Survey template for payroll product research

Overview

Embedded payroll is a new way for SaaS platforms to monetize a process that is essential to any business. Conducting a survey is one of the first steps towards defining what type of payroll product your customers need, and if your platform is a good fit for their needs.

What will this survey help you discover?

Surveying customers is a tried-and-true way to gather first-hand feedback from customers on what you’re building. These surveys are a small but important part of a customer-first product strategy.

This survey is designed to help you build the business case for embedded payroll, help product teams prioritize what to build, and help go-to-market teams effectively sell into your customer base (and beyond).

Payroll buyer(s)
Customer sentiment
Customer pain points
Incumbent provider(s)
Product requirements
Propensity to buy
Price appetite

When should you run this survey?

While survey data is helpful throughout the customer lifecycle, earlier is generally better. That is because the benefit of this information compounds as you approach launch. At Check, we’ve seen our partners survey customers about payroll in a few different phases.

When evaluating  payroll as a product

Survey data can help drive the business case for embedded payroll. Data from customers can help indicate their propensity to buy and highlight acute pain points from their existing provider.

Before development begins

Once you’ve committed to embedded payroll, survey data can help you prioritize what makes it into your MVP. This can also help you identify ideal customers to test out your payroll product in a Pilot phase.

Towards your payroll launch

Even if you are in the midst of your build, survey data can inform how you will position, message, and package your new payroll product to customers. Do your customers care most about time savings? Cost? Payroll compliance? Their sentiment should influence your go to market strategy.

How to get the most out of this survey

1. Customize

Surveys are best when they are fully customized to your business and customer type. While this questionnaire is a good starting point, we highly encourage each partner to go through and adjust the questions so they resonate with your customer demographic and product experience.

2. Location, location, location...

Before sharing a survey, consider where you will be able to get the most engagement from customers. Email surveys benefit from being non-intrusive and allows people to circle back when they have time, but can lead to lower response rates than in-app messaging. In-app messaging generally has a higher response rate, but is more transactional in nature and generally less suited for longer-form content. At the end of the day, the right solution will be unique to your business.

3. Consider incentives

Your customers are taking time from their busy schedule to share their feedback with you, so think of ways to make this survey more enticing! Gift cards, raffles, and discounts are an effective way to get their attention.

4. Let Check know what you discover

Our goal at Check is to help our partners build successful payroll businesses. Whether it’s helping you build a business case, workshop messaging, or plan your MVP, your customers’ feedback and insights will help inform your payroll strategy. We’re here to help at every step of the way.

Use this questionnaire to gather feedback from your customers and prospects. What tools you use to implement the survey is up to you.

Questionnaire

Please note this survey is intended for payroll administrators or owner/operators of businesses sized 0-50 employees. We expect this questionnaire to take approximately 10 minutes for a respondent to complete.

Disclaimer

The content provided here is for general informational purposes only. These are sample questions and not prescriptive. Surveys questions should be tailored to your own individual business, industry, customer market, etc. You should not construe any such information or other material provided as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

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List item

What is your role at your company?

Owner operator
Office/branch administrator
Payroll/HR administrator
Bookkeeping
Other _____

Do you personally manage payroll for this business?

What industry does your company serve?

Accommodation and Food Services
Administrative, Support, and Waste Management
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing and Hunting
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
Construction
Educational Services
Finance and Insurance
Health Care and Social Assistance
Information
Management of Companies and Enterprises
Manufacturing
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
Retail Trade
Transportation and Warehousing
Utilities
Wholesale Trade
Other Services (except Public Administration)
Other_____

Approximately how many employees do you have today?

Total employees_____
Hourly employees _____
Salaried employees _____
Independent contractors _____
Commissioned employees _____
Tipped employees ______
Employees eligible for bonuses _____

What is your biggest payroll and/or workforce management challenge today? (Choose up to 3)

Employee onboarding and off-boarding
Managing employee schedules
Managing multiple locations
Managing multiple rates of pay for employees
Staying compliant with changing employee regulations
Importing data from my time tracking system to payroll
Building and managing payroll runs
Recruiting & training new employees
Other _____

Current payroll solution

How often do you pay your employees?

Monthly
Semi-monthly
Biweekly
Weekly
Daily
Other _____

Approximately how far in advance of your pay date do you process payroll?

Less than an hour
Same day
2 days
3 days+
Not sure

How does your business pay workers? (Choose 1)

We use payroll software (e.g. ADP, Paychex)
We use a 3rd party (e.g. our accountant)
We run payroll manually (e.g. spreadsheets, pen and paper)
We are part of a PEO
Other _____

[IF payroll software] Which provider do you use? (Choose 1)

ADP
Gusto
Paychex
Paylocity
Paycom
Quickbooks Payroll
Rippling
Zenefits
Other _____

[IF payroll software] What was the primary reason you chose your current payroll provider? (Choose 1)

I’ve used them before
A friend or colleague recommended it
My accountant or broker recommended it
They work seamlessly with my other existing software tools
They were the most cost-effective option
The software was already in-place when I joined
Other _____

[IF payroll software] Approximately how much money does your company spend per month with your payroll vendor?

