TL;DR
Collecting employee onboarding feedback and customer onboarding feedback is essential for improving the onboarding experience, boosting employee satisfaction after onboarding, and increasing retention. Well-designed onboarding surveys help identify gaps in pre-start communication, company culture, IT setup, training, and team engagement. For customers, feedback surveys improve product adoption, reduce drop-offs, and enhance satisfaction. Using AI-powered tools like TheySaid makes surveys interactive, provides real-time insights, and enables onboarding process improvement.|
Did you know? Companies with structured onboarding programs see a 60% year-over-year improvement in revenue and a 63% improvement in customer satisfaction.

First impressions matter, and nowhere is that truer than in employee onboarding. According to a study by the Brandon Hall Group, organizations with a strong onboarding process improve new-hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%. So, how do you know if your onboarding is effective?  Ask New hires directly. This guide shares 80+  powerful new hire onboarding survey questions to help you fine-tune your onboarding experience and keep top talent from walking out the door.

What Is Employee Onboarding and Why Does It Matter

Employee onboarding is a process of welcoming new hires and equipping them with all the necessary guidelines and tools to integrate into the company. It begins with administrative tasks and orientation, followed by training sessions and team introductions to help them become familiar with work and people. A strong onboarding experience makes employees feel confident and engaged, while poor onboarding can leave them confused and disconnected.

What Is an Onboarding Feedback Survey?

An onboarding feedback survey is a tool companies use to gather employee onboarding feedback from new hires. It’s a simple way to find out how clear their first days were, whether training and orientation worked, and how welcome they felt.

These surveys help HR teams and managers answer questions like:

•   Did the new hire understand their role and responsibilities?
•  Was the orientation clear and helpful?
•  Did they feel supported by their team?
•  Are there parts of onboarding that need improvement?

Did you know? 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they experienced great onboarding.

What Are Onboarding Feedback Survey Questions?

Onboarding feedback survey questions are structured questions designed to collect insights from new employees or customers about their onboarding experience. They help organizations understand what works well and what needs improvement in pre-start communication, training, IT setup, team engagement, and overall integration. These questions can be multiple-choice, rating scales, Likert statements, or open-ended to capture both quantitative and qualitative feedback. By analyzing responses, HR and product teams can optimize onboarding processes, improve satisfaction, and reduce early turnover or customer drop-offs.

Top 5 Reasons to Conduct New Hire Onboarding Surveys

Still questioning whether employee onboarding surveys are worth doing? Here’s why they’re a game-changer for new-hire success.

Spot Problems Before They Become Deal Breakers

New Hires won’t tell you the issues they face upfront, but these small issues sometimes become the reason why they leave. Early onboarding surveys can reveal these minor frustrations before they become significant issues. 

Let’s say a new hire has no idea how to use your project management tool and he is too shy to ask. An early survey could reveal this, allowing you to arrange extra training sessions before he feels completely lost. 

Keep New Employees Excited About Their Decision

People join the company excitedly, but if your onboarding process is overwhelming and dull, the spark just disappears quickly. Onboarding surveys help you measure the level of engagement that new hires feel with the workplace. For example, if an employee says they don’t feel they belong here, you must introduce new team-building activities or a mentorship program to address that. 

Ensure New Hires Have the Tools and Support They Need

A common onboarding mistake? HR and managers assume new hires are fully equipped for their jobs. A quick new hire feedback survey helps uncover whether they actually understand their role, responsibilities, and available resources. Their onboarding experience feedback shows where clarity is missing, and with the right onboarding survey questions, you can identify exactly what to improve. Based on the responses, you can introduce targeted training sessions or a clearer roadmap then track progress with an onboarding analytics tool to ensure every new hire gets the support they need.

Reduce That Painful Early Turnover

Here’s a harsh reality: 30% of new employees quit within their first 90 days due to a poor onboarding process and lack of support, making them feel they have made a wrong decision. Onboarding surveys help you identify the main issue and prevent costly turnovers. 

Here’s a hack to reduce turnover: Break the onboarding process into small, digestible steps so employees don’t feel they are drowning. 

Measure and Track Onboarding Success Over Time

What gets measured gets improved.  Onboarding surveys provide data-driven insights into main issues to refine the onboarding process for future hires. 

For example, if multiple responses indicate that employees are confused about company policies, HR can simplify and clarify onboarding documents to ensure future hires feel informed from day one.

Recommended Read: Employee Onboarding Surveys: Questions, Template, and Best Practices

Different Types of Onboarding Feedback Surveys by Stage

Common Types of Onboarding Feedback Survey Questions

Different Types of New Hire Onboarding Survey Questions

Now that you know the reasons to conduct onboarding surveys, let’s dive into the different types of survey questions for new employees to gather valuable insights.

