New Manager’s Secret Weapon: Surveys to Understand Their Team

Stepping into a leadership role comes with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. Organizations expect new managers to make decisions, lead effectively, and drive results. To do this, though, the manager needs to understand the team’s strengths, struggles, and workplace dynamics. One of the best ways to establish a strong foundation is by running an employee survey.

The Feedback Conundrum

New managers often receive plenty of secondhand insight. HR briefs them, outgoing leaders share their take, and senior executives have their own expectations. But what about the people who actually make up the team? After all, the new manager may inherit a department of 10, 20, 50, or even more employees. All without a direct, transparent way to gauge how things really are.

Many rely on one-on-one conversations, but these come with limitations.

• Are they asking the right questions?
• Are employees comfortable being honest?
• Is feedback influenced by personal biases or office politics?

Without a structured approach, it’s easy for managers to miss key issues or misunderstand team dynamics.

This is where surveys can help.

How Surveys Help New Leaders to Hit the Ground Running

The faster a new manager gets on the same page as their team, the more success they can create. Surveys:

• Provide a structured way to collect insights at scale. A well-crafted survey offers a bird’s-eye view of engagement, communication gaps, and operational pain points (before assumptions or office politics take over).
• Give everyone an equal voice. You don’t just hear from the loudest voices in the room.
• Get an unfiltered team perspective. Employees may be hesitant to share concerns in one-on-one conversations, but surveys—especially anonymous ones—encourage transparency.
• Identify quick wins. Surveys highlight low-hanging fruit, like minor frustrations that can be fixed fast, helping you build trust early on.
• Spot deeper issues. If morale, communication, or workflow problems exist, surveys reveal patterns before they become major roadblocks.
• Ensure data-driven decision-making. Instead of relying on assumptions or secondhand feedback, you’ll have direct input from the people who matter most.
• Establish a culture of open dialogue. When employees see that you value and act upon feedback, they’re more likely to engage, collaborate, and support your leadership.

The Fine Print: Missteps You Can Make with Surveys

Surveys are powerful tools, but only when you use them right. A poorly executed survey can backfire, leading to skewed data, disengagement, or even team mistrust. Approach surveys with intention, transparency, and follow-through. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

• Asking the wrong questions. Vague, biased, or overly complex questions can lead to misleading responses or incomplete data.
• Making it too long. Nobody wants to spend 30 minutes answering a survey.
• Ignoring anonymity. If employees fear backlash for honest answers, they won’t be candid.
• Not following up. If you collect feedback but never act on it (or worse, never acknowledge it), employees will see surveys as pointless.
• Using it as a one-time fix. Surveys should be part of an ongoing feedback loop, not a one-and-done exercise. Consistency builds trust and continuous improvement.

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Choosing the Right Survey Tool: Features Every Manager Should Look For

Surveys are an excellent way for new managers to gather insights, but they’re not the only method. One-on-one conversations, team meetings, and reviewing past performance data can also help you understand your team’s dynamics. However, surveys provide structured, scalable, and often anonymous feedback, helping you gain a full picture of your team.

Choosing the survey tool that will fit you best depends on your needs and objectives (which we’ll talk about later).

Use this list of features to guide your search:

• Anonymity options. Make sure employees feel safe providing honest feedback.
• Customization and question types. Gain access to various formats like multiple choice, Likert scales, and open-ended responses.
• Ease of use. The tool should require little time to master and navigate.
• Automated reporting and analytics. Aim to be able to interpret results quickly and track trends over time.
• Benchmarking and progress tracking. Compare results against past surveys or industry standards.
• Mobile-friendly. Ensures employees can easily participate on any device.
• Survey scheduling and reminders. Automates follow-ups to ensure high response rates.

Based on these features, here are a few solid survey tool options.

• Peoplelytics. This choice is ideal for tracking employee engagement over time. Pros: Deep analytics, trend tracking, scalability. Cons: A bit more expensive (but the features make up for it).
• Google Forms. A simple, no-cost option for quick surveys. Pros: Free, easy to share, customizable. Cons: Limited analytics and reporting.
• SurveyMonkey. Offers basic and premium plans with solid analytics. Pros: Pre-made question templates, and basic reporting. Cons: Advanced features require paid plans.
• Typeform. Great for conversational-style surveys. Pros: Visually appealing, easy to use. Cons: Can be pricier for advanced features.

How New Managers Should Execute a Temperature-Taking Survey

A well-executed temperature-taking survey is one of the most effective ways to gain meaningful insights, allowing you to assess morale, identify roadblocks, and establish a foundation for trust and engagement.

Let’s walk through every step of the process. By structuring your survey correctly and using the insights strategically, you can get off on the right foot and be proactive and responsive to your team’s needs.

Clearly Define Your Objectives

What do you want to learn from your team? Before launching your survey, it’s essential to define its purpose. A vague or unfocused survey can make it difficult to extract actionable insights. Consider what you need to learn about your team’s experience.

• Are employees motivated, or do they feel burnt out?
• Are there gaps in information flow between leadership and the team?
• Does the team feel supported in terms of workload distribution and available resources?
• What do employees need from you as their new manager?
• What are the biggest obstacles preventing team success?

Crafting Questions That Encourage Honest, Actionable Feedback

The quality of your survey depends on the questions you ask. Poorly worded, biased, or overly vague questions can lead to misleading responses. Craft effective survey questions like this.

Use a Mix of Question Types

A mix of question types provides a more comprehensive and accurate picture of employee sentiment. Different question formats capture various kinds of insights.

