50 Compelling Employee Satisfaction Survey Questions to Use Right Away

Are you an SMB owner struggling to conduct effective employee satisfaction surveys? Do you find yourself facing challenges such as limited resources, lack of expertise, or generic questions that fail to yield meaningful results?

Based on my experience as an HR expert, I can stress that investing time in designing and conducting employee satisfaction surveys may seem like a significant commitment. However, the long-term benefits for your company will far outweigh the effort. It is crucial for management to prioritize evaluating employee satisfaction, as it can significantly help to grow employee contentment as well as achieve business success.

In this article, we will provide you with 50 compelling questions for your first employee satisfaction survey, along with actionable tips to successfully conduct your questionnaire. 

How to conduct an employee satisfaction questionnaire successfully

Understand why these surveys are important

Employee satisfaction surveys play a vital role in understanding the needs and concerns of your workforce. They provide insights into how your employees feel about engagement, job satisfaction, and areas for improvement within your organization that may help reduce employee turnover.

From my experience, there generally isn’t much talk about employee expectations, management, feelings, or leadership in daily life of company. This is understandable as there isn’t that much room to get this kind of feedback on a daily basis. 

But even when there is room, only 25% of managers actually tend to address these topics. “This is the reason why an employee survey should be in the company’s calendar.”

Pick the questions 

When creating pool of satisfaction survey questions, you should first consider their long-term relevance. “When creating categories and questions,” as our HR expert advises, “we should ask ourselves if these questions will be useful also in 2 - 3 years.” 

Consider the approach recommended by the prominent HR research agency, AON Hewitt. The agency emphasizes the importance of well-defined categories and carefully crafted questions that cover various aspects of measuring employee satisfaction, engagement, and work experience.

When it comes to the question types, it is recommended to use a combination of closed-ended and open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions, which offer predefined response options, allow for quantifiable data analysis. Open-ended questions provide employees with the opportunity to express their thoughts and provide detailed feedback. 

In terms of quantity, a well-balanced survey typically consists of approximately 40 closed-ended questions and 4-5 open-ended questions. This quantity strikes a balance between gathering sufficient data and not overwhelming participants with an excessively long questionnaire.

To encourage honest and unbiased responses, it is essential to maintain anonymity in the survey. Employees should feel comfortable expressing their opinions without fear of repercussions.

And, to minimize bias, consider the following:

• Avoid leading or suggestive questions
• Randomize question order
• Include reverse-coded questions (questions that are worded in a way that requires respondents to provide the opposite response, helping identify participants who may be responding randomly or not paying attention)

Send the employee satisfaction survey 

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The process of sending employee satisfaction surveys can be made much easier with the use of performance management software. Plai offers the feature of scheduling and updating recurring surveys effortlessly, making it easy to gather feedback at regular intervals. 

The software automatically manages participant roles, adjusts questions over time, and ensures new team members are included in the survey process seamlessly.

Managers play a crucial role in utilizing the results of satisfaction surveys to drive positive change within the organization. Plai also empowers managers by offering tailored reports that can be shared with executives and other stakeholders. 

Set a reasonable timeframe

Setting a reasonable timeframe when conducting employee satisfaction surveys involves defining the duration of the survey, communicating the timeline to employees, allowing sufficient response time, and considering the frequency of surveys. 

Striking a balance between promptness and quality ensures employees have enough time to provide thoughtful responses.

Analyze results 

There are two primary approaches to analyze the survey results: manual analysis or by utilizing analytics tools.

Manual analysis involves reviewing the survey responses individually, categorizing and organizing the data, and identifying patterns. While this method allows for a thorough examination of the data, it can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, especially for larger organizations with a substantial employee base.

Alternatively, using analytics tools like Plai streamlines the analysis process. Plai’s analytics feature offers robust capabilities to automatically process survey data. The software generates comprehensive reports and visualizations, enabling you to quickly identify key insights, trends, and areas for improvement. 

Share results and implement action plans

Sharing the results of employee satisfaction surveys and implementing action plans based on the feedback received ensures that the survey is not just a data-gathering exercise, but a catalyst for positive change.

The company should have a lot of energy for the execution phase. If they just want to gather feedback and data, the participation rate will be lower next time. This emphasizes the importance of actively engaging with the survey results and taking tangible actions to address the concerns raised by employees. Merely collecting feedback without follow-through can lead to decreased participation and skepticism in future surveys.

It is essential to react to the survey findings and not simply view them as a static snapshot of employee sentiment. “React, don’t just ask, that’s not enough.” In another words “no survey plan without  follow up plan (analysis, action plan, execution)”.

To ensure the successful implementation of action plans:

1. Communicate the survey results transparently to all employees
2. Involve employees when formulating action expectations
3. Do action planning and commitment with your whole top-management team
4. Set clear timelines for implementing changes
5. Regularly communicate progress to employees

How to maximize employee satisfaction surveys 

A performance management software can significantly aid SMBs in addressing the problems associated with employee satisfaction surveys in terms of:

• Efficient survey administration
• Data collection and analysis
• Real-time feedback and action planning

With Plai, you have the convenience of effortlessly scheduling and updating recurring surveys. The software automatically handles tasks like adding new participants, making question adjustments over time, and adapting participant roles based on your team’s setup.

