5 Steps to Conducting an Effective Organizational Culture Survey

A thriving workplace culture isn’t built on assumptions—it’s shaped by data-driven insights. Yet, many organizations struggle to measure culture effectively. Without a clear understanding of employee experiences, values alignment, and engagement levels, leadership decisions can miss the mark.

That’s where an Organizational Culture Survey comes in. A well-executed survey uncovers what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus efforts for meaningful culture transformation.

At The Culture Fix®, we specialize in culture diagnostics that go beyond surface-level engagement surveys. Our Organizational Culture Survey is designed to measure CoreVals™ alignment, leadership effectiveness, and employee commitment, providing a Return on Culture (ROC) that drives both people and performance.

Here are five key steps to ensure your culture survey is effective, actionable, and transformative.

1. Define Your Purpose and Goals

Before launching a culture survey, clarify why you’re conducting it and what you hope to achieve.

Are you looking to:

• Assess alignment with CoreVals™?
• Identify engagement gaps?
• Improve leadership effectiveness?
• Measure Net Promoter Score (eNPS) for workplace culture?

A strong example of this approach is Turnberry, a growing food ingredients company based in the Phillippines. Before working with The Culture Fix®, leadership saw solid business growth but lacked culture cohesion. Employees were measured solely on performance metrics, with no system in place to assess values alignment.

By implementing The Culture Fix® Organizational Culture Survey, Turnberry’s leadership gained a clear benchmark of where they stood. This data helped them integrate CoreVals™ into hiring, performance reviews, and daily operations—leading to a 235% business growth over two years​.

Takeaway: Start with a clear vision for your culture survey and ensure leadership buy-in.

2. Design the Right Questions

A survey’s effectiveness depends on the quality of its questions. The Culture Fix Organizational Culture Survey includes a mix of:

• Likert scale questions (e.g., “I see CoreVals™ reflected in my daily work.”)
• Multiple-choice questions (e.g., “What’s the biggest barrier to a strong team culture?”)
• Open-ended responses to capture qualitative insights

Our standard survey contains 42 questions, with an additional 10 for leadership, covering:

• Core Value Strength
• Leadership Alignment
• Employee Motivation
• Team Culture Fit
• eNPS & NPS Score

A great survey structure ensures data is actionable. At Pass The Keys, a property management company, initial survey results revealed low recall of CoreVals™. By refining their values and embedding them into their culture strategy, they boosted engagement and cultural alignment across the team​.

Takeaway: Well-designed questions ensure meaningful and measurable cultural insights.

3. Communicate the Purpose and Process Clearly

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make? Not setting expectations before launching the survey.

Employees need to know:

• Why the survey matters
• How results will be used
• That responses are anonymous
• What follow-up actions will take place

At Lotus Green Team, an engineering firm in Cambodia, employees initially didn’t see the relevance of their core values in daily work. However, when leadership introduced the Notice & Nominate™ program, employees became more engaged with the values. Their culture survey scores showed a marked improvement in collaboration, teamwork, and performance in just three months​.

Takeaway: Transparency builds trust. When employees understand how their feedback will drive change, they are more likely to provide honest input.

4. Analyze the Data for Key Themes

Once survey responses are in, don’t just skim the results—dig deeper.

The Culture Fix® Survey Report includes:

• A 23-page data visualization report
• A verbatim open-answer report
• An open-answer theme analysis report

At A-Action Pest Control, survey results revealed that field workers felt disconnected from the office team. In response, leadership formed a Culture Club to enhance communication and engagement. As a result, their eNPS score rose from 88% to an industry-leading 92.6%​

Common culture survey themes include: 

• Lack of leadership alignment with CoreVals™
• Disconnection between departments
• Insufficient recognition of employee contributions

If multiple employees raise the same concerns, that’s where action is needed.

Takeaway: Look for patterns, not just percentages. The insights you uncover should directly shape culture initiatives.

5. Take Action and Communicate Results

A culture survey is only as valuable as the action it inspires. Employees will lose trust if they provide feedback but see no changes.

Best practices for taking action: 

• Share survey findings in company meetings
• Celebrate strengths—highlight areas where your culture is thriving
• Acknowledge challenges and commit to improvement
• Implement solutions using The Culture Fix® tools (e.g., Notice & Nominate™, CoreScore™, Catch & Correct™)

Zaizi, a digital services company, used survey results to strengthen leadership transparency. Their employees now start every company meeting with a Notice & Nominate™ session, reinforcing values in real-time​.

Takeaway: Close the loop—let employees know how their feedback led to real change.

Final Thoughts: Make Your Culture Measurable

A strong workplace culture isn’t an accident—it’s designed and measured. The Culture Fix Organizational Culture Survey gives leadership the data needed to build a purpose-driven, high-performing team.

Ready to assess your culture?
Take the first step toward cultural transformation by conducting an Organizational Culture Survey with The Culture Fix®.

👉 Start Your Culture Survey Today

Key Takeaways

1. Define goals before launching a survey
2. Ask the right questions to measure CoreVals™ alignment
3. Communicate purpose to encourage participation
4. Analyze results for themes, not just numbers
5. Take action and share findings to drive culture change

By following these five steps, you’ll create a workplace where employees don’t just work to live—but thrive.