Employee survey questionnaire: great questions onboarding new hires for better feedback and retention

Creating an effective employee survey questionnaire for new hires can make or break their onboarding experience.

Great questions during onboarding help surface early concerns, validate training effectiveness, and build engagement from day one.

Conversational surveys powered by AI follow-ups do more than static forms—they dig deeper to capture context and insights that drive real action.

Week 1: First impressions and immediate needs

The first week shapes how a new hire feels about your organization. High-impact questions here are your chance to spot red flags early and address confusion fast. With AI-powered follow-ups, you never settle for vague answers—you immediately surface pain points and blockers to set each person up for success.

• How would you describe your first few days here?
  AI can follow up if the answer seems flat or unclear.

  If someone says "overwhelming," ask: "What specific aspects felt overwhelming? Was it the amount of information, the pace, or something else?"

• Is there anything you wish you had learned sooner about your team or role?
  This uncovers hidden confusion.

  If the answer is "not really," ask: "Has anything surprised you about how things work so far?"

• Do you know where to find resources or support for your current tasks?
  AI probes for gaps in documentation or communication.

  If the answer is "kind of," ask: "Which resources have been hardest to locate?"

• Who has helped you the most so far, and why?
  AI can dig into what meaningful support looks like.

  If they name a person, ask: "What did they do that made onboarding easier?"

Crafting custom onboarding surveys is painless with an AI survey builder like Specific. These dynamic week-1 check-ins pinpoint problems before they affect retention—critical since 29% of new hires know if a job is a fit within the first week [1].

30-day mark: Role clarity and early wins

By the 30-day point, new hires should feel they understand what's expected and where to find help. The right questions here go beyond "How's it going?"—they surface roadblocks and reveal what's still unclear. AI-driven surveys transform check-ins into genuine two-way conversations, asking smarter follow-ups based on initial responses.

• Where do you feel most confident in your role?
  AI can ask for examples of early wins.

  If confident in a task, ask: "Can you share one project or task you completed that made you feel successful?"

• What still feels confusing or unclear?
  This opens the door to honest feedback about expectations.

  If the response is "Objectively, not much," ask: "Is there any process, tool, or term that still feels unfamiliar?"

• Has your team made you feel welcome and included?
  AI digs into specific experiences.

  If the answer is "Yes," ask: "Was there a particular moment or gesture that stood out?"

• Are there resources or information you wish you had more access to?
  AI can follow up on availability or gaps.

  If the answer is "Maybe internal documentation," ask: "What topics or formats would make documentation more useful to you?"

Follow-up questions turn a static 30-day survey into an evolving feedback conversation, naturally surfacing blockers you might otherwise miss. This matters, since 70% of new hires decide if a job is the right fit within the first month [1], and only 39% of employees find onboarding clear. Identifying confusion early creates a smoother transition and boosts engagement [2].

60-day checkpoint: Progress and development

The 60-day mark should reveal how new hires are growing beyond the basics. Are they learning, making an impact, and identifying where they want to develop? These question stems get past “Is everything okay?” and unlock real stories. AI follow-ups adapt by role or department, surfacing what matters most for each person. See how automatic AI follow-ups make every response richer.

• What are you most proud of accomplishing since you started?
  AI follow-up clarifies scope and impact.

  If they say "Got my first project done," ask: "What part of that project made you proud, and why?"

• What skills or knowledge do you wish you could develop next?
  This guides future training investments.

  If the answer is "More on our CRM," ask: "What kind of training would help you feel more confident using it?"

• Have any roadblocks slowed you down? How did you work through them?
  AI can spot recurring organizational issues.

  If the answer is "Had trouble getting approvals," ask: "Were processes or communication the bigger obstacle?"

• Where do you see yourself adding more value?
  AI can prompt for examples or goals.

  If they say "Customer support," ask: "What new ideas or improvements would you want to introduce?"

Dynamic AI follow-ups personalize every survey, probing for more detail based on job function or department needs. Check out how Specific's automatic follow-up questions work for deeper, tailored insights.

It’s this deeper, actionable context that helps make your onboarding investments count—leading to higher engagement and retention rates. Remember, companies with standard onboarding see up to a 50% productivity boost after 60 days [3].

90-day review: Long-term fit and future planning

The 90-day mark is a make-or-break milestone. It’s not just about performance—it’s about belonging, alignment, and intent to stay. The right questions (with AI follow-ups) uncover not only whether someone fits the culture, but what will keep them engaged over the long term. These insights help HR teams target retention risks before they become turnover.

• How well do you feel your values align with the company’s?
  AI follow-up explores where gaps might exist.

  If they say "Pretty well," ask: "Are there areas where you notice differences, or is anything still unclear about our values?"

• Can you see yourself growing your career here?
  This helps gauge long-term engagement.

  If the answer is "Yes, if there are opportunities," ask: "What specific growth opportunities would most excite you?"

• Is there anything that would make your experience better going forward?
  AI can surface hidden blockers or improvement requests.

  If they say "More feedback," ask: "Would regular one-on-ones help, or do you need more peer recognition?"

• What advice would you give others starting in your role?
  AI distills best practices and actionable feedback for future onboarding.

  If the answer is "Be proactive," ask: "What does ‘being proactive’ look like here in practice?"

These questions let you prioritize action: AI-powered summaries reveal themes and patterns across all new hire feedback, so you spot systemic risks and improvement areas quickly (see how Specific’s AI analysis works). Most managers (94%) who use AI say it helps them make smarter decisions about their team [4].

Delivery options: Sharable links vs. in-product triggers

How you deliver your onboarding surveys is as important as what you ask. The right method keeps feedback timely without adding friction. Here’s a quick comparison:

Sharable survey pages shine for simple distribution to email lists or Slack channels, while in-product surveys are perfect for teams using HRIS or onboarding platforms. Both offer advanced targeting, timing controls, and frequency settings, making it easy to avoid survey fatigue while hitting every major checkpoint.

From feedback to action: AI-powered analysis

Collecting feedback is just the start—turning it into action is where most companies fall short. Specific’s AI analysis summarizes open-text responses, spots themes, and powers a conversational chat interface for digging into insights. Imagine going from a pile of survey data to clear, prioritized HR action items in minutes.

• AI Summaries: See the most frequent pain points, best practices, or wish-list items across all hires.

• Chat-based Exploration: Type questions like these to find actionable themes:

  Show me all feedback about manager support during the first 30 days

  What training topics are new hires struggling with most?

• Multiple analysis threads: Filter, segment, and track onboarding themes by role, team, or location as different HR leads spin up dedicated analysis chats.

When insights flow directly from survey to program improvement, you never miss a chance to iterate—boosting future employee satisfaction and retention. Only 12% of employees feel their company does onboarding well [5]. That’s a big opportunity.

Getting started with your onboarding survey

If you want new hires to stick around and feel valued, you need to act on real feedback—from day one to day ninety and beyond. Here’s a simple 3-step process:

• Design your survey with AI: Use chat to craft the perfect onboarding questionnaire—including all the key checkpoints and follow-up logic. Customize and iterate with an AI-powered editor.

• Choose delivery: Schedule sharable survey links or trigger in-product surveys automatically as employees reach key milestones.

• Analyze and act: Explore responses with AI-driven summaries and chat—dig into the pain points that matter most, by team, location, or cohort.

Specific supports multilingual surveys for global teams and lets you fine-tune tone for a professional yet welcoming experience. If you’re not running these continuous onboarding checkpoints, you’re missing critical early warning signs on retention. Ready to step up? Create your own onboarding survey with Specific’s AI generator—and set up your newest team members for long-term success.