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Plai also helps managers and executives by sharing customized reports and exporting data for further analysis and collaborative decision-making, ensuring the right actions are taken based on the insights gained.

You can also leverage Plai’s AI capabilities to quickly analyze reports, gain insights about your organization and team, and enhance your processes with intelligent suggestions, improving efficiency and effectiveness.

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Best practices for employee satisfaction surveys

Here are some key takeaways from our conversation with our HR expert.

• Frequency: Depending on the company’s size, conducting surveys every 2 years (or even sticking to an annual employee survey) is recommended for organizations with 200+ employees. Smaller organizations can adjust the frequency accordingly so as to avoid survey fatigue.
• Key categories: Include categories such as company values, performance management, development opportunities, salaries and rewards, work-life balance, processes and workflows, team and cooperation, superior relationships, and top management questions.
• Execution phase: Ensure the company demonstrates commitment to execution rather than solely gathering data. Share survey results with top management, conduct workshops or focus groups for deeper discussions, and involve employees in the process to show their opinions matter.
• Anonymity: Keep responses anonymous, except for questions related to the employee’s department and gender. This encourages honest feedback and minimizes bias.
• Manager role: The head of the company and the HR manager play crucial roles in managing surveys. HR managers should persuade the company’s leadership about the benefits of conducting a job satisfaction survey and secure their commitment for successful implementation.

Employee satisfaction survey questions

Company culture and values

1. How well do you feel the company’s values align with your personal values?
2. Do you believe the company fosters an inclusive and diverse work environment?
3. How effectively does the company communicate its mission and goals to employees?
4. Do you feel recognized for embodying the company’s values?
5. Are you satisfied with the level of transparency in decision-making processes?

Processes and workflows

1. How efficient are the current processes in enabling you to perform your job effectively?
2. Do you have access to necessary resources to carry out your work efficiently?
3. Are there clear procedures for handling work tasks?
4. How often do you encounter obstacles that hinder your productivity?
5. Do you feel encouraged to suggest improvements to existing processes?

Job satisfaction

1. On a scale of 1 to 5, how satisfied are you with your current role and responsibilities?
2. Do you feel that your skills are utilized to their fullest extent?
3. Are your daily tasks closely related to your long-term career goals?
4. Are you satisfied with the level of recognition you receive for your work?
5. Do you feel that your workload is reasonable given your role and position?

Professional growth

1. Are there sufficient opportunities for professional development within the company?
2. How well does the company support your career goals?
3. Do you feel that you receive constructive feedback to improve your skills?
4. Are you satisfied with the available training programs to support your professional and personal growth?
5. How satisfied are you with the opportunities for skill-building provided by the company?

Manager relationship

1. How effectively does your manager provide guidance for your job responsibilities?
2. Do you feel comfortable discussing work-related concerns with your manager?
3. How well does your manager communicate expectations and provide feedback on your performance?
4. Are you satisfied with the level of recognition you receive from your manager?
5. How well does your manager support your professional development?

Compensation and benefits

1. Are you satisfied with your current benefits package?
2. How well do you feel your compensation aligns with your level of responsibility and performance?
3. Do you believe the company provides competitive benefits?
4. Are you satisfied with the opportunities for compensation increases?
5. How well does the company communicate the value of the compensation and benefits package provided?

Work-life balance

1. Do you feel that you have a healthy work-life balance in your current role?
2. Are you able to effectively manage your workload within regular working hours?
3. How often do you find yourself working outside of regular working hours?
4. Does the company provide adequate support to promote work-life balance?
5. How well does the company promote employee well-being and work-life integration?

Team and cooperation

1. How well do team members collaborate and communicate with each other?
2. Do you feel that team members are supportive in achieving common goals?
3. How effectively does the company foster a culture of teamwork?
4. Are there regular opportunities for team-building activities?
5. How well does the company address conflicts within teams to maintain a positive working environment?

Top management 

1. How well does top management communicate the company’s strategy to employees?
2. Do you feel that top management demonstrates strong leadership and decision-making?
3. How satisfied are you with the level of transparency in top management’s communication and actions?
4. Do you believe top management values employee feedback?
5. How effectively does top management inspire trust in the company?

Superior relationship

1. Do you feel that you have a constructive employer-employee relationship with your immediate supervisor?
2. Does your supervisor provide clear feedback on your performance?
3. Are you comfortable approaching your supervisor with work-related concerns?
4. How well does your supervisor support your professional development?
5. Do you feel that your supervisor recognizes your contributions to the team and organization?

Conclusion

Through the collective efforts of HR professionals, managers, and organizational leaders, employee satisfaction surveys become more than just data collection exercises. They become catalysts for positive change and growth.

If you sign up for Plai, the tool can significantly streamline the survey process, enabling scheduled surveys, automated data analysis, and easy result interpretation. 

By following HR experts’ advice and combining it with a tool like Plai, you will easily gain valuable insights into your workforce.

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