# Onboarding survey questions: 30, 60, and 90 day listening Onboarding survey questions for day 30, 60, and 90, early signal before regrettable attrition shows up in HRIS. According to iSilta's 2026 survey of 146 organizations, 63% cite regrettable attrition of strong performers linked to underdeveloped managers. Use this guide to move from generic advice to week by week manager habits on engineering teams. ## What is onboarding survey questions? **What is onboarding survey questions is a manager practice that turns onboarding survey questions into predictable team behavior, not a poster on the wall.** Engineering managers win when onboarding survey questions is treated as operational data, not a one time workshop. According to iSilta's 2026 survey of 146 organizations, 63% cite regrettable attrition of strong performers linked to underdeveloped managers. That pattern shows up when managers lack shared context about how each person communicates, prioritizes, and recovers from stress. On software teams, new hire survey and onboarding feedback intersects with delivery pressure, on call load, and review culture. Document what you learn in 1 on 1 notes and team forums so improvements survive reorgs. Prefer small experiments over big bang programs; measure behavior in the next sprint retro, not only in annual surveys. If you are starting from zero, pick one report and one team ritual to change this week. Ask what would make onboarding survey questions easier for them, then close the loop publicly. Teams trust managers who act on listening, not managers who collect more forms. Pair this work with shared profiles and action points after 1 on 1s so context survives handoffs. When onboarding survey questions shows up in skip levels and retros, not only in HR decks, you reduce the weak 1 on 1 patterns that show up when training arrives too late. ## Why does onboarding survey questions matter for engineering managers? **Why does onboarding survey questions matter for engineering managers is a manager practice that turns onboarding survey questions into predictable team behavior, not a poster on the wall.** Engineering managers win when onboarding survey questions is treated as operational data, not a one time workshop. According to iSilta's 2026 survey of 146 organizations, 63% cite regrettable attrition of strong performers linked to underdeveloped managers. That pattern shows up when managers lack shared context about how each person communicates, prioritizes, and recovers from stress. On software teams, new hire survey and onboarding feedback intersects with delivery pressure, on call load, and review culture. Document what you learn in 1 on 1 notes and team forums so improvements survive reorgs. Prefer small experiments over big bang programs; measure behavior in the next sprint retro, not only in annual surveys. If you are starting from zero, pick one report and one team ritual to change this week. Ask what would make onboarding survey questions easier for them, then close the loop publicly. Teams trust managers who act on listening, not managers who collect more forms. Pair this work with shared profiles and action points after 1 on 1s so context survives handoffs. When onboarding survey questions shows up in skip levels and retros, not only in HR decks, you reduce the weak 1 on 1 patterns that show up when training arrives too late. ## What does research say about onboarding survey questions? **What does research say about onboarding survey questions is a manager practice that turns onboarding survey questions into predictable team behavior, not a poster on the wall.** Engineering managers win when onboarding survey questions is treated as operational data, not a one time workshop. According to iSilta's 2026 survey of 146 organizations, 63% cite regrettable attrition of strong performers linked to underdeveloped managers. That pattern shows up when managers lack shared context about how each person communicates, prioritizes, and recovers from stress. On software teams, new hire survey and onboarding feedback intersects with delivery pressure, on call load, and review culture. Document what you learn in 1 on 1 notes and team forums so improvements survive reorgs. Prefer small experiments over big bang programs; measure behavior in the next sprint retro, not only in annual surveys. If you are starting from zero, pick one report and one team ritual to change this week. Ask what would make onboarding survey questions easier for them, then close the loop publicly. Teams trust managers who act on listening, not managers who collect more forms. Pair this work with shared profiles and action points after 1 on 1s so context survives handoffs. When onboarding survey questions shows up in skip levels and retros, not only in HR decks, you reduce the weak 1 on 1 patterns that show up when training arrives too late. ## How do you implement onboarding survey questions on a software team? **How do you implement onboarding survey questions on a software team is a manager practice that turns onboarding survey questions into predictable team behavior, not a poster on the wall.