Change readiness assessment: a change management survey
Sixteen questions for the people a reorganization or merger touches, twelve from a published readiness measure.
- 16questions
- About 4 minto complete
- 12 of 16from the ORIC measure
- 2 scorescommitment and efficacy
The 16 change readiness assessment questions
A change readiness assessment asks the people a change touches whether they want it and whether they believe the organization can carry it out. These sixteen questions score both, as change commitment and change efficacy, and an online survey maker opens them ready to name your change.
This change and your part in it
Three items to rename for your change. When the worry is about keeping a job at all, send the job security questionnaire instead.
- I know what this change is meant to achieve.whether the reason has landed; restate it before the next reading.
- I know how this change affects my own work.low means people are guessing at their new role.
- I have had a chance to give input on how this change is carried out.participation; cheapest to fix before launch.
Change commitment: five ORIC items
Whether people want this change, in the published wording. For a stage-by-stage read of one change, use the ADKAR survey questions.
- People who work here are committed to implementing this change.
- People who work here are determined to implement this change.
- People who work here are motivated to implement this change.
- People who work here will do whatever it takes to implement this change.strongest ask; a dip means conditional support.
- People who work here want to implement this change.
Change efficacy: seven ORIC items
Whether people believe the group can carry it out. Keep all seven so the score stays the published one.
- People who work here feel confident that they can keep the momentum going in implementing this change.a fall between waves means momentum, not support, slipped.
- People who work here feel confident that they can manage the politics of implementing this change.after a merger, two leaderships may still be deciding.
- People who work here feel confident that the organization can support people as they adjust to this change.
- People who work here feel confident that the organization can get people invested in implementing this change.
- People who work here feel confident that they can coordinate tasks so that implementation goes smoothly.sequencing, and a plan fix you can make this month.
- People who work here feel confident that they can keep track of progress in implementing this change.rises once milestones are published and met.
- People who work here feel confident that they can handle the challenges that might arise in implementing this change.
Your words
One optional box at the end, asking for a fix.
- What would make this change easier to carry out in your part of the organization?tag each answer with the question it explains.
Swap-in items
Add the ones that fit your change. After a merger, an organizational network analysis maps who now goes to whom for work.
- I get regular updates on how this change is going.
- I understand which parts of how we work are staying the same.
- I still have enough say over how I do my own work.
Sending it across one change and scoring it
Send it to everyone whose work, team or manager the change touches, with the change's name in the survey title so every "this change" means the same thing. Take three readings: before the first announcement, once the first team has moved, and six to twelve weeks after go-live. Between them, a short employee pulse survey keeps the read going. The survey asks for no name or email address.
Score each person's change commitment as the average of questions 4 to 8 and change efficacy as the average of questions 9 to 15, on the 1 to 5 scale, then report both for each group.[1] High commitment beside low efficacy means people want the change and need more capacity or a better sequence. Compare every group with its own last reading.
Change readiness assessment FAQ
How do you assess readiness for change?
Survey the people the change touches on two things, commitment and efficacy, and score each one separately. ORIC measures both in twelve items. Add a few questions on the purpose and on each person's own work, then compare groups and readings.
What is the difference between a change readiness assessment and a change impact assessment?
A readiness assessment asks employees whether they want the change and believe it can be done. A change impact assessment lists what will be different for each role, and the project team writes it without surveying anyone.
How do you run a change management survey after a merger or acquisition?
Send the same survey to both legacy companies and report each side separately, so you can see which side needs more information. If people start leaving between readings, the employee retention survey asks those still deciding.
Michael Hodge, survey methodology · Updated 26 September 2026 · How templates are reviewed
Questions 4 to 15 are ORIC, by Shea and colleagues (2014), used under CC BY 2.0.[1]
Sources (1)
- Shea, C.M., Jacobs, S.R., Esserman, D.A., Bruce, K. and Weiner, B.J. "Organizational readiness for implementing change: a psychometric assessment of a new measure." Implementation Science 9:7 (2014). doi.org
Take the first reading before the announcement
Put your change's name in the title and all sixteen questions are ready to send.
Use this template