How to Deal with Concerning Comments in Employee Surveys

Many companies use employee surveys to gather information for various goals. They may ask about company culture or employee satisfaction, opinions about onboarding, or thoughts about diversity and inclusion.

And, while leaders would like to see 100% positive comments, that probably won’t be the case. Sometimes, employees will share frustrations about processes and obstacles, and even managers and co-workers.

Less-than-happy feedback can be difficult to handle. What type of feedback is most important to listen to? Is it part of a larger company issue? How do you address it?

Below we’ll cover how to handle concerning comments on employee surveys in ways that will benefit your employees and your organization.

Which Comments Should You Be Concerned About?

While every piece of feedback helps paint a picture, not all negative feedback automatically sounds the alarm. Isolated minor complaints and irritations (while, if enough people mention them, help spot trends), aren’t enough to be critical. However, pay close attention to feedback about:

• Discrimination. Comments about witnessing or experiencing discrimination from co-workers or managers should be flagged and problem-solved immediately.
• Harassment. Employees who mention being harassed or bullied need to be taken seriously. This kind of feedback could be evidence of a toxic workplace.
• Hostility. Situations like verbal or physical aggression shouldn’t be tolerated and must be addressed promptly.
• Leadership failures. Responses that mention inefficiency, lack of transparency, or distrust may signal a concerning problem with the ones running the organization.
• Burnout or mental health struggles. Feedback that mentions being overwhelmed, overworked, unable to relax during off hours, and constantly stressed out could signal an issue with burnout.
• Low morale. Mentions that the employee feels like nobody cares about them and their work isn’t important or valued could indicate disengagement.
• Ethical concerns. If employees share that they’ve seen or heard about dishonest dealings and illegal behavior in the workplace, you should handle it immediately.
• Unsafe practices. Dangerous working conditions and lapsed safety precautions are another hot button. If employee surveys include this type of feedback, jump on it as soon as possible.

When handling your negative employee survey feedback, you also need to:

• Watch for trending answers. Multiple employees mentioning a small irritation gives it more importance and could signal a larger issue.
• Pay attention to extreme responses. Emotionally charged language and strongly worded responses could be a sign the issue may escalate if you don’t handle it immediately.
• Look for gaps between departments. If a specific team shares negative responses, it may signal a narrow issue instead of a company-wide one.

Why Is Ignoring These Comments a Bad Idea?

Yes, digging into negative feedback from employee surveys can be uncomfortable. However, not addressing these comments can cause far bigger problems for your organization down the road. Not resolving negative feedback can:

• Escalate the issue. Left unchecked, problems with burnout, discrimination, and leadership can get worse and spread. This situation can damage employee morale, affect productivity, and weaken the company culture.
• Damage trust. If employees share their honest opinions and don’t see any resolution, they can start losing trust in leadership. Without a strong bond, they may think “Why bother?” and be less communicative and honest in future surveys.
• Encourage litigation. Ignoring serious issues like discrimination and unsafe working conditions opens the organization up to lawsuits, penalties, and damage to the brand.
• Increase turnover. Employees who don’t see any action stemming from their feedback may feel undervalued and unheard. This could spiral into dissatisfaction that could make them decide to work elsewhere.
• Cause the organization to miss opportunities to improve. Critical comments can help companies understand what employees want so they can improve their workplace. Failing to take action can hinder a company’s growth and improvement.

Post-survey action plan & next steps >>

We've curated tips and best practices on how to move from survey results to internal action plans.

What Are the Best Ways to Deal with Concerning Comments?

Once you’ve reviewed the survey answers and identified the negative information you want to address, you’ll need to act appropriately.

Redact identifying details.

Protecting the employee’s identity and keeping them safe from blowback is the first step toward addressing concerning comments. Otherwise, the entire future feedback process will be jeopardized.

• Remove the name and identifying details like their title and department. Focus on the comment itself instead of who made it.
• Combine feedback. Grouping similar comments into overall themes protects each individual’s identity.
• Continuously reassure employees that their identities are safe. Anonymity fosters trust and honesty in the feedback process.

Prioritize concerns by severity.

Concerns that are uncovered in your employee surveys won’t be equal. For example, unsafe working conditions would have a high alarm, handle-right-now urgency. Set up a process for deciding which concerns to tackle first.

