Stay Surveys in India: From Skepticism to Strategy in 2025

Sayjal Patel
Sep 3
5 min read

In 2025, the Indian workplace is facing unprecedented churn. Aon reports that 82% of Indian employees are considering switching jobs, while Gallup data shows nearly half are actively searching. For HR leaders, this isn’t just a talent challenge, it’s an existential one.

To tackle this crisis, Indian companies are dusting off an old but powerful tool: stay surveys. Once seen as “Western HR experiments,” they’re now becoming mainstream in India, from global giants like Dell to homegrown innovators like SunTec.

But it hasn’t been easy. India’s work culture has long carried skepticism toward corporate feedback systems. Employees often fear reprisals, doubt whether leaders will act, or assume surveys are just “HR check-the-box” exercises.

This blog explores how stay surveys are evolving in India, the trends driving adoption, the cultural barriers slowing it down, and the breakthroughs making it work in 2025.

Trend #1: From Annual Surveys to Continuous Listening

Indian firms are moving away from once-a-year surveys toward quarterly pulse stay surveys. Why? Because employee sentiment changes fast.

Annual surveys capture only a snapshot.
Pulse surveys detect early warning signs, giving managers time to act before resignations hit.

Case in point: Ericsson India pioneered continuous pulse feedback in their teams, boosting trust by showing employees that their voices are heard consistently, not just annually.

Trend #2: Tech + Human Hybrid Models

AI chatbots like Infeedo by AceNgage are making stay surveys conversational and scalable. Employees chat with bots about their experiences, while HR teams receive predictive alerts about flight risks.

But Indian companies are realizing something crucial: AI can gather signals, but humans build trust.

That’s why firms like Dell and SunTec are using hybrid models:

AI → scale, sentiment analysis, predictive dashboards.
Humans → deeper conversations, cultural nuance, and empathetic follow-ups.

This balance ensures both data-driven insights and human-centered trust.

Trend #3: Tying Surveys to Leadership KPIs

Progressive Indian firms are making engagement not just an HR issue but a leadership accountability metric.

Managers are evaluated on attrition rates in their teams.
Bonuses are tied to engagement and retention improvements.
Survey follow-up actions are part of leadership scorecards.

This shift ensures surveys don’t just gather dust, they drive real change.

Challenge #1: Fear of Repercussions

One of the biggest cultural barriers in India? Honesty in feedback.

Employees often hesitate to share openly because of fears like:

“Will my manager know I complained?”
“What if this affects my appraisal?”
“Does HR actually want to fix things, or just collect data?”

This fear dilutes the quality of insights, leaving companies blind to the real issues.

Challenge #2: Survey Cynicism

Indian employees have been through countless engagement surveys that led nowhere. Many believe: “Why give feedback? Nothing changes anyway.”

Without visible follow-up, even well-intentioned stay surveys risk being dismissed as another HR gimmick.

Challenge #3: Managerial Resistance

Some managers resist stay surveys, fearing they will:

Expose leadership flaws.
Increase workload with “extra HR tasks.”
Create accountability they aren’t ready for.

Unless managers buy in, surveys can’t succeed.

Breakthrough #1: Anonymity as a Trust Builder

To overcome cultural reluctance, Indian companies are leaning on anonymity.

Surveys are facilitated by third-party providers like AceNgage to ensure confidentiality.
Data is aggregated to protect individual identities.
Employees are reassured that candid feedback won’t be traced back.

This has significantly boosted participation rates and candor.

Breakthrough #2: Transparent Action (The “You Said, We Did” Model)

Indian firms are learning that feedback without action kills trust. The breakthrough has been adopting a “You Said, We Did” communication loop:

Summarize employee feedback.
Share top 3–5 themes back with employees.
Announce visible changes within weeks.

For example, a Pune-based IT company introduced “Meeting-Free Fridays” within a month of survey feedback. The quick win proved the process worked, encouraging more authentic input next time.

Breakthrough #3: Manager Enablement

Companies like Dell are equipping managers with playbooks on how to respond to survey insights. Instead of dumping raw data on managers, HR teams:

Provide training on empathetic listening.
Suggest practical interventions tailored to survey themes.
Coach leaders to frame conversations constructively.

This shifts surveys from being “HR’s job” to being every leader’s responsibility.

Breakthrough #4: Cultural Customization

Stay surveys in India aren’t copy-paste versions of global templates. They’re localized:

Using regional languages for frontline employees.
Incorporating culturally relevant questions (e.g., job security, family support, career stability).
Adjusting formats, some companies use group conversations instead of individual surveys where collectivist cultures dominate.

This localization builds authenticity and improves adoption.

The ROI: How Indian Companies Are Winning

Indian firms that reintroduced stay surveys with these breakthroughs are reporting:

15–20% reduction in attrition in the first year.
Higher trust scores, employees feel leadership “walks the talk.”
Savings of crores annually by avoiding the 30% salary cost of each resignation.
Boost in employer branding, making it easier to attract top talent in a competitive market.

Case Study: SunTec’s Journey

SunTec, a fintech firm headquartered in Trivandrum, was struggling with mid-level attrition. Stay surveys revealed employees wanted clearer career paths and better recognition systems.

SunTec responded by:

Launching a transparent career progression framework.
Building recognition platforms with peer-to-peer awards.
Training managers to act on feedback promptly.

The result? Attrition dropped by 11%, and SunTec became known as a retention-focused employer in its sector.

Case Study: Dell India

Dell India faced the challenge of engaging a hybrid workforce. Their stay survey program uncovered friction points around:

Remote collaboration.
Lack of visibility for remote workers in promotions.

By addressing these through targeted policies, like virtual recognition ceremonies and hybrid-friendly promotion criteria, Dell improved engagement scores by 19%.

Future Outlook: Stay Surveys in India Beyond 2025

Looking ahead, stay surveys in India will evolve into:

AI-powered but human-validated tools, tech for speed, humans for depth.
Real-time listening platforms that blend surveys with micro-feedback loops.
Integration with business metrics, proving direct ROI on productivity and profitability.

The cultural shift is clear: what was once skepticism is now strategy.

Conclusion: From Skepticism to Strategy

Stay surveys in India were once dismissed as fluffy HR initiatives. But in 2025, they’ve become critical retention tools, bridging the trust gap between employees and leadership.

By overcoming cultural barriers with anonymity, transparency, and manager enablement, Indian companies are turning surveys into strategic levers for retention and engagement.

The message is simple:

Employees don’t just want to be asked, they want to be heard.
They don’t just want words, they want action.

And the companies that embrace this will not only retain their people but also earn their trust, loyalty, and advocacy in one of the most competitive talent markets in the world.