Employee surveys: Questions, types, and examples

Use our employee survey templates and questions to boost employee motivation and productivity. From employee satisfaction, work-life balance, or company culture surveys, SurveyPlanet has you covered.

Why employee surveys are important

Employee surveys play a pivotal role in understanding and enhancing the employee experience within an organization. With engagement surveys, companies gain valuable insights into how employees feel about their roles, their work environment, and their overall job satisfaction.

Such surveys provide a comprehensive snapshot of employee’s state of mind, allowing companies to identify organizational strong points and areas for improvement. Through pulse surveys and satisfaction surveys, organizations can regularly gauge employee sentiment and make informed decisions in pursuit of fostering a positive work atmosphere.

Survey results act as a compass, guiding companies toward initiatives that boost engagement and create a workplace where employees feel valued and are motivated to contribute their best.

Conducting surveys shows employees that their opinions and well-being are valued. Based on their opinions and answers, areas to improve upon can be ascertained.

Employees are not all the same and are motivated by different things. Find out what drives each of them to work better and what they need to thrive. With these answers, a more positive work environment for every employee can be put in place. Employee surveys will help you to do that.

Employee questionnaire – Types of employee surveys

There are plenty of employee questionnaires that an employer can conduct. Which one to use largely depends on specific needs and goals. Here is an overview of some of the most widely used types of employee surveys:

Employee satisfaction surveys

These offer you valuable feedback and data about the overall level of satisfaction of employees with their jobs and your company. There is always room for improvement, and you’ll know exactly which steps to take to have more satisfied employees.

Learn more about employee satisfaction surveys

Employee engagement surveys

Employee engagement surveys are used to measure the level of engagement and satisfaction among employees. The primary purpose of such surveys is to assess how connected, motivated, and committed employees are to their work and the overall goals of the organization. Employee engagement is a crucial factor in determining organizational success, as engaged employees tend to be more productive, creative, and loyal.

Employee feedback surveys

Not sure what employees think about specific issues facing the company? Find out by using an employee feedback survey and analyzing responses. These are some of the best types of employee surveys to undertake and will help identify problems and boost employee morale—while also learning more about their engagement, needs, and views on certain topics.

Employee retention surveys

Is employee retention a problem at your company? The reasons behind that need to be discovered. Employee retention surveys are a great tool to reduce turnover and help employees be satisfied over the long term. In combination with an employee exit survey, the reasons why people quit—and what to do in order to prevent that—can be better detected.

Employee exit survey

Finding out why an employee quit—by asking about their specific work experiences—is crucial for a company’s performance. As part of an exit interview, make sure to conduct an employee exit survey to get candid answers about what influenced them to leave.

Learn more about employee exit survey

Work-life balance surveys

These types of surveys focus on one of the most important current human resource topics—the work-life balance of employees. Employees increasingly try their best to create a perfect balance between their personal life and their job. Better understand if employees are overworked or feel under pressure with the answers from an employee survey.

Learn more about work-life balance surveys

Example employee survey questions

We’ve singled out these 11 employee survey questions to ask employees and better understand their views on certain topics and overall satisfaction with their jobs:

  • How satisfied are you with your overall job experience thus far?
  • What did you learn from working at our company?
  • Which of the following factors influenced you to decide to leave our company?
  • What did you dislike about your job?
  • Were you trained effectively to perform your job?
  • How often did your supervisors give you recognition for your work?
  • On a scale of 1-10, how important are free office snacks to you?
  • How likely are you to recommend someone to work here?
  • How satisfied are you with your current work hours?
  • Could you benefit from offloading some of your tasks to another employee?
  • How often do you work on the weekend?

Employee questionnaires are a great way to hear from employees. Whether seeking feedback about workplace culture, job satisfaction, or new ways to improve employee retention and engagement, SurveyPlanet’s invaluable tools will work to gain insight into how employees can be better supported. Sign up today and try it out.

