35 employee engagement survey questions for your HR surveys

Imagine walking into the office on a Monday morning to find the entire team buzzing with energy and enthusiasm. Sounds ideal, but how do you truly know what drives that energy—or worse, what might be draining it? The secret lies in understanding your employees' sentiment. One great way to do this is by anonymously asking the right employee survey questions.

Employee engagement surveys are more than just a routine HR task; they’re a powerful tool for uncovering what your team really thinks. And the need for employee surveys is clear—according to a 2023 Gallup poll, only 33% of US workers were engaged that year, while 16% were actively disengaged. What’s worse is that Gallup found disengaged employees were costing their workplaces $1.9 trillion in lost productivity. Meanwhile, engaged employees are not only more productive, but they are also more likely to stay with a company and contribute to its success.

Crafting high-quality employee survey questions gives you an opportunity to collect honest feedback from your workforce. When done right, employee engagement surveys offer actionable insights into areas like employee satisfaction, management effectiveness, personal growth opportunities, and overall company culture. Without these insights, it’s easy to overlook the factors that can lead to disengagement and turnover.

In this article, we'll explore why employee engagement surveys are so important, how to create questions that yield valuable insights, and provide you with example questions to help you get started. So, whether you're aiming to improve communication, boost morale, or simply understand your workforce better, these questions will guide your way.

Why should you consider employee engagement surveys

Employee engagement surveys offer a range of benefits that can impact your company culture, productivity, and overall success. Here are just some of the reasons why your company should consider executing employee surveys:

Foster transparent communication

Transparent communication is the backbone of a healthy company culture. Employee engagement surveys provide a structured platform for employees to voice their opinions, concerns, and suggestions.

When employees see that their feedback is valued and taken seriously, it fosters a work environment with openness and trust. This transparency not only strengthens relationships between management and staff but also helps address issues before they escalate into larger problems.

Obtain measurable data

Data gives your organization evidence on which to base its strategic decision-making. Employee engagement surveys allow you to collect measurable data on various aspects of your workforce, from job satisfaction to perceptions of leadership. This data can be analyzed to identify trends, uncover areas of improvement, and track progress over time.

With concrete metrics, you can make informed decisions that drive positive change within your organization, ultimately leading to improved employee performance and retention.

Increase employee satisfaction

Satisfied employees are one key to a thriving business. Employee engagement surveys help you gauge how content your employees are with their roles, work environment, and company culture.

By identifying areas where employee satisfaction levels are low, you can take targeted actions to improve them. When employees feel heard and see that their feedback leads to tangible changes, their satisfaction—and, consequently, employee engagement—naturally increases. This not only boosts morale but also reduces turnover, saving your company the costs associated with hiring and training new employees.

Drive continuous improvement

Employee engagement surveys create a continuous feedback loop, enabling your company to adapt and improve constantly.

By regularly collecting and acting on employee feedback, you can implement changes that keep your organization dynamic and responsive to the evolving needs of your workforce. Ongoing improvement helps to maintain high levels of employee engagement and keeps your company competitive in attracting and retaining top talent.

How to create effective employee survey questions

Creating effective employee survey questions is an art that requires careful consideration and planning. To gather meaningful insights, you have to ask the right questions in the right way. Keep these considerations in mind when developing your employee survey:

Define the goal of the survey

Before you start drafting questions, define the primary goal of your employee survey.

Do you want to:

• Measure overall employee engagement?
• Assess satisfaction with management?
• Gather feedback on company culture?
• Send out an employee involvement questionnaire?

Clarifying your objective will guide the content and structure of your questions, helping you make sure that the data you collect is relevant and actionable. Without a clear goal, you risk collecting information that may be interesting but ultimately unhelpful when it comes to driving meaningful change.

Determine the target audience

Understanding who will be answering your employee survey is just as important as what you ask. Tailoring your questions to the specific audience—whether it’s the entire company, a particular department, or a certain level of employees—helps ensure that the feedback is relevant and actionable.

For example, questions for frontline employees might differ from those intended for management. Identify your target audience before writing any questions so you can customize the survey to address their unique experiences and concerns. Ultimately, this will result in more accurate and useful insights.

