Anonymous employee engagement surveys seem like a smart way to get honest feedback from your team. The idea is simple: if people can speak their minds without anyone knowing who they are, they’ll be more open. And while this can work in some situations, the truth is that anonymous surveys often miss the mark. Here’s why anonymous surveys don’t always get you the feedback you need and what you might want to try instead.
They Miss the “Why” Behind the Answers
One of the biggest downfalls of anonymous surveys is that they capture responses but don’t provide any context. Let’s say a lot of people rate work-life balance poorly. It’s great to know there’s an issue, but you don’t know why they’re struggling. Are they dealing with heavy workloads? Is there pressure to work overtime? Or are people having trouble setting boundaries? Without a way to follow up, you’re left guessing. And guessing often leads to solutions that don’t quite fix the problem.
They Don’t Build Trust
Anonymous surveys send a subtle message: we want your opinions, but we don’t want to know who you are. While it’s understandable to want honest feedback, the anonymity can also signal that people shouldn’t feel safe sharing openly with management. In a strong company culture, employees should feel comfortable giving feedback without fear of judgment. By relying too heavily on anonymous surveys, companies can actually dodge the real issue: a lack of trust and open communication. Building a transparent culture where people feel safe to speak up is far more effective in the long run than anonymous surveys.
Responses Can Be Overly Negative
Anonymity can sometimes bring out the worst in people. When they don’t have to put their name on their feedback, people can feel more comfortable venting or even exaggerating their frustrations. This isn’t to say that people don’t have genuine issues – they absolutely do – but without accountability, feedback can sometimes be more negative than it might be face-to-face. In turn, managers might get a skewed picture, seeing the company through a lens of criticism that doesn’t reflect the whole truth. This makes it hard to understand what’s working well and what really needs improvement.
Limited Follow-Up Opportunities
With anonymous surveys, it’s nearly impossible to follow up directly on specific concerns. If someone mentions they’re struggling with communication in their department, but you don’t know who they are, you can’t have a conversation to better understand the issue. Without a chance to dig deeper, feedback often stays at the surface level. And without direct follow-up, employees may feel like their feedback wasn’t acted on, which can lead to further disengagement.
No Room for Real Relationship Building
Feedback should ideally be part of an ongoing conversation, not a once-a-year anonymous survey. When employees can give direct feedback openly, it builds stronger relationships between teams and managers. Knowing who is struggling, who needs support, or who has great ideas for improvement allows leaders to connect with their team members on a deeper level. This kind of interaction builds loyalty and engagement in a way anonymous feedback can’t.
So, What’s a Better Approach?
When I work with my clients and use our patented 8 Factors of Engagement® Survey, we find that the most important part of the survey is the discussion with the leaders and the team members together in the same room, after the survey has been taken. This is where real and long-lasting trust and understanding is built. Building a culture where people feel comfortable speaking up directly – and where leaders are willing to listen – will do far more for engagement and morale than any anonymous survey ever could.
Instead of anonymous surveys, consider using the approach I use and afterwards setting up regular check-ins or one-on-one meetings where employees can give feedback directly. Make sure your team knows you’re there to listen and make improvements, and that their feedback is truly valued
Wrapping It Up
Anonymous surveys may give the illusion of honest feedback, but they often miss the bigger picture. Without context, trust, or the chance for follow-up, they fall short of giving managers the full story.
Tom Borg is founder and president of Tom Borg Consulting, LLC. Since 1996 he has worked with CEOs, presidents and their leadership teams in over 450 companies and organizations. Through his consulting, mentoring, coaching, workshops and his assessment instruments, he works with his clients at the intersection of leadership, communication and culture. Tom helps them stop the disconnect and get them back on track. You can reach him at: Cell: (734) 812-0526 tom@tomborg.com www.tomborgconsulting.com.