** Engineering managers win when onboarding survey questions is treated as operational data, not a one time workshop. According to iSilta's 2026 survey of 146 organizations, 63% cite regrettable attrition of strong performers linked to underdeveloped managers. That pattern shows up when managers lack shared context about how each person communicates, prioritizes, and recovers from stress. On software teams, new hire survey and onboarding feedback intersects with delivery pressure, on call load, and review culture. Document what you learn in 1 on 1 notes and team forums so improvements survive reorgs. Prefer small experiments over big bang programs; measure behavior in the next sprint retro, not only in annual surveys. If you are starting from zero, pick one report and one team ritual to change this week. Ask what would make onboarding survey questions easier for them, then close the loop publicly. Teams trust managers who act on listening, not managers who collect more forms. Pair this work with shared profiles and action points after 1 on 1s so context survives handoffs. When onboarding survey questions shows up in skip levels and retros, not only in HR decks, you reduce the weak 1 on 1 patterns that show up when training arrives too late. ## What are common mistakes with onboarding survey questions? **What are common mistakes with onboarding survey questions is a manager practice that turns onboarding survey questions into predictable team behavior, not a poster on the wall.** Engineering managers win when onboarding survey questions is treated as operational data, not a one time workshop. According to iSilta's 2026 survey of 146 organizations, 63% cite regrettable attrition of strong performers linked to underdeveloped managers. That pattern shows up when managers lack shared context about how each person communicates, prioritizes, and recovers from stress. On software teams, new hire survey and onboarding feedback intersects with delivery pressure, on call load, and review culture. Document what you learn in 1 on 1 notes and team forums so improvements survive reorgs. Prefer small experiments over big bang programs; measure behavior in the next sprint retro, not only in annual surveys. If you are starting from zero, pick one report and one team ritual to change this week. Ask what would make onboarding survey questions easier for them, then close the loop publicly. Teams trust managers who act on listening, not managers who collect more forms. Pair this work with shared profiles and action points after 1 on 1s so context survives handoffs. When onboarding survey questions shows up in skip levels and retros, not only in HR decks, you reduce the weak 1 on 1 patterns that show up when training arrives too late. ## How do you connect onboarding survey questions to better 1 on 1s? **How do you connect onboarding survey questions to better 1 on 1s is a manager practice that turns onboarding survey questions into predictable team behavior, not a poster on the wall.** Engineering managers win when onboarding survey questions is treated as operational data, not a one time workshop. According to iSilta's 2026 survey of 146 organizations, 63% cite regrettable attrition of strong performers linked to underdeveloped managers. That pattern shows up when managers lack shared context about how each person communicates, prioritizes, and recovers from stress. On software teams, new hire survey and onboarding feedback intersects with delivery pressure, on call load, and review culture. Document what you learn in 1 on 1 notes and team forums so improvements survive reorgs. Prefer small experiments over big bang programs; measure behavior in the next sprint retro, not only in annual surveys. If you are starting from zero, pick one report and one team ritual to change this week. Ask what would make onboarding survey questions easier for them, then close the loop publicly. Teams trust managers who act on listening, not managers who collect more forms. Pair this work with shared profiles and action points after 1 on 1s so context survives handoffs. When onboarding survey questions shows up in skip levels and retros, not only in HR decks, you reduce the weak 1 on 1 patterns that show up when training arrives too late. ## How do onboarding survey questions practices compare? Approach Strength Risk Ad hoc conversations Fast to start Inconsistent across reports; hard to scale Shared written profiles Reduces guessing; helps hybrid teams Stale if never revisited in 1 on 1s Pulse and 1 on 1 loop Connects listening to action Fails if leaders skip follow through ## Implementation steps * Clarify why onboarding survey questions matters to your team this quarter. * Co create norms with reports; do not publish mandates without input. * Pilot for two weeks; gather friction in 1 on 1s. * Publish what changed because people spoke up. * Revisit after org or role changes. ## Frequently asked questions What is the first step to improve onboarding survey questions? Start with a visible experiment on one team: define success, run for two cycles, and review in 1 on 1s. According to iSilta's 2026 survey of 146 organizations, 63% cite regrettable attrition of strong performers linked to underdeveloped managers. How often should managers revisit onboarding survey questions? Revisit at least quarterly or after reorgs. Treat it as operating rhythm, not a one off initiative. Does onboarding survey questions apply to remote teams? Yes, often more. Remote work amplifies ambiguity; explicit practices reduce silent friction. Where should documentation live? Prefer shared team context tools and 1 on 1 notes over buried slide decks. Close loops where people already work. How does this relate to pulse listening? Pair practices with short pulses and name actions in team forums. Listening without follow through erodes trust faster than not asking. Related: 30 60 90 day onboarding plan, how long can onboarding take, best onboarding programs architecture of belonging. Prefer prepared conversations over memory alone? Explore iSilta features or try the product demo. Canonical: https://isilta.com/blog/onboarding-survey-questions/