$1 - $50
$51 - $100
$101 - $500
$501 - $1000
$1001 - $5000
$5000+

[IF 3rd party or PEO] Approximately how much money does your company spend per month to outsource payroll administration?

$1 - $50
$51 - $100
$101 - $500
$501 - $1000
$1001 - $5000
$5000+
Other _____

How long have you been using your current payroll system?

Less than 1 year
1-3 years
3-5 years
5+ years

Approximately how much time do you spend on payroll administration (including taxes, benefits, withholdings, garnishments, etc.) each month?

Less than 1 hour
1 to 2 hours
3 to 5 hours
6 to 10 hours
10+ hours

How do you currently manage payroll tax compliance?

I use a full-service payroll system
I manage the taxes myself
Not sure

How difficult was it to get started with your existing payroll solution?

Extremely difficult
Somewhat difficult
Not sure
Somewhat easy
Extremely easy

What made transitioning to your new payroll system difficult?

I could not find the information I needed about my business
I could not get my employees to submit their information quickly
It was difficult to learn how to use the tool
It was difficult to get it set up with my other systems and software
I didn’t have much time to work through the onboarding process
It was difficult to get support when I needed it
Other _____

What do you like about your current payroll solution? (Select all that apply)

It’s simple/easy to use
It gives me flexibility
They offer helpful integrations
I like their pricing
I trust their expertise
It is easy to get support when I need it
My employees like it
Other _____

What do you dislike about your existing payroll solution? (Select all that apply)

It’s not simple/easy to use
It does not give me flexibility
I have to switch between multiple tools/systems
It’s expensive
I worry they will make a mistake
It is difficult to get support when I need it
My employees don’t like it
Other _____

Overall level of satisfaction with current payroll system

Not at all satisfied
Slightly satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Very satisfied
Extremely satisfied

Ideal payroll solution

What would make your existing payroll solution better?

____________________________________

Most/least important attributes of payroll system (rank from 1 most important to 13 least important)

Price/affordability
Easy to onboard and use
Mobile app experience
HR add-ons (health benefits, workers compensation, 401k, etc.)
Integration with my accounting software (Quickbooks Online, Xero, etc.)
Automatic tax filings/payments
Issues year-end W2s and 1099s to workers
Customer support by phone
Customer support by email/chat
Check printing/mailing
Next-day payroll processing
Same-day payroll processing
International payroll capabilities

Would you consider changing payroll systems in the next 1-2 years?

Not at all likely
Slightly likely
Somewhat likely
Very likely
Extremely likely

What would cause you to switch payroll providers? (Choose 1)

The new provider was 10%+ cheaper than my current provider
The new provider offered a new employee benefit that my existing provider doesn’t have
Payroll was bundled with or native to software I already use
I do not want to switch providers
Other _____

If [PARTNER] were to offer a payroll solution, would you try it?

Not at all likely
Slightly likely
Somewhat likely
Very likely
Extremely likely

Would you be interested in trying a payroll solution from [PARTNER]?

No interest
Would be interested in learning more
Would definitely be interested

[IF INTERESTED] Why do you think [PARTNER] would be a good choice for a payroll provider?

I trust that [PARTNER] would build a solution fit for my needs
I can get rid of my current provider and consolidate systems
I believe [PARTNER] will help me stay compliant
I believe [PARTNER] will help me save time/money
Other _____

[IF INTERESTED] Would you have any hesitation around using [PARTNER] for your payroll provider?

No
If yes, please explain _____

[IF NOT INTERESTED] Why do you think [PARTNER] would not be a good choice for a payroll provider?

I am not satisfied with my service from [PARTNER]
I expect that a solution from [PARTNER] would be too expensive
I do not think [PARTNER] would build a solution fit for my needs
I worry that [PARTNER] is too new to the payroll industry
Other ______

Other product discovery

How often do you feel stressed about missing a payroll submission deadline?

Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time
Nearly always
Always

How often do you feel confident that you will be able to cover payroll for the pay period?

Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time
Nearly always
Always

Which of these benefits do you currently offer to employees?

Health benefits (ie. Medical, Dental, and Vision)
401(k) or other retirement services
Earned wage access
Same-day or instant payouts
Workers compensation insurance
Disability coverage
Paid family leave
Commuter benefits
Other _____

Which of these benefits would you be interested in offering to employees?

Health benefits (ie. Medical, Dental, and Vision)
401(k) or other retirement services
Earned wage access
Same-day or instant payouts
Workers compensation insurance
Disability coverage
Paid family leave
Commuter benefits
Other _____