Slack polls are a versatile feature enabling teams to collect feedback, gauge opinions, and make informed decisions swiftly. This blog delves into Slack polling, exploring its functionality, benefits, and step-by-step processes for creating polls with Actioner’s Slack Poll app - which is entirely free.

Now, we'll dive into various aspects of creating and utilizing polls in Slack to enhance team collaboration and decision-making. Here are the key topics covered:

· What is a Slack poll?
· Why choose Actioner Poll?
‍‍· Benefits of using polls in Slack
· How to make a poll on Slack
· Anonymous Slack polls
· Slack Poll templates
· Poll Slack reminders
· Slack poll types
· Getting started with Slack polls

Let’s get started:

What is a Slack poll?

A Slack poll is an efficient tool that allows teams to gather feedback quickly and easily on various topics. It is an interactive method to measure team satisfaction, increase engagement, and involve every member in decision-making. Slack polling can range from straightforward questions aiming to enhance routine meetings to complex surveys addressing specific challenges within the team.

Why choose Poll by Actioner?

Poll by Actioner is an entirely free Slack app. Provides you all the functionalities you need from a Slack poll app. You can check the comparison of poll apps for Slack.

Benefits of using Slack polls

Using Slack polls offers significant advantages by fostering an inclusive and engaging environment, enhancing team dynamics, balancing productivity with participation, and encouraging open communication. These polls enable every team member to contribute their opinions and suggestions, increasing individual satisfaction and engagement and making members feel valued and heard. 

Additionally, polls provide valuable insights into team operations, highlighting areas for improvement and facilitating positive changes that strengthen team cohesion. Slack polls promote a culture of open communication by allowing teams to participate in essential discussions without sacrificing productivity, leading to a more collaborative and effective work environment.

How to make a poll on Slack:

You have two options for creating a Slack poll: using the /poll-by-actioner command or the /poll command.

Below, we'll explain both methods in detail:

To post a poll in a channel, you must first invite the Poll app by mentioning it in the message box and sending the message to the channel.

1. Create Slack poll using the /poll-by-actioner command: 

A quick method to create a Slack poll is by calling the Poll app in Slack. You can find the shortcut by clicking the Attachments and Shortcuts button in Slack, represented by a small plus icon in the bottom left of the chat window.

After you call the Actioner app, follow these steps to create a Slack poll:

1. Choose the Create a poll workflow.

2. At the appearing screen, select an existing poll template or create a poll from scratch.

3. Choose a Slack channel where your target audience is located to share your poll.
4. If you're using a template, the Poll Question, Options, and other details (like corresponding emojis) will already be set. Otherwise, you'll need to input these manually.
5. Set up your poll preferences, such as anonymous responses and the poll's opening and closing times.

6. After finalizing all settings, click Create poll to initiate it.

Poll by Actioner will send the Slack poll to the selected channel, and responders can respond according to the poll type. You can also access poll results in real time within Slack.

2. Create a Slack poll using the poll/ command:

1. Compose a message in the desired Slack channel starting with the command poll/. For instance, “poll/ What is your favorite drink? Coffee, Tea, Water”.

2. Poll by Actioner will send a thread reply to your message with a button Create poll.

3. Click Create poll button. On the opening screen, poll question and option fields will automatically be filled according to your command.

4. Set up your poll preferences, such as anonymous responses and the poll's opening and closing times.

5. Once all is done, click on Create poll.

The poll in Slack will be sent to the channel to which you’ve sent your command. Responders will be able to respond according to their preferences. You can also access poll results in real time within Slack.

Anonymous Slack polls

To create anonymous polls while setting up your poll in Slack, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Response settings.
2. Select to Make responses always anonymous to make the responders' identity invisible.

To change the anonymity of the poll in Slack, follow these steps:

1. Click the Settings button on the posted poll
2. Click Edit poll
3. Select Make responses always anonymous.

💡 You also have the option to Make responses anonymous until the poll is closed so that the identity of the responders will not be visible until the poll closes.

