24 Employee Survey Questions About Work Environment To Include in 2023
When it comes to your organization’s culture, what are some of the most critical employee survey questions about work environment you should be asking your workers?
It’s a critical question in a time when employees are moving from job to job and the dynamic of the workplace – with its remote and hybrid models – has evolved so dramatically.
Perhaps you think a possible downturn in the economy will alleviate the exodus of workers and bring more workers back to the office?
If so, consider this recent Bloomberg article entitled “People Keep Quitting Their Jobs Even as Recession Fears Mount.”
It noted that “workers continue to ditch their jobs in record numbers — many knowing full well that the outlook is beginning to dim.”
That’s why it’s more important than ever to ensure your culture is one of positivity, inclusion, and humanity. A place workers want to be a part of, and a place they want to stay.
Making the move to a healthy work environment
When discussing how to make a “good” work environment, we’re talking about more than the physical space – although that is certainly an important consideration.
It’s about making sure your organization’s environment is a safe and healthy culture – a work culture where humans feel comfortable, engaged, and able to flourish.
A culture where they can be their true, authentic selves. A culture where they can do great work. And a culture that offers true, psychological safety for all.
How do you assess and shape your work culture so you know it’s a place where your employees want to stay and thrive? The answer, quite simply, is to ask them.
Asking for employee feedback will reveal how your workers feel about their experience at work.
Are their voices being heard?
Are they getting the support they need?
It will also give you revealing insights into their level of engagement – and stress. And it will make them feel valued.
The survey questions I’ve suggested below will help you understand how your employees feel about your work environment.
I’ve compiled them from various survey templates using Moodtracker®, the “forever free” employee pulse survey tool from Workhuman®.
Because these survey questions have been developed by Workhuman’s data scientists – drawing on more than 50 million recognition moments in the Workhuman® Cloud – they have a wealth of expertise, knowledge, and an unmatched data set baked in.
24 Best Employee Survey Questions About Work Environment
Note: Each of these employee survey questions asks the respondent on a scale of one to five how much they agree with the proposed statement. I’ve also included a quick explanation on the sentiment the survey questions are attempting to gauge.
1. I feel deeply connected to the work I do.
2. I am deeply motivated by the mission of the company.
Why? These questions are meant to gauge whether employees feel the work they do is meaningful.
3. I feel appreciated for my contributions at work.
4. I receive recognition when I do good work.
Why? Responses will be a strong yardstick of how appreciated employees feel in your workplace environment.
5. My work schedule is flexible enough for me to meet my family/personal responsibilities.
Why? Does your organization offer a healthy work life balance?
6. My company hires people from diverse backgrounds.
7. Diversity and inclusion is a priority to senior leadership at this company.
8. If I had a concern about harassment or discrimination, I know where and how to report that concern.
9. Diverse perspectives are valued at my company.
10. People of all cultures and backgrounds are respected and valued here.
11. When I speak up at work, my opinion is valued.
12. I feel that my compensation is fair, relative to similar roles at my company.
Why? Do your employees believe your organization embraces, is committed to, and advances diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives?
13. I feel a sense of belonging at work.
14. People of all cultures and backgrounds are respected and valued here.
15. I feel like I belong at my company.
Why? Is your work environment a place of belonging?
16. I feel deeply connected to the work I do.
Why? Do your employees have a sense of purpose in their roles?
17. I leave work with a sense of achievement on most days.
Why? This will gauge whether your employees have a sense of pride and achievement in the work they do.
18. I feel good about my experience at work.
Why? Are you workers happy in your work environment?
19. I feel energized at work.
Why? Does coming to your work environment instill a sense of vigor and enthusiasm?
20. I share strong connections with my colleagues.
Why? Does your work environment foster a strong sense of community and connection?
21. People here accomplish a lot of good work.
Why? Is your organization a place where people believe they can grow and master new skills?
22. I think about the company mission in all that I do.
Why? Is your mission embedded into your organization’s culture, and does it guide your employees each day?
23. People here often energize each other through work.
Why? Is your work environment one where people feed off each other’s positivity and energy?
24. I intend to continue working for this company for the next 12 months.
Why? Is your company a place people want to come to work – and stay?
Employee engagement vs. pulse surveys
Okay, you’ve embraced the concept that an employee survey is the best way to discover how your employees view your work environment.
Now the question is: What kind of survey do you use to gather employee feedback?
Many companies conduct a large-scale annual survey – often called employee engagement surveys – to measure one of HR’s key metrics and create their yearly action plan.
But such large-scale surveys take an inordinate amount of time to prepare and administer.
They often include upward of 50 employee engagement questions, so the time it takes to complete them is considerable.
And then comes the task of compiling the results and analyzing honest feedback.
By the time senior management begins to act on the survey findings, they may very well be outdated.
Employee pulse surveys – such as Workhuman’s Moodtracker tool I referenced above – are an agile, modern way to tap into the heartbeat of an organization, and truly understand the voice of the employee (VoE).
They are nimble and fast, and some, such as Moodtracker, are free.
This makes it possible and highly cost-effective to administer frequent, targeted surveys that keep you in touch with the “pulse” of what your employees are thinking and feeling about your work environment.
That’s particularly important in today’s diffused workplace, in which so many humans are suddenly working hybrid or remotely.
FAQs
What is a work environment survey?
An organization’s culture and work environment has a profound and definitive impact on employee motivation, sense of belonging, and engagement.
To gauge how employees view and experience their workplace environment, employee work environment surveys are used to measure workers’ attitudes and feelings toward their company culture.
How do you measure work environment?
Many survey tools offer benchmarking capabilities that enable an organization to compare how it is doing in key areas when compared to other, similar companies.
Such tools enable you to measure how effective your initiatives are in the eyes of employees.
What should be included in an employee survey?
It’s best to avoid “yes/no” questions since these can “dead-end” the conversation with the survey participant.
Effective survey questions should engage the respondents, encouraging them to reflect on the issue at hand.
Asking the respondent to rank the validity – such as in the examples above – and a good way to do this.
What should you consider before conducting a survey?
It’s important to have a clear and defined plan of what areas senior leadership wants to measure.
DE&I? Belonging? Community?
Just as important, an organization should survey employees on areas it is prepared to act upon.
For instance, it make no sense to find out employees don’t feel their work is recognized unless leadership is prepared to rectify the situation.
Listen to the voice of your employees
Building a positive, nurturing work environment – one in which your employees can flourish – happens when you amplify their voice and act on their feedback.
That’s where the power of employee surveys about your work environment comes in.
It will not only boost your overall business performance, it will increase employee retention, and help keep your employees engaged.
Today’s dynamic, ever-changing work landscape makes understanding how your humans feel about your work environment more important than ever.
If you haven’t conducted an employee survey about your work environment, now is the time.
How do your employees feel about your work environment?
Find out with the fast, easy, and free – forever! – employee pulse survey tool. Start an employee survey about your work environment today!
Topic(s):
Employee Experience, Surveys