45 Employee Engagement Survey Questions That Work
According to a recent Gallup surveyOpens in a new tab, increased employee engagement can lead to higher retention, better health outcomes, and a 21% increase in profitability.
It’s been said that “what gets measured gets managed.” Measuring employee engagement levels can begin with something as simple as a survey if you ask the right questions and respond appropriately to the feedback.
Continue reading to learn what employee engagement survey questions you should ask and how to make your next engagement survey as impactful as possible.
How do I create an effective employee engagement survey?
The outcomes produced by effective employee engagement surveys benefit both employees and organizations. However, only 22% of businesses achieve these resultsOpens in a new tab.
Here’s how you can increase survey completion rates and derive more valuable insights:
1. Keep it short
Keep the survey brief if you want higher completion rates. It shouldn’t consume much of your employees’ time, or they’ll perceive it as a chore and may not find the time for it.
A study conducted to measure the impact of survey length and completion rate found that shorter employee engagement surveys had nearly 2x the completion rateOpens in a new tab compared to longer ones. The survey should take no longer than 30 minutes to complete and include 30 to 75 questions.
2. Consider the relevance
Try to find a relevant topic that’s been circulating and make it the primary focus of the survey. For example, it’d be unwise to survey employees’ alignment with company goals while they’re complaining about a lack of appreciation.
They’d rather be asked why they feel undervalued and how the organization can improve things. Consequently, participation rates will fall as employees find it irrelevant to their current needs.
3. Ask the right questions
Several factors contribute to the formulation of the “right” employee engagement survey questions. Here are three pointers to help you stay on the right track:
Incorporate relevant questions
Begin by becoming familiar with the various aspects of employee engagement. Then you’ll have the right employee engagement questions for them. That’ll help you keep all survey questions linked to the topic you’re surveying.
Avoid using negative language
A negative word can always be turned into a positive one. We try to create a positive overall experience during the surveying process, so we set the tone accordingly.
Here’s a quick comparison to show the difference:
- A poor question: How bad is our current employee recognition program?
- A good question: Do you believe we should improve our current employee recognition program?
Ask actionable questions
Make sure only to include action-oriented questions. Put differently, don’t ask employees about things the organization has no intention of changing. That’ll only give them false hope for change that isn’t coming. For example, asking employees if they’re satisfied with their pay rate makes no sense if the company isn’t currently changing the salary structure.
4. Make it anonymous
When a survey is anonymous, employees are more likely to provide honest feedback. This is primarily due to employees’ fear of repercussions if they express their opinions with their identities revealed. According to a study, 75% of participants prefer anonymityOpens in a new tab.
When you assure your employees of privacy and confidentiality, they’re more willing to write openly about their true feelings and opinions. That’s when you’ll receive the most valuable data on measuring employee satisfaction within your organization, which can help you make more impactful decisions.
5. Send reminders
Reminding your team members to complete the employee engagement survey is essential. Explain briefly how higher response rates can lead to positive changes in these reminder messages. The more employees see how taking the survey will benefit them, the more likely they’ll complete it.
6. Show that it matters
After completing the survey, show your employees how their responses make a difference by creating change based on their feedback. Remember that acting on feedback is a critical aspect of improving the employee experience and making your team feel heard.
According to a recent report on employee recognition, 92% of employees are more likely to repeat an actionOpens in a new tab if they’re recognized for it. In other words, showing them how their responses are valued and will be used to improve employee experience will result in higher rates of survey participation in the future.
7. Don’t overdo it
You want to make all your employee engagement surveys count, so don’t overdo it. Moreover, try to change the types of questions for the employee survey and avoid sending the same one every time.
Employees will eventually stop participating because they’ll no longer see the need to add the same answers over and over. Repetitive forms won’t provide you with the diverse information you need to succeed.
Also, you should track participation to determine the optimal frequency to send out surveys for your workplace and business goals.
Why are employee engagement surveys valuable?
Conducting employee engagement surveys opens a channel for employee feedback. They also pave the way for HR professionals and organizations to make better decisions. However, the significance of a successful employee engagement survey goes far beyond that.
Here’s how your organization can benefit from these surveys:
Improve employee experience and morale
Effective employee engagement surveys that begin with communication and end with actions are an excellent way to boost morale. They show employees that their opinions are valued and that the company cares.
An American Psychological Association (APA) survey showed that feeling valued goes a long wayOpens in a new tab with employees. Almost all employees who felt valued reported feeling engaged (88%) and motivated (93%) compared to employees who did not (38% and 33%, respectively).