Score-Based Survey Questions  

Score-based survey questions are best for measuring and tracking employee satisfaction over time. Employees rate their experience using scales  (e.g., 1-5 or 1-10), turning subjective feelings into numerical data. 

Examples:

• On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate orientation? 
• How likely are you to recommend us to friends as a great workplace based on the onboarding process? 
• On a scale of 1 to 5, how would you rate the clarity of your job responsibilities?

To make sure your questions drive results, see our guide on creating an effective onboarding survey: How to Conduct an Effective Onboarding Feedback Survey

Open-Ended Survey Questions 

These survey questions allow employees to express themselves freely and honestly by providing detailed feedback on their challenges during onboarding. Airbnb found that 40% of new hires struggled with IT setup during their first week using an Open-Ended Survey, so they took action by improving their tech onboarding process.

Examples:

• What was the most confusing part of the onboarding process? 
• What additional support would have made your onboarding process smooth?
• What challenges did you face in the first week of your job? 

Multiple-Choice Survey Questions 

Multiple-choice questions present a list of answers to choose from. These questions help identify common issues quickly and make it easier to respond without too much effort.

Examples:

Which part of your onboarding process was the most helpful?

a) Company culture training
b) Job-specific training
c) IT and system setup
d) Manager support

Which of these areas needs the most improvement?
a) First-day orientation
b) Communication with HR
c) Training materials

Binary Survey Questions  

Binary surveys consist of simple Yes/ No and Agree/ Disagree questions to obtain quick, high-level responses. They measure whether the basic goals of the onboarding process are met. 

Examples

• Did you get all the necessary tools to get started on your job? 
• Do you feel welcomed by your team? 
• Do you agree with the statement that the onboarding process meets your expectations? 

Want surveys that actually listen? TheySaid’s AI-powered surveys don’t just collect responses; they engage users in meaningful conversations. Create smarter surveys today and get insights you can act on! Try It Free

60+ Best New Hire Onboarding Survey Questions For New Hires To Gather Feedback

Discover 60+ best new hire onboarding survey questions designed to collect honest onboarding feedback survey responses. These example questions help you understand new hires’ experiences and improve your onboarding process effectively.

Preboarding Survey Questions For New Hires

1. Do you receive all the necessary information required before joining? 
2. What motivated you to accept this job offer?
3. What are you most excited about in your new role?
4. Have you received the details of your first day's schedule? 
5. Is there anything specific you’d like to learn before your first day?

Onboarding Survey Questions For First-Day & First-Week Experience

6. How was your first day in the company? 
7. Have you set your goals for this year? 
8. How interactive and engaging was the orientation program? 
9. What’s your favorite part of the boarding process so far? 
10. State the reasons why you joined this company.
11. Are there any company policies or procedures you’d like more clarity on?
12. Did you feel welcomed by your team and manager?
13. Was your workstation or IT setup ready when you arrived?
14. What aspects of your job excites you most? 
15. How effective was the employee onboarding presentation in preparing you for your role?
16. Have you had a one-on-one meeting with your manager?
17. Are you confident in your skills to meet the goals set for you during your onboarding?

30 Days Onboarding Survey Questions 

18.  What’s the biggest challenge you’ve encountered so far?
19. Did the company meet your expectations during this first month?
20. How comfortable do you feel reaching out to managers and teammates when needing help? 
21. How helpful has your onboarding mentor been?
22. Did you get adequate training sessions to perform your job effectively? 
23. How effective are communication channels within your team?
24. How would you rate the company culture based on your experience so far?
25. How well do you understand your role compared to when you started?
26. How well does your role match the job description?
27. Would you recommend this company to a friend looking for a job? 
28. On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with your job? 
29. How strongly do you agree with the statement " I understand how my role contributes to the organizational goals."
30. I feel very valued member of my team.
31. Do you see a clear path for growth and career development?

No more struggling to write surveys! With TheySaid, simply enter your website URL, and AI will generate the perfect questions for you. Want to tweak them? Edit, remove, or add your own with ease. Once ready, send it out and start collecting valuable insights. Survey creation has never been this effortless!

If you’re setting up a full-onboarding program, our complete guide will help you structure the process from day one. How to Start an Employee Onboarding Program: Your Complete Guide

90 Days Onboarding Survey Questions 

32. Have your responsibilities changed since you started?
33. Are there any hurdles that prevent you from excelling in your role?
34. Have you built good relationships with your colleagues? 
35. Would you confidently tell a friend joining the company that their first days will be smooth and stress-free?
36. What do you like most about working here?
37. What could make your work experience even better?
38. Do you see yourself growing in this company? 
39. How strongly do you agree with " I receive frequent feedback from  my manager."
40. Do you agree that the onboarding process prepared you for your role?
41. If you were to leave today, what would be the primary reason?
42. What's the most valuable lesson you've learned in your first nine months?

