Organizations want to hear, understand, and support their employees. But growth also brings complexity, making it harder to keep a clear view of sentiment, culture, and engagement. Employee surveys can help—but only if used strategically and thoughtfully. Colruyt Group shows how it works in practice.
With more than 33,000 employees across 15 entities, Colruyt Group has long relied on various surveys to capture the employee experience. What started with onboarding and exit surveys has evolved into a comprehensive engagement approach, with regular check-ins. The organization deliberately chose Qualtrics as its survey platform, known for its versatility and user-friendly interface.
According to Jürgen Sergeant, Manager Coworker Data & Insights at Colruyt Group, listening is just the first step.
"We want to identify potential blind spots and then actually take action. Employee surveys are a tool, not a goal in themselves."
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First things first: a clear strategy before you hit ‘send’
Employee surveys won’t deliver results if they’re used randomly or just because they’re trendy. That's where Flexso for People came in, with their expertise and advice far beyond the technical solution. Both Colruyt and Flexso for People emphasize the importance of a well-defined survey strategy.
"We have some clear conditions before we send out a survey. If these conditions aren’t met, we simply don’t send the survey. We want to remain credible." explains Jürgen.
Colruyt’s tips for effective employee surveys
Start with the why. Be crystal clear about what you want to know and why it matters.
Choose the right type of survey. Don’t follow trends—focus on the information you really need.
Communicate clearly upfront. Employees should understand what you’re asking and how their feedback will be used.
Link actions to results. Findings without follow-up undermine credibility.
Be radically transparent. At Colruyt, survey results are shared fully with employees.
Embed accountability in the business. HR facilitates, but teams and managers take action based on their results.
A survey can be technically perfect, but without responses, it delivers nothing. For large, diverse groups like Colruyt’s, this requires extra effort, especially for employees in logistics roles without regular computer access. Convincing team leaders and local ambassadors is crucial.
Bram Peeters, Qualtrics expert at Flexso for People, sees the same pattern in other organizations: "Employee surveys only work if employees understand why they’re filling them out and what will happen with the results. Communication before, during, and after the survey is just as important as the questions themselves."
That’s why Colruyt provides clear information upfront and follows up afterward, including quarterly updates where results and actions are shared. This not only builds trust but also boosts engagement in future employee surveys.
"Communication before, during, and after the survey is just as important as the questions themselves."
Want to achieve real impact with employee surveys?
Contact us for a Qualtrics demo and discover how to run employee surveys that truly enhance the employee experience.
