10 Employee Engagement Survey Questions Science Says You Can’t Live Without

4 min read
Jun 5, 2017

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If you want to continue growing your company and expanding your footprint, you need to have employees that are thoroughly engaged. Otherwise, they won't be able to reach their full potential — meaning your organization will have a much harder time achieving its goals.

Despite this reality, companies around the world have a serious problem with employee engagement.

According to a recent report by Gallup, only 33% of workers are engaged. This is a serious problem. When workers aren't engaged, they aren't productive. And in many cases, their lack of engagement can rub off on their peers, taking the entire team's output down a few notches.

How does your organization's engagement level stack up against the average one? Do you even know?

If you're not sure whether your employees are engaged or how to measure it, don't sweat it. Many companies are in that exact same position — which is probably why collective global engagement statistics are in the gutter.

PS: Check out the Definitive Guide to Employee Engagement

 

The good news is that it's relatively simple to figure out how engaged your team is. The easiest way to do that is by asking them directly.

Since not every employee is willing to voice their concerns to you vocally, you are probably better off gauging your team's engagement levels through anonymous pulse surveys.

But how exactly do you do that?

 

twin-peaksSOURCE: GIPHY

 

The Questions Great Engagement Surveys Ask

It's no secret that creating the perfect employee engagement survey is hard work. But the good news is that it's not impossible.

And the better news? We've conducted a ton of research on the topic to make it easier for you to figure out the right questions to ask your team that are pyschologically and scientifically proven to deliver results.

No, you don't have to ask your team hundreds of questions to find out how they're feeling.

In fact, we’d say you really only need 10. If you really want to probe on the factors that drive engagement — satisfaction with peers and supervisors, opportunities for career growth, pride in the company and its products, feeling valued and appreciated — there are some very simple and straightforward questions you can use.

 

Overall satisfaction

So many things go into general workplace satisfaction. While there are recommended questions to probe on those details (which we've listed out below), it’s helpful to get an overall perspective first.

The questions that follow will give you a general sense for how satisfied, or dissatisfied, employees really are.

  • 01. On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you at work?
  • 02. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your organization's culture?
  • 03. On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely would you leave for a 10% raise from another company?

 

Feeling valued and appreciated

We were surprised to find in our 2017 Employee Engagement Report that only 25% of employees feel strongly valued in their workplace — a 16-percentage point drop from the previous year.

Considering that appreciation and recognition drive us to work hard and meet expectations, this was alarming news. That’s why you should consider questions that probe on this very topic.

  • 04. Has a supervisor given you any recognition in the past two weeks?
  • 05. On a scale of 1 to 10, how valued do you feel at work?

 

Satisfaction with peers

Did you know that work colleagues are the top driver for employees going the extra mile? Yeah, it shocked us too!

That’s why satisfaction with peers is so important, and why you should definitely measure this variable.

  • 06. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your colleagues and team members? 

man-at-the-oscarsSOURCE: GIPHY

If you find that your employees aren't too satisfied with your colleagues, use a peer-to-peer recognition tool to fix it.

 

Satisfaction with supervisors

Have you ever heard the saying, “You don’t quit your job, you quit your boss?”

Well, it’s often true. Regular dissatisfaction with direct supervisors is a major driver of disengagement. Don’t forget to probe on this dynamic.

  • 07. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the performance of your direct supervisor?

 

Opportunities for growth

Our research has shown that one of the top reasons employees consider leaving their workplace is due to lack of professional growth opportunities.

Do your employees feel stymied? Ask.

  • 08. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much opportunity do you have for professional growth in this organization?

 

Pride in your company

Your customers are your best (and worst) advocates. You need to know if they believe in your product and mission and the way you run your business — or if they’re just in it for the paycheck. 

  • 09. On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely is it that you would recommend our organization's products or services to a friend or colleague?
  • 10. On a scale of 1-10, how well do you think we service our customers?

 

While all of these questions are important, there is one that should never be left behind. Don’t forget to ask, “Why?” Understanding how many “yes” vs. “no” answers you get or how many 9s on a 10-point scale you’re awarded is a great start.

But it doesn’t give you true insight into an employee’s mindset. Ask your employees why they gave the response they gave. It’ll give you a far more robust understanding of exactly what is going on. 

Armed with that knowledge, you're well-positioned to make positive changes to improve engagement. And, with a more engaged workforce in tow, the sky's the limit.

 

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