Survey Design & Optimisation
Build the right survey from scratch — or improve the one you already have
Questback survey consultants help you decide what to ask, how to ask it and how to structure the survey so the results support the decisions your organisation needs to make.
We can develop a new questionnaire together with you or review and optimise an existing survey while preserving historical comparability where it matters.
Start from scratch or optimise what you already have
Build a new survey
We help translate your business objectives, company values, leadership principles and existing priorities into a questionnaire that is relevant, clear and practical to answer.
Rather than creating a parallel framework, we build on the goals, language and measures your organisation already uses. This can include defining the topics to cover, selecting the right questions and scales, identifying relevant KPIs and structuring the questionnaire around how the results will later be analysed and used.
Optimise an existing survey
Existing surveys often grow over time. New questions are added, priorities change and some questions remain simply because they have always been there.
We review the questionnaire with you and identify what should stay, what can be improved and what may no longer serve a useful purpose.
The goal is to make the survey more relevant and useful without unnecessarily losing historical comparability.
What we review and optimise
Survey design is more than choosing a list of questions. We review how the questionnaire works as a whole — from what you ask to how the results will later be interpreted and used.
Questions
Are you asking what you actually need to know?
Wording
Are questions clear, neutral and easy to interpret?
Scales
Do the response scales fit what is being measured?
KPIs
Are the right measures included for your objectives?
Length
Can the survey be shortened without losing important information?
Structure and flow
Does the questionnaire feel logical for the respondent?
Redundancy
Are several questions measuring essentially the same thing?
Actionability
Will the results show where action is needed?
Reporting needs
Will the questionnaire produce the data needed for the reporting you want?
Comparability
Which questions and measures should remain stable over time?
Improve the survey without losing what already works
Preserve what works
For recurring surveys, historical comparability can be extremely valuable. Optimisation therefore does not mean redesigning everything from scratch.
We preserve established questions, KPIs and trends where they still serve their purpose, while recommending changes where:
Improve where needed
- priorities have changed
- questions are unclear or difficult to interpret
- the survey has become unnecessarily long
- several questions overlap
- important topics are missing
- results do not provide enough direction for action
- reporting requirements have changed
This allows the survey to evolve while retaining the continuity that matters.
Different programmes need different survey design
The principles of good survey design are consistent, but the questions, measures and structure should reflect what you are trying to understand.
Employee Feedback
Align questions with organisational priorities, company values and leadership principles, and make sure the survey supports meaningful reporting and follow-up.
Customer Feedback & NPS
Select the right measures, questions and touchpoints for the decisions you want to make — whether that involves NPS, CSAT, customer satisfaction, loyalty or specific stages of the customer journey.
360-degree Feedback
Build the questionnaire around the leadership competence models, behavioural expectations, company values or development priorities your organisation already uses. If no established framework exists, we can help define what different respondent groups should assess.
What you get
Depending on the scope of the project, Survey Design & Optimisation can result in:
- a new or optimised questionnaire
- recommended questions, scales and KPIs
- recommendations on survey length, structure and flow
- documented suggestions for changes to an existing survey
- guidance on what should remain unchanged for historical comparability
- a questionnaire structure ready to be implemented in Questback
The result is a survey that reflects your organisation and is designed to produce results that are easier to interpret and use.
Need help with your questionnaire?
Whether you are starting from scratch or improving a survey you have run for years, our survey consultants can help you build a questionnaire that reflects your objectives and produces results you can use.
