Top 5 Barriers To Acting On Survey Feedback – And How to Overcome Them

You’ve done the work: launched a survey, gathered valuable feedback from employees or customers, and compiled the results into tidy dashboards or reports. But then… silence. The momentum stalls, and that goldmine of insight sits untouched.

Sound familiar?

You're not alone. Despite good intentions, many organisations fall short of transforming feedback into meaningful action. In today’s competitive and trust-fragile business environment, failing to act on feedback isn’t just a missed opportunity - it sends a silent message: “We’re not listening.”

Let’s explore the top 5 reasons companies stall after collecting feedback, and how you can shift that dynamic in 2024 and beyond.

1. Data Overload = Decision Paralysis

Surveys today generate more data than ever before, from quantitative scores to rich open-text responses. But the volume can overwhelm rather than inform.

According to McKinsey & Company (2024), 67% of senior leaders report feeling paralysed by the sheer amount of feedback and operational data, often leading to inaction or delayed decisions.

Solution:  Instead of analysing everything, start with one high-impact area (e.g., onboarding experience or internal communications). Use filters to segment data by team, location, or sentiment to surface themes that matter most.

2. Fear of What Feedback Might Reveal

It’s not easy hearing that things aren’t working, especially when you’ve invested time, budget, and energy into systems, teams, or culture. But avoiding criticism only allows issues to deepen.

Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace Report shows that 44% of employees worldwide believe their feedback won’t lead to meaningful change, and nearly 1 in 3 say they’ve stopped sharing honest input as a result.

Solution:  Reframe feedback as a gift. Share themes openly with your teams and show that listening doesn’t mean blame - it means learning. It’s okay to say, “We heard you, and we’re figuring out what to do next.”

3. No Time, No Bandwidth

Even the most well-intentioned HR or CX teams struggle to carve out time to review and act on feedback amid day-to-day pressures.

A recent Deloitte Human Capital Trends 2024 report revealed that 58% of business leaders struggle to embed employee feedback into regular operational planning due to competing priorities and lack of dedicated ownership.

Solution:  Make it manageable. Establish a quarterly “feedback-to-action” sprint focused on just one theme. Even small wins (like improving meeting culture or response times) can rebuild employee trust and spark positive momentum.

4. Lack of Ownership & Accountability

Feedback doesn’t action itself, and when no one “owns” the follow-through, nothing gets done. It's no surprise when survey reports get filed away, never to be seen again.

Gartner’s 2023 Voice of the Employee Benchmarking Study found that only 41% of organisations assign clear accountability for post-survey action, and only 29% track the impact of improvements.

Solution:  Assign a feedback lead or cross-functional team for each major survey. Make survey follow-up part of performance objectives, and celebrate progress regularly to maintain momentum.

5. Change Fatigue and the “This Is How We’ve Always Done It” Mindset

Surveys often expose long-standing issues or cultural blind spots - areas that feel too big or “untouchable” to fix. Teams retreat into old habits or delay changes that feel too uncomfortable or politically risky.

According to PwC’s 2024 Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey, 49% of executives say their organisations resist change even when feedback highlights clear areas for improvement.

Solution:  Start with micro-changes. Instead of overhauling entire systems, introduce small pilots to test ideas raised through feedback. Track what works, share results, and scale gradually.

Feedback is both a Mirror and a Map

Survey results aren’t just data points. They’re insights into the hearts and minds of your people and customers. Failing to act on them is more than an oversight - it’s a credibility risk. The good news? You don’t need to do it all at once.

Start small. Be transparent. Keep the feedback loop alive.

Let’s Turn Insight into Impact

If your team has survey results sitting idle—or you're unsure where to begin—I can help. From feedback triage to creating clear ownership plans and communication strategies, together we can transform feedback into a growth lever for your business.

Ready to unlock the value in your employee and customer feedback and act on what really matters? We're ready to help.

Schedule A Discovery Call With Us