The last thing you want is for your employees to ignore your surveys, those tools you carefully designed to understand your team and improve the work environment. But have you ever wondered why some employees choose not to participate or provide inaccurate answers?
Sometimes, the problem isn’t the employees, it’s the survey itself. A poorly designed survey doesn’t just lead to a low response rate; it can also produce misleading results and damage credibility among employees.
In this article, we’ll explain the difference between sensitive and poorly worded questions, and review 10 types of questions you should avoid to ensure honest, accurate responses, making your surveys a genuine source of insight for improving employee experience and team performance.
5 Reasons Employees Ignore Surveys
1. Not Using Survey Results
If you conduct employee satisfaction surveys and then ignore the results, you’re sending an indirect message that their input doesn’t matter. Over time, employees lose trust and stop participating in future surveys.
2. Poor Communication About the Survey
Failing to explain the purpose, reason, or timing of a survey reduces employees’ willingness to participate and makes them feel undervalued. Always clarify the goal and launch timeline in advance, it increases engagement and reinforces a sense of appreciation. Remember: good communication is the foundation of effective participation.
3. Lack of Time
Sending a survey during peak work hours or giving a short response window leads employees to ignore it or give superficial answers. Allow a reasonable timeframe and avoid peak workload periods so that the survey isn’t seen as an extra burden.
4. Too Many or Repetitive Surveys
When surveys are too frequent or repetitive, employees experience “survey fatigue.” They start responding randomly or superficially, and eventually lose all motivation to participate.
5. Unclear Data Confidentiality
If employees aren’t confident that their responses are confidential, they may fear repercussions and avoid participating, leading to lower quality and less honest feedback.
The reasons above explain why employees may ignore surveys, but the type of questions you ask also plays a major role. Sensitive or poorly worded questions can discourage participation or distort accuracy, even when everything else is perfectly organized.
The Difference Between Sensitive and Poorly Worded Questions, and How to Handle Them
1. Sensitive Questions
These are questions related to personal or potentially uncomfortable topics, which may cause employees to avoid answering or respond dishonestly out of fear of consequences.
Solution:
• Avoid them whenever possible.
• If necessary, clearly explain why the question is being asked.
• Emphasize complete confidentiality of responses.
• Phrase the question in a neutral, non-invasive manner.
2. Poorly Worded Questions
These are vague, double-barreled, overly complex, or outside the employee’s area of knowledge, making it hard for them to answer accurately.
Solution:
• Rewrite the question to be clear and simple.
• Focus on the employee’s specific role or expertise.
• Avoid combining multiple topics in a single question.
To learn more about common survey question mistakes, check out our detailed guide.
10 Types of Questions That Prevent Honest Employee Participation
Employee surveys are vital tools for understanding teams and improving workplace culture, but certain types of questions can make employees avoid participating or provide inaccurate answers. Here are the 10 most common mistakes, with better alternatives:
1. Overly Personal Questions
These can make employees uncomfortable, reduce trust, and lead to skipped or avoided surveys. Respect employee privacy and avoid intruding into personal matters.
Examples:
• “Do you have financial problems affecting your work?”
• “Are you planning to start a family?”
Better alternatives:
• “How well do you feel you maintain work-life balance?”
• “Does your work schedule allow for balance between tasks and personal time?”
2. Questions That Reveal Identity
Even when anonymity is promised, some questions can indirectly expose an employee’s identity, making them fear repercussions.
Examples:
• “What do you think about your direct manager’s latest decision?”
• “Do you think Employee X deserves a promotion?”
Better alternatives:
• “How would you rate the overall effectiveness of recent departmental decisions?”
• “To what extent do you feel development opportunities are equally available to all team members?”
3. Judgmental Questions About Others
Avoid questions that focus on people instead of work, they encourage gossip and personal criticism instead of addressing real issues.
Examples:
• “Who causes the most problems on the team?”
• “Who is the most argumentative in meetings?”
Better alternatives:
• “How well does your team collaborate to meet project goals?”
• “To what extent are team conflicts resolved effectively?”
4. Vague or Unfocused Questions
Every question should be clear, purposeful, and aligned with the survey’s goal. Random or unrelated questions confuse participants and generate useless data.
Examples:
• “What’s your favorite office color?”
• “What’s your favorite workday meal?”
Better alternatives:
• “How satisfied are you with the workplace facilities and equipment?”
• “How effectively does your team collaborate?”
5. Negative or Blaming Questions
Confrontational phrasing that blames employees or others makes respondents defensive and reduces honesty, or discourages future participation altogether.
Examples:
• “Why is the team’s productivity low?”
• “What’s wrong with the current leadership style?”
Better alternatives:
• “What changes could improve team effectiveness?”
• “How can management better support employees?”
6. Questions Outside the Employee’s Expertise
Avoid questions requiring knowledge or insights the employee doesn’t have, it frustrates them and reduces survey credibility.
Examples:
• “How effective is the company’s global marketing strategy?” (for a non-marketing employee)
• “How do you rate the company’s annual budget for major projects?” (for a non-financial employee)
Better alternatives:
• “Do you feel your team’s goals align with the company’s overall objectives?”
• “Are your team’s available resources sufficient for daily tasks”
7. Repetitive Questions
Repeating the same idea in different ways irritates employees, produces inconsistent answers, and can lead to survey abandonment.
Examples:
• “Are you satisfied with your job?”
• “Are you happy with your work environment?”
Better alternatives:
• “To what extent do your daily tasks match your skills and expectations?”
• “How would you rate management’s support in maintaining a productive environment?”
8. Overly Technical or Complex Questions
Using jargon or specialized terms makes surveys hard to understand, leading to confusion and inaccurate responses.
Examples:
• “How do you assess the effectiveness of the supply chain management strategy?”
• “How would you evaluate the flexibility of the current organizational structure in supporting corporate strategy?”
Better alternatives:
• “How well do teams within your department collaborate?”
• “Do you feel your team’s daily operations run smoothly and efficiently?”
9. Double-Barreled Questions
Combining two questions into one confuses respondents and produces unreliable data.
Examples:
• “Do you feel appreciated by your manager and colleagues?”
• “Are you satisfied with your salary and promotion opportunities?”
Better alternatives:
• “Do you feel appreciated by your supervisor?”
• “Do you feel appreciated by your colleagues?”
• “Are you satisfied with your salary?”
• “Are you satisfied with promotion opportunities?”
10. Long and Exhausting Surveys
Excessively long or complex surveys, especially with many open-ended questions, tire employees and lower response rates and quality.
Better alternatives:
Keep it concise and balanced, use a mix of multiple-choice, rating-scale, and short open-ended questions.
Read more about response bias and how to avoid it in surveys.
Conclusion:
When employees skip certain questions, it doesn’t always mean they’re unwilling to cooperate. It might indicate that a question is too sensitive or poorly worded. Such omissions reveal how question design directly affects survey credibility and data quality, showing that good survey design is key to honest and transparent participation.
To ensure authentic responses and improve your team’s work environment, check out our complete guide to designing effective and reliable surveys, and start now with BSure to gain insights that truly reflect your employees’ experiences.