Point HR in the right direction
It’s no secret that all HR professionals constantly look for new ways to increase employee retention and create an engaged workplace. In fact, 63.3% of businesses claim that retaining employees has become more difficult than hiring themOpens in a new tab.
High turnover rates are one of the things that don’t reflect well on any company, particularly its HR department. This is because increased turnover can have negative consequencesOpens in a new tab, such as:
- Reduced employee morale
- Decreased productivity
- Drop in company revenue
- High recruitment costs
What better source of suggestions for increasing retention than employees themselves? This is where the employee engagement survey comes in handy.
These surveys facilitate the transfer of all internal employee data and turn it into something tangible for an organization. Including well-designed survey questions for employees makes them extremely powerful tools to help HR measure employee engagement.
Afterward, HR professionals will be better prepared to make impactful decisions. They’ll have accurate information and percentages to work with. Moreover, they can use this information to set a benchmark for the organization.
Achieve organizational growth
An employee engagement survey, as its name suggests, can help increase employee engagement and deliver remarkable results, as engaged employees directly impact an organization’s profitability and retention rate.
Simply put, engagement is a scale that measures an employee’s emotional connection and dedication to their job. If this scale leans toward overall employee satisfaction and commitment, an employee is more likely to stay with the company.
If it displays low employee engagement, which can manifest as signs of a negative attitude or carelessness, it becomes clear how that’ll turn out.
That explains why engagement influences retention, but how does it affect profitability? This is the outcome of multiple factors, such as increased productivity, lower absenteeism rates, and reduced recruitment costs.
According to a Gallup studyOpens in a new tab, companies with higher levels of engagement enjoy:
- 23% higher profitability
- 43% lower turnover
- 81% lower absenteeism
45 examples of useful employee engagement survey questions
Internal communication
According to Gallup, 74% of employees believe they’re missing out on company newsOpens in a new tab, which is a concerning statistic. These questions were designed to provoke useful responses while also reflecting a desire to improve:
- Does the organization give enough details about its goals and policies?
- How transparent do you believe senior management is with you?
- How can our company communicate more effectively?
- How would you rate your awareness of the company’s objectives?
- Is your direct manager making an adequate effort to keep you informed?
- Is the company keeping you up to date on your progress?
- Which company communication channel do you believe is the least effective?
Employee engagement
Employee engagement describes the connection that employees have with their organization. Since improving this connection has a ripple effect of positive benefits, bettering team engagement has become a main strategic business objective.
If you want your employees to be excited to come to work, improve their performance, and form a long-term relationship with the organization, consider asking:
- How are you feeling about work today?
- Do you feel aligned with the company’s objectives?
- Would you recommend our company to your friends as a great place to work?
- Are you proud to work for our company?
- Do you look forward to going to work?
- Is the work you do for this company valuable to you?
- Do you ever consider looking for work at another company?
- Do you think you’ll still be here in two years?
Recognition
One of the leading causes for employees to resign is not being recognizedOpens in a new tab for their progress. It’s been proven that high salaries are no longer associated with increased productivity or job satisfaction. These questions will help you gauge how appreciated your employees feel:
- What are your favorite benefits, and what new incentives would you like to see provided?
- Do you believe you’re valued at work?
- Are you appropriately rewarded for reaching major milestones?
- Is our company doing a good job of encouraging employee recognition?
- Do you get enough recognition from your organizational leaders?
- How many opportunities for professional development do you have in this organization?
- What additional training or education would help you perform your job more effectively?
Professional development support
Almost all employees want the opportunity to learn new skills and continue to advance professionally. If an organization doesn’t support this, employees may begin to look for other work opportunities. Meanwhile, organizations that provide opportunities for advancement have 34% higher retention ratesOpens in a new tab.
To gauge how supported your employees feel, include questions such as:
- Do you know what’s expected of you to succeed in your position?
- How well does our organization assist you in pursuing your professional interests and objectives?
- Which of our departments would you like to learn more about?
- Do you understand your promotion and career path?
- Do you feel challenged daily at work?
- Do you have a work mentor?
Management and leadership
It’s said that “employees don’t leave companies, they leave managers.” In fact, a study found that more than two out of every five people quit because of their managerOpens in a new tab. Additionally, this study showed that more than half of those who were thinking about quitting their jobs did so because of their boss.
The management and leadership of an organization is a make-or-break factor. Thus, businesses should always evaluate the effectiveness of this tier. These questions can help you gauge the health of the relationships between employees and managers in your organization:
- Does your manager respect you?
