How to Create Employee Engagement Survey Questions? [+20 Examples]

Many factors determine whether a business is successful or not. That includes revenue, market capitalization, number of goals achieved, etc.

Every company consists of employees that do their jobs that contribute to corporate success. Thus, it is imperative to understand the significance of employee satisfaction and engaged workers and their effectiveness and impact on business.

That is where employee engagement surveys come into the picture.

This article will help you figure out “How to create employee engagement survey questions?”.

It is also important to identify the difference between employee engagement and satisfaction. Every engaged employee is probably satisfied, whereas not every satisfied worker may be fully involved in what they do.

‍Employee engagement is essential as it plays a huge role in the growth and progress of an organization.

You must maintain a work environment that fosters a space where employees are willing to be involved and enthusiastic about their work. If your employees are happy, motivated, and enthusiastic, they are more likely to deliver their best performance.

But, it will contribute to employee satisfaction and well-being as well. Employee engagement surveys are a great way to measure how engaged your employees are and how they feel about the work environment.

You can ensure that you get the best out of your employees by conducting them.

What is an employee engagement survey?

An employee engagement survey is a way to measure many different components that contribute to employee motivation, performance, satisfaction, and retention.

Using surveys, you can learn your employees’ thoughts and attitudes towards their work and the workspace. They generally include a list of different types of open-ended employee engagement survey questions (more on this later) to get feedback from employees.

This feedback can include how happy they are at work, what they like and dislike if they feel overwhelmed, what they want to change in the office, etc.

An employee engagement survey measures how engaged your employees are. Engaged employees feel a strong emotional commitment to their work, your company, and their team’s goals.

They feel like they have a purpose at your company, know how their work helps them grow, and understand their impact on others. Sounds great? It is! Engaged employees make your company more productive and your customers more satisfied.

That’s why engagement is an important metric to track, and a well-designed employee engagement survey does just that and more. It also helps you truly understand the areas where your company is doing well, where you are falling short, and what you need to fix.

Who are satisfied employees?

A satisfied professional 😌 is the one who is ok with their salary, place of work, responsibilities but may not care much about their contribution to the company's success.

On the contrary, an engaged employee is a person who is eager to work and motivated to contribute with their effort and passion.

These people are usually satisfied with not only material values their employers provide them with but also with moral aspects like relationships with colleagues, a need to be valued, and be helpful.

That is why every employer should pay extra attention to the emotional climate of their employees and pay attention to whether they are engaged or not.

To measure that, there exist several employee engagement survey questions one should ask their workers from time to time.

Let’s consider some of the options and understand how to universalize employee engagement questions and how to create employee engagement surveys.

Rules on how to design a questionnaire when conducting a survey

There is a set of rules that you need to consider before you create an employee engagement survey:

• ✅ The respondent should know who is conducting the survey and why.
• ✅ Ensure that the responses are true.
• ✅ The respondent clearly understands the content of each question.
• ✅ Each survey question has to have one meaning; no several questions in one.
• ✅ All employee engagement questions need to be designed in a way that implies a reasonable and accurate answer.
• ✅ All employee engagement questions should be grammatically correct.
• ✅ The content of the question shouldn’t offend the respondent or demean their dignity.
• ✅ The interviewer does not impose response options on the respondent, behaves neutrally.
• ✅ The number of questions is consistent with common sense and does not lead to the respondent's excessive intellectual and psychological overload.
• ✅ The entire system of questions and answers is sufficient to obtain the necessary information to solve research problems.

To run a successful survey, you need to make sure your employee engagement satisfaction survey questions follow these four key elements:

• ✅ They’re clear, unambiguous, and pointed.
• ✅ They’re worded neutrally.
• ✅ They only ask one thing at a time.
• ✅ They ask about something you can actually change or improve.

These guidelines will make sure you’re able to get clear and actionable data from your engagement survey. If your employee engagement questions for the survey are worded poorly, you might be more confused after getting answers than before!

When creating your employee engagement survey, one final guideline: make sure it’s not too long. Of course, you want to get feedback on plenty of topics - but your employees are already busy doing their jobs.

The longer you expect them to drop everything and answer your survey, the more people will drop out without answering all your questions. Shorter is more effective.

The quality of the survey is determined by the content of the questions, the quality of the work of the questionnaires or interviewers, and the conditions of the survey.

Formatting tips

Even though you might want to format your questionnaire as you like, several psychological tricks might grant you as objective results as possible:

• It is better to print the questions and answers in different font sizes to differentiate between them clearly.
• Any explanations should also be highlighted (for instance, written in italics).
• Allocate enough space for answers to open-ended and semi-closed questions.
• Avoid situations when some variants are moved to the next page, as respondents might consider them less significant.