Onboarding Survey Questions for Remote New Hires

43. How effective has remote communication been so far?
44. Do you feel connected to the team despite the remote setting? 
45. Do you have access to all the information you need? 
46. Have you faced any IT or technical challenges while working remotely?
47. Do you feel as productive working remotely as you would in an office?
48. What can we do to better support remote employees?

Fun Onboarding Survey Questions for New Hires

49. If you had to sum up your first week here in a GIF, what would it be?
50. What’s your go-to work productivity hack?
51. If our company were a movie, what genre would it be?
52. If you could create an official company holiday, what would it be for?
53. What’s your personal motto or life philosophy?
54. If you had to explain your job to a 5-year-old, how would you describe it?

Onboarding Survey Questions for Hiring Managers

55. How prepared did the new hire seem on their first day?
56. Were the onboarding materials (training, documentation, tools) sufficient for setting them up for success?
57. Did the new hire receive all required access, equipment, and credentials on time?
58. How effectively did the onboarding process support you in introducing the new hire to the team?
59. How well do you feel the new hire understood their responsibilities after onboarding?
60. Did the onboarding timeline feel realistic and manageable for you as a manager?
61. What improvements would you recommend for future onboarding cycles?

Customer Onboarding Feedback Survey Questions

Great onboarding sets the tone for long-term customer success. Use these questions to capture honest feedback and refine the journey.  

Gathering Basic Customer Insights

1. How did you hear about our product/service?
2. What problem were you hoping to solve with our product/service?
3. I feel confident in my decision to choose your product/service.
4.  Do you have any requirements/needs you want us to know?

Evaluating First Impressions

5. The onboarding experience was smooth and easy to follow.
6. I got clear guidance, which was easy to understand.
7.  How would you rate your overall onboarding experience so far?
8. Did you find our product easy to use?

Understanding Purchase Intent

9. What made you choose our product over competitors?
10. What other products/services did you consider before choosing us?
11. What made you hesitate (if anything) before signing up?
12. Is there anything we would have done differently to enhance your experience with us?

 Measuring Onboarding Satisfaction

13. Did the onboarding process meet your expectations?
14. How would you rate our sign-up process on a scale of 1 to 10?
15. Would you recommend us based on our onboarding process?
16. Identify problem areas in the onboarding experience.

Onboarding Communication

17. The information provided to me was clear and concise.
18. I received onboarding emails/messages at the right frequency.
19. Did you feel well-informed about the product after completing the onboarding process?
20. What’s one thing we could improve about our onboarding communication?

Free Onboarding Feedback Survey Template

Purpose: Collect actionable onboarding feedback to improve the employee onboarding experience, engagement, and retention.

1. How clear were the goals and expectations explained to you during your onboarding?

Very Clear | Somewhat Clear | Neutral | Somewhat Unclear | Very Unclear

2. How helpful were the onboarding documentation or resources provided?

Extremely Helpful | Helpful | Neutral | Not Very Helpful | Not Helpful at All

3. How well did your manager or mentor support you during your first month?

Excellent | Good | Average | Poor | Very Poor

4. How confident do you feel in using the company tools and systems after onboarding?

Very Confident | Confident | Neutral | Slightly Confident | Not Confident

5. How effective were team introductions and opportunities to meet colleagues?

Very Effective | Effective | Neutral | Ineffective | Very Ineffective

6. How would you rate the pace of your onboarding?

Too Fast | Just Right | Too Slow

7. How comfortable are you asking questions or seeking help since starting?

Very Comfortable | Comfortable | Neutral | Uncomfortable | Very Uncomfortable

8. How likely are you to recommend the company’s onboarding process to a new hire?

Very Likely | Likely | Neutral | Unlikely | Very Unlikely

9. What one thing could improve your onboarding experience?

Open-ended text box

Best Practices for Employee Onboarding Feedback Surveys 

Make Feedback Feel Like a Conversation

Instead of asking multiple-choice questions only, use open-ended questions to make it conversational and engaging. For example: “If you had to describe your first week of onboarding to a friend, how would you do that?”

Send Multiple Surveys at Key Milestones

The best timeline for onboarding surveys is after 30, 60, and 90 days. Companies with effective onboarding see up to 82% higher new-hire retention.

Use “Expectation vs. Reality” Insights

Add a question like: “How well did the onboarding experience match your expectations?” This shows you exactly where to improve your onboarding process for future new hires.

Make It Anonymous But Keep It Personal

Offering anonymous onboarding survey responses helps you get candid and constructive feedback. Include an optional field for employees to reveal their identity if they need additional support.

Celebrate the Small Wins Too

Ask: “What’s your favorite part of the onboarding process?” This identifies what’s working best. Recognizing positive experiences helps refine what to keep and expand.