Keep questions brief and to the point

Long and complex questions can be overwhelming and may lead to survey fatigue, resulting in lower response rates and less accurate data. To keep your respondents engaged and get clear, accurate answers, keep your questions brief and focused.

Each question should address a single topic and avoid ambiguity. Make questions straightforward and concise to increase the likelihood of getting honest and thoughtful responses.

Use a mix of question types

To capture a comprehensive view of employee sentiment, consider using a variety of question types, including multiple-choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions.

Multiple-choice and Likert scale questions provide quantifiable data that’s easy to analyze, while open-ended questions allow employees to express their thoughts in their own words, offering deeper insights. Using a mix means you’ll gather both measurable data and rich, qualitative feedback, providing a fuller picture of how your employees feel.

Employee survey questions examples

Asking the right questions in an employee survey is absolutely crucial if the survey is going to be effective. 

Well-crafted questions can elicit valuable insights that help you understand your workforce’s needs, address their concerns, and drive improvements within your organization. Below are some examples of questions that can be used to gauge different aspects of employee engagement, satisfaction, and more when you send out feedback survey questions for employees.

Employee engagement survey questions

Employee engagement is a key indicator of how invested your employees are in their work and the company’s success. Here are some employee survey questions to assess engagement:

• How would you describe the level of challenge at work?
• Do you feel motivated to go above and beyond your regular duties?
• Are your contributions at work valued and recognized?
• Do you feel a sense of personal accomplishment in your work?
• How connected do you feel to your team and the company’s mission?
• Do you believe your work makes a meaningful impact?
• How often do you feel excited about your workday?

Employee satisfaction survey questions

Employee satisfaction surveys help you understand how happy your employees are with various aspects of their job. Here are some employee survey questions to include:

• Would you recommend working at the company to your friends or family?
• Are you satisfied with your current compensation and benefits?
• Do you enjoy the work you do?
• How happy are you at work?
• Do you feel your job provides you with the right work-life balance?
• How satisfied are you with the opportunities for career advancement?
• Do you feel appreciated for your contributions to the company?

Employee survey questions about management

The relationship between employees and their managers plays a crucial role in overall job satisfaction and performance. Consider asking these questions:

• How would you describe the communication between you and your manager?
• Does your manager set clear goals for the team?
• How could your manager be a better leader?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, how good is your manager at recognizing contributions and achievements?
• Do you feel comfortable approaching your manager with concerns or suggestions?
• How effectively does your manager support your professional development?
• Do you believe your manager values your input?

Employee survey questions about personal growth

Understanding how your company supports employees' personal and professional growth is vital for long-term engagement. Use these employee survey questions to assess this area:

• Does this job help you grow and develop?
• In which ways does the company help you achieve your personal goals?
• How well does the organization make use of your skills?
• Do you find your work for the company meaningful?
• Do you have access to the resources and training needed for your professional growth?
• Are there opportunities for you to take on new challenges within the company?
• How supported do you feel in your career development?

Employee survey questions about the company’s culture

Company culture has an outsized impact on employee engagement, morale, and retention. Here are some questions you can use to evaluate how employees perceive your company’s culture:

• Do you feel comfortable sharing your ideas at work?
• Do you feel there’s room for creativity?
• Do you feel the company has clear goals and objectives?
• Are you able to maintain a work-life balance?
• How inclusive do you find the company’s culture?
• Do you feel respected and valued by your colleagues and leadership?
• How well does the company’s culture align with your personal values?

5 tips when holding employee surveys

To maximize the effectiveness of your employee surveys, follow best practices that encourage honest feedback and meaningful participation. Here are some key tips to keep in mind:

Ensure anonymity and confidentiality

To obtain truthful and candid responses, make sure the employee survey is both anonymous and confidential. 

Employees are more likely to provide honest feedback if they know their identities will not be revealed. Clearly communicate that employee engagement surveys are anonymous and that responses will be used solely for improving the workplace. This also helps build trust and promotes a more transparent workplace.

Determine an appropriate timing and frequency

The timing and frequency of your surveys can impact response rates and the quality of feedback. Conduct surveys at a time when employees are not overwhelmed with deadlines or major projects, since this can skew the survey results or reduce participation. 