How to create an employee engagement survey?

So you’re ready to create an employee engagement survey - great!

They’re one of the best ways to gauge how satisfied employees are at their jobs: if they love the work they do, if they feel they’re doing valuable work, and if they’re able to put their all into their job every day.

But it’s not enough to ask a few vague employee engagement questions for a survey and decide if they’ve done a great job and decide you’ve done a great job.

The questions you ask about employee engagement and how you ask them can all significantly impact your answers from your survey.

So don’t think this is a task you can tackle in just an hour - it requires knowledge, research, and plenty of thought to get it right. Fortunately for you, we have this guide to the 20 sample employee engagement survey questions you need to ask.

Now that we’ve sorted out what a survey is, its aim, and its components, let’s try to consider an exemplary employee engagement essay. Before you start, you need to understand the aims and objectives clearly.

What is it that you want to achieve? If you are a part of management, you should work with your team members to plan out the purpose to ensure that you’re all on the same page.

Depending on your company’s standpoint, you may want to focus on one of the following:

1. Reasons for decreasing productivity 📉.
2. How are the new initiatives perceived among the employees?
3. How are the changes in the company treated?

Of course, there might be other aspects you would like to focus on, but hopefully, you've got an idea of what your priority should be. Consequently, such a survey aims to fulfill the set objectives.

A crucial aspect of designing a survey is to make it as simple as possible. Even though the main goal is to ensure the company’s success, you should value your employees' time.

Don’t make them think too much over complex questions. The clearer a question is, the more accurate the answer will be.

So, if you want to gather accurate information, you may use some of the following questions:

1. Do you like what you do?
2. Do you look forward to coming to work?
3. Would you recommend our company to your friends?
4. Do you see positive survey results of what you do?
5. Is the work challenging? If yes, do you feel satisfied after coping with the challenges?
6. Are you free to choose the approach to handling your responsibilities?
7. Do you have a sense of purpose while performing your job?
8. What are the strengths/weaknesses of our company culture?
9. Where would you like us to improve?‍

Needless to say that you have to keep the survey confidential and anonymous. You need to underline that every opinion matters and the survey results will be measured collectively without singling anyone out.

With that in mind, your employees are even more likely, to be honest with you, and that is what you are looking for, right? At the end of the survey, you should also provide feedback.

After carefully analyzing the responses, you can work out a strategy to correct the issues that may have arisen. Once you have done that, it would be good to share the findings with your employees and notify them about the areas of improvement you plan to work on.

Types of employee engagement questions

If you are not one of the professionals who provide immigration essay writing services, then you probably may not know that you can use different types of questions in your questionnaire.

There are two types of employee engagement survey questions:

• Close-ended employee engagement survey questions
• Open-ended employee engagement survey questions

1. Closed-ended employee engagement survey questions

Closed questions are those that contain one or more possible answers. Closed questions are used when it is necessary to reveal a person’s awareness, attitude to a particular problem or to describe specific aspects of the problem.

Requirements for compiling closed questions:

• the list of answers should be exhaustive. It is necessary to foresee all possible answers in advance;
• it is desirable to have the least likely among the first answers;
• all answer options must be sustained at the same level of specificity;

Closed-ended questions are usually questions that respondents select from a specific set of responses. For example, questions with only ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. This could also include questions with a specific set of multiple choice answers.

Closed-ended questions are advantageous when you need to survey on a large scale. This is because they tend to take less time to answer. Another advantage of closed-ended questions is that they are not complicated.

Participants can easily understand what is being asked and select the most relevant answer. These questions are great for gaining general insights but don’t allow participants to give more in-depth answers and thoughts.

Semi-closed questions provide an opportunity to evade the pre-proposed answers and indicate your version in a dedicated line. Direct questions are formulated in a personal form (for example, “Do you like your work?”).

An indirect question allows the respondent to express from the group's position, the team; it is used when the personal life of the respondent is affected, their attitude towards negative phenomena.

2. Open-ended employee engagement survey questions

In open-ended questions, the respondents' possible answers are not given to them, and they must independently formulate and write down the answer.

It is preferable to use open questions if it is necessary for the respondent to substantiate their opinion explain why they think so.

Open-ended employee engagement survey questions are the ones that do not have straightforward ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. These questions require participants to elaborate and explain their answers.

Open-ended employee engagement questions are usually used to describe their answers feedback and put across their feelings and/or concerns.

They provide freedom for participants to answer; however they want to, instead of restricting their answers.

