25 Employee Engagement Survey Questions You Need to Ask

The 25 employee engagement survey questions you need to ask cover seven key dimensions: communication, organizational belonging, management, rewards, training, work culture, and open-ended feedback.

Employee engagement surveys are a brilliant way to gain feedback from your people about what it's like to work at your organization. However, it's easy to rush into the planning phase, throw some questions together and start asking for feedback. One study showed that only 22% of organizations gain useful survey results, largely because they cover too many areas and try to address too many issues in one survey.

To help, we've devised 25 engagement and satisfaction survey questions for you to consider using in your next survey.

Why Do You Need an Employee Engagement Survey?

You need to know how your people feel about working at your organization; otherwise, how can you possibly make improvements? By taking a temperature check of different aspects of the workplace, you can drive change in the right areas. You're not speculating what people want; you're asking them directly, which empowers your workforce by showing you care.

Surveys also let you measure motivation, morale, and satisfaction, assess overall engagement levels, and flag future risks. Armed with this knowledge, you can build action plans to improve weak areas and track the main drivers of employee engagement surveys.

Designing the Survey

Designing the right employee satisfaction and engagement questions is a crucial step, since the wrong questions give you irrelevant information. The last thing you want is for employees to see no action after contributing feedback — that won't help engagement levels.

Before choosing specific questions, consider the broader dimensions you want to cover. Unless you're focusing on one area (such as learning and development), think about the full employee lifecycle and ensure essential experience factors are represented, including communication, employee development, and compensation and benefits.

Selecting Engagement and Satisfaction Survey Questions

Once you've established the dimensions, focus on specific questions that provide clear, detailed insight. Language should be unambiguous.

Gallup studied over 100,000 teams (including over 2.7 million employees) and identified key dimensions worth including in engagement surveys. You can adapt the wording to suit your culture and objectives.

Dimensions:

• Communication
• Organizational belonging
• Management and supervision
• Reward and benefits
• Training and development
• Work culture and environment
• Miscellaneous

Communication

Effective communication is essential in most relationships, including the workplace. It's multi-faceted — communication must work between managers and direct reports, peers, leaders and employees, and back again. How well communication flows within the organization also reflects the level of psychological safety in the workplace.

1. I understand what is expected of me at work.

It's a simple question, but an essential one. If someone doesn't understand what's expected of them, how can they meet those expectations?

2. I receive adequate communication from leadership about company change/performance etc.

Communication gaps can often be fixed quickly once you know where they exist. This question helps identify weak spots so you can improve updates on organizational changes.

3. I feel comfortable contributing my ideas and opinions.

Psychological safety is essential. When employees feel safe sharing ideas or admitting mistakes, performance improves — and you avoid missing out on valuable ideas.

4. I feel comfortable asking for help if I don't have the skills or knowledge required to meet my goals.

Research shows the most productive teams aren't those who make fewer mistakes, but those who feel comfortable admitting them. Employees need to feel safe asking for support.

5. I feel that my opinions count at work.

People want to feel heard. When they do, they're more likely to keep voicing opinions that make a real difference to the organization.

Organizational Belonging

Does it matter if your people feel like they belong? Yes. According to research, employees who feel a strong sense of belonging save organizations money and boost the bottom line. High belonging increased job satisfaction by over 50%, reduced sickness absence by 75%, and cut turnover risk in half.

Employees need to see how their job connects to organizational values and objectives, or it can feel meaningless.

6. I feel like I belong in the organization.

Belonging is essential for most employees. If the majority don't feel it, you need to know, as they may look elsewhere — an area worth exploring further with pulse surveys or focus groups.

7. The organization's values and mission inspire me to perform at my best.

If people don't know the values and mission, communicate them clearly — but ensure they're exciting, relevant, and relatable to actually be inspiring.

8. I see a clear link between the company's values and objectives and my individual job.

Everyone needs to understand how their role contributes to the bigger picture. Managers can help by discussing specifically how an employee's work makes a difference.

9. The mission or purpose of the organization makes me feel my job is important.

If people feel they're just filling their day, productivity suffers. Feeling connected to the mission encourages commitment and a sense of purpose.