Slack poll templates

Slack poll templates simplify gathering feedback on topics such as performance reviews, remote work, company policies, and workplace satisfaction in Slack. 

To use poll templates, follow the steps below:

1. Run the Create poll workflow.
2. Select Use templates.
3. Choose the appropriate poll and specify the channel for posting.
4. Click Create poll. Once posted, the poll is open for submissions.

Poll reminders for non-respondents

Poll by Actioner simplifies collecting poll responses, eliminating the need to follow up with individuals, thereby reducing stress manually. 

You can send reminders to those who haven't responded to your poll by following these steps:

1. After posting a poll, navigate to the Settings.

2. Select the Send reminder option. 

3. You can choose to Send reminder to channel members or Send reminder to all users in workspace who have yet to submit their responses.

Slack poll types

There are 4 different types of questions you can ask in a Slack poll:

1. Emoji Slack polls: 

Emoji polls are a quick Slack poll type for gathering feedback and understanding preferences within your Slack workspace. These polls stand out for their ease of use to the Slack polling process - voting with emoji reactions.

By assigning a unique emoji to each option or letting Poll by Actioner do it randomly, team members can effortlessly indicate their choices with a simple emoji reaction. This approach is particularly appealing for quick feedback collection in informal or light-hearted settings, infusing creativity and enjoyment into team communications. 

Creating Emoji polls in Slack

1. To initiate an emoji poll on Slack, choose the appropriate channel and write your question. For example, you might ask, "What should our next virtual team-building activity be?”
2. Next, outline the options for your question along with the emojis that participants will use to submit their votes. E.g., 🎮 for online gaming, 🎥 for movie night, or 📘 for book club." 
3. Poll by Actioner will automatically assign them if you opt not to select emojis manually.
4. Once set, click the Create poll button to publish it. Participants can then vote by adding their emoji reactions to the poll.

2. Numbered Slack polls: 

Numbers are designed for situations requiring distinct choices and aim to deliver clear-cut responses. 

With these types of Slack polls, participants respond by clicking numbered buttons, each corresponding to a specific option. This format is ideal for obtaining decisive answers when presenting multiple predetermined choices.

Creating Numbered polls in Slack

1. To post a poll in Slack, choose the appropriate channel and write your question. For instance, "When should our next team meeting be?”
2. After that, you can set up to five options. E.g., 1️⃣ Monday at 10 AM, 2️⃣ Tuesdays at 3 PM, and 3️⃣ Wednesdays at 1 PM.
3. Make additional settings, and with everything in place, click Create poll to share it with your team. 
4. Participants vote by selecting the number that aligns with their preferred choice.

3. Select-list Slack polls: 

These Slack polls utilize a dropdown list format, making them an ideal solution for presenting multiple options in an organized manner. This format is handy for ensuring participants consider all available choices before selecting, suitable for detailed feedback collection or when choices are too numerous for simple emoji or numbered responses.

Creating Select-list polls in Slack

1. To post a Select-list poll in Slack, choose the appropriate channel and write your question. For instance, "Which topic would you like next month's knowledge-sharing session to focus on?"
2. List down the options you want to include in your poll. E.g., Cloud technologies, E-commerce trends, AI & Machine learning, and Social media best practices.
3. After setting up, click Create poll to post it. 

Participants can then respond using the Submit response button, selecting their preference from the dropdown list.

4. Free-form Slack polls: 

Free-form Slack polls let you engage with your team by offering the ability to post open-ended questions, known as Free-form polls. It is useful when you need to gather nuanced feedback or when the range of possible answers is too broad to predefine, inviting a wide array of suggestions from participants.

Creating Free-form polls in Slack

1. To post a Free-form poll in Slack, choose the appropriate channel and write your question. For instance, "What improvements do you suggest for our current workflow?"
2. Once done with the setting up, click Create poll to post it. 

As soon as the poll goes live, team members can easily submit their ideas by clicking the Submit response button and typing as they go.

Start making polls in Slack:

To embark on this practical and anonymous polling journey, install the Actioner Poll app from the Slack App directory and start Slack polling quickly!

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