• Likert Scale questions (“On a scale of 1 to 5, how satisfied are you with communication within the team?”) allow you to quantify employee attitudes and track trends over time. They make it easy to measure satisfaction, engagement, and other key metrics.
• Open-ended questions (“What is one thing you would change about our team’s workflow?”) give employees the freedom to share detailed thoughts. These answers may identify nuances that multiple-choice questions might miss.
• Multiple-choice questions (“Which of the following best describes your biggest workplace challenge?”) streamline responses by categorizing employee feedback, making it easier to analyze patterns. They work well for identifying common challenges or preferences.

By combining these question types, you balance structured data with qualitative insights, so you don’t just get surface-level responses. A well-rounded survey leads to richer, more useful results.

Use Simple, Clear Language

If employees struggle to understand what’s being asked, their responses may be inconsistent, inaccurate, or incomplete. To get the most useful feedback, questions should be straightforward, avoiding unnecessary complexity, jargon, or ambiguity.

Why simplicity matters:

• Reduces confusion.  Employees should be able to answer questions quickly and confidently without needing clarification.
• Increases participation.  Clear, easy-to-read surveys feel less daunting and encourage higher response rates.
• Improves data quality. When questions are unambiguous, responses are more reliable and actionable.

How to simplify survey questions:

• Use everyday language. Keep the wording natural and conversational.
• Avoid corporate jargon. Industry buzzwords or technical terms can make questions unnecessarily complicated.
• Be to the point. Long, overly detailed questions may cause confusion or survey fatigue.

By ensuring survey questions are simple, precise, and free of jargon, you increase the likelihood of getting honest, useful feedback that accurately reflects your new team’s experiences.

Avoiding Leading or Biased Questions

The way a survey question is framed can significantly influence responses. Leading or biased questions subtly push employees toward a particular answer, often making it difficult to gauge their true opinions. To collect honest, meaningful feedback, it’s essential to word questions in a neutral, objective manner.

Neutral language:

• Encourages honesty. Employees should feel comfortable sharing their true thoughts, not pressured into responding positively.
• Prevents skewed data.  If questions assume a certain viewpoint, responses may reflect what employees think you want to hear rather than how they actually feel.
• Ensures balanced insights. Neutral questions allow both positive and negative feedback, giving you a more complete picture of employee sentiment.

Common Biases in Survey Questions

Assumptive bias. Asking a question that presumes something to be true. (“How satisfied are you with our excellent leadership team?”)

Loaded language bias. Using emotionally charged words that influence responses. (“How much do you enjoy the exciting new project management system?”)

Double-barreled questions. Asking about two things at once makes it unclear what the respondent is answering. (“Do you feel valued and supported by your manager?” )

Social desirability bias. Encouraging respondents to answer in a way that aligns with what is perceived as socially acceptable or expected. (“Do you always meet deadlines on time?”)

Guaranteeing Anonymity

For employees to provide honest employee feedback, they must feel safe doing so. If employees fear retaliation or skepticism about survey confidentiality, responses may be filtered, inaccurate, or overly positive.

Maximize the impact of anonymous employee feedback. 

• Use third-party survey tools like Peoplelytics that don’t track individual respondents.
• Avoid asking for identifiable details such as names, departments, or job titles unless necessary.
• Disable IP tracking if using internal survey tools.
• Clearly communicate anonymity before launching the survey. Reinforce that responses cannot and will not be linked to individuals.

Turning Survey Insights into Real Change

Survey results are only valuable if they lead to action. After the survey runs, if employees feel their feedback is ignored, they may disengage from future surveys or lose trust in leadership.

Steps to convert insights into action:

1. Identify key areas for improvement. Focus on the most pressing issues rather than trying to address everything at once.
2. Set clear, achievable goals. For example, if communication gaps are a major theme, establish regular team check-ins or feedback sessions.
3. Prioritize quick wins.  Implementing small but impactful changes early builds credibility and momentum.
4. Develop long-term strategies. If deeper issues exist (e.g., workload imbalances), work with leadership to create sustainable solutions.

Demonstrate responsiveness and show employees that their voices lead to real improvements.

Communicating Findings to Your Team

One of the most critical steps in the survey process is sharing results with your team. Employees should know that their input was heard and that leadership is committed to making positive changes.

• Summarize key takeaways. Share a high-level summary of what was learned. Avoid overwhelming employees with raw data.
• Be honest about challenges. Acknowledge problems rather than sugarcoating the truth.
• Outline next steps. Clearly communicate what changes will be made based on feedback.
• Encourage ongoing conversations. Invite employees to continue the dialogue and provide suggestions as changes are implemented.

Beyond the Initial Survey

One survey isn’t enough to build a culture of continuous improvement. To create a high-performing team, feedback should be an ongoing process.

Maintain a strong feedback loop by:

• Scheduling regular check-ins. Continue gathering input through one-on-one meetings or pulse surveys.
• Celebrating progress. Recognize improvements and keep employees informed about ongoing initiatives.
• Adjusting strategies as needed. Employee needs and company dynamics change over time, so remain flexible.
• Encouraging two-way communication. Make feedback a natural part of team culture, not just a formal process.

By embedding feedback into everyday operations, you reinforce a culture of collaboration, trust, and continuous improvement.

New Managers Can Make Exceptional Leaders

Executing a temperature-taking survey is one of the smartest steps a new manager can take to understand their team and set the stage for success. By prioritizing employee feedback and demonstrating a commitment to improvement, new managers can establish themselves as effective, responsive leaders, earning the respect and buy-in of their teams from day one.