Why your employee surveys aren’t working – and how The QFA Framework can fix them
If you’ve ever launched an employee survey only to be met with silence – or vague feedback you can’t act on – you’re not alone.
Many HR professionals, especially in smaller businesses, know the struggle of trying to get under the skin of employee sentiment.
Lucy Harvey, COO at employee engagement platform Stribe, has seen this first-hand.
“We speak to hundreds of HR teams each year, and a common theme is that they’re working hard to listen to their people, but they’re not getting the insight they need to make real improvements,” she says.
That’s why Stribe developed The QFA Framework – a back-to-basics approach to writing better employee survey questions.
It’s already being adopted by a growing number of SMEs, and it’s changing the way teams listen to and act on feedback.
The QFA Framework – Three steps that make a big difference
The QFA Framework stands for Question, Follow-up, Action. Simple on the surface, but powerful in practice.
Let’s break it down.
- Start with a simple question
Too often, surveys open with vague or leading questions; ‘Do you feel valued?’ or ‘Is your manager doing a good job?’ – with no structure or clarity.
Instead, the QFA method begins with a clear, neutral question using a rating scale. This helps you measure responses over time and spot patterns.
You might ask:
- “On a scale of 1 to 10, how supported do you feel by your line manager?”
- “How often do you feel overwhelmed at work?” (Never – Always)
Lucy explains, “You want to gather data that gives you a temperature check – but without boxing people in or nudging them toward a particular answer.”
- Always ask a follow-up
Here’s where most survey designs fall short. They gather the numbers, but miss the ‘why’.
And often, it’s not because HR teams don’t want to dig deeper – it’s because they’re worried about the time and effort it takes to analyse open-ended answers.
The beauty of survey software is that it can make this kind of analysis really simple.
A follow-up prompt gives employees space to explain their score.
For example:
- “What’s the biggest factor contributing to that feeling?”
- “What could we do to improve this for you?”
This qualitative layer adds context – and when paired with quantitative data, makes your next steps clearer and more effective for action planning.
“Some of the best feedback often comes from open-ended comments,” says Lucy.
“But they work best when you’ve got the numbers alongside them. That way, you can see the scale of a problem and understand the reasons behind it.”
- Take visible action
This is the step that matters most. There’s little point in asking for feedback if nothing changes as a result.
According to Lucy, “Trust is built when people see that their input leads to action. It doesn’t have to be big. Just be honest about what you’re doing, and follow through.”
That might mean:
- Introducing a mentoring scheme if people flag a lack of development opportunities.
- Improving workload planning if teams report burnout.
- Setting up peer recognition tools to boost morale.
Why SMEs should care about this now
Smaller businesses often don’t have the luxury of big HR teams or budgets. But they do have the edge when it comes to agility.
“SMEs can move fast. You don’t need a six-month programme. You can run a survey next week, get feedback, and start making changes,” Lucy says.
In fast-moving industries and tight-knit teams, that responsiveness matters.
Employees notice when their voices are heard – and they notice even more when they aren’t.
