HR questionnaire: 5 templates to collect employee feedback

Let’s be honest — no one wakes up excited to fill out an HR questionnaire. Employees dread them, managers roll their eyes at another survey, and HR professionals cross their fingers hoping for at least a 50% response rate.

The problem is that too many questionnaires are too long and incredibly vague. In this guide, we’ll break down five simple HR survey templates that actually get responses and are useful.

5 types of HR questionnaires with ready-made questions

These resource questionnaires serve different purposes — from onboarding fresh talent to keeping a pulse on employee morale. And because we know you have a million other things on your plate, we’re giving you ready-to-use questions for each one. 

1. Employee intake form

An employee intake form is basically your company’s way of saying: “Welcome, and tell us everything about yourself.” However, we suggest keeping it simple and to the point. Here are 10 questions for your intake form.

1. Personal information: name, contact information, date of birth, address

2. Emergency contact’s name and phone number

3. Job title 

4. Start date 

5. Do you have any special accommodations or accessibility needs? 

6. Do you have any allergies or dietary restrictions we should be aware of?

7. Bank account details and payment preferences

8. Which of the following benefit programs are you interested in enrolling in? Options: Dental insurance, Vision insurance, Life insurance, Disability insurance, Retirement savings plan, etc. 

9. Are there any accommodations or adjustments needed to support your physical comfort and well-being during work hours?

10. Anything else we should know to make your onboarding smoother? 

2. Skill gap and development

No one walks into a new role knowing everything, so you’ll need a skill gap and development questionnaire to identify where employees need support and how to bridge any knowledge gaps before they become bigger issues.

Here are 10 questions to get you started:

1. What are the key skills required for your role — and how confident do you feel in each?

2. Are there any specific technical or soft skills you’d like to improve? Think leadership, communication, software proficiency, etc.

3. Do you feel that your current role aligns with your long-term career goals? 

4. Have you received enough training to perform your job effectively? 

5. What type of learning format do you prefer? Options: Workshops, online courses, mentorship, hands-on projects.

6. Are there any certifications or additional training programs you’re interested in pursuing? 

7. Do you feel comfortable asking for help or guidance when needed? 

8. What tools, software, or resources would make your job easier or more efficient? 

9. Are there any skills or expertise gaps in your team that, if filled, would improve overall performance? 

10. Is there anything else we can do to support your professional growth and development? 

3. Burnout and well-being assessment

Burnout is the silent productivity killer lurking in every workplace. According to the Employee Mental Health in 2024 report, nearly 45% of employees feel burned out at work. It’s a problem that doesn’t show up overnight. On the contrary, it adds up slowly, mainly fueled by excessive workloads and lack of recognition. 

Here are 10 questions to help assess well-being and prevent burnout before it’s too late:

1. On a scale of 1-10, how stressed do you feel at work on an average day?

2. Do you feel like your workload is manageable within your regular working hours? 

3. How often do you feel mentally or physically exhausted at the end of a workday?

4. Do you feel like you have enough time for breaks and personal well-being?

5. Are you comfortable discussing stress or mental health concerns with your manager or HR? 

6. How supported do you feel by leadership when it comes to your well-being?

7. What workplace factors contribute the most to your stress levels? Think tight deadlines, unclear expectations, endless Zoom calls, etc. 

8. Do you feel recognized and valued for the work you do?

9. What changes or resources would help improve your well-being at work? 

10. Is there anything else you’d like to share about your well-being at work? 

4. Manager effectiveness questionnaire

Almost 70% of employees say their managers have the greatest impact on their mental health, on par with their partner or spouse! This questionnaire can help you understand how well managers are leading their teams and whether employees feel supported — or just micromanaged into oblivion.

Here are 10 insightful questions to gauge manager effectiveness:

1. Do you feel comfortable approaching your manager with concerns or feedback?

2. How often does your manager provide constructive feedback that helps you improve?

3. Does your manager communicate expectations clearly? 

4. Do you feel recognized and appreciated by your manager for your contributions?

5. Does your manager support your professional growth and career development? 

6. How well does your manager handle conflict or difficult situations within the team? 

7. Does your manager foster a positive, inclusive, and collaborative team culture? 

8. Does your manager lead by example when it comes to work ethic, communication, and professionalism?

9. How well does your manager support work-life balance and respect boundaries? 

10. What’s one thing your manager does well, and one thing they could improve? 

5. Exit interview questionnaire

People are way more honest when they have nothing to lose, and a well-designed exit interview questionnaire may help you uncover the real reasons employees leave. The goal is to gather honest insights about company culture and management. 

Here are 10 must-ask exit interview questions to get meaningful feedback:

1. What motivated you to start looking for a new job? 

2. What ultimately led you to accept your new role elsewhere? 

3. How would you describe your overall experience working here? 

4. Did you feel supported in your professional growth and career development? 

5. How would you describe your relationship with your manager? 

6. Did you feel recognized and valued for your contributions? 

7. What aspects of our company culture did you enjoy? 

8. What aspects of our company culture need improvement? 

9. Would you recommend this company to others as a good place to work? Why or why not? 

10. Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience? 

Use a professional form builder to make your questionnaire

Human resources surveys only work if people actually complete them. The real challenge is to actually get employees to fill the form out without chasing them down. Enter Content Snare, the tool that makes collecting responses painless and way more effective than the usual “Hey, did you see that form I sent?” email. 

Source: Content Snare’s template library

Why is Content Snare the right tool for the job? We’ll mention only a few major reasons:

• It features a ready-to-use employee intake form template, so you can get started in minutes.

• Automated reminders will gently (but persistently) remind employees to complete their questionnaires — so you don’t have to.

• You can add instructions to make sure employees know exactly what to do.

• 20+ field types enable you to edit templates or design a custom questionnaire that fits your needs perfectly.

• Responses are neatly stored and easy to access, so you’re not stuck sifting through random email attachments and half-filled Google Forms.

The bottom line is that Content Snare guarantees you’re not wasting time chasing responses or dealing with incomplete answers. Instead of playing email tag with employees, use a professional form builder and let Content Snare do the heavy lifting.