Organizations are experimenting with new ways to hear from employees. Traditional surveys remain the backbone of most listening strategies, but new options are emerging, including AI-enabled chatbots or “conversational listening agents.” These tools create more interactive and real-time opportunities for employees to share their views, and leaders are beginning to ask where they fit best.
To explore this question, we conducted two Workforce Panels in August and September 2025. The panel included nearly 1,900 participants across North America and Europe, with the largest groups coming from the United States (63%), United Kingdom (15%), Canada (9%), and Germany (6%). Participants represented a mix of roles and work settings, from executives to frontline employees, and from desk-based to deskless jobs.
Bear in mind, this study was not designed as a benchmark but as a temperature check on employee preferences. After asking about their experiences with generative AI in the workplace, we introduced questions about how people would feel sharing feedback through traditional surveys compared to conversational listening.
The results suggest that conversational listening is most appealing in moments that feel more personal or fluid, rather than formal or high-stakes. Employees appear more open to using a chatbot when feedback is about their day-to-day experience or recognition of milestones.
For example:
The appeal comes from the interactive and flexible nature of a chatbot. In fact, 54% of employees said flexibility — being able to share when and how they want — was the top benefit of conversational listening. Another 39% highlighted greater engagement, while 40% valued the human-like interaction that makes feedback feel more natural.
This aligns with how organizations are already deploying conversational AI through platforms like Microsoft Teams, meeting employees where they naturally communicate rather than forcing them into separate survey platforms.
By contrast, employees continue to favor surveys in moments where structure and consistency matter most. When the stakes are higher, or when leaders are making decisions with long-term implications, people appear to trust the survey format more.
Traditional surveys were preferable in these employee listening moments:
The reasons behind these preferences are clear. When asked what makes surveys appealing, employees most often pointed to:
This reinforces that in higher-stakes contexts, employees want reassurance that their voices are treated consistently and that results can be compared fairly across the workforce.
What emerges from this panel is not a story of replacement but of complementarity. Conversational listening continues to gain traction, but surveys remain the foundation of most listening strategies. The most effective approach is one that combines the strengths of each method.
The broader panel findings support this blended view. When asked directly which method they would choose overall, 62% preferred traditional surveys while 48% chose conversational listening. Yet more than 8 in 10 employees (81%) said they would be at least somewhat willing to provide feedback via a chatbot, suggesting interest is strong even among those who still lean toward surveys.
This points to an important conclusion: conversational listening is no longer a fringe idea. Organizations are already combining listening methods with action-taking capabilities through employee experience-forward solutions like our Employee Activation Agent, creating a comprehensive ecosystem that moves from insights to outcomes regardless of how feedback is collected. Employees are open to this AI-powered future, but they want organizations to use it in the right places and with the right guardrails.
For leaders shaping the future of employee listening, the path forward involves more intentional design. Employees are signaling that they value both methods, depending on the context. As Forrester recognized in naming Perceptyx a Leader, the most successful platforms integrate multiple listening channels — from surveys to conversational feedback — all in one configurable system.
The challenge is to use each tool where it fits best. To start, leaders should:
The future of listening will depend less on choosing one method over the other, and more on designing a balanced approach that builds trust and engagement. Instead, it will depend on building a thoughtful mix of tools that capture employee voices in ways that are timely, authentic, and actionable.
Creating an effective blend of traditional surveys and conversational listening requires the right technology and expertise. Perceptyx's comprehensive platform combines proven survey capabilities with EX insights and cutting-edge conversational listening agents, all powered by an AI engine that transforms feedback into action. Our recent Global Employee Perspectives on Generative AI report will take you even deeper into the world of AI adoption and use.
For ongoing insights on employee experience solutions and AI-powered listening, follow our blog for weekly updates on building listening strategies that actually drive change.