Employee satisfaction survey: 10 questions you need to ask

Employee satisfaction surveys are a great way to discover whether your company culture is thriving or merely surviving.

Used carefully, your employee satisfaction survey can be an invaluable report of honest, anonymous information to help your company and its culture grow. That’s because of the way they give your staff the chance to say what they really think without fear of being reprimanded or discriminated against.

But of course, you won’t get the answers you need if you don’t ask the right questions. So, to help you on your way, here’s what we ask in our employee satisfaction survey.

10 questions to include in your employee satisfaction survey:

Each question is scored from 0 - 10. The higher the score, the more they agree. Feel free to add space for comments to explain their answer with specific details.

• Do you feel valued within the company?

This survey question focuses on organisational culture. If staff feel valued by their employer, they're more likely to want to prove their value to the company. It's a win-win. The more engaged they are, the more productive they'll aim to be.

• Do you have the tools you need to do your job well?

'A bad workman always blames his tools.' He has a point. Regardless of how many motivational talks you give your staff, they need the right tools to execute their role efficiently.

This employee satisfaction question isn’t just about checking that your staff have the right physical tools, it's about making sure they have the right pastoral support around them too.

• Do you feel as though your manager is invested in you?

Your leadership team can make or break staff productivity, morale and culture. By asking this question and calling for honest feedback, you'll quickly determine how satisfied your employees are with their managers and department heads.

Carefully evaluate the responses and refrain from personalising any negative comments, so you can learn to change.

Numerous studies tell us that people work for more than just a pay-cheque. They want to feel like they are making a positive contribution and are valued by the business.

If someone’s immediate manager isn’t doing that or worse still, is actively berating them or putting them down, they will quickly become disengaged.

• Are you proud to be a member of your team?

This employee satisfaction survey question tells you if your team have a sense of pride in what they do. If so, it can be indicative of a positive company culture.

Human motivation stems from a need for purpose. Check to see if your team take pride in their company roles and responsibilities.

Sometimes, stepping back and allowing more autonomy can really help develop a sense of ownership and pride within your organisation.

Micromanaging has the opposite effect and can make your team feel inadequate for the role as well as underappreciated and untrustworthy.

• How confident is your understanding of your organisation's goals and vision?

If you've already invested in your company culture and successfully communicated your organisation's visions, expect to see cohesive and similar responses from this staff survey question.

Your leadership team is responsible for driving an effective and thorough onboarding process, which ultimately teaches your employees what the company goals and priorities are.

Don't worry if the responses to this satisfaction question are negative or all over the place. At least you now know where you stand. Evaluate, revise and try again.

If you're still stuck, check out our Culture Pledge pack. Whatever stage your company culture is at; it's filled with expert culture tips and processes to help you and your team develop.

• Do you know what you can do to help the company meet its goals and objectives?

This one expands on the previous staff satisfaction question by asking employees if they know where they fit into the company goals. If they have a clear idea of what their role is and how it impacts on the wider business, then culture is good.

Although, if they struggle to articulate what they do or understand why they need to do it, then it may be time to address your onboarding process.

• If something unexpected happens do you know who you can turn to and do you feel supported?

It’s in those moments of crisis that the effectiveness of your organisational culture is tested to the full.

If your staff know who to turn to and can easily access necessary information, give yourself a pat on the back. This is usually a sure sign that you're managing your team well.

• Does your team support you and do you work together towards a common goal?

This staff survey question zones in on your tribe mentality. When individuals feel part of a team, their confidence soars. When contributions are valued and appreciated, you're likely to see an improvement in employee self-worth, and subsequently, their achievements.

Lack of team cohesion - on the other hand - can dampen creativity, reduce morale and make work for your staff more stressful. This will negatively impact business productivity, so it's important you take note and make adjustments.

• Are you proud to work for the company?

Positive answers to this question will indicate that your organisational culture is thriving. It shows that you’re offering the right development, growth and workplace environment.

It can also be an indication that you respect your employees’ views and ideas, promote diversity and offer the right amount of help and support to anyone experiencing difficulties.

If people respond negatively to this part of the questionnaire, it could be time to review your policies for employee wellbeing.

• How would you rate your work-life balance?

Achieving a good work-life balance is a key part of a healthy company culture and should therefore be on any employee satisfaction survey.

Research reveals that employees who achieve a good balance work 21% harder and are 33% more likely to stay at their organisation.

A flexible working schedule is top of 68% of employees’ wish lists, followed by 62% who want an appropriate workload.

We can't stress how important our employee satisfaction surveys are to improving authenticity and honest working relationships at Breathe. They're not a one-time-thing.

Feel free to use these staff satisfaction survey questions in your company - at least twice a year - to record progress, learn from mistakes and pledge to change your culture for the better.