Surveys are a powerful tool for business and non-profit operational models, for gathering insights, measuring performance, stakeholder attitudes, organizational culture, service quality and strategic decision making. However, the value of those insights is only as good as the survey itself, specifically the questions and the experience for the respondent. We’ll discuss the importance of surveys, how to create strong questions based on best practices, free survey tools and the often ignored – survey fatigue. One of the main contributions of surveys to organizations is to give a comprehensive view of the internal and external factors that impact an organization.
Gallaway et al. (2024) states that the power of surveys in measuring organizational culture as evidence that survey results directly influenced discussion and action planning for health equity programs. This aligns with research by Haynes et al. (2022), whereby organizational support initiatives can benefit from methodical feedback instruments like surveys which can cause organizations to identify areas to improve or fix (Haynes et al., 2022). A methodical process of designing surveys can make the information collected more accurate, says Fulton (2016), who claims that feedback loops should be used to respond to higher quality data. Similarly, in the private sector, knowledge-based industries benefit a lot from feedback loops.
Kim and Hançer (2010) emphasize that effective knowledge management facilitated by tools like questionnaires directly affects organizational performance especially in industries like hospitality. As organizations capture and use knowledge from their employees and customers, performance and innovation will follow.
The Value of Strong, Strategic Questions
In non-profit and healthcare environments, survey tools have proven essential for capturing service quality and community impact. Patwardhan (2012) points out that patient and stakeholder surveys can be valuable for identifying areas for service improvement, provided they are designed to generate actionable insights rather than just collect data for compliance purposes.
Well-crafted survey questions do more than collect opinions—they generate clarity. Clear, focused questions aligned with your business objectives and help to eliminate guesswork, reveal actionable trends, and support evidence-based decision-making. For example, instead of asking, “Are you satisfied with our services?”, a more strategic question might be, “Which aspects of our service delivery have had the greatest impact on your goals?”
These types of questions not only yield more meaningful data but also reinforce your organization’s credibility and professionalism.
Common Survey Question Mistakes
- Leading Questions
Example: “How great was your experience with our service?”
This implies a positive experience and response, influencing the answer. Questions should be neutral to get an authentic, unbiased response. - Double-Barreled Questions
Example: “How satisfied are you with our pricing and customer service?”
This asks about two things in one question, making it unclear what the answer refers to. Only ask one question at a time, as well as do not cover multiple facets or features in one question. Use follow-up or logic questions. - Using Jargon or Technical Terms
Example: “How do you rate our CRM onboarding API interface?”
This confuses respondents unfamiliar with the terminology and can also create survey fatigue or survey incompletion. - Overly Long or Complex Questions
Example: “Considering your experience last year, how likely would you be to recommend our service to others in your professional network within the next 12 months?”
This is too much to process; may cause misinterpretation, and unhelpful feedback. - Unbalanced Answer Choices
Example: “Very satisfied / Satisfied / Somewhat satisfied / Not satisfied”
This skews response by favoring positive options only. - Lack of a “Not Applicable” or “I Don’t Know” Option
This forces respondents to answer inaccurately if the question doesn’t apply to them. - Assuming Knowledge or Experience
Example: “How helpful was our premium onboarding experience?”
This assumes the respondent used a specific service they may not have accessed. - Ambiguous Terms
Example: “Do you use our service regularly?”
“Regularly” is vague—does it mean weekly, monthly, daily? Be specific and clear. - Inconsistent or Confusing Scales
Example: Using 1–5 on one question (1 = high), and 1–5 on another (1 = low), without clarification.
This leads to invalid responses due to scale confusion. - Too Many Open-Ended Questions
While valuable, asking too many can exhaust respondents and reduce completion rates.
Avoiding Survey Fatigue
While surveys are valuable, they only work if designed well. Poorly designed surveys can lead to fatigue, disengagement and bad data. Derickson et al (2019) say organisations need to pay attention to survey length, question clarity and timing to get high participation rates and good data.
Survey fatigue is a common problem that can ruin your data. When surveys are too long, repetitive or poorly designed, respondents disengage – and you get incomplete responses, superficial answers or drop off. Respecting respondents’ time is not just good practice – it gets higher participation rates and builds trust.
