Onboarding surveys are a powerful tool to understand how new team members are settling in, what’s working, and what could use a little polish. By asking the right questions at the right time, you can turn feedback into actionable insights that improve the onboarding process for every new hire who follows.
In this post, we’ll walk through key questions to include in your onboarding surveys and show you how to easily build a tailored form using QPoint Survey.
Why Onboarding Surveys Matter
Think of onboarding as the bridge between recruiting and retention. A well-structured survey helps you:
- Understand how prepared and welcomed new hires feel
- Uncover early pain points or roadblocks
- Align expectations with actual experiences
- Continuously improve your onboarding process
The trick is asking thoughtful, targeted questions that uncover meaningful feedback, without overwhelming your new team member with a 50-question form.
Key Questions to Include in Your Onboarding Survey
1. First Impressions
Gauge the new hire’s early experience with your company.
- How would you rate your first day/week at [Company]?
- Did you feel welcomed by your team and manager?
- Was the onboarding schedule clear and well-organized?
2. Expectations vs. Reality
Discover whether the role and company culture align with what was communicated during hiring.
- Is your role what you expected based on the interview process?
- How accurately was our company culture represented?
- What surprised you (positively or negatively) during your first week?
3. Training and Resources
Assess whether new hires feel equipped to succeed.
- Have you received adequate training to perform your job effectively?
- Are the tools and systems you need accessible and easy to use?
- What additional resources or support would be helpful?
4. Manager and Team Support
Understand how connected and supported new hires feel.
- How would you rate the support from your manager so far?
- Have you had meaningful interactions with your team?
- Do you feel comfortable asking questions or raising concerns?
5. Challenges and Feedback
Identify friction points early so they can be addressed.
- Have you experienced any challenges or blockers during onboarding?
- Is there anything that could’ve made your onboarding smoother?
- Do you have suggestions to improve the onboarding process?
6. Overall Satisfaction Keep a pulse on the general vibe.
- On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your onboarding experience?
- Would you recommend our onboarding program to future hires?
Building Your Onboarding Survey with QPoint
Creating a smooth, engaging onboarding survey is easy with QPoint Survey. Here's how you can bring your form to life:
Step 1: Generate Your Form with AI or Start from Scratch
QPoint makes it easy to build your onboarding survey your way. Use the AI-powered form builder to instantly generate a tailored survey - just describe what you want to ask, and the AI will create a smart, structured form for you. Prefer to build it manually, you can also start from scratch and add your own questions using the intuitive drag-and-drop editor.
Step 2: Customize the Questions
Add the categories above, tweak the wording to match your company’s tone, and use a mix of response types: multiple choice, rating scales, open-text, etc.
Step 3: Segment by Role or Department
Tailor your survey to different teams or job levels so responses are more relevant.
Step 4: Automate and Analyze
Schedule the survey to send after the first week or first 30 days. Then use QPoint’s built-in analytics to identify trends, track satisfaction, and share insights with leadership.
Final Thoughts
An onboarding survey isn’t just a checkbox—it’s a listening tool. By asking thoughtful questions and acting on the answers, you’re showing new hires that their voice matters from day one. That creates trust, engagement, and a stronger start for everyone.
With QPoint Survey, you can build an onboarding experience that makes new hires feel valued, supported, and ready to thrive.