40 best survey questions for recruitment and staffing agencies

How do you choose the right survey questions?

Good survey questions are specific, relevant and action-oriented. They measure what you want to know, are clear to the respondent and deliver data you can use to improve.

For staffing agencies three basic principles apply: keep questionnaires short (max. 5 questions per touchpoint), always include an NPS question as a core indicator, and add an open follow-up question for low scores.

Questions for candidates after intake

Send these questions within 24 hours of the intake meeting:

1. 1How satisfied are you with today's intake meeting? (scale 1-10)
2. 2Did you feel heard and understood by the recruiter?
3. 3Are the next steps in the application process clearly explained?
4. 4How clear is the role and the client described?
5. 5How likely are you to recommend our agency to others looking for work? (NPS 0-10)

Questions for candidates: check-in in the first week

Send these questions on day 3 or 4 after the start date:

1. 1How is the first week going at your new client? (scale 1-10)
2. 2Did the role description match reality?
3. 3How was the welcome from the team at the client?
4. 4Did you receive all the information and materials needed to get started well?
5. 5Do you need extra support from your recruiter?

Questions for candidates after one month placement

Send these questions after 4 weeks of placement:

1. 1How satisfied are you overall with your current role? (scale 1-10)
2. 2How is the work atmosphere at the client?
3. 3How satisfied are you with the support from our agency?
4. 4Are you considering staying longer with this client?
5. 5What can we as an agency improve in our service to you?

Exit survey for candidates

Send these questions at the end of the contract:

1. 1How do you rate the collaboration with our agency overall? (scale 1-10)
2. 2Did the role meet your expectations?
3. 3How satisfied are you with the support from your recruiter during the placement?
4. 4Would you work through our agency again?
5. 5How likely are you to recommend our agency to friends or colleagues? (NPS 0-10)

Questions for clients after the first placement

Send these questions 2 weeks after the candidate's start date:

1. 1How satisfied are you with the quality of the placed candidate? (scale 1-10)
2. 2How well did the candidate match the requested profile?
3. 3How satisfied are you with the speed of our response to your vacancy?
4. 4How do you rate the communication from your account manager? (scale 1-10)
5. 5How likely are you to use our agency again? (NPS 0-10)

Questions for clients: quarterly measurement

Send these questions once per quarter to active clients:

1. 1How satisfied are you overall with our service? (scale 1-10)
2. 2How do you rate the quality of the candidates we supply?
3. 3How satisfied are you with the availability and proactivity of your account manager?
4. 4How does our service compare to other agencies you work with?
5. 5Where can we improve our service most?

Questions for clients at contract renewal

Send these questions 4-6 weeks before the end date:

1. 1How satisfied are you overall with the current collaboration? (scale 1-10)
2. 2Are you considering extending or expanding the contract?
3. 3Is there anything we can improve to strengthen the collaboration?
4. 4How likely are you to recommend our agency to other companies? (NPS 0-10)
5. 5Do you have new vacancies in the short term where we can support you?

Tips for higher response rates

Good questions are only valuable if people fill them in. Use these tips:

• Send the questionnaire within 24-48 hours of the relevant moment, no later
• Keep it to a maximum of 5 questions per touchpoint
• Personalise the greeting with the candidate's or client's name
• Make sure the questionnaire is mobile-optimised
• Send one reminder after 48 hours if there is no response
• Mention that feedback is used directly to improve
• Use a clear subject line: 'How was your first week?' works better than 'Feedback request'

Conclusion: the right questions at the right time

Good survey questions are specific, relevant and action-oriented. Use the questions in this article as a starting point and adapt them to your own situation and brand.

Automate sending via Feedback Analytics and link the results to your ATS for maximum insight. That way you build a feedback programme that structurally improves your agency, without extra work for your recruiters.