Workload questions that show where the studio is stretched
Ask your team how manageable their project load is, what slows them down and what would give them time back. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What workload survey questions tell you
Workload survey questions ask the people in your studio how their week really looks: how manageable the load is, how many projects they are on, how often they work past their hours, what slows them down and what would give them time back. Overload builds quietly in an agency, project by project, and people tend to mention it only when they hand in their notice.
Ask once a month or after a busy stretch, and keep the questions the same, so the cards in Results compare with the last round. Pick five or six: the manageability score, the late hours question, the slowdown grid and the open question on underestimated work. Share the link in your team channel: an anonymous survey stores no user ID, traits or visitor ID for link or QR code answers, which does not hold for surveys Usertick sends by email.
Each written answer gets a theme and a sentiment, so repeated pressure points such as late client feedback show up across the team. In a small studio, leave out questions that would point to one person, and tell everyone what you will change.
- Questions
- 13
- Best asked
- Once a month, or after a busy stretch
- Industry
- Agencies
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 13 studio workload questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
How heavy the load is
Start with how manageable the week feels, then the numbers behind it: projects, hours, late nights and billable time.
- 01Big scale
How manageable is your project load right now?
How manageable the project load feels, on a scale of 1 to 10. Ask it every month; the card compares with the last round, so a slipping average shows at once.
- 02Number
How many client projects are you on this week?
How many client projects each person is on this week. Results shows the median and the middle half, which tells you whether a few people carry most of the projects.
- 12Ruler
How many hours did you work last week?
How many hours each person worked last week, on a ruler. The median and the middle half show the usual week and how far the busiest people go beyond it.
- 03Multiple choice
How often do you work past your hours for a deadline?
How often people work past their hours for a deadline, from every week to never. A growing share of Every week or Most weeks needs action before anyone leaves.
- 07Slider
How much of your week is billable?
The share of the week that is billable, on a slider. Results shows the median; compare it with your own target to see whether admin or pitches crowd out client work.
What slows the work down
These questions name the causes, from late client feedback to the parts of a project that always take longer than planned.
- 04Matrix
How often does each slow your work down?
Rates how often late client feedback, unclear briefs, changing scope and too many projects slow the work. The heat map shows which cause to tackle first.
- 10Dropdown
Which part of the work takes most of your week?
Which part of the work takes most of the week, from client calls to new business. When revisions or admin lead, look at the review process before you hire.
- 09Text
What part of a project do we always underestimate?
The open question on what the studio always underestimates. These answers feed straight into better estimates and timelines for the next client.
- 05Text
Which project should have more people on it?
Asks which project should have more people on it. Read these answers in your next staffing meeting, and check them against your resourcing plan.
What would help
Ask what would give people time back and whether help arrives when a project is at risk, so you fix the right thing first.
- 06Yes / No
Do you know which project comes first when they clash?
A yes or no on whether people know which project comes first when two clash. A No calls for one clear rule, set by whoever runs the studio's schedule.
- 13Customer effort
How easy is it to get help when a project is at risk?
A customer effort score for getting help when a project is at risk. A low share who found it easy means people don't know who to ask, so name someone for it.
- 08Multiple choice
What would give you back the most time?
Lets people tick what would give them back the most time, from fewer status meetings to another pair of hands. The bars show where a small change saves the most hours.
- 11Ranking
Rank what would improve studio life most
Puts better planning, fewer projects at once, clearer roles, more senior cover and better tools in order. Results shows the average place, a list of what to work on first.
Tips for asking about studio workload
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask on a fixed rhythm
Send the same questions once a month, so each card compares with the round before and changes stand out.
- 02
Protect people's answers
Share the survey by link in your team channel with anonymous answers on, and leave out questions that would single someone out.
- 03
Share what you will change
Tell the team what you heard and what you will change after each round. People answer honestly when they see their answers lead somewhere.
- 04
Read workload next to the plan
Compare projects per person and hours worked with your resourcing plan, and move work before the next deadline.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about studio workload
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
Once a month, or after a busy stretch such as a big launch. Keep the questions the same each time, so Results compares each round with the one before.
Yes, when you share the survey by link or QR code with anonymous answers on: no user ID, traits or visitor ID is stored. That doesn't hold for surveys Usertick sends by email, so share the link in your team channel instead.
Five or six. Start with how manageable the load is, add the late hours question and the slowdown grid, and end with the open question on underestimated work.
Everyone who works on client projects, from designers and developers to account managers and producers. Selecting an answer in Results filters the page, so you can see what the people working late said about everything else.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
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