggle with lower rates due to the scale and diversity of their workforce.
| Company Size | Ideal Response Rate |
| <500 employees | 80-90% |
| 500+ employees | 70-80% |
A good response rate for most surveys typically falls between 70-80%, but this can vary depending on industry standards and the nature of the survey. To achieve a good response rate, focus on timing, survey design, and making the content relevant to participants.
Your average survey response rate serves as a benchmark, but context is key. Consider the specific context of your organization and adjust expectations accordingly.
How to improve your employee survey response rate
To improve your survey response rate, use several strategies. They should draw from the factors discussed earlier.
- Optimize survey timing: Send your customer survey or email survey at times when the potential respondent is more available.
- Ensure survey relevance: Address issues important to your survey respondents and customer feedback. Engage with employees to identify what matters most to them and address those topics in your surveys.
- Maintain survey length: Keep your survey questions concise to avoid low response rates. Focus on essential questions that provide valuable insights without overwhelming respondents.
- Enhance survey design: Utilize a clean, user-friendly design with clear instructions. Ensure the survey is mobile-friendly and test it before full deployment to identify any issues.
- Improve access: Make the survey easy to reach on all devices. This will accommodate diverse preferences.
- Guarantee anonymity and confidentiality: Assure employees and customers that their feedback in an eNPS survey and other surveys remains anonymous. This will encourage honest feedback.
- Communicate the purpose: Clearly explain the survey’s purpose and how the feedback will be used. Employees are more likely to participate if they know their input will lead to meaningful changes.
- Leverage employee experience: Build on previous positive survey experiences to foster engagement. If past surveys led to noticeable improvements, employees will be more likely to participate in future ones.
- Foster good management relationships: Build trust between employees and management. It will boost response rates. Employees who feel their feedback is valued are more likely to participate.
Incentives can boost participation, but they should be used carefully. While they can boost responses, too many incentives may harm data. Participants might rush through the survey to get the reward. The goal is to balance incentives. We want to keep response quality but also encourage engagement.
Conclusion
Achieving a high survey response rate for online surveys or eNPS surveys depends on several factors. By improving survey design, ensuring relevance, and optimizing timing, you’ll see higher completed responses and avoid nonresponse bias. Focus on delivering concise, relevant surveys that encourage engagement and yield reliable data.
Ready to boost your survey response rates and gather valuable insights? See how our solutions can give you reliable data and results.