I’ve always been fascinated by why people do what they do. My career started in marketing, trying to understand why people choose one brand over another. Since moving into the workplace sector, that curiosity hasn’t changed. The questions are just different. Why do people come into the office? Why do they stay with a coworking community? Why do they recommend somewhere to a friend?
Over the years I’ve looked at hundreds of surveys. Some have uncovered genuinely valuable insights. Others have produced pages of data without ever answering the question they set out to explore. In my experience, the difference is rarely the survey itself. It’s the thinking that happens before the first question is written.
If you’re planning a survey for your members, here are five principles I’d keep in mind.
1. Start With the Decision, Not the Questions
The biggest mistake I see is organisations jumping straight into writing questions. Instead, start by asking yourself what decision you’re trying to make. Are you looking to improve your events? Understand why members leave? Shape your next investment in the space?
Once you’re clear on that, look at the data you already have. Membership records, bookings, utilisation, event attendance and support requests already tell part of the story. Don’t ask people questions your systems can already answer. Use surveys to understand the things your data can’t tell you. How people feel. Why they made a choice. What nearly stopped them renewing. That’s the value of listening.
2. Use Scores to Measure. Use Words to Understand.
I’m a big believer in quantitative and qualitative research working together.
Rating questions are brilliant for tracking change over time, comparing locations or understanding differences between member groups. But they only tell you what happened.
The interesting part is why.
If someone rates your community events six out of ten, follow it with a simple question. Can you tell us why?
The score gives you something to measure. The explanation gives you something to improve.
3. Design the Survey Like You Would Any Other Member Experience
People often spend months designing their member journey, then throw together a survey in an afternoon.
Keep it short. Write in plain English. Make sure it works on a phone. Remove anything that doesn’t help answer your original question (see tip 1).
Every extra click, every unnecessary question and every confusing sentence makes it more likely someone gives up halfway through.
4. Give People Context
One of the easiest ways to improve the quality of feedback is to explain why you’re asking.
If you’re reviewing your events programme, say so. If you’re deciding where to invest next year, tell people. That context helps respondents answer from the right perspective rather than guessing what you’re really trying to find out.
You’re not influencing the answer. You’re helping people give a better one.
5. Close the Loop
Every survey is a promise.
You’re asking members to give up their time because you believe their opinions matter. Make sure they know what happens next.
Tell them how you’ll use the feedback. Share what you’ve learnt. Most importantly, show them what changed because they took part.
When people see their feedback leading to action, they’re far more likely to contribute next time. That’s how surveys become more than a data collection exercise. They become part of an ongoing conversation with your community.
Good survey design isn’t about asking more questions. It’s about asking better ones. If every question has a purpose, if you’re listening for the things only your members can tell you, and if you act on what you hear, surveys become one of the most valuable tools you have for building a better workplace community.