50+ Employee Satisfaction Survey Questions

Why should you conduct an employee satisfaction survey?
Have you ever wondered how happy your employees truly are at work? Do they feel heard and appreciated? Employee satisfaction is crucial in an organization and these are vital questions every company should be asking. To find the answers, an employee satisfaction survey is a perfect tool.
An employee satisfaction survey is a set of questions that employers use to gather feedback from their employees regarding various aspects of their job and the workplace environment. This can include questions about pay, workload, management, career growth, and company culture, among others. The surveys are usually anonymous, allowing employees to express their opinions openly without fear of repercussions.
So why are employee satisfaction surveys so important?
Boosting productivity: Studies show that satisfied and engaged employees tend to be more productive. For instance, a study from the University of Warwick found that happy employees are 12% more productive. By finding out what makes your employees content and addressing areas of dissatisfaction, you can help ensure they perform their best.
Identifying issues: Surveys can reveal hidden problems affecting morale or productivity that managers might not notice in day-to-day operations. Whether it’s an issue with management, workload, or even office amenities, identifying these problems helps you take proactive steps to resolve them.
Improving employee retention: High turnover can be costly and disruptive. Employee satisfaction surveys help you understand why employees may leave and provide you with the knowledge to create a better work environment that encourages them to stay and that decreases absenteeism.
Encouraging open communication: By regularly soliciting feedback, you show your employees that their opinions are valued. This can foster an atmosphere of open communication and trust, making employees feel more secure and involved in their workplace.
Tailoring development programs: Employee feedback can guide organizational training and development initiatives. Understanding what your employees need and want allows you to tailor programs that truly benefit them, leading to better outcomes in employee growth and satisfaction.
.survey_questions_number {
font-family: helvetica;
font-size: 30px;
border-radius: 50%;
width: 65px;
height: 65px;
padding: 10px;
background: #6B009E;
color: white;
text-align: center;
align-items: center;
display: flex;
justify-content: center;
float: left;
margin-right: 50px;
margin-left: 20px;
}
.survey_questions {
margin-top: 200px;
font-size: 20px;
}
@media screen and (max-width: 500px) {
.survey_questions_number {
margin: auto;
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.survey_questions {
text-align: center;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
}
50+ employee satisfaction survey questions
Questions about the company culture
1
Are you satisfied our company’s culture?
2
Do you feel connected to your co-workers?
3
Do you enjoy working with your colleagues?
4
Do you feel confident in the work accomplished by your peers?
5
How often do you share work-related advice with your teammates?
6
Do you feel your colleagues work as a team?
7
Do you feel the company is open to change?
8
How well does the company communicate news and important information?
9
How well does the company handle problems and changes?
10
Would you describe all staff meetings as essential?
11
Do you feel that coworkers and leadership embody company values?
12
Do you feel included in team decisions?
13
What one aspect of working here do you like most? What do you like least?
Questions about job satisfaction
1
How happy are you at work?
2
Do you feel your work is meaningful and valued?
3
Do you think you’re given enough freedom to decide how to do your work?
4
Do you know what is needed to meet your goals and objectives?
5
Do you have the materials and equipment you need to do your job well?
6
Does your job cause you stress?
7
Do you think that work is distributed evenly across your team?
8
Would you apply for your job again if you had to do it all over?
9
Do you feel like all of your talents are being used in your position?
10
On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend our company to friends and family? (The eNPS question)
Questions about professional growth and development
1
Do you feel that you are growing professionally in your role?
2
Do you get the learning and development opportunities that you want?
3
Do you see a clear path at the company to advance your career?
4
Do you feel that your job allows you to develop new skills?
5
Do you feel like your job utilizes your skills as much as it could?
6
Do you feel the company offers adequate opportunities for promotions and career development?
7
What specific training or development opportunities would you like us to offer?
8
Do you find the mentorship you’re getting from the manager and other leaders sufficient and useful?
9
What do you think about the training sessions and resources at the company?
10
Can you provide examples of instances where you felt supported and encouraged to learn and grow in your role?
Questions about management
1
Does your manager ask for feedback and value when it’s offered?
2
Does your direct manager value your opinions?
3
Do you feel like your roles and efforts are appreciated by your supervisors?
4
Does management seem invested in the team’s success?
5
Do you feel management is transparent?
6
Do you feel that 1:1s with the manager are useful and productive?
7
Do you feel that the leadership is open to feedback?
8
How clear is the information that gets passed down from your managers about the company’s general vision?
9
Are you often confused by the goals and objectives of a task/project?
10
Do you see a clear line of promotion for yourself through your supervisor’s recommendations?
Questions about compensation, benefits & recognition
1
Do you feel that you are compensated fairly for your professional efforts?
