Employee Engagement Surveys: 20 Important Questions to Ask

Low employee engagement costs the global economy about US $89 trillion, or 9% of global GDP, according to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report.

That’s why it’s critical to gauge your team’s feelings using employee engagement surveys.

When you collect employee feedback, you can identify which areas of the organization are thriving and which need attention. Then you can drive change by creating an action plan and measuring results over time.

These surveys measure key metrics like employee morale, job satisfaction, alignment, retention and manager performance.

Best Questions for Employee Engagement Surveys

Here are 20 examples of effective questions and why they should be included in employee engagement surveys.

1. Are You Proud to Work for This Company?

This question is important because workplace pride creates a more engaged workforce. Employees who feel proud to work at a company are six times more likely to endorse their workplace to others and twice as likely to want to stay long-term. You may want to add a text field to provide space for employees to elaborate.

2. Would You Recommend This Company as a Great Place to Work?

When employees recommend your organization that means they generally enjoy working there. As a result, happy employees tend to become brand ambassadors who become recruiters for the company. They are also more likely to refer the organization to those needing your products and services. 

3. Do You Think About Looking for a Job at Another Company?

This question explores an employee’s near-term commitment to the company. When people are engaged at work, they usually aren’t looking for a job elsewhere. If they answer “yes” to this question, you will want to add a text field for more details.

4. Could You See Yourself Still Working Here in Two Years?

More Americans are looking for new jobs now than at any point in the past decade, prompting Gallup to label this change as “The Great Detachment.” By asking this question, you can gauge an employee’s future commitment to the company. If you find many workers considering leaving, you may uncover a retention issue and be able to address it.

5. How Does This Company Motivate You to Go Above and Beyond?

This question uncovers how your company motivates workers to do their best. When employees are excited about their work, it spreads to the rest of the team. On the other hand, low scores may indicate the team feels disconnected or doesn’t feel supported.

6. Does Your Job Allow You to Learn and Develop New Skills?

Seventy-four percent of employees say that a lack of professional development prevents them from reaching their full potential, according to ClearCompany. Unfortunately, that leaves many workers feeling undervalued, which results in a disengaged workforce and high turnover rates. By offering professional development opportunities, you can boost employee engagement, increase retention and enhance productivity. Employees want career growth, and this question helps you measure whether you offer the training and support they need.

7. Do You Have the Resources You Need to Maximize Your Potential?

This question helps determine whether people have the day-to-day things they require to do their work. If scores are low, it may mean your workforce lacks a necessary component to do their job. Consider asking them what tools would better support them in their work.

8. Do You Have the Opportunity to Do Challenging Things at Work?

Challenging work can be a great motivator because it keeps people engaged. However, if projects become so difficult that employees can’t function, it can have the opposite effect and hurt motivation. As a result, it’s up to you as the employer to ensure that your staff finds the right balance.

9. Do You Know What is Expected of You to Be Successful in Your Role?

Nearly half of all U.S. employees don’t know what’s expected of them at work, a study by Gallup showed. Employees who don’t understand what’s required tend to be less engaged. To feel aligned with the company, they need to know what they must do to succeed.

10. Does Your Work Provide a Sense of Meaning?

Employees who consider their work meaningful tend to be happier and work harder. When employees find their work meaningful, their performance improves by 33%, they’re 75% more committed to the organization, and they’re 49% less likely to leave, according to McKinsey research. Conversely, when this score is low, it means employees can’t see their work’s impact.

11. Do You Know How Your Work Supports Company Goals?

This question is essential because employees want to understand how their work contributes to larger corporate objectives. By helping them set work-related goals, you can provide role clarity and direction. As a result, your workforce will be more likely to stay long-term.

12. Do You Enjoy Working With Your Team?

When employees enjoy working together it increases job satisfaction, reduces stress and encourages personal growth. Collaborative problem-solving is also proven to lead to better outcomes. If these scores are low, it may indicate that your team isn’t in sync, which can wreak havoc on your workplace and culture.

