diff --git a/src/controllers/communityController.js b/src/controllers/communityController.js
index 8e7cad87e..723945311 100644
--- a/src/controllers/communityController.js
+++ b/src/controllers/communityController.js
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ const communityMemberController = function () {
         const { userInfo, frontend, backend, general } = member;
         return {
           _id: member._id,
+          userId: member.user_id,
           name: userInfo?.name || 'N/A',
           email: userInfo?.email || 'N/A',
           slack: userInfo?.slack || '',
diff --git a/src/controllers/communityController.test.js b/src/controllers/communityController.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3cfb6c0ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/controllers/communityController.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+jest.mock('../models/hgnFormResponse');
+
+const FormResponse = require('../models/hgnFormResponse');
+const communityMemberController = require('./communityController');
+
+describe('communityController', () => {
+  it('preserves the response _id and exposes userId from user_id', async () => {
+    FormResponse.find.mockReturnValue({
+      lean: jest.fn().mockReturnThis(),
+      sort: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue([
+        {
+          _id: 'response-1',
+          user_id: 'profile-1',
+          userInfo: { name: 'John', email: 'john@example.com', slack: 'john' },
+          general: { location: 'Remote' },
+          frontend: { React: '8' },
+          backend: { MongoDB: '7' },
+        },
+      ]),
+    });
+
+    const req = { query: {} };
+    const res = { json: jest.fn(), status: jest.fn().mockReturnThis() };
+
+    await communityMemberController().getCommunityMembers(req, res);
+
+    expect(res.json).toHaveBeenCalledWith([
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        _id: 'response-1',
+        userId: 'profile-1',
+        name: 'John',
+        email: 'john@example.com',
+        slack: 'john',
+        team: 'Remote',
+      }),
+    ]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/controllers/hgnFormResponseController.js b/src/controllers/hgnFormResponseController.js
index 0838b05b2..8be1b1f0b 100644
--- a/src/controllers/hgnFormResponseController.js
+++ b/src/controllers/hgnFormResponseController.js
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ const hgnFormController = () => {
 
         return {
           _id: user._id,
+          userId: user.user_id,
           name: user.userInfo?.name,
           email: user.userInfo?.email,
           slack: user.userInfo?.slack,
diff --git a/src/controllers/hgnFormResponseController.test.js b/src/controllers/hgnFormResponseController.test.js
index 564750433..3e5b1671c 100644
--- a/src/controllers/hgnFormResponseController.test.js
+++ b/src/controllers/hgnFormResponseController.test.js
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ describe('HgnFormResponseController', () => {
 
       expect(FormResponse.find).toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(result[0]._id).toBe('2'); // Jane should be ranked higher
+      expect(result[0].userId).toBe('456');
       expect(result[0].topSkills).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining(['React']));
       expect(result[1]._id).toBe('1');
     });
@@ -207,7 +208,7 @@ describe('HgnFormResponseController', () => {
       expect(mockRes.json).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         expect.arrayContaining([
           expect.objectContaining({ _id: '1' }),
-          expect.objectContaining({ _id: '2' }),
+          expect.objectContaining({ _id: '2', userId: '456' }),
         ]),
       );
     });