Why your company surveys for employees fail (and how to fix them fast)

Employee surveys have become a must-have for every organization. Since the emergence of COVID-19, many employers have started implementing regular employee surveys. But which employee survey questions should you ask to get the best insights into your workforce’s current state of mind and prevent poor employee experience? And more importantly, how can you design company surveys for employees that actually lead to meaningful action rather than just more data?

Let’s dig deeper into all about employee survey questions and how to make them truly effective!

The Importance of Employee Surveys Has Never Been Bigger

Employees’ share of voice is more important than ever. Remote and hybrid work make it harder for managers and organizations to understand the real state of their workforce. Without regular check-ins, small issues can go unnoticed until they become bigger problems. This is one of the key reasons organizations are struggling with retention and have experienced waves of employee turnover in recent years.

Furthermore, the percentage of disengaged employees in the workplace is still high. According to the latest Gallup report, 51% of employees are disengaged in the workplace, while 13% are actively disengaged. This highlights a clear gap between how employees feel and what leaders think they understand—something well-designed company surveys for employees can help close.

Digital-only means of communication make it harder to cut through the noise. They make it harder for organizations to reach the right employees at the right time with relevant messages. Furthermore, asynchronous communication makes it easier for employees to experience information overload and miss important updates, especially when communication is spread across multiple tools and channels.

Hence, getting and analyzing frequent feedback from employees is crucial for their engagement, productivity, and retention. Regular feedback loops help organizations spot issues early, understand employee sentiment, and make better decisions based on real input rather than assumptions. This is where well-designed company surveys for employees become essential.

Employee surveys are the tool to do so. When done right, they give employees a voice and provide leaders with clear, actionable insights they can actually use.

3 Most Common Employee Survey Question Types

Depending on what you are trying to achieve with your surveys questions, you should carefully choose the question type. The format you use directly impacts the quality, clarity, and usefulness of the responses you receive.

When it comes to employee surveys, these are the 3 most common employee survey examples companies use in company surveys for employees.

Likert scale

Because of their simplicity, Likert scale questions are the most commonly used type of question in employee surveys. Most of the time, they ask an employee to express to what extent they agree or disagree with a certain statement, typically on a scale (for example, from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”).

These questions are easy to answer and simple to analyze, which makes them ideal for tracking trends over time in company surveys for employees. They also help quantify employee sentiment in a consistent way.

Here is an example of a Likert scale survey question:

My manager clearly communicates the company’s mission and vision

Rating scale

Rating scale questions are very similar to Likert scale questions and are often used in a similar way. The key difference is that rating scale questions typically use a broader numerical range (for example, 0 to 10), giving employees more flexibility to express how they feel. The employee selects the number that best represents their opinion or experience.

These questions are especially useful when you want more precise, measurable data in company surveys for employees. They make it easier to benchmark results, track changes over time, and compare responses across teams or departments.

NPS is the most widely used example of a rating scale question. In employee surveys, the question would be:

How likely are you to recommend your organization to friends and family?

Open-ended

Open-ended questions are used when you are trying to get detailed, qualitative insights. They allow employees to share thoughts in their own words, giving you context that numbers alone can’t provide. These question types are especially valuable when you already have some baseline data and want to understand the “why” behind it.

They are typically used as a follow-up question after a rating or Likert scale question. This combination helps you capture both measurable data and deeper explanations, making your company surveys for employees far more actionable.

For example, if an employee answers that they are unhappy with the way they receive recognition, you may ask them how you could improve this experience or what kind of recognition they value most.

Let’s now take a look at some employee survey examples. Because Likert and scale questions have better response rates due to their simplicity, we will focus on those question types and how they are used in company surveys for employees.

1. Employee Engagement Survey Question Examples

Employee engagement remains one of the strongest drivers of business performance. Organizations that regularly measure and act on engagement data tend to see higher retention, better productivity, and stronger overall culture.

Today, almost every organization performs engagement surveys—some on a monthly basis, others quarterly or annually. The key is not just frequency, but consistency and follow-through on results gathered through company surveys for employees.

These survey questions measure employees’ commitment, motivation, sense of purpose, and emotional connection to their work and organization.

Let’s take a look at some employee engagement survey question examples.

1. I would recommend my company as a great place to work
2. I rarely think about leaving my current job
3. I am proud to work for my company
4. My company motivates me to do my best
5. I look forward to coming to work
6. I feel motivated to achieve great results
7. I feel empowered at work
8. I feel like my work contributes to company success
9. I feel like my work is appreciated and recognized
10. I am satisfied with my compensation and benefits

2. Employee Experience Survey Question Examples

Employee experience directly impacts employee engagement and productivity at work. Consequently, it also influences retention, performance, and overall business outcomes.

Employees with a positive experience are more likely to stay, perform better, and advocate for their organization. On the other hand, poor experiences often lead to disengagement, absenteeism, and higher turnover. This is why measuring experience through company surveys for employees is critical.

Let’s take a look at some examples of employee experience survey questions.

1. I feel inspired to work for my organization
2. I have opportunities for growth and career development
3. I have a good relationship with my manager
4. I am happy with the frequency and quality of feedback I get from my manager
5. I have all the technology needed to do my job successfully
6. Our organizational culture motivates people to be successful
7. I understand how my work contributes to company success
8. I have a good work-life balance
9. I am happy with my compensation and benefits
10. My organization cares about my wellbeing

3. Company Culture and Wellbeing Survey Question Examples

Company culture plays a major role in how employees feel, perform, and stay with an organization. When culture is weak or misaligned, it often leads to disengagement and increased turnover. Assessing company culture is, therefore, crucial for long-term success.

