The best (and worst) employee survey questions

With in-person interactions being few and far between for many teams, employee engagement is especially crucial to your business’ success.

It starts with providing an opportunity for people to share their perspectives on the work environment and their roles within your organization. Acting on employee feedback can lead to increases in morale, retention, productivity and customer service. And of course, one of the most functional ways to receive this feedback is through employee surveys.

To receive valuable and effective feedback, you need to know what to ask, what not to ask, and more specifically, how to ask it. Questions in your survey need to be direct, clear, and phrased to allow your employees to share their problems, solutions, and thoughts. Here’s how to go about devising your questions:

Job satisfaction

Ask: Do you feel satisfied with your role and the company? Why or why not?

If an employee survey does nothing else, it should aim to gather insights and information on how satisfied your employees are with your workplace and their role in your organization. By asking this directly, you can see how aligned your employees are with your company’s mission, values, and culture. This can also help you identify areas of improvement.

Don’t ask: Do you enjoy your work?