13. Are You Getting Enough Feedback From Your Manager?

Research shows that 1 in 5 employees is dissatisfied with the frequency of feedback from their supervisor. When employees don’t get enough input, problems tend to fester and get worse. In addition, providing feedback makes employees feel like they’re part of the company, and as a result, they become more engaged.

14. Are You Recognized for Doing Good Work?

Companies that prioritize recognition have employees who are 56% less likely to be looking for a new job, according to a Gallup/Workhuman survey. This is because employees want to feel valued – especially in remote and hybrid work environments. And when they don’t, it could cause them to quit and not look back.

15. Does Your Manager Provide the Support You Need to Complete Your Work?

Responses to this question reveal whether your managers are setting employees up for success. Effective supervisors motivate workers and help them advance in their careers. When this score is low, it may indicate that your company needs to invest in additional management training.

16. Do You Believe There Are Career Opportunities at This Company?

Supporting employees is a big part of talent management. When you support employee career growth, it can increase engagement and improve retention. However, employees who don’t see a clear path will be more likely to look for those opportunities elsewhere.  

17. Does the Company Culture Foster a Supportive Work Environment?

In a strong company culture, managers show appreciation and gratitude, which increases retention. On the other hand, a toxic work culture can lead to employee burnout and losing talent to the competition. When this score is low, it’s time to determine how you can support employees’ performance and well-being.

18. Do You Believe You Are Fairly Compensated for the Work You Do?

Only 32% of workers feel like they’re being paid fairly, according to a Gartner survey. And managers need training in talking to employees about compensation.

When employees feel underpaid, they’re more likely to feel dissatisfied. Low scores for this question may reveal the need to conduct an internal equity study to determine if there are gaps between employees in similar positions with similar skills.

19. Do Leaders Keep You Informed About What’s Happening?

Communication is vital to establish engagement within the company. If scores are low, it’s time to examine your internal communication strategy and where there are areas for improvement.

20. Is There Something Else We Should Have Asked in This Survey?

This question offers the opportunity to get valuable open-ended feedback. If many employees list the same question, you can consider including it in a future survey.

Ineffective Survey Questions: Examples of What NOT to Ask

Conducting successful employee engagement surveys also involves avoiding bad questions. Questions you’ll want to avoid include those employees may be too afraid to answer, or those that are too vague or personal. You’ll also want to stay away from yes or no questions.

Here are some examples:

• Do you enjoy your work?
• What do you think of the leadership team?
• Do you think our company is a good organization?
• Which team is the biggest bottleneck in your workflow?
• Were you impressed with the success of the recent product launch?

Tips for Great Employee Engagement Surveys

Once you decide to conduct employee engagement surveys, it’s important to keep these best practices in mind:

1. Design the survey based on what you want to get out of it and how the information will be used. Decide what specific areas you want to target and ask relevant questions. Combining open and closed-ended questions is a good idea to get the most valuable data possible.
2. Decide on the frequency of the survey. Most organizations run employee engagement surveys yearly. You’ll also want to run pulse surveys throughout the year to stay on top of your team’s engagement level. Ensure the survey is anonymous so employees can be honest without fear of repercussions. Also, give your team enough time to complete it in a quiet, private location. 
3. Once you gather the data, segment it to see if you can find any trends or patterns affecting the business. Then, benchmark your results and present them visually to make it easier for the team to understand.
4. Share the results with the organization. Let employees know what actions you’ll be taking, set specific goals and monitor progress over time.

Employee Engagement Surveys Are Powerful Tools

Analyzing employee engagement surveys helps you determine areas where your company excels and where you can improve. By implementing them correctly, you’ll increase engagement and stay ahead of the competition.

Ola Chowning, a partner at ISG Digital Strategy and Solutions, believes employee engagement is key in the current environment. She asserts, “When employees are engaged in the corporate culture, have visibility to the executive team and are confident the company values their input, they are significantly less likely to leave. In today’s talent landscape, this is a competitive advantage.”