31 Questions for a Well-Designed Employee Survey

Are you trying to design an employee survey that gives you insight into what your team wants and needs? Great survey questions give you a deeper understanding of how your employees perceive your organization and how you can best support them.

Read on to discover thirty-one great employee survey questions that will help you get to know your talent better, enhance their growth, and make sure they are satisfied with the benefits provided to them. 

Key Takeaways

• Employee survey questions need to be carefully written to help you gather the insights you need.
• There are three standard question formats: rating scales, multiple-choice questions, and open-ended questions.
• Questions can be focused on specific topics such as engagement, training and development, communication, compensation and benefits or workplace culture.
• A dedicated performance management software like Primalogik includes a survey module that makes it easy to gather feedback quickly and easily.

Table of Contents

1. 3 Different Survey Question Formats

2. 7 Survey Questions on Engagement

3. 7 Survey Questions on Training and Development

4. 6 Employee Survey Questions on Communication

5. 5 Compensation and Benefits Questions

6. 6 Questions on Workplace Culture

7. Primalogik’s Performance Management Software Makes Surveys Quick and Easy

3 Different Survey Question Formats

It’s a good idea to use a variety of question formats in your employee surveys. To quickly track trends and average scores, it’s practical to use mostly multiple-choice and rating-scale questions. However, having a few open-ended questions can allow you to gain more detailed input on certain topics. Avoid yes/no questions, as they don’t give you a full picture of employees’ feelings about the issue at hand.

Here are the three main survey question formats you should include, regardless of whether you are building an engagement survey, doing an onboarding survey, or evaluating employee satisfaction:

1. Rating Scales

All rating questions in this article can be asked using a rating scale. Write a statement, then ask the employee to indicate how they feel:

Strongly disagree – Disagree – Neither agree nor disagree – Agree – Strongly agree  – N.A.

2. Multiple-choice questions

Multiple choice questions give employees a few answers to choose from, allowing for some variety but still guiding them to answer in a structured format.

3. Open-ended questions

These questions allow employees free rein to answer as they choose. They can be difficult to analyse for large groups, but answers also have the potential to provide unique insights.

And now, let’s get to the questions themselves.

7 Survey Questions on Engagement

These questions help you learn how employees feel about their job roles and find out how engaged they are in their work. Employee engagement is directly linked to performance, so these are important questions. You can even create an entire employee engagement survey in three steps.

Here are four engagement questions that can be asked using a rating scale:

1. I understand how my work contributes to the organization’s goals
2. My skills are well utilized in my role.
3. I feel motivated to do my best work every day.
4. I would recommend this organization as a great place to work.

Here are engagement questions that can be asked in a multiple-choice survey:

5. What motivates you most to do your best work?
   • Solving interesting challenges
   • Helping customers or colleagues succeed
   • Achieving meaningful results
   • Learning new skills and growing professionally
6. What would most improve your engagement at work?
   • More opportunities for growth
   • Greater recognition for my work
   • More autonomy in my role
   • Better communication from leadership

And this is an example of an open-ended engagement question:

7. What part of your role do you find most rewarding?

7 Survey Questions on Training and Development

These questions help you find out whether your employees feel they have the support needed to continue growing. 

8. Do you have access to training opportunities that can benefit your growth?
9. What role does your boss play in encouraging your growth?
10. Do you have mentors in your workplace who give you support and advice?
11. Are you satisfied with the opportunities available for career growth?
12. Do you believe your organization invests in employee development?
13. Do you have the opportunity to share your own knowledge and skills with others?
14. What additional developmental opportunities would you like to have?

6 Employee Survey Questions on Communication

Ask the following to understand how your employees perceive communication in your workplace. Remember, you can create anonymous surveys for sensitive subjects.

15. Does your organization clearly explain the reasons behind important decisions?
16. Does your team collaborate effectively on projects?
17. Are workplace conflicts handled constructively?
18. How often does your boss provide constructive feedback?
19. How often does your manager share appreciation for your work?
20. If you could improve one thing about communication in your workplace, what would it be?

PRO TIP: Adding a rating scale or multiple-choice answers to these questions will help you to quickly see average scores and trends. Avoid yes/no questions and always include an open-ended question in each category, giving employees the chance to express their feelings about specific topics.

5 Compensation and Benefits Questions

Ask the following to gain insights on your employees’ level of satisfaction with their benefits and pay. 

21. Does your organization encourage you to use your vacation time?
22. How satisfied do you feel with the benefits offered by your organization?
23. Do you feel fairly compensated for your work?
24. Which employee benefit do you value most?
25. If you could have another benefit, what would you choose?

6 Questions on Workplace Culture

These questions about company culture will help you understand whether your organizational environment provides a supportive place to work.

26. Do you have strong relationships with your coworkers?
27. Does your organization’s mission align with your personal values?
28. Do people treat one another with respect in your workplace?
29. Does your organization celebrate achievements and successes?
30. Do you feel a sense of belonging within your team?
31. If you could describe your team in three words, what would they be?

Primalogik’s Performance Management Software Makes Surveys Quick and Easy

There’s no better way to gain real-time feedback than by using professional performance management software. 

Primalogik contains a dedicated employee survey module that you can use to gather valuable insights that will be presented in user-friendly dashboards and reports. You can create custom questionnaires based on templates, and share results with the employee. 

By showing how much you value employees’ feedback, you’ll become a stronger, more effective team, regardless of whether you are a new startup or an established SME. Our award-winning software is easy to set up, affordable and adaptable. Book a free demo today!