Close-ended vs. open-ended questions

Although closed-ended engagement questions have plenty of advantages, such as being time-efficient and easy to go through, they are also very limiting as respondents can only select from a set of answers.

Because of this, it’s better to use open-ended engagement questions for employee engagement surveys. They allow your employees to elaborate and articulate their thoughts and opinions better.

Since you must be clear about open vs. closed-ended questions, keep in mind that employee engagement surveys need to incorporate both close-ended and open-ended types of questions.

Doing so ensures that you get an all-around measurement regarding your employee engagement.

Open-ended questions for employee engagement surveys

To gain some better insight into how your company can do better and improve employee satisfaction, here are five open-ended employee engagement questions you can include in your employee engagement survey.

1. In what ways can the company make things better?

This is one of the important, open-ended engagement questions because it allows employers to see what employees aren’t quite happy with within the company.

It gives insight into the areas that need improvement so that the workspace is better for them. It is vital to create a workspace where your employees think about their happiness, comfort, motivation, and fulfillment.

With the answers to this question, you can improve the workspace, improving work performance.

2. In what ways does your manager/employer recognize the work you do for the company?

This question is purely about recognition and whether or not your employee feels recognized. Do they feel like they are being rewarded for their work?

It is essential that your employees feel like their hard work does not go unnoticed. Otherwise, you risk your employees becoming utterly unmotivated and, therefore, unproductive. We all know that recognizing and rewarding your work is the best and most fulfilling feeling at the workspace.

Companies with good employee recognition programs can improve employee retention and see a 31% lower voluntary turnover rate!

So, this question allows you to see where you’re going right or wrong about recognition and rewarding your employees’ hard work.

3. What three words or phrases best describe the communication within your team?

This question is important as it explores team collaboration and dynamics. Collaboration and effective communication between a team and employees, and employers are essential in fostering a productive and motivated work environment.

Communication is a vital driver of engagement and a key factor in productivity, motivation, and employee retention. This question is great because it allows you to see what your employees think of the communication systems you have put in place.

They can also give you an idea of improving those communication systems. Poor communication is frustrating and is a driving factor in high employee turnover.

So, it would be best if you fostered good communication and engagement to avoid that.

4. In what ways does the company make you feel valued?

It is crucial that your employees feel valued and appreciated. If your employees feel valued, they are more likely to be loyal to the company - even if some things about the company aren’t perfect. This is how you also decrease employee turnover.

If employees feel valued and appreciated, this could lead to heightened job satisfaction and performance improvement. So, this question is one of the best ways to find out whether your employees are feeling valued or not.

After seeing what your employees say, you can implement the appropriate changes so that your employees know you appreciate them. Even a simple ‘thank you’ goes a long way in employee satisfaction. Studies indicate that 85% of employees would be happy with that simple gesture of appreciation.

5. What type of feedback do you receive from your management team?

Receiving useful and productive feedback is important to your employees’ development in the company. In fact, it is quite frankly one of the best things employers can provide.

Feedback is beneficial because it helps employees learn from their errors and build confidence. Constructive feedback also clarifies any expectations so that your employees’ aren’t confused about what they need to do.

This question is essential because you give the space for employees to reflect on the feedback they receive and whether it is beneficial to them. You can see if employees aren’t getting helpful feedback by doing this.

Or, maybe your employees find that the feedback they get is too infrequent or even too harsh. Knowing these insights will help you improve your feedback methods to grow better and develop your skills.

20 Employees engagement questions for survey

Now we’re onto the good stuff - the simple but effective questions you need to include in your employee engagement survey!

You don’t need to include everyone, and you can certainly add others that fit your organization’s priorities. But these should give you a great start on building your survey.

Here is the list of the best questions for the employee engagement survey.

1. Would you recommend [Company] as a great place to work?

If your employees recommend taking a job at your company to their friends and family, that speaks highly of how they regard your organization.

2. Do you feel empowered at work?

Feeling empowered to do their work without being micromanaged helps employees feel autonomous and trusted - and that leads to higher engagement.

3. Do you look forward to coming to work every morning?

If employees dread coming into work most mornings, that’s a sign that something is seriously wrong with your workplace. That is a major factor in feeling disengaged.

4. Do you plan to work at this company in two years?

Engaged employees don’t tend to look for other roles actively - if your people are looking for a way out, there’s something you need to fix fast.

5. Do you feel aligned with the company’s goals?

When employees feel they’re working towards a clear goal and the rest of the organization, that helps them feel like they’re contributing to something larger than themselves - and that feeling boosts engagement. It helps employees “focus on the why.”

