When it comes to workplace surveys, confidentiality is a key factor in how comfortable employees feel about sharing feedback. But there’s a noticeable difference in how confidentiality works for onboarding and exit surveys versus regular engagement surveys. The reason? It largely comes down to the size of the group and the specific purpose of these surveys.
Let’s break down why onboarding and exit surveys can’t offer the same level of confidentiality as broader engagement or pulse surveys—and why face-to-face conversations still play a crucial role.
Regular engagement surveys
In a regular engagement survey, the goal is usually to get a pulse on how employees feel about their work, the culture, and the organisation as a whole. These surveys might go out to a large group—say 100 or more people—which makes it easy to ensure confidentiality. When you’ve got that many responses coming in, it’s hard to pinpoint who said what, and that’s by design.
How does confidentiality work for regular Hive Surveys?
Let’s use Hive as an example for how confidentiality works in a regular survey. Hive gets that as an employer, you recognise the importance of protecting people’s identity, and by choosing to use Hive, you’ve taken a step toward giving you a permanent voice. This ensures that feedback can be shared openly and honestly, so meaningful improvements can be made in your organisation
Here’s how Hive protects employee identity:
- Employers only receive employee feedback, never their identity.
- Feedback is combined with all employees’ and divided into demographic groups, like department or location. Hive makes this possible by cross-referencing feedback with user profiles.
- We restrict employers from viewing and filtering feedback in groups of fewer than 3 (we strongly recommend a minimum of six), even if filters are combined. But don’t worry, feedback will still contribute to larger groupings.
With confidentiality, employees feel more comfortable being open and honest about things like their workload, management, and team dynamics. They know that their feedback is being collected in a way that can’t be traced back to them, which encourages candid responses.
Take Hive, for example. If an employee scores a question like, ‘I have concerns about AI replacing aspects of my job,’ with a 2, an HR leader may want to explore this further. Using Hive’s messenger feature, they can start a confidential conversation with the employee, who is given a random alias like ‘Red Fox,’ allowing for honest, open dialogue without revealing their identity.
Why confidentiality is harder in onboarding and exit surveys
Now, let’s look at onboarding and exit surveys. Here’s where things get tricky: in smaller groups—or when only one person is involved— confidentiality is almost impossible.
Let’s say you have a new hire join your team, and a week into their role, they’re asked to fill out an onboarding survey about their experience so far. Even if the survey is set up to be “confidential”, it’s pretty clear who filled it out—it’s the only new person on the team. The same goes for exit surveys. If only one person is leaving the company, there’s no real way to hide who provided the feedback, no matter how the survey is framed.
This is fundamentally different from a large-scale survey. In a company-wide survey, where dozens or even hundreds of employees participate, feedback gets pooled together.
You might hear that 50% of people are unhappy with their workload, but there’s no way to pinpoint exactly which employees said it. That’s what true confidentiality looks like, and it’s easy to achieve when you’re working with large groups.
Why onboarding and exit surveys are less focused on confidentiality
Onboarding and exit surveys have a different focus, which makes confidentiality less critical, though still important. Here’s why:
Onboarding surveys: These are all about improving the new hire experience in real time. If someone is struggling with their role, unclear about expectations, or needs better resources, the organisation wants to know so they can fix it—fast. More than 93% of employers believe that onboarding plays a critical role in an employee’s decision to stay or leave the company.
Since onboarding feedback is typically more operational (about training, support, or team integration), confidentiality isn’t as big of a concern. The feedback is often more about immediate action and support, rather than sensitive or personal issues.
Exit surveys: When someone is leaving the company, exit surveys gather insights into why they’re leaving and what the company could do better. The feedback can be more critical—especially if the employee had a negative experience. While exit surveys aim for confidentiality, true confidentiality is tricky if only one person is leaving. Even so, companies emphasise handling feedback discreetly and using it to make improvements, rather than to single out the departing employee.
The confidentiality challenge in small companies
In smaller organisations, the challenge is even more pronounced. If there’s only one new hire or one person leaving, their feedback can’t really be confidential, no matter how much the company wants it to be. Even with a promise of confidentiality, it’s pretty obvious who filled out the survey.