Company culture surveys measure how employees truly experience the workplace day to day. They help organizations understand whether stated values match reality and how culture is perceived across teams. These surveys are designed to assess company core values and whether they align with employees’ own beliefs and expectations. When used effectively in company surveys for employees, they can highlight gaps between intention and experience and guide meaningful improvements. Let’s take a look at a few example questions.

1. Executives at my organization contribute to a positive work culture
2. I feel respected by my team
3. My company invests in building a positive workplace culture
4. My company cares about diversity and inclusion
5. I rarely feel stressed at work
6. My company cares about my wellbeing
7. I feel like my share of voice matters in my organization
8. I feel like I have a good work-life balance
9. I look forward to coming to work every day
10. I feel like my accomplishments are recognized

4. Employee Survey Questions for Managers

Managers play a critical role in shaping the employee experience. Research consistently shows that managers have a major influence on engagement, performance, and retention. The relationship between employees and managers is one of the most important drivers of organizational success.

That’s why company surveys for employees should include questions that evaluate management effectiveness, communication, leadership style, and trust. These insights help organizations identify strong managers and areas where support or training is needed.

1. I believe in the approach taken by leaders to reach company objectives
2. My manager gives me clear goals and objectives
3. I feel recognized by my manager
4. I have a strong relationship with my superior
5. People at the executive level contribute to a positive work culture
6. My manager cares about me as a person
7. My manager shows a genuine interest in my career goals
8. When I approach my manager with a problem, I trust that they will listen
9. I feel comfortable giving feedback to my manager
10. I understand how my performance contributes to the organizational success

5. Survey Questions About Growth and Development

Growth and development are key drivers of employee engagement and long-term retention. When employees can see a clear path forward, they are more motivated, more committed, and more likely to stay with the organization.

Company surveys for employees should regularly assess whether people feel supported in their development, have access to learning opportunities, and understand how to progress in their careers. This helps organizations identify gaps and invest in the right initiatives.

Therefore, these career development survey questions can be added to almost every employee survey. They help you understand whether employees feel supported, challenged, and able to grow within your organization. Including them regularly in company surveys for employees ensures you can spot gaps early and improve retention.

1. There is adequate company support for my skill development
2. My job is aligned with my career goals
3. I see myself working here in 3 years
4. I feel like I have opportunities for growth and development in my organization
5. My manager cares about my growth and development
6. I can list concrete steps I need to take in order to move up in my organization within the next year
7. I can see myself growing and developing my career in this company
8. I find my job role exciting and challenging
9. I feel like this is a good place to develop my career
10. I have everything I need to advance in my role

6. Employee Survey About Organizational Alignment

Achieving organizational alignment is critical for every organization. When employees are aligned with their company’s mission, vision, and core values, they are more likely to understand priorities and make a bigger impact. Without alignment, teams can easily move in different directions, leading to confusion, inefficiency, and missed goals.

The very first step toward achieving better organizational alignment is testing its current state. Company surveys for employees are one of the most effective ways to do this, as they reveal whether communication is clear and expectations are understood. So let’s take a look at some employee survey examples to measure the level of organizational alignment in your company.

1. In my company, communication is open, honest, and transparent
2. My organization clearly communicates its company’s mission and vision
3. I understand what it takes to achieve my company’s OKRs
4. I understand what it takes to achieve my individual KPIs
5. I get frequent feedback from my manager about what I can do to improve my performance
6. I have everything I need to achieve my KPIs
7. Me and my team members work collaboratively toward achieving company’s goals
8. It’s easy to work on cross-functional projects in my organization
9. I have a clear understanding about how my work contributes to the company’s overall success
10. I have a good visibility of my and my team’s work performance and achievements

Data-driven HR Is the New Must!

Employees increasingly expect personalized experiences at work, similar to what they receive as customers. Many organizations, however, still struggle to fully understand their workforce’s needs and expectations. This gap highlights the importance of using data to guide HR decisions.

Company surveys for employees play a key role in building a more data-driven HR approach. They provide real insights into employee sentiment, helping leaders make informed decisions, prioritize initiatives, and continuously improve the employee experience.

To better understand your employees and encourage their share of voice, companies need to implement regular pulse surveys. But simply asking questions isn’t enough. Without a clear process for acting on feedback, surveys can quickly lose credibility and participation rates can drop.

Analyzing surveys can be very time-consuming if you don’t have access to the right technology. As a consequence, many employers fail to turn insights into action, which can frustrate employees and reduce trust in future company surveys for employees.

Since the pandemic, organizations have increased their focus on employee experience, but many still lack the tools to consistently track and respond to feedback at scale. This makes it harder to monitor engagement, productivity, and wellbeing in a meaningful way.

For organizations with a large number of frontline workers who don’t have access to company computers, collecting feedback can feel even more challenging. However, excluding these employees creates blind spots and limits the effectiveness of your surveys.

Every company should make sure to provide a way for every employee to complete electronic surveys. Offering mobile-friendly options, such as access via phones or tablets, makes it easier for employees to participate and improves response rates across the entire workforce.

Today, employers are increasingly using more advanced tools to analyze the data generated from their employee surveys. The most sophisticated solutions, such as employee engagement apps, go beyond reporting and provide actionable recommendations, helping organizations close the loop and continuously improve the employee experience.