Management and Supervision

People don't leave bad companies — they leave bad managers. The manager-employee relationship is one of the most important in the workplace, and if managers aren't managing effectively, you need to know sooner rather than later. Poor feedback here may signal a need for management training, mentoring, or coaching.

10. My manager sets clear expectations and goals for my performance.

You don't need weekly goals, but as an organization, you need confirmation that managers are setting clear expectations at every level.

11. My manager gives me regular feedback on my performance.

Individuals can't improve without regular feedback. This question reveals how close you are to building a genuine feedback culture.

12. My manager helps me to advance in my career.

A manager may not control promotions, but employees need to understand how and when they can develop, and how the company will support that growth.

13. My manager motivates me to do the best I can.

Managers need to encourage their teams to reach their potential. Company apps such as Sorwe can support this through fun tasks or announcements that boost motivation.

Reward and Benefits

Pay matters. One survey of almost 3,000 workers found that 44% would leave for a higher salary elsewhere. Compensation and benefits remain important, especially in a competitive job market, so it's worth asking directly.

14. I believe I am paid competitively for the job I do.

Understanding pay perception lets you act on it. If dissatisfaction exists despite competitive pay, you can communicate that clearly to employees.

15. I am satisfied with the current benefits that the organization offers.

If there's significant dissatisfaction with benefits, this is an area worth exploring further through follow-up surveys or discussions.

Training and Development

Not every employee seeks growth and promotion, but training and development matter for two reasons: personal ambition and simply performing the job well.

16. I have the training and skills to do my job.

Without basic training, employees may lack the skills needed for their role, leading to low engagement and productivity.

17. I feel there are good career opportunities for me at the organization.

Visible career progression opportunities can improve engagement even if promotions aren't frequent. This question shows whether existing opportunities need more visibility.

18. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.

Even without frequent promotions, showing interest in an employee's development goes a long way — and reveals how close you are to a genuine feedback culture.

Work Culture and Environment

Culture is hard to change overnight, but understanding how employees feel about it helps you shape it deliberately. The physical environment, by contrast, is often easier to improve once feedback points the way.

19. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.

If employees lack tools or technology, that's often something you can change quickly. This question helps you identify and prioritize gaps.

20. The systems and processes at the organization support me in getting my job done.

Employees don't want to waste hours on inefficient processes. This question highlights where streamlining is needed.

21. The vibe of the workplace is positive and motivating.

Workplace culture heavily impacts engagement and satisfaction. You need to know what people genuinely think about the vibe before trying to change it.

22. I believe my organization is dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusion.

Having D&I policies isn't enough — your culture needs to reflect them. This question reveals whether perception matches intention.

23. I think the company's physical and mental wellness policies and initiatives are adequate.

Wellness is essential to today's workplace. Falling short here affects both current employees and your ability to attract new talent.

Miscellaneous

These open-ended questions can surface valuable feedback you might not otherwise capture.

24. What could we be doing better?

This opens the door to improvements you may never have considered. Not every suggestion will be feasible, but some quick fixes can make a real difference to engagement.

25. Would you recommend working at this organization to others, and why?

The "why" is vital here. If employees aren't recommending your organization, you need to understand why — this question often reveals blind spots you can act on to improve both engagement and reputation.

When creating an employee satisfaction and engagement survey, it's important to assess the right dimensions for your organization and select relevant questions. Since each stage requires expertise and directly affects your results, it's often beneficial to work with a specialist for guidance and support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do organizations need an employee engagement survey?

An engagement survey reveals how employees really feel about work, letting you identify problem areas and take targeted action instead of guessing what people want.

How many dimensions should an engagement survey cover?

Most effective surveys focus on a handful of core dimensions, such as communication, belonging, management, rewards, development, and culture, rather than trying to cover everything at once.

What happens if a survey covers too many issues at once?

Research shows only 22% of organizations get useful results from surveys that try to tackle too many issues simultaneously, so it's better to focus on key dimensions.

Should engagement surveys include open-ended questions?

Yes, open-ended questions like "What could we be doing better?" uncover insights and improvement opportunities that structured questions might miss.

Who should help design an employee engagement survey?

Since question design and dimension selection directly affect results, it's often beneficial to work with an expert to guide the survey's structure and objectives.