Question sets

Employee survey questions: examples you can use

A good employee survey is short, asks a few clear statements per topic and leaves room for the why. Below you'll find example questions across ten themes, ready to copy, plus the rules that decide whether you get anything useful out of them: how to word statements, which questions to leave out and how to protect anonymity.

Updated 6 min read

How to structure an employee survey

Don't start with the questions; start with the question behind the survey. Do you want to know why people leave? How a restructure has landed? Whether hybrid working is going well? The sharper the purpose, the fewer questions you need.

A structure that works well in practice:

  1. One core question you ask every time, so you have a trend. Often that's the eNPS question: how likely would you recommend us as a place to work?
  2. Two to four themes that matter right now, each with three to five statements. Not all ten themes below: choose.
  3. One or two open questions at the end, where people can say what you didn't ask.

Keep it short. A large Cochrane review of randomised trials on response rates found that a shorter online questionnaire clearly raised the chance of a response: the odds went up by about half (odds ratio 1.51). Every question you add can cost you answers to all the others.

Use statements, and one scale

Most of the questions below are statements employees rate by how far they agree, on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Use that one scale throughout, so you can compare themes and nobody has to work out afresh what the numbers mean.

Example questions by theme

1. The work itself

  1. My work is meaningful to me.
  2. I know what is expected of me in my role.
  3. I have enough freedom to decide how I do my work.
  4. My work makes good use of my skills.
  5. My job inspires me.

The last statement comes from Bain & Company, which uses it alongside the eNPS question because it finds it a good predictor of the energy people bring to their work.

2. Workload and balance

  1. My workload is usually manageable within my working hours.
  2. I can switch off properly after work.
  3. When things get too busy for a while, I feel able to raise it.
  4. I can combine my work and personal life well.
  5. I'm rarely interrupted by things that aren't part of my job.

3. Line manager

  1. My manager gives me useful feedback.
  2. My manager genuinely cares about how I'm doing.
  3. I can go to my manager when something is bothering me.
  4. My manager makes clear decisions.
  5. My manager trusts me to make my own decisions.

4. Team and collaboration

  1. In my team, we help each other when needed.
  2. I can rely on my immediate colleagues.
  3. Working with other departments goes well.
  4. Conflicts in my team are resolved in a good way.
  5. I feel at home in my team.

5. Growth and development

  1. I have enough opportunities to learn and grow here.
  2. I've learned something new in my work over the past year.
  3. I can see a future for myself here.
  4. There's room to take a course or training if I want to.
  5. My manager discusses my development with me.

6. Recognition and reward

  1. I feel valued for the work I do.
  2. Good work gets noticed here.
  3. My pay reflects my work and responsibilities.
  4. The benefits on offer match what I need.

7. Communication and direction

  1. I know where the organisation is heading.
  2. I understand how my work contributes to the organisation's goals.
  3. I'm told in good time about changes that affect me.
  4. I trust the decisions made by senior leadership.
  5. My views are taken into account in decisions about my work.

8. Safety and trust

  1. I can admit a mistake here without it being held against me.
  2. I feel able to challenge people, including those more senior than me.
  3. I'm treated with respect here.
  4. I know where to go if I experience or witness inappropriate behaviour.
  5. Everyone gets a fair chance here, whatever their background.

These are the topics people only answer honestly when they're sure it can't be traced back to them. Only ask them in a survey that is genuinely anonymous.

9. Tools and processes

  1. I have the tools and systems I need to do my job well.
  2. Our ways of working help me more than they hinder me.
  3. I can quickly find the information I need.
  4. My workspace, at home or in the office, is well set up.

10. Commitment and the future

  1. How likely would you recommend [organisation] as a place to work to friends or family? (0 to 10)
  2. I expect to still be working here in two years' time.
  3. I'm proud to work for this organisation.
  4. I'm happy to go the extra mile when it's needed.

Open questions to finish

  1. What is the most important thing we should change?
  2. What should we make sure we keep doing?
  3. If you ran the organisation for a day, what would you tackle first?
  4. Is there anything we didn't ask but should have?

Questions to leave out

Double-barrelled questions. "My manager is engaged and clear" asks two things at once. Anyone who agrees with one half and not the other can't answer honestly. Split them.

Leading questions. "How satisfied are you with our wide range of training opportunities?" The answer is built into the question. Keep the wording neutral.

Demographics that identify people. Department, age, gender and length of service together can quickly turn an anonymous survey into a name. Only ask for characteristics you really need, use broad categories, and never report on groups that are too small. More in our guide to anonymous employee surveys and the GDPR.

Questions you can't or won't act on. Ask how people feel about pay when nothing will change for two years and you raise expectations you won't meet. Only ask questions you're prepared to follow up.

Questions about health. Whether someone is or was ill, and why, is sensitive information that employers are very restricted in collecting. Ask about workload and balance rather than symptoms.

Afterwards: read, share, act

A survey isn't finished until employees hear what was said and what happens next. Share the main findings within a few weeks, choose two or three things to work on, and at the next round report back on how they went. It's also the best preparation for that next round: people are more willing to take part when they can see their answers lead somewhere. More tips in increasing survey response rates.

From questionnaire to conversation

A long questionnaire tells you which themes score low, but rarely why. "Workload: 2.8" is a start, not an explanation. Answers to open questions are often brief, and anyone with hundreds of them never gets round to reading them all.

So there's another way to set it up: one core question, then a conversation. An interviewer, or an AI interviewer, follows up on what each person thinks matters, and the answers are grouped into themes afterwards. How that works, and when it beats a form, is covered in What is a conversational survey?

Sources

  1. Methods to increase response to postal and electronic questionnaires, Edwards et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2023
  2. Employee NPS, Bain & Company

Fewer questions, better answers

With ScoreStory you ask one question, eNPS, and Vox then holds a short, anonymous conversation about what's going on. Your first 10 interviews are free, with no credit card and no end date.

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Metrics explained What is eNPS? How to calculate and use the Employee Net Promoter Score The question, the calculation with a worked example, what counts as a good score, and why the number only becomes useful once you ask why. Research practice Anonymous employee surveys and the GDPR The difference between anonymous, confidential and pseudonymised, what the GDPR asks of you, the role of works councils, and a practical checklist. Research practice How to increase survey response rates: what actually works What dozens of experiments say about length, invitations, reminders and incentives, translated into customer and employee research.

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