While interacting with a friend who happens to be the manager of a reputed firm, I asked him to define employee engagement. He explained it in simple terms as a work environment where employees feel a part of the organization. When I asked the same thing to another friend, she said employee engagement is about employee happiness and making them feel good about their work.
So, what exactly is employee engagement?
Employee engagement refers to the extent of enthusiasm and belongingness that employees feel in their organization. It measures how committed they are to their work and if they are motivated enough to walk the extra mile for their organization. Most importantly, employee engagement depends on the actions of the leadership or the team members to build a connection with the employees.
This article will focus on employee engagement survey questions to measure and understand employee engagement.
Qualities of good engagement survey questions
Designing a good employee engagement survey is not easy. A lot of psychological and managerial research goes into developing survey questions that can significantly affect engagement levels.
Make sure that your questions have the following characteristics:
- Precise and unambiguous
- Ask one thing at a time
- Ask about something which can be changed or improved by the employee
Most employee engagement survey questions are rated on a 5-point Likert scale to gauge to what extent an employee agrees or disagrees with a statement.
Here is how the Likert scale response works.
A consistent Likert scale is simple and encourages survey participation. The people feel comfortable as it is easy to answer the questions. Moreover, the scale has levels of agreement instead of a number-based rating where people can interpret the numbers differently. This reduces ambiguity.
Along with the Likert responses, each question also has a field to express text responses, which provides both quantitative and qualitative feedback, giving credible survey results.
Keep in mind to make the survey easy to complete. It should be a great employee experience so that better and accurate data is obtained. You can check out Mesh’s eNPS surveys to improve your firm’s employee engagement.
Best employee engagement survey questions
Here are some sample questions to gauge employee engagement.
Engagement
1. I am happy to be an employee at my firm.
This question gives an idea about the general feeling of an employee being part of the firm.
2. I would refer my friends to the firm.
If an employee is willing to recommend his friends to the firm, it shows high employee satisfaction.
3. The prospect of going to work exhausts me every morning.
If employees are excited about going to work every morning, it shows a high engagement level in the workspace.
4. I believe that my workload is in accordance with my role.
If an employee is overburdened with extra work, he is not likely to be satisfied. So, asking them about their workload is important.
5. My hard work and achievements are recognized at the workplace.
Engagement levels are high when managers care about their employees. The employees should always be appreciated for their efforts.
Management
1. My manager sets clear and measurable goals for me.
This question assesses how well a manager communicates with their team.
2. My manager is interested in my well-being.
This question will ascertain if a manager supports and cares for the team, leading to highly engaged employees.
3. I feel comfortable giving my honest opinion to my manager.
If an employee can give honest feedback about the manager, it shows the quality of their relationship.
4. My manager possesses the required technical expertise.
This question will assess if the manager is skilled enough to manage and keep his team engaged.
5. I feel comfortable asking for help from my manager.
If the employee answers this question positively, it shows that the manager is receptive and makes efforts for the employee’s development.
Belongingness
1. I am appropriately recognized for my good work.
If the employees are not feeling recognized for their work, it will be hard for them to remain motivated, and gradually, they will lose all interest in work.
2. I know what it means to be successful in my role.
A clear understanding by the employee of what needs to be done to be successful in his role shows an alignment with the company’s definition of growth.
3. I learn a great deal from my colleagues.
If employees are willing to learn from their coworkers, it shows a work environment of mutual respect.
4. We regularly discuss ways to make our team more productive.
When employees are dedicated to achieving their common goal as a team, it is a great sign of belongingness.
5. My team has access to all important information required to reach their goals.
This shows great collaboration and communication among the team members and other departments.
Autonomy
1. I possess all the resources to do my job well.
This question tells if the employees have all the necessary materials to succeed.
2. I look forward to most of my work.
If the employees have the autonomy to perform their tasks, they will get fulfilment and satisfaction from their work.
3. Our company shows full support for our skill development.
If the company helps the employees gain skills they want to learn, they naturally feel happy and engaged.
4. I can see myself grow in this company.
This question will assess if the company culture is such that it gives growth opportunities to its employees.
5. You feel inspired to give your best to your company.
Giving autonomy to your employees pushes them to give their best job performance. This leads to higher job satisfaction.
Development
1. My manager shows interest in my career goals.
This shows that employee development is taken seriously at the firm. When employees are supported in their career path, they feel more engaged in the workplace.
2. There are great learning opportunities for me at the firm.
Having several learning opportunities for the overall development of employees leads to employee satisfaction and engagement.
3. I have a clear understanding of my career goals in the company.
This question tells you whether the employee knows what level he wants to reach within the company.
4. My work excites and challenges me at the same time.
Doing the same repetitive tasks each day reduces employee motivation. Exciting and challenging projects help them grow.
5. I see myself working here for the next two years.
If the employee feels that he can develop in the firm, he will stay with it for long.
Importance of measuring employee engagement
Measuring employee engagement can be taxing, particularly for a large company. So, why bother measuring it at all?
- It enables HR teams to take the required action at work, which can positively affect the employees’ productivity, performance, retention, and motivation.
- Employee engagement surveys are a source of important data that represents your employees’ collective opinion rather than the opinion of a few influential people.
- Without measuring employee engagement, you will not be able to take informed action and improve the employee experience and company culture.
- Measuring employee engagement enables you to identify and address key issues before they become detrimental to the overall workspace.
Employee engagement best practices
- The first thing to ensure when conducting an employee engagement survey is that each question should be simple, precise, and aligned with the organization’s overall objectives.
- Some open-ended questions or the option to give remarks should be given to the respondent so that they can express concerns not considered in the survey.
- Pulse surveys, conducted regularly, are more effective than annual surveys as they keep you updated with the employees’ engagement level.
- It is better to administer surveys anonymously so that employees can express their concerns without any fear.
Following up on employee engagement surveys
The goals and deadline to submit responses should be fixed beforehand. This way, the respondents will feel responsible and accountable to take the survey seriously. Share the survey results with all employees and summarize the key issues and observations that came out of it. Let them know what you now intend to do to address the issues highlighted in the survey.
Make your employees understand that the engagement survey is not just to improve the current conditions but a part of a larger employee development plan.
How often should you ask for feedback?
To maintain high engagement levels, employee engagement surveys should be administered regularly, for example, once every six months. But again, this frequency can vary depending on the size of the organization and the prevailing work environment.
Understand your people’s experiences in real-time
Are you ready to set up your own engagement survey? Book a free demo with us today. The employee engagement questions we’ve mentioned here are just a small example of what’s available in Mesh’s eNPS surveys!