- Is your manager clear about performance expectations?
- Does your manager give you regular feedback on your performance?
- Does your manager value your expertise and contribution to the company?
- Does your manager keep their promises?
- Do you believe your manager genuinely cares about you as a person?
- Is your manager assisting you in reaching your full potential at work?
- Do your managers value your input?
- How frequently do the tasks assigned to you by your manager help you advance professionally?
Work environment
An employee’s productivity is highly influenced by their working environment. Positive work environments help employees feel motivated to produce high-quality work, while toxic environments result in employee frustration, disengaged employees, low morale, and high turnover rates.
Try to include employee survey questions about work culture like these to get a good sense of the organization’s current work environment:
- Do you like the culture of our company?
- Do you believe your coworkers support you at work?
- Do you feel comfortable and productive in your workplace?
- What do you consider to be a good work environment?
- Do you believe you require more flexibility in your working conditions?
- Do you feel that management provides equal opportunities for career advancement for all?
- Do you have the necessary tools and technologies to complete your tasks efficiently?
- What’s one aspect of working for this organization that stands out to you?
How do I create change based on my employee engagement survey results?
Responding appropriately to the feedback you receive is just as important as asking the right questions in your survey. Surveys that aren’t followed by actionable plans can falsely instill hope in employees, increasing their distrust and ultimately harming their relationship with the organization.
On the other hand, a company that chooses to address employee feedback can:
- Strengthen employee trust
- Increase upcoming survey participation
- Encourage open lines of communication
- Boost employee morale
You can also encourage managers to tailor their one-on-ones by discussing the outcome of the most recent survey. They can then discuss what kind of initiatives best meets their employees’ current needs and concerns.
For example, providing structured career path opportunities or an incentive system for high performers may be top of mind for their direct reports.
Here’s how to ensure you’re getting the most out of your employee engagement survey:
Communicate results
After gathering and aggregating the data, it’s important to share the results with your team. Not only does that show your initiative to actually follow up on the information, but it also demonstrates to your employees that you value creating an ongoing dialogue.
You can share information about high and low-scoring topics, as well as areas that require improvement. This shows that you value their feedback and won’t shy away from difficult conversations or confronting issues.
Make a plan and act on it
You might be surprised by the number of issues that need to be addressed after analyzing all of the tangible data from these surveys.
Create a meaningful action plan that starts small and gradually works its way up to the larger issues. It’s far better to share a realistic plan with your employees than to make promises you can’t keep.
As you execute, share all positive changes with employees and involve them as much as possible in the decision-making process to illustrate how valuable their opinions are. You can even hold town hall meetings to discuss the updates and progress.
Rinse and repeat
Check in with your team members to ensure that they’re satisfied with the actions you’ve taken to address their concerns. Ask if there’s anything they need modified, anything they’d like to see more of, or if they’re satisfied with the changes.
Conduct employee engagement surveys regularly to ensure that improvement is a constant, iterative process within your organization.
FAQs
What’s the difference between an employee engagement survey and a pulse survey?
Employee engagement surveys are generally longer, more in-depth queries that are sent out annually, whereas pulse surveys are shorter and more frequent.
Pulse surveys can be used to follow up on longer annual surveys or to check in with employees during times of change or high stress for actionable insights. Their shorter format also means that pulse surveys have an average response rate of 85%Opens in a new tab, whereas the average employee survey only gets 30-40%.
How can I motivate my employees to complete the survey?
Some techniques to improve response rates include:
- Communicate that the survey results will be used to directly improve company culture and working conditions
- Allow time to complete the survey during working hours
- Enter the names of all employees who complete the survey into a raffle for a fun prize
How can I use the data from my employee engagement survey to improve my eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score)?
By measuring employee engagement, then following through and taking action based on the survey results, it is likely that you will improve your eNPS over time. Employees are much more likely to recommend your organization as a good place to work if they feel valued, heard and like there is a cultural commitment to positive evolution.
In conclusion
By following the simple steps outlined in this article, your company can easily join the 22% who reap the benefits of a successful employee engagement survey. The tips, questions, and plan of action outlined above will help you improve employee engagement, strengthen company culture, and achieve better business success.
All you have to do now is decide how frequently these employee surveys will be sent so you can stick to a healthy cadence that works for your team. Good luck!
About the author
Ryan Stoltz
Ryan is a search marketing manager and content strategist at Workhuman where he writes on the next evolution of the workplace. Outside of the workplace, he's a diehard 49ers fan, comedy junkie, and has trouble avoiding sweets on a nightly basis.