Common Post-Training Survey Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Post-training surveys are the key to knowledge that allows organizers to improve from one event to the next. They’re like treasure maps showing what went great and what still needs polishing. But for this map to actually lead us to the goal—better, more engaging events—we need to know how to use it, and above all, what to avoid when creating it.

As someone who supports organizers in building unforgettable experiences every day, I've seen a lot. I know how easy it is to fall into traps that make the collected data... well, not very useful. Today, I’ll walk you through the most common mistakes I see in post-training surveys—and how to avoid them to make your feedback truly valuable.

What Are the Most Common Mistakes Made When Creating Post-Training Surveys?

Mistake #1: No Clear Objective for the Survey

This is a fundamental mistake—and also the easiest one to fix. Before you write a single question, ask yourself: why am I creating this survey? Do I want to measure participant satisfaction? Gather suggestions for future topics? Find out which parts of the program were most valuable? Or maybe a bit of everything?

Without a clearly defined objective, the questions will be chaotic, the survey too long, and analyzing the results a real headache. You won’t know what to focus on, what matters, and what’s just noise.

How to avoid it? Define one or two key objectives before starting the survey. Write them down. This will be your compass that helps you select the right questions and stay consistent. Also, remember that different participant groups (e.g., speakers, attendees, sponsors) may need different sets of questions—this will give you more targeted and valuable data.

Mistake #2: Too Many (or Poorly Designed) Questions

Once we have a goal, it’s tempting to ask... everything. After all, we have the participant “at hand,” so why not take advantage of the moment, right? Unfortunately, a survey that feels like an interrogation will only discourage them. Participants are busy and lose patience quickly when they see a never-ending list of questions. The result? Either the survey goes straight to the trash, or you get rushed, unthoughtful answers.

Additionally, if questions are poorly phrased—unclear, ambiguous, or leading—the data you collect will be useless.

How to avoid it? Focus on key aspects that align with your goal. Every question should bring value and help achieve your research objectives. A good rule of thumb is to keep the survey between 6 to 12 questions—enough to complete in 3–5 minutes. Use a mix of question types (closed, open, rating scales) but do it mindfully. Consider including an NPS-style question (“How likely are you to recommend this training to a friend?”), which can be a strong one-question survey when needed.

Mistake #3: Disorganized Survey Structure

Even great questions can lose their power if they’re thrown into the survey without order. Jumping between unrelated topics, lacking logical flow, or placing demographic questions right at the beginning—all of this builds frustration.

How to avoid it? Design the survey with a logical structure and break it into thematic sections. Start with general, easy-to-answer questions to engage the participant. Place more specific or demanding questions in the middle. If you include demographic questions, leave them for the end. Make sure the layout is clear and easy to navigate.

Mistake #4: Not Testing the Survey

This happens more often than you think. You create a survey, send it out... and discover a broken link, unclear question, or that it’s just too long for anyone to complete.

How to avoid it? Always, always test your survey before sending it to all participants. Ask a few colleagues or friends—preferably those who weren’t involved in creating it—to fill it out and give honest feedback. Ask if the questions made sense, if the survey was too long, and whether everything worked as expected.

Mistake #5: Poor Distribution or Inconvenient Format

Your survey must reach the participants and be easy to complete. Sending it in an inconvenient format, without a clickable link, only to a subset of attendees, or not optimizing it for mobile (which is how most people open emails these days) is a recipe for low response rates.

How to avoid it? Choose the right distribution channel — email is the standard, but you might also consider social media or adding the link to your event website. In systems like CONREGO, the survey can be automatically sent as part of your post-event communication, but only to those who actually attended. Timing matters too: the best moment to send your survey is 1–2 days after the event—when opinions are still fresh but emotions have settled.

Mistake #6: Ignoring the Results and Taking No Action

This might be the worst of them all. Collecting data is only the first step. If the survey ends up in a drawer and no one analyzes it or takes action, all that effort is wasted. Worse—participants who took the time to respond will feel ignored. This erodes trust and makes them less likely to give feedback in the future.

How to avoid it? Once you’ve gathered responses, analyze them. Look for trends and repeated feedback—both positive and negative. Draw specific conclusions and, most importantly, act on them. Then... tell your participants what you’ve done! A short thank-you email sharing what changes you’ll make based on their input goes a long way. It builds engagement and shows you’re truly listening.

Mistake #7: Asking for Data You Already Have

Organizers often ask questions in surveys about things they already know from the attendee registration form — gender, age (if collected), ticket type (e.g., Attendee, Speaker, VIP), or session selections. Repeating these questions is unnecessary and just makes the survey longer.

How to avoid it? Use an integrated event management tool like CONREGO that keeps all participant data in one place. Focus the survey on subjective impressions and opinions that registration data can't provide. When analyzing results, segment responses by participant type or other known attributes to gain deeper insights.

Mistake #8: Not Informing Participants About the Survey’s Impact

Collecting feedback is only half the job. The other half is showing that it matters. If participants take the time to answer your questions and then never hear anything about the results or changes, trust in the process drops — and so does the chance they’ll complete your next survey.

How to avoid it? A short follow-up email after analysis can work wonders. Something like, “Thanks to your feedback, we’ll add more practical examples and extend the Q\&A session in the next edition” not only builds engagement but creates real value for future events.

How CONREGO Helps You Build Better Surveys

While creating a great survey requires thoughtful planning, the right tools can make the process much easier. In systems like CONREGO, the communication and data modules allow you to quickly build and distribute surveys. You can design a survey that visually matches your event website, send it to selected participant groups, and collect all responses in one place. CONREGO also helps you manage data and generate reports, making analysis simple. Best of all, it can automatically send the survey only to attendees who actually participated — without any extra work from you.

Creating post-training surveys is both an art and a science. It’s the art of asking the right questions in the right way—and the science of interpreting the results. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can transform your survey from a formality into a powerful development tool that helps you run better events and strengthen relationships with your participants. Remember: feedback is a gift. Respect it, listen closely, and act on it. Your attendees (and future editions of your event) will thank you for it.

Joanna Chrościechowska