2
Do you feel that your benefits package is competitive?
3
Does the company provide enough benefits when it comes to your well-being and mental health?
4
Is your pay rate enough to keep you from taking a second job?
5
How likely are you to get leave time when you need it?
6
How much would you like to change about your current benefits package?
7
Do you feel valued by the company for your contributions?
8
What other benefits or incentives do you need or feel you’d enjoy?
9
What one aspect of your job makes you feel the most valued? The least valued?
10
What improvements or changes would you make to foster more employee appreciation?
How to conduct an Employee Satisfaction Survey
Properly conducting employee satisfaction surveys can lead to a more engaged and productive team, lower turnover rates, and the enhancement of general workplace conditions. To achieve these benefits, the survey process is generally divided into four phases: Developing the survey, Running the survey, Evaluating the survey results, and finally, Acting on the survey results.
Developing the Employee Satisfaction Survey
Creating an effective employee satisfaction survey starts with clear objective setting. Understand what your organization aims to learn, and tailor your questions to these goals. Common focus areas might include job satisfaction, supervisor relationships, professional development opportunities, benefits, compensation, and company culture.
Start by selecting the key topics you wish to explore. Depending on your organization’s specific needs, these might include direct questions about the day-to-day job roles, the work environment, relationships with supervisors and peers, opportunities for career advancement, salary and benefits adequacy, and overall company leadership and vision.
The next step is crafting your questions. Ensure questions are straightforward, avoiding complex language or professional jargon that might confuse respondents. It’s critical to make your questions as clear and concise as possible. Opt for a mix between scaled responses that can quantify the data (such as Likert scales ranging from ‘strongly agree’ to ‘strongly disagree’) and open-ended questions that allow for detailed feedback. However, remember to keep the survey reasonably short to respect the respondents’ time and prevent survey fatigue. Use our list as inspiration, aim for 20-30 questions for a comprehensive annual survey and around 10 for more frequent pulse checks.
Testing the survey before a full launch can prevent misunderstandings and technical issues. Consider running a pilot survey with a small group from different departments to ensure questions are interpreted as intended and the survey functions smoothly technically.
Running the Survey
The execution of the survey demands careful planning. To achieve a high response rate, communicate the survey’s purpose transparently and assure anonymity to get honest feedback. This involves explaining why the survey is being conducted, how the data will be used, and how confidentiality is preserved. Transparency builds trust and increases participation rates.
Incentives may be used to improve response rates. These can range from small monetary rewards like gift cards to extra vacation hours or public recognition. Whatever the incentive, it should be appropriate and desirable to your workforce.
It’s crucial to make the survey accessible to all employees. By using an online platform like Vocean, the employees can easily access the survey both on their desktop and on their phone. Give employees sufficient time to complete the survey, typically about two weeks, and send reminders via email or company-wide meetings midway through the response period to maximize participation.
Evaluating the Survey Results
Once the survey is closed, the focus shifts to data analysis. Begin by quantifying the responses from scaled questions to identify general trends and areas of concern or strength. For open-ended questions, AI can be used to identify common themes or significant issues that might not be captured in scaled responses.
Break down the data into meaningful groups—such as by department, tenure, or job role—to understand different experiences within your organization. This can help tailor specific interventions to varied group needs, enhancing overall effectiveness.
Statistical significance is critical in interpreting survey results. This involves determining whether the patterns observed in the data are likely to be genuine reflections of the employee population or merely due to chance. Tools like cross-tabulation can help compare different demographic groups and identify outliers or significant differences.
Taking action on the Survey Results
After analyzing the results, it’s essential to communicate the findings back to the employees. This should include not only the data but also what actions the management plans to take in response to the feedback. Detailed action plans should be developed and shared, showing employees that their input leads to real changes.
Lastly, set a timeline for implementing changes and a date for a follow-up survey to assess the impact of those changes. This shows a genuine commitment to continuous improvement and can further boost engagement in future surveys.
Conclusion
Employee satisfaction surveys are more than just a tool for measuring contentment at work—they are a gateway to creating a thriving, engaged, and productive workplace. By regularly checking in with your employees, you not only show that you care about their well-being and growth but also equip your organization with the insights necessary to foster a positive work environment. So, if you haven’t already, start planning your employee satisfaction survey today and unlock the potential of a fully engaged workforce.
Take your employee surveys to the next level
See how Vocean can help transform your employee surveys. Read more about how Vocean can help you:
- Build smart processes where you can handle both scaled responses and open-ended questions with free-text answers
- Increase participation rates through anonymity, easy-access and gamification
- AI that summarizes data and provides valuable insights, minimizing the need for manual work