New employee onboarding survey: what to ask at 1 week, 30 days and 90 days

When someone new joins your company, onboarding problems are rarely said out loud. Nobody wants to look like a complainer in their first week. So they sit with the question, the laptop that doesn't work, or the feeling that nobody knows what's expected of them.

An onboarding survey gives them a simple way to say it. And it gives you the chance to correct course before that discomfort turns into a resignation.

Why three moments instead of one

A new hire's concerns change fast. In week one, practical things matter. After a month, it's about clarity in the role. At three months, it's whether they see a future at the company. One survey can't capture all of that. Three short surveys at three moments can.

At one week: the basics work

The goal is to catch logistics and welcome issues while they are still easy to fix. Four or five questions are enough:

• “Did you have the tools and access you needed from day one?”
• “Do you know who to go to when you have a question?”
• “From 1 to 5, how welcome did you feel on your team this week?”
• “Was there anything that confused you, or something you expected that didn't happen?”

At 30 days: clarity in the role

After the first month, the person has enough context to have an opinion about their work. Now you want to know whether they understand what is expected and whether they are getting support:

• “Is it clear what is expected of you in your role?”
• “Does the work you do match what you were told during hiring?”
• “Have you received enough training to do your job well?”
• “Have you had at least one check-in conversation with your manager?”
• “What would help you most to move forward in the coming weeks?”

The hiring question is especially useful. If several people say the job doesn't match what they were told, the problem isn't onboarding. It's how you describe roles when you hire.

At 90 days: belonging and the future

By three months the person knows the culture, the team and the challenges. It is a good time to look further ahead:

• “Do you feel part of the team?”
• “Do you see opportunities to learn and grow here?”
• “How likely are you to recommend this company as a place to work?” (0 to 10 scale)
• “If you could change one thing about your experience so far, what would it be?”

The 0 to 10 question is the eNPS question. Asking it at 90 days lets you compare new hires with the rest of the company later on.

Who should see the answers

This is an important decision, and it is worth making before the first survey goes out. There are two main options:

• Identified answers, seen by HR or whoever runs onboarding. They let you act case by case, like fixing missing access. This is most useful in week one.
• Anonymous answers, reviewed as a group. They are more honest about sensitive topics, like the relationship with a manager. They work best when several people start each period, because with one or two hires it is easy to guess who answered.

Whichever you choose, say it clearly at the top of the survey. For example: “Your answers are read by the People team, not your direct manager.” Then stick to it. If a new hire feels their feedback reached the wrong person, they won't answer honestly again.

In general, it's not a good idea for the direct manager to read individual answers. It's better to give them a summary of the topics they need to address.

How to act on the answers

An onboarding survey only helps if someone does something with it. A few simple rules:

• Review week-one answers within a day or two. Missing access or tools can't wait.
• If someone says they don't know who to ask, assign them a go-to person that same day.
• Every quarter, look at the whole picture: which problems repeat across different hires? That tells you what to change in the process.
• Tell new hires what changed because of their answers. It shows them the next survey is worth answering.

How to do it with SurvIQ

SurvIQ includes an onboarding template you can use as a starting point for all three stages. Send each survey by email, WhatsApp or a link, and people answer from their phone without creating an account. To keep it anonymous, just don't ask for a name or email. Results show up in real time with charts, and the site has a free eNPS calculator for the 90-day question. The free plan is enough to get started.