Test Your Survey Before Going Live

Always test your survey with HR staff or employees who have recently completed onboarding. Check whether questions are easy to understand, encourage honest feedback, and include a good balance between different question types.

Track Employee Experience with KPIs

Two important KPIs to measure:

•  Employee Retention Rate — How many new hires stay beyond their first 6–12 months?
•  Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) — Would new hires recommend your company to others?

Close the Loop & Follow Up

Rotate and refresh questions according to onboarding updates, personalize surveys for each role, and try pulse surveys or one-on-one interviews to capture honest insights.

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How TheySaid Helped a Growing SaaS Company Fix Its Onboarding Gaps

A mid-size SaaS company was struggling with inconsistent onboarding. New hires said they felt confused about priorities, weren’t sure who to reach out to, and didn’t feel fully prepared for their roles. But the HR team had no structured way to capture or analyze this feedback.

Once they switched to TheySaid, everything changed.

They launched a simple new hire feedback survey through TheySaid’s AI. The platform automatically collected onboarding experience feedback at Day 7, Day 30, and Day 90—and highlighted patterns the HR team had completely missed. For example, 62% of new hires reported unclear role expectations, something managers assumed was already understood.

With TheySaid’s onboarding analytics tool, HR immediately spotted the root issue and used the insights to create a clearer onboarding roadmap and schedule short training sessions. Within two months, new-hire confidence scores improved, and time-to-productivity dropped because every employee now started with clarity and support. Sign up for free! 

3 Tips to Make Your Employee Onboarding Survey More Engaging

Creating good onboarding survey questions is only half the work. You also want an onboarding feedback survey that new hires actually enjoy completing—and that gives you accurate, high-quality onboarding experience feedback.

Add interactive elements

Instead of long blocks of text, include visuals, progress bars, or sliders. Interactive elements make the survey feel dynamic and encourage new hires to complete it fully.

Align language with the employee experience

Use simple, everyday language that reflects your company culture. Avoid jargon or technical terms that new hires may not have encountered yet, especially during their first week.

Set clear expectations and show purpose

Briefly explain why the survey matters and how responses will be used. When employees see that their onboarding experience feedback will influence real improvements, completion rates and response quality increase.

Step-by-Step: Create an Onboarding Survey with TheySaid

1. AI-Generated Surveys in One Click

Just enter the URL of your website, and AI will automatically learn about your business and generate questions for you instantly. You can also import existing surveys or teach the AI about specific workflows, making it fully tailored to your organization.

2. Conversational AI for Deeper Insights

If a new hire rates training as confusing, AI will follow up with, “What specifically did you find confusing?” to understand the why behind the response.

 3. Smart AI Analysis

TheySaid detects patterns, summarizes trends, and provides actionable plans so you know exactly where to make improvements — without drowning in raw data.

4. Easy Survey Distribution

Send surveys via email, Slack, in-app messages, or QR codes. TheySaid integrates with all major HR and workplace tools, syncing feedback data with your existing systems.

5. Instant Action Items & Alerts

TheySaid’s AI identifies key takeaways and alerts you to critical issues in real time. If multiple employees complain about a complicated training process, you’ll know immediately and can fix it fast.

Start your first survey today and experience how effortless feedback can be.

FAQs

How often should we conduct onboarding surveys? 

It’s best to collect feedback at multiple touchpoints before the start date, after the first week, 30 days in, and at 60 or 90 days.

Why should companies use new hire employee onboarding surveys?

These surveys identify gaps in training, clarify expectations, and collect insights to improve the onboarding process, increasing new-hire satisfaction and retention.

Why should we conduct an employee onboarding satisfaction survey? 

It helps identify gaps in training, workplace culture, and job expectations, ensuring a smoother transition for new hires.

How can onboarding survey feedback be used?

Feedback helps HR and managers refine training, improve communication, adjust resources, and create a smoother onboarding experience for current and future employees.

Are there tools to automate onboarding surveys?

Yes. Platforms like TheySaid use AI to create engaging surveys, collect responses in real-time, analyze feedback, and provide actionable onboarding analytics.

When should we send onboarding surveys?

Not just once! The best times are: before their first day (pre-onboarding), right after orientation, 30/60/90 days in, and if they leave early (exit survey).

What is the best format for onboarding feedback questions?

Use qualitative and quantitative questions such as multiple-choice, rating scales, open-ended, and statement-based questions to get well-rounded insights.

 What’s the ideal length for an onboarding survey?

Short enough to keep people engaged but long enough to get useful insights — 10–15 questions is the sweet spot.

 How can AI improve onboarding feedback surveys?

AI makes surveys smarter and faster. It analyzes real-time responses, identifies trends, and even personalizes follow-up questions to dig deeper into the “why” behind every response.