Additionally, consider the frequency of your surveys—too many can lead to survey fatigue, while too few might not capture timely insights. Striking the right balance will help make sure you get employee feedback that’s both relevant and actionable.

Communicate the goal of the survey

Before launching a survey, communicate its purpose clearly to your employees. 

Explain why the survey is being conducted, what the company hopes to achieve with the results, and how their feedback will be used. When employees understand the survey’s goal, they are more likely to engage with it thoughtfully and provide useful insights. Being transparent about your employee engagement survey can also help manage expectations and reinforce how important it is for all team members to participate.

Act on the employee feedback you receive

Holding a survey is only the first step; what truly matters is how you eventually utilize the employee feedback you gather. 

After collecting and analyzing the survey results, share the key findings with your employees and outline the steps the company will take to address any concerns or implement improvements. This shows that you value their input and are committed to making positive changes, which can increase future survey participation and overall employee engagement.

Keep it simple and accessible

Make sure your survey is easy to access and complete. The questions should be straightforward, and the survey tool should be user-friendly and allow employees to participate without difficulty. Consider offering the survey in multiple languages if you employ a diverse workforce. Keeping the survey simple and accessible helps to reduce barriers to participation and may increase employee engagement.

Employee survey vendors

Choosing the right employee survey vendor can make or break your ability to gather actionable insights and improve employee engagement. Below are some of the industry’s leading vendors that offer top employee survey tools to consider.

1. Rippling

A unified platform with powerful survey capabilities

Rippling is more than just an employee survey tool—it's a comprehensive HR platform that unifies HR, IT, and finance into one powerful workforce management system.

With Rippling’s Surveys app, you can:

• Set up any employee survey and select the right audience for it in minutes
• Automatically send surveys based on events that happen within your organization
• Automatically trigger notifications and workflows based on survey responses
• Uncover trends easily in survey results with unified analytics (based on any employee data)

All of Rippling’s app—from Surveys to Payroll, Time & Attendance, Recruiting, Benefits Administration, Performance Management, and more—are built on top of a single source of truth for employee data, which allows you to automate the entire employee lifecycle, build any report based on any employee data across your entire organization, and more.

Key features include:

• Employee pulse surveys
• DEI surveys
• Exit surveys
• Compensation surveys
• Employee engagement surveys
• Experience surveys
• Survey automation tools

2. 15Five

Continuous feedback and performance management tool

15Five is designed to help organizations build a culture of continuous feedback and recognition. Its survey tool is part of a broader performance management suite that includes one-on-one meeting tracking, OKR (Objectives and Key Results) alignment, and performance reviews. 15Five’s surveys are specifically tailored to improve employee engagement by fostering open communication and ongoing feedback loops.

3. Lattice

People management platform focused on employee growth

Lattice is a people management platform that combines employee surveys with performance management, goal setting, and career development tools. Lattice’s HR surveys for employees help organizations better understand employee engagement and sentiment while aligning feedback with broader performance and growth initiatives. It’s built for companies focused on creating a growth-oriented culture that supports employee development.

4. BambooHR

User-friendly HR software with simple survey tools

BambooHR is known for its easy-to-use HR software designed for small and medium-sized businesses. The platform includes a straightforward employee survey tool that organizations can use to quickly gather feedback and measure employee engagement and satisfaction.

Enhance your employee surveys with Rippling 

Ready to take your employee surveys—and your employee engagement—to the next level?

With Rippling, you can build any type of survey in minutes using a template—even customizing it with your own survey questions—or building your own survey from scratch. 

You can send your survey to your whole organization or to a carefully curated group of team members based on their role, location, or other attributes. You can also automate surveys, setting them to trigger on a particular cadence, like every 90 days, or based on any event, like when an offer is accepted or on an employee’s last day of work.

Once your survey results are in, uncover trends by blending survey data with employee data to build powerful reports and filtering them by any attribute—from compensation to gender and beyond.That’s the power of using a survey tool that’s built on top of a single source of truth for all your employee data. You can analyze, automate, and orchestrate anything with Rippling.

Disclaimer: Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.