Plan better with a pre-offsite preferences survey

Planning

Nov 9

Written By Shannon Koga

Planning

Plan better with a pre-offsite preferences survey

BoomPop Team · 11/9/2022

To organize a successful retreat, you need the right information from your attendees. A pre-offsite survey is your best tool.

Why you should create a pre-offsite employee survey

Planning a company offsite can be challenging whether it’s your first time or the tenth. Every team and every event is unique when it comes to activities, goals, and expectations, and these are always evolving!

Stay on top of planning with a pre-offsite survey to collect all of the key information you need to set your event up for success.

How to craft your pre-offsite employee survey

A pre-offsite survey is your chance to gather valuable input from your team about what they want to experience. Ask open-ended questions and allow your team to share any personal preferences. Knowing the likes and dislikes of your team will make the planning stage a breeze.

Interpreting feedback from a large team can be challenging. If you’ve read our article on creating a post-offsite survey, you know that getting feedback from a large sample of people is made simpler by using strategies such as a scaled numbering system (1-10) or the Likert Scale (i.e. neutral, satisfied, very satisfied). Consider utilizing similar tools when asking questions about what kind of experiences your team may want from a company offsite. If you already have specific activities or locations in mind, utilize a multiple-choice system or a numbered ranking system.

It’s also important to ask questions that apply not only to the individual, but to the entire team and company. Questions that align with your company’s intentions and goals will help broaden the usefulness of your pre-offsite survey. If the offsite is meant to provide learning and development for your team, fill your survey with questions that gauge the importance of certain training methods or activities. If your offsite is meant to celebrate all their accomplishments, ask how your team would like to receive appreciation, and what gifts or activities might make them feel valued.

Here are some questions that can be easily modified for a survey template that works for your team.

Sample questions for a retreat preferences survey

Sample travel questions

Review the cities below and rank them from 1 (most preferred) to 4 (least preferred).
On a scale of 1-10, how comfortable are you with air travel?
On a scale of 1-10, how important is public transportation to you while in a new city?
Do you have any accessibility needs or concerns when it comes to travel?

Sample accommodation questions

Review the hotels below and rank them from 1 (most preferred) to 4 (least preferred).
On a scale of 1-10, how important is the walkability from the hotel to the events/activities?
How important is it to you that you have your own room (as opposed to shared room)?
How important is it to you that a hotel has on-site amenities such as a restaurant, pool, or gym?

Sample offsite goal questions

What is the overall vibe you’d like to experience from an offsite?
Do you have any personal professional goals you’d like to work on while at the offsite?
Are there any team-based goals you’d like to work on while at the offsite?
What do you consider to be most important to the overall success of our company?

Review the goals below and prioritize from 1 (most important) to 4 (least important).

Team building and new connections
Learning and development
Rest and relaxation
Sparking new ideas or innovation

Sample activities questions

On a scale of 1-10, how important is it that activities are something new you haven’t tried before?
On a scale of 1-10, how willing are you to try new things?

Choose the activity you feel most comfortable engaging in.

Indoor rock climbing
Painting class
Cupcake decorating
Ferry tour on the river

Review the activities below and prioritize from 1 (most important) to 4 (least important).

Physical group activity (kayaking, hiking, ziplining)
Art or music (workshops, museum, performances)
Team building (scavenger hunt, escape room)
Listening and experimenting (lectures, hands-on learning, brainstorming)

Sample co-working and team building questions

On a scale of 1-10, how strong is your communication with your coworkers?
On a scale of 1-10, how united is your team?
How likely are you to approach your team members with help on a difficult problem?
How important is it to you that you feel connected to your team?
What type of support do you need from leadership to feel successful in your role?

Sample dining questions

How important is it to you that there be ready-to-eat snacks available at every activity?
Do you have any dietary restrictions we should know about?

Sample general/other questions

On a scale of 1-10, how important is it that team appreciation (ceremony, gifts, etc.) be integrated into this offsite?
Are there any training topics you would like covered?
Is there anything you would like to let us know?

How to interpret preference survey feedback

Once you have received feedback from your team, it’s time to make sense of it. Make note of similar responses or common threads running through open-ended responses or requests. While some survey questions may provide straight-forward solutions to where to eat or what hotel to choose, others may take more time to parse out. It is okay to follow up with your team and ask for clarification on certain needs or expectations.

Remember, your team offsite is meant to benefit your whole team, and everyone’s input matters.

Start planning your offsite

The next step in your offsite organization process is implementation! Now is the time to flesh out your offsite agenda, book your venues, and make reservations for restaurants. Offsite planning can seem like a huge undertaking. If you need guidance on any of these key steps, BoomPop has event planning professionals ready to assist you.

Explore planning resources.