• Assess impact. Evaluate the potential each concern has for doing harm. Those that could escalate into dangerous or unsafe conditions and those that could cause distress to an employee’s well-being need priority. Minor process inefficiencies and general grievances can take a lower priority.
• Categorize actions. High-priority, moderate, and low-priority are easy “buckets” to organize issues.
• Act fast. Address the highest-priority concerns immediately. Organizations that drag their feet can end up dealing with issues that escalate, causing damage to the employees and the company’s reputation.

Address the concerns with managers.

Leadership buy-in is crucial to forging a permanent improvement. An honest, transparent conversation with leadership is the best way to move forward constructively. Share the feedback in a clear, actionable way (while maintaining confidentiality).

• Present information in a user-friendly format. Use charts, graphs, or summarized reports to help leaders visualize patterns and understand the scale of the concerns. This will make it easier for them to grasp the urgency of the issues.
• Tie feedback to organizational goals. How does resolving the comments align with business objectives? Bringing the concerns into the “big picture” helps get leadership on board to tackle the issue.
• Empower them with resources. Provide managers with tools and training to address specific issues highlighted in the feedback. For example, if comments point to ineffective communication, invest in a workshop on improving team interactions.

Decide How to Respond

Making the appropriate response to concerning comments is essential for handling employee feedback. Leadership should make sure employees feel heard and that issues are resolved constructively.

• Evaluate the comment. Does the concern require an immediate organizational change? A process clarification? A one-on-one conversation with the employee? For example, comments about burnout may call for team-wide workload adjustments, while a conflict between employees might need mediation.
• Decide on public vs. private action. Sweeping issues like policy changes should be addressed publicly to demonstrate transparency. Handle others, like sensitive matters, privately.
• Involve employees in solutions. Rather than dictating solutions from the top down, collaborate with employees to address concerns. Focus groups, one-on-one meetings, or suggestion boxes allow employees to feel part of the process.
• Match the response to the impact. For severe concerns like harassment or unsafe conditions, a robust and visible response (like launching an investigation) is called for. For comments like suggestions for workplace amenities, a simple acknowledgment may be enough.
• Communicate outcomes. After deciding how to respond, implement the action plan and inform employees of progress and results. This reinforces the importance of their feedback and builds trust in the survey process.

Share the News (and Solutions) Company-Wide

Communicate the outcomes to the entire organization. Transparent communication reinforces the importance of employee feedback and builds trust in the survey process by demonstrating that leadership listens and acts.

• Announce changes promptly. Share the solutions as soon as they are finalized. Use multiple communication channels, such as emails, company meetings, or newsletters, to reach all employees.
• Highlight specific actions. Clearly state what’s being done to address the concerns raised. For example, if burnout was a trending concern, share details about a new workload distribution strategy or wellness initiative.
• Acknowledge employee contributions. Regularly mention the role that employee feedback plays in driving positive changes. Getting into this habit reinforces how important it is to participate in employee surveys.

Create a Culture of Ongoing Honest Feedback

When feedback is a natural part of workplace communication, employees are more likely to voice concerns early, which helps keep issues from escalating.

• Encourage continued feedback. Create accessible channels like suggestion boxes, open-door policies, or regular pulse surveys. Let employees know their feedback is necessary to build a better workplace.
• Reassure employees of anonymity. Continuously reiterate that feedback is confidential. Reinforce that leadership is committed to listening and responding, regardless of whether the input is critical, constructive, or positive.
• Celebrate success stories. Highlight instances where employee feedback led to tangible improvements. This motivates employees to continue offering insights.
• Incorporate feedback into meetings. Make honest feedback a standing agenda item in team and leadership meetings. Open discussions show that addressing feedback is a priority for everyone in the organization.
• Train leaders to be transparent. Encourage managers to regularly ask for and act on feedback within their teams. When leaders model openness and responsiveness, employees feel more confident voicing their thoughts and concerns.

Handling Concerning Comments on Employee Surveys Creates a Better Workplace

It may seem disheartening when a survey turns up less-than-happy answers and insights. However, they can be the key to building a better organization. Concerning comments are opportunities to strengthen trust and improve company culture. By identifying critical feedback, addressing it transparently, and taking meaningful action, you show employees that their voices are valued and their well-being matters. You also head off potential disasters that could lead to physical and mental damage, lawsuits, and turnover.