Running an employee engagement survey doesn’t end when the responses come in. In fact, that’s when things get really interestingand also a bit more challenging. Especially if you included open-ended questions.
Because yes: those blank spaces where people can write freely are a goldmine. That’s where emotions come out, where you find concrete examples and unexpected insights. It’s the kind of information that doesn’t fit on a 1-to-5 scale but says a lot about the real employee experience.
The problem? Reading and organizing hundreds of comments can feel overwhelming if you don’t have a clear methodology. It’s easy to get lost in details, waste time on outliers, or overlook what really matters.
That’s why in this article we explain how to sort and tag open-ended survey comments in a clear and useful way without being a data analyst or spending days on it. And if you’re looking for a faster solution, we’ll also show you how Team Insights can do it for you automatically.
Why categorize open-ended comments?
Open-ended responses can give you incredibly valuable insights. But if you don’t organize them, all you’ll have is a big wall of text that’s hard to interpret. Categorizing helps you:
- Detect recurring themes
- Identify concerns by area or profile
- Separate systemic issues from isolated incidents
- Make decisions based on what really matters
In short: it helps you turn words into action.
Step 1: Read with a purpose
Before you start tagging, take a moment to define what kind of information you’re looking for. Not every survey has the same goal, and not all comments answer the same questions.
Are you trying to improve internal communication? Understand how leadership is perceived? Spot blockers to motivation or wellbeing?
Having a clear focus will help you filter and avoid getting stuck in irrelevant details.
For example, if you’ve just rolled out a hybrid work model, pay close attention to comments about autonomy, work-life balance, team connection or meeting dynamics.
Step 2: Create meaningful categories
Next, come up with a list of tags that represent the major themes you want to analyze. The labels may vary depending on your survey, but common categories include:
- Leadership
- Recognition
- Workload
- Communication
- Professional development
- Peer relationships
- Infrastructure & resources
- Work-life balance
- Company culture
You don’t need too many. What matters is that they’re well defined and useful for decision-making.
Don’t try to tag every single word. Instead, look for the overall message and decide which category (or two) it best fits into. One comment can have multiple tags, just don’t overdo it.
Step 3: Use a visual system
If you’re doing this manually, a table with columns will make your job easier. For example:
| Comment | Category 1 | Category 2 |
|---|---|---|
| “I feel isolated since working remotely” | Communication | Culture |
| “My manager hasn’t given me feedback in months” | Leadership | Development |
| “We don’t have enough staff for the workload” | Workload | Resources |
This format lets you:
- Count how many comments fall under each category
- Spot common pairings of themes
- Filter and prioritize based on impact
Yes, it takes time. But in the end, you’ll have a powerful map of what’s really happening in your organization.
Step 4: Look for patterns and go deeper
Once you’ve grouped the comments, ask yourself:
- Which categories come up most often?
- Are there themes showing up across departments or teams?
- Which words or expressions repeat frequently?
- What emotions are behind the messages?
This will give you a deeper understanding than any numeric average. And it will help you decide where to focus first.
What if you have 200, 300 or 500 comments?
Here’s where it gets tricky. Manual analysis is possible, but time and resources can be a real barrier in many organizations.
That’s where technology comes in. With Team Insights, you don’t have to tag anything manually.
At Team Insights, we know your time is limited and your priority is to take action, not to spend days reading comments.
That’s why our platform automatically categorizes open-ended feedback using semantic analysis and AI that:
- Detects emotional tone (positive, neutral, negative)
- Lets you filter by area, shift or employee profile, so you can see what’s happening across your organization
So you only read what really matters. No wasted time. No missed insights. And with the peace of mind that nothing important slips through the cracks.
Listening starts with understanding
People need space to express themselves. You need tools to organize, interpret, and act.
If you collect feedback but don’t know how to make sense of it, the insight gets lost.
But if you know how to read between the lines, and you don’t have to do it alone, your team’s words can become exactly what you need to make better decisions.
👉 Request your free demo of Team Insights and discover how to turn open-ended feedback into real impact.