This is backed up by broader organisational research such as Yamada et al (2017) who found that the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions often depends on the context and how staff engage with the data. In other words, it’s not just about having data – it’s about how it’s collected, shared and acted upon.
To mitigate this:
- Limit the number of questions to those that directly inform decision-making.
- Use branching logic to keep surveys relevant to each participant.
- Keep language concise and jargon-free.
- Make it clear how their feedback will be used.
Informed Decision-Making
Ling et al. (2024) note that a sense of pride and organizational alignment grows when employees feel heard, which in turn enhances performance and retention. This is particularly relevant in both mission-driven organizations and competitive industries, where engagement drives outcomes.
Guesswork has no place in strategic planning. Organizations that rely solely on internal assumptions risk making decisions disconnected from reality. Surveys bring clarity to key questions:
- Are we meeting expectations?
- What do our supporters or customers need next?
- How are we perceived compared to competitors?
- Where should we allocate resources?
Ask us about how to help with your decision-making and evaluations, we have an expert team of evaluators at hand to help you. Reach out today.
Turning Insight into Action
Surveys are about listening. They give organizations a structured way to gather feedback, understand needs, test ideas, and measure satisfaction. When you ask the right questions, you tap into valuable perspectives that might otherwise go unheard.
The rise of digital tools has made it easier to gather feedback at scale, assess it in real time and act on it when consolidated with expert knowledge and best practices. Rusilowati, Metarini, and Sunarsi (2023) found that leveraging information technology to facilitate knowledge sharing significantly boosts the performance of public organizations. Online survey platforms, in particular, allow organizations to automate data collection, analyze responses in real time, and quickly adapt based on what they learn.
For businesses, surveys can reveal what customers value, where pain points exist, and how services or products can improve. For non-profits, surveys can gauge the effectiveness of programs, assess community needs, and demonstrate accountability to funders and stakeholders.
A well-executed survey does more than measure sentiment—it drives strategy. For businesses, it can uncover customer pain points, product opportunities, or gaps in service delivery. For non-profits, it can validate program impact, inform funding priorities, or strengthen stakeholder relationships.
Strong survey design is a strategic investment. By asking the right questions and avoiding fatigue, you not only collect better data—you position your organization to act on it confidently and effectively.
Free resource: survey tools – free plans 2025 ranked according to features
References
Derickson, R., Yanchus, N., Bashore, D., & Osatuke, K. (2019). Collecting and reporting employee feedback for large organizations: tips from the department of veterans affairs.. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 22(2), 74-90. https://doi.org/10.1037/mgr0000087
Fulton, B. (2016). Organizations and survey research. Sociological Methods & Research, 47(2), 240-276. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124115626169
Gallaway, M., Aseret-Manygoats, T., & Sjolander, S. (2024). Arizona department of health prevention services’ work to advance health equity starts with an assessment of its own organizational culture. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 30(1), 79-88. https://doi.org/10.1097/phh.0000000000001829
Haynes, N., Vandenberg, R., Wilson, M., DeJoy, D., Padilla, H., & Smith, M. (2022). Evaluating the impact of the live healthy, work healthy program on organizational outcomes: a randomized field experiment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 107(10), 1758-1780. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000977
Kim, Y. and Hançer, M. (2010). The effect of knowledge management resource inputs on organizational effectiveness in the restaurant industry. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 1(2), 174-189. https://doi.org/10.1108/17579881011065065
Ling, F., Ng, Y., & Zhai, W. (2024). Examining the mediating role of organizational pride on the relationship of human values and work outcomes of facilities managers. Facilities, 43(1/2), 129-148. https://doi.org/10.1108/f-09-2023-0087
Patwardhan, A. (2012). Are patient surveys valuable as a service-improvement tool in health services? an overview. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 33. https://doi.org/10.2147/jhl.s23150
Rusilowati, U., Metarini, R., & Sunarsi, D. (2023). Utilizing information technology in knowledge sharing to enhance the performance of public organizations. Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Administrasi Publik, 13(1), 325. https://doi.org/10.26858/jiap.v13i1.47494
Yamada, J., Squires, J., Estabrooks, C., Victor, C., & Stevens, B. (2017). The role of organizational context in moderating the effect of research use on pain outcomes in hospitalized children: a cross sectional study. BMC Health Services Research, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-017-2029-2