General employee survey sample

Here’s a general employee survey sample that covers various aspects of the employee experience:

Employee experience survey questions

We value your feedback and insights and know it will help us create a better workplace for everyone. This anonymous survey will take about 10-15 minutes to complete. Your responses will be kept confidential. Please answer each question honestly and thoughtfully.

1. General information

  • 1. What is your Department: _______________________
  • 2. What is your Position: _______________________

2. How long have you been with the company?

  • Less than 1 year
  • 1-3 years
  • 3-5 years
  • Over 5 years

3. On a scale of 1 to 5, how satisfied are you with your current role?

  • 1 (Very Dissatisfied)
  • 2 (Dissatisfied)
  • 3 (Neutral)
  • 4 (Satisfied)
  • 5 (Very Satisfied)

4. What aspects of your job do you find most satisfying?

(Open-ended)

5. Are the physical work conditions (office/workspace) conducive to your productivity and comfort?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Neutral

6. How well do you feel informed about company goals and updates?

  • Very Well Informed
  • Somewhat Informed
  • Neutral
  • Not Very Informed
  • Not Informed at All

7. How often do you receive constructive feedback on your work performance?

  • Very Often
  • Often
  • Sometimes
  • Rarely
  • Never

8. Are you satisfied with the opportunities for professional growth and advancement within the company?

  • Very Satisfied
  • Satisfied
  • Neutral
  • Dissatisfied
  • Very Dissatisfied

9. Have you received sufficient training to excel in your role?

  • Yes, I’ve received ample training.
  • I’ve received some training, but more could be beneficial.
  • No, I believe more training is needed.

10. How would you rate your relationship with your direct manager?

  • Excellent
  • Good
  • Neutral
  • Poor
  • Very Poor

11. Do you feel your manager provides clear expectations and guidance?

  • Yes, always.
  • Most of the time.
  • Sometimes.
  • Rarely.
  • No, never.

12. How well do you feel the company values diversity and inclusion?

  • Strongly Values
  • Values
  • Neutral
  • Doesn’t Value
  • Strongly Doesn’t Value

13. Do you feel aligned with the company’s mission and values?

  • Completely Aligned
  • Aligned
  • Neutral
  • Not Aligned
  • Completely Not Aligned

14. How well do you feel your work-life balance is being supported by the company?

  • Very Well Supported
  • Well Supported
  • Neutral
  • Poorly Supported
  • Very Poorly Supported

15. Do you believe the company supports your well-being and mental health?

  • Yes, to a great extent.
  • Yes, to some extent.
  • Neutral
  • No, not really.
  • No, not at all.

16. Please provide any additional comments or suggestions for improving the workplace.

(Open-ended)

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your feedback is valuable in helping us enhance the employee experience.

Employee survey best practices

No matter which survey is carried out, the most important employee survey best practice is to start by understanding its goals. What do you want to achieve with an employee survey? Which topic needs to be explored in-depth? Once the answers to those questions have been realized, then make sure to follow these employee survey best practices:

  • Motivate employees to participate in the survey. You can do this with various incentives, such as small prizes for filling out employee surveys.
  • Ensure employees that answers are confidential.
  • Make sure that there are no repercussions for how employees fill out their survey. This will encourage them to be honest and give a clearer picture of how they feel about working at your company.
  • Explain the reasons for conducting the survey. Transparency goes a long way, and this will make them feel heard and appreciated.
  • If possible, always make your employee surveys anonymous.

Remember, well-executed employee surveys can move your business and its employees forward. Follow employee survey best practices—including trying out our employee survey templates—and you’re good to go.

Find more employee survey examples and questions by opening a SurveyPlanet account. Now’s the perfect time to get valuable feedback from employees; SurveyPlanet is here to make this as easy as possible. Sign up and explore our free employee survey questions. Don’t stress about coming up with the right employee survey questions—we’ve created them for you.