6. Does your manager care about you as a person?

Our direct manager has such a strong impact on our days at work. Employees who feel cared for by their managers tend to have higher engagement levels.

7. Do you think the management team is transparent?

If employees don’t feel they can trust what their senior leaders say. That distrust and disconnection can lead to dissatisfaction and lower engagement.

8. Do you feel your manager values your opinions?

It’s important to feel like you can express yourself at work and bring up issues or solutions to your manager. Do your employees feel safe doing that?

9. Do you have a good working relationship with your colleagues?

Let’s be real - we spend so much of our lives at work, our colleagues are some of the people we spend the most time with. If employees feel their workplace is full of infighting, competitiveness, or lacking trust, that can feel discouraging and stressful.

10. Do you feel you can be your whole self at work?

When employees feel they need to hide part of themselves at work (like their gender pronouns), or like their coworkers or leaders don’t accept the essential part, they can begin to feel increasingly disengaged and look for a workplace to feel more accepted at home.

11. Do you think the company cares about your physical and mental wellbeing?

Feeling cared for at work is a great feeling. If employees feel your company cares about their physical welfare, like having a safe and comfortable work set up, and their mental wellbeing by ensuring they have plenty of time off and reducing burnout, that contributes to a less stressed, more engaged workforce.

12. Do you feel recognized for your hard work and successes in your job?

Recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done, whether on a huge project or a small task, is vital to keeping them engaged. After all, if you work hard but it’s never acknowledged, that’s a really discouraging experience.

If you don’t know how often employees feel recognized, you won’t know what steps to take to improve the situation (like using Empuls to recognize and reward easy and fun).

13. Do you have a best friend at work?

This question comes from the gold standard of engagement surveys: the Gallup Q12 employee engagement questionnaire. It might seem a little odd, but Gallup asks it because they have found a significant link between having a best friend at work and increased effort in the job.

14. Are you recognized fairly for your contributions to your team?

If your team is lucky enough to have a superstar performer, are they recognized for their individual contributions? Or are they mostly just getting lumped in with the rest of the team? That experience can be frustrating is high performers feel they’re often covering for low ones.

15. Are you satisfied with the benefits the company offers?

The range of benefits employees expect to get from their employers has grown - some companies offer new perks like pet insurance, in-office wellness centers, and more. How do your employees feel you’re stacking up?

16. Does your team inspire you to do your best work?

The people who surround us every day can encourage us to reach new heights of excellence - or their bad attitudes and lazy approach to work can drag us down. How do your employees feel about their close colleagues?

17. Have leaders at [Company] communicated a vision that motivates you?

Do your employees feel a clear connection between the work they do and your company's vision and goals as a whole? If your leaders lack that kind of communication, you might be missing a chance to boost engagement and results.

18. Do you have access to the tools and technology you need to do your job well?

Sure, you might think you’ve provided employees with everything they need to do their jobs. But you’re a leader - you’re not there in the day-to-day grind. Checking in to see if something missing would help them do their jobs to the best of their ability could lead to big productivity gains.

19. Do you know what you need to do to succeed in your role?

People can’t succeed unless they know what they’re supposed to be doing. This might seem simple, but there can be a surprisingly big disconnect between what employees think their role is and what managers and leaders expect.

20. Do you believe there are good career opportunities for you at this company?

One of the biggest reasons great employees leave your company is because they don’t see a solid, promising career path ahead of them. Is this an issue you need to address? Find out by asking employees directly.

Choosing from the best employee engagement survey providers

Another way of approaching employee engagement surveys is to take the help of experts and go with some of the best employee engagement survey providers available in the market.

For instance, Empuls is a completely customizable product that helps measure and increase engagement through customized survey questions that suit your organization and best-in-class recognition and reward technology.

It’s an all-in-one solution that breaks down the silos that keep people apart and keeps your organization moving ahead.

Conclusion

Employee engagement surveys are essential for maintaining productivity and happiness in your workspace. But, employee engagement surveys only work best if you ask the right questions.

Use the open-ended employee engagement survey questions above to show your employees that you are dedicated to creating a space that caters to their happiness and productivity.

Increasing employee engagement is an essential aspect of corporate success. It is important to differentiate between job satisfaction and engagement. To ensure the stable growth of your company, it is worth understanding how to create an employee engagement survey and how to run them effectively from time to time.

Having reviewed the peculiarities of the data collection method, it is hard to underestimate its benefits.

However, you need to ensure that you utilize the above-mentioned tips when you create employee engagement surveys.

In the end, it is not just you who should know the outcome but also your workers. If you are honest with them, they are more likely to be honest with you, too.

Having gathered the results, it is about time you start making positive changes.