This can be a concern, especially with exit surveys. If an employee is leaving due to negative reasons—perhaps issues with management or the company culture—they might feel nervous about sharing that feedback if they know it could be traced back to them. Similarly, new hires in small teams might hesitate to be fully honest in an onboarding survey if they worry their feedback might be perceived negatively.
It’s important to have multiple channels for employees to feedback that do offer the chance for new employees to have their say and voice concerns in a comfortable and truly confidential way. A great example of this is tools like Hive Open door – an always on listening tool that lets your people share their thoughts confidentially any time.
How companies can handle the confidentiality issue
Even though true confidentiality isn’t always possible, companies can still build trust with employees by ensuring their feedback will be used constructively.
- Be upfront about confidentiality limitations: Acknowledge that complete confidentiality might not be achievable due to the size of the organisation (in some cases) but let your people know their responses will be treated with confidentiality and respect.
- Build a culture of trust: Encourage open communication from the outset. If employees see that feedback is valued and acted upon—without negative consequences—they’ll feel more comfortable sharing their honest thoughts, even in situations where confidentiality isn’t guaranteed.
- Use feedback to show positive change: Regularly share how employee feedback, whether from onboarding, exit, or engagement surveys, is being used to make improvements. When employees see that their input leads to tangible results, they’re more likely to provide honest feedback in the future.
- Supplement surveys with face-to-face conversations: In addition to surveys, hold informal check-ins or exit interviews. One-on-one conversations offer employees a more comfortable space to share feedback, especially when they know the conversation is confidential and will be handled constructively.
- Consider confidential feedback options for specific concerns: Offer an alternative confidential channel for employees to raise sensitive issues, like a confidential suggestion box or a digital tool like Hive Open door. This can help ease concerns around giving negative feedback directly tied to management or culture, especially in exit scenarios, and employees don’t have to wait for surveys to feedback with these options.
By creating a safe, open environment and offering multiple ways to provide feedback, smaller organisations can overcome the challenges that come with a lack of true confidentiality in surveys.
The role of face-to-face in onboarding and exiting
While onboarding and exit surveys can provide valuable insights, they should never replace face-to-face interactions. These surveys can serve as a starting point for understanding a new employee’s experience or the reasons behind an employee’s departure, but they are most effective when complemented by in-person conversations.
Onboarding: Surveys can help gather structured feedback on elements like training and resources, but they often lack the depth of human interaction. New hires, especially in smaller organisations where confidentiality is limited, may hesitate to share their true feelings through a survey. Regular, face-to-face check-ins are essential for building trust and providing new employees with a safe space to express their thoughts and experiences openly. For example, a survey might indicate that a new hire is struggling, but an in-person conversation can uncover the underlying issues—be it a lack of clarity, challenges with team dynamics, or personal concerns.
Exiting: The same principle applies to exit surveys. When an employee is leaving, their feedback can be critical for understanding what could be improved. However, they may be reluctant to provide honest feedback through a survey, especially if it involves negative experiences with management or company culture. Conducting an exit interview allows for a more candid dialogue, where the departing employee can share their insights in a supportive environment. This interaction not only gives HR leaders deeper context about the reasons for the departure but also shows the employee that their feedback is valued and taken seriously.
By combining surveys with face-to-face interactions, HR leaders and managers gain a more comprehensive understanding of both onboarding and exit experiences, helping to address concerns proactively and foster a positive workplace culture.
Embracing open dialogue for onboarding and exit success
Balancing confidentiality and open communication is vital during onboarding and exit processes. While surveys offer valuable insights into employee experiences, they should always be complemented by face-to-face interactions. These personal conversations build trust and provide deeper understanding, allowing HR leaders to address concerns effectively.
By fostering an environment where feedback is welcomed—through structured surveys, candid discussions, or confidential channels—organisations can gain critical insights that drive meaningful improvements. This holistic approach enhances the employee experience and strengthens workplace culture, empowering organisations to adapt and thrive in an ever-evolving environment.
