Collecting feedback is just the beginning—how you design and deliver your surveys makes all the difference. To help you get the most out of Mentorloop’s survey tool, we’ve pulled together some best practice tips for designing effective surveys and encouraging higher response rates.
Whether you're sending a one-off impact survey or regular pulse checks, these tips will help ensure you're gathering meaningful, actionable insights from your mentors and mentees.
Start with a clear purpose 🎯
Every survey should start with a clear and specific goal—whether you're checking in mid-program, gathering end-of-program reflections, or measuring satisfaction using an NPS score. Defining what you want to learn helps you select the right questions, stay focused, and avoid overwhelming participants.
A clear purpose also strengthens your reporting. If the survey supports a leadership update, a funding application, a budget proposal, or wrap-up report, you can tailor your questions to surface the insights that matter most - making it easier to tell a compelling story about your program’s impact.
Ask the right questions ✍️
Use a mix of linear scale, multiple choice and free text questions to balance ease of response with depth of insight. To help you get started, Mentorloop surveys come with a set of templated questions tailored to your selected theme - a helpful starting point or source of inspiration. Explore our templated questions here 👈
Keep it short and focused 📏
We recommend keeping your survey short — between 3 to 5 questions is the sweet spot! Shorter surveys tend to have higher response rates, ensuring you collect more insights compared to a long survey that participants may rush through or abandon halfway.
Prioritise your 'must-haves' and save other questions for future surveys.
Send your survey at the right time ⏰
Timing is key. Create and send your surveys at key milestones such as the beginning of your program (to gauge first impressions/initial thoughts), mid-way through, close of program and even during leadership reviews - try to avoid peak busy seasons.
Did you know? Emails sent mid-morning on Tuesdays to Thursdays generally see higher open rates. Avoid weekends or evenings when people are likely to miss or ignore the message.
Follow up (just once) 🔁
A friendly reminder 3-5 days later can make a difference. With real-time data and insights visible on Mentorloop's Survey function, you have the option to resend the survey to participants who haven't yet completed it.
Reminders can be effective when they're light, polite, and not forced. Use encouraging language and avoid sending out multiple reminders.
Close the Loop 📣
Don't forget to close the loop with your participants by letting them know why their feedback was collected and what actions it led to- whether it's a new initiative, a tweak to your next program, or a simple thank you.
When people see the impact of their input, they're more likely to engage again in the future.
Closing the loop builds trust and showcases the participants value. It doesn't need to be a big announcement - sometimes a short bulk message with "What we've learnt and what we're planning next!". You can even consider quoting some participants or sharing the common trends and insights that you've seen from the Mentorloop data - reinforcing a culture of listening and makes their feedback tangible.
With these, you'll get the most out of every survey that you send. Additionally, don't forget to close your survey to easily generate a summarised analysis of any free-text questions by using the AI summary feature.