Purpose of this Template

Surveys can cause fatigue especially when employees do not understand the purpose of the survey. Communication at every step of the process will be the most important aspect of engaging your workforce and encouraging them to participate. Use this guide to help frame your communication strategy for any surveys you may launch.

Communication

At the very least, your survey communications should include a pre-survey email, an official launch email or communication, and opportunities for check-in during and after the completion of the survey. Be sure to answer everything employees need to know including:

Why the survey is launching
When it launches and when it closes
Where to find the survey
Set time expectations/requirements
How the information will be used
All links and FAQs

NOTE: This copy was drafted in the context and voice of The Rise Journey, and therefore, we suggest that you revise the text to best fit the mission, values, and language of your own organization.

Pre-Survey Announcement Email

Hello team,

As part of our ongoing [culture/engagement/organizational/DEI] work [if applicable: with the consultant], we will be launching our first [Engagement/Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging & Accessibility (DEIBA)] survey [this/next] week, on [DATE (option to include time or “morning EST” for folks to plan accordingly)], through our people-analytics platform, [platform name].

The survey is an important tool in the development of our [People/culture/engagement/DEI] strategy, and these questions will be a part of our [annual] engagement survey moving forward. Beyond informing initiatives in the short-term, the information gathered will serve as benchmarks for evaluating our progress on a regular basis.

Results of the survey will be shared with [the entire team] at [ex: our next town hall, in conjunction with our strategy roadmap at our quarterly all hands meeting, our next weekly debrief].

We thank you in advance for taking time to participate - we look forward to hearing from each and every one of you.

Best,

[NAME]

Survey Launch & Details Email

Good afternoon,

We are excited to be launching [ORGANIZATION]’s first [Engagement/Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging & Accessibility survey] [if applicable: in partnership with the DEI consultant].

You will find the survey [embed link here if applicable] and the link [listed below/unique link directly in your inbox]. Important notes & reminders:

Your submission is confidential, reported only in the aggregate, with any potential identifiers removed from written responses.

The survey is in [system] [include FAQ].
In addition to the survey being confidential, we also employ an anonymity threshold of [5] participants in accordance with best practices.

The survey must be completed in one session (no option to save and restart), so please plan accordingly.

For reference, there are [88] questions in total, which will take approximately [35] minutes to complete.

Providing demographic data is a key part of the survey (although optional). This information provides us more clarity into your feedback, which translates to more meaningful benchmarking strategies and action plans at [ORGANIZATION] moving forward.

The survey will be available for one week, until [Time on Day, Date].

We encourage your candor and thank you for sharing your perspective. Employee surveys are an important opportunity to share your thoughts and provide insight, allowing management to better understand your priorities and take action accordingly.

Survey link: [https:// add full link here]

Please contact HR directly with any questions or concerns regarding the survey or if you should experience any technical issues.

Have a great day,

[CEO/Head of People]

Resources

Contributors to this Template

Jessica Lambrecht, Co-Founder & Client Operations
Jes Osrow, SHRM-SCP, Co-Founder & DEI Specialist
Ayanna Kelly, DEI Product Manager & Mental Health & Latinx Culture Advisor

www.risewithophr.com

OPHR: One Person Human Resources