To raise resident survey response rates, show residents what changed because of the last survey, keep surveys short, offer paper, screen and spoken ways to answer, invite residents in person, explain how their privacy is protected, run surveys in a short window with a reminder, and follow up quickly on concerning answers.
A survey only tells you something if residents answer it, and the residents who skip it are often the ones you most need to hear from. Low response is rarely about the questions. It is usually about whether residents believe anyone will act on what they say.
The 7 ways
Show what changed last time
What it looks like: Before each survey, residents hear what was changed because of the last one.
Why it matters: Residents stop answering when nothing seems to happen. Visible change is the strongest reason to answer again.
What to do: Open every survey with a short "You said, we did" list, and share it in announcements and at the resident council.
Keep it short
What it looks like: A monthly quick check of a few questions, with a longer survey only once or twice a year.
Why it matters: A long survey is hard to finish and easy to put aside. A short one can be answered over coffee.
What to do: Cut every question you would not act on. If a survey takes more than a few minutes, split it.
Offer more than one way to answer
What it looks like: Residents can answer on a tablet or phone, on paper, or out loud with a staff member writing it down.
Why it matters: Not every resident is comfortable with a screen, and not every resident can easily write.
What to do: Keep paper copies at the front desk and offer to sit with anyone who would rather talk it through.
Ask in person, not just by notice
What it looks like: Staff invite residents by name, at meals and activities, during the survey window.
Why it matters: A personal ask works better than a flyer, and it reaches residents who do not read notices.
What to do: Give each team member a short list of residents to invite during the window, and track who has answered.
Protect privacy, and say so
What it looks like: Residents know their answers will not be shown with their name, and that comments are grouped.
Why it matters: Residents who worry about being identified, or about upsetting staff they rely on, answer less honestly or not at all.
What to do: Explain on the first screen or page who will see the answers and how they are reported.
Pick the right time
What it looks like: A clear window of a week or two, away from holidays and other busy weeks, with reminders.
Why it matters: An open-ended survey is easy to forget. A short window with a reminder creates a reason to answer now.
What to do: Set an open and close date, announce both, and send one reminder halfway through.
Follow up on low answers, fast
What it looks like: A concerning answer gets an owner and a follow-up within days, not at the next survey.
Why it matters: When residents see that an answer led to a conversation, they learn that answering is worth it.
What to do: Decide in advance what counts as a concerning answer and who follows up, and close the loop with the resident where privacy allows.
Residents answer surveys when the last one changed something they can see.
Track it like any other number
Response rate is the number of residents who answered divided by the number invited. Track it for each survey and each community, and compare it with your own previous surveys rather than an outside average. If one community's rate drops, look at whether residents saw anything change after the last survey.
How ResiConnect helps
ResiConnect runs recurring surveys with an open window and reminders, from a monthly quick check to a quarterly pulse and a yearly survey. Results stay hidden until enough residents have answered, concerning answers become flagged items with an owner and a status, and you can see response rates and trends by community. Announcements let you share what changed with every resident.
See the resident surveys feature, or book a walkthrough to see it with your own community in mind.
Continue reading
Know which residents are thriving, and which ones need a personal invite this week.
ResiConnect brings events, rides, dining, announcements and resident feedback into one place, and shows your team who is engaged and who is drifting. Start with a pilot at one community and decide based on what your team sees.