Example polls
Paste any of these into the message box in Slack.
Choice poll. The date poll. Pick every date you can make.
/poll "Which dates could you make for the holiday party?" "Thursday, second week of December" "Friday, second week of December" "Thursday, third week of December" "None of these" close after 3 days remind 1 day before closing
Premium: closing automatically, reminders
Close automatically: after 3 daysReminder: 24 hours before closing
Ranked poll. The format, ranked and anonymous.
/poll "What should the holiday party be?" "Dinner out" "An activity, like bowling or a cooking class" "A daytime long lunch" "Online games for remote folks" ranked anonymous close after 3 days
Premium: closing automatically
AnonymousClose automatically: after 3 days
Survey (3 questions). The details survey. Named, so the organiser can plan for each person.
/poll "Holiday party details" "So we can plan food and access. Takes one minute." close after 3 days --- "Bringing a plus-one?" "Yes" "No" limit 1 --- "Any dietary needs?" short text optional --- "Any access needs we should plan for?" short text optional
Premium: surveys (several questions), closing automatically
Close automatically: after 3 days
Choice poll. A gift exchange vote, scheduled for tomorrow morning. Scheduling works on Free throughout December.
/poll "Should we do a gift exchange this year?" "Yes, with a small budget" "Yes, but make it optional" "No gift exchange" limit 1 anonymous schedule tomorrow 9am
Premium: vote limits, scheduled posting
AnonymousLimit votes: 1 per personScheduled: posts tomorrow 9am
Date first
Offer three or four evenings or lunchtimes and let people pick every one they can make. A single-choice vote hides the date everyone could attend. Add "None of these" so people with conflicts speak up, then book the date with the most availability.
Then the format
Dinner, an activity, a daytime event, or something remote-friendly: the format matters more than the venue for who turns up. People with kids often can't do late evenings; people who don't drink skip bar nights. A ranked poll surfaces the option most people are happy with, not just the one with an enthusiastic minority.
Make it anonymous. People won't say "I would skip a bar night" with their name on it.
The details
Dietary needs, accessibility and plus-ones decide the booking. Ask them in one short survey (Premium), with free-text questions marked optional. If your team is remote, add a question about whether people can travel, and plan a remote option if many can't.
The mistake people make
Polling on the budget or the venue when those are already fixed. Ask only what's still open, and say up front what isn't ("Budget is set, we're picking the format").
Questions
Can I schedule holiday party polls on the Free plan?
In December, yes. Scheduling a poll to post later (schedule ... at the end of the poll text) normally needs Premium, but it works on Free for the whole of December.
Should the format vote be anonymous?
Yes. People are more honest about not wanting a late night or a bar when their name isn't on the vote.
How many date options should I give?
Three or four. Up to 5 options fit on Free; Premium allows more, but more options means less careful voting.
Used by
Related
- Event feedback poll for Slack
Around a team offsite, company party, conference trip or community meetup: a few days before to shape it, and the day after to learn what to repeat.
- Team lunch poll for Slack
When you are organising a team lunch or a food order and need a decision before someone has to book or order.
- Offsite location poll for Slack
When you are planning a team offsite and want the team to weigh in on where and when before you book anything.
- How to schedule a poll in Slack
A scheduled poll is written now and posted later, at a time when people will see it: Monday at 9am rather than Friday at 6pm. Simple Poll can schedule a poll from the /poll text or from the poll form. Scheduling is a Premium feature, though it also works on Free for the whole of December.
- Slack polls for HR and People teams
People teams ask the whole company for input more than anyone else, which makes them the first to burn out a channel with surveys. The fix is a small, predictable calendar: a few polls with a clear job each, sent at the same rhythm, with results that go somewhere.