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Employee Engagement Survey Examples to Inspire Your Survey Strategy

Global HR

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Author

Lorelei Trisca

Published

September 06, 2024

Last Update

September 13, 2024

Table of Contents

Example 1: Cisco’s “Engagement Pulse”

Example 2: GitLab Team Member Engagement Survey (November 2020)

Example 3: Employee engagement survey from the Office of Financial Management, State of Washington

Example 4: Engagement Survey from Joyous' The Employee Experience Genome Project

Example 5: The Utrecht Work & Well-being Survey (UWES)

Automate engagement surveys and boost motivation with Deel Engage

Employee engagement surveys are a vital tool for understanding how connected, motivated, and satisfied your workforce is.

We gathered a set of employee engagement surveys from multiple organizations (think Cisco, Gitlab) to inspire you. You will learn how they approach:

  • Asking open-ended or rating questions
  • The different categories of questions (targeting various drivers of employee engagement) that you should include in your surveys
  • The length of the survey and frequency of sending them out to employees

Example 1: Cisco’s “Engagement Pulse”

After years of research, Cisco identified the eight critical questions corresponding to four areas of engagement:

  • Purpose
  • Excellence
  • Support
  • The future

Plus, the 1-5 Likert scale questions can be further bundled in “We” and “Me”-focused categories:

  • The “We” items measure communal aspects of the workplace, so they ask about the team and Cisco
  • The “Me” items measure aspects of the workplace that are individual. They ask about an individual’s relationship with the work they do and the relationship with their leader

“We”

1. I am really enthusiastic about the mission of the company.

3. In my team, I am surrounded by people who share my values.

5. My teammates have my back.

7. I have great confidence in my company’s future.

“Me”

2. At work, I clearly understand what is expected of me.

4. I have the chance to use my strengths every day at work.

6. I know I will be recognized for excellent work.

8. In my work, I am always challenged to grow.

There is a comments field for team members to share additional feedback with the team leader.

“If we can move the needle in these eight key areas of engagement, then we can boost individual and team performance.”—Cisco, Engagement Pulse: Discussion Guide.

It is also interesting to note that for Cisco, measuring engagement is strategic for their approach to performance management:

“The items address dimensions that predict team excellence and lead to high performance. [...] In a 2018 survey of over 11,000 individuals at Cisco, we learned that engagement is strongly linked to career satisfaction. Fully engaged team members are 20% more likely to be satisfied with their careers compared to less engaged team members.”—Cisco, Engagement Pulse: Quick Reference Guide.

Managers send the pulse survey quarterly. Once the results come in, teams discuss them together. The goal is to celebrate current engagement and discuss continued engagement. Managers are also encouraged to continue the engagement conversation during 1-on-1s, primarily to accommodate team members who may be more candid in a more private setting.

“The value of the Engagement Pulse is not the quantitative results but the rich discussion that ensues from the results. If an org leader administers the survey only to see the quantitative results –and has no plan to debrief the results with the team for the purpose of having a rich discussion, they will have no true understanding of the meaning behind the numbers.”—Cisco, Using Engagement Pulse to understand Engagement at the Organization level.

Example 2: GitLab Team Member Engagement Survey (November 2020)

GitLab’s Team Member Engagement Survey contained 46 multiple-choice questions, including three free text questions.

The multiple-choice choice questions use the following scale:

  1. Strongly disagree
  2. Disagree
  3. Neither agree nor disagree
  4. Agree
  5. Strongly agree

Questions are grouped by sections, which correspond to factors of engagement.

What other comments do you have?

Section 1: Overall

  1. I would recommend GitLab as a great place to work.
  2. GitLab motivates me to go beyond what I would in a similar role elsewhere.
  3. I am proud to work for GitLab.
  4. I rarely think about looking for a job at another company.
  5. I see myself still working at GitLab in two years’ time.

Section 2: Company confidence

  1. GitLab is in a position to really succeed over the next three years.
  2. GitLab’s products and services are as good as, or better than, our main competitors.
  3. GitLab effectively directs resources (funding, people, and effort) towards company goals.
  4. GitLab is aligned and focused on delivering positive business outcomes for our customers.
  5. GitLab has high standards for business ethics.

Section 3: Our leaders

  1. I have confidence in the leaders (Senior Leaders and Executives) at GitLab.
  2. The leaders at GitLab keep team members informed about what is happening.
  3. The leaders at GitLab demonstrate that people are important to the company’s success.
  4. The leaders at GitLab have communicated a vision that motivates me.
  5. The leaders at GitLab role model our company values.

Section 4: Your manager

  1. My manager genuinely cares about me.
  2. My manager communicates important things with me in a timely manner.
  3. My manager is doing a good job as a people manager.
  4. My manager role models our company values.
  5. I receive useful feedback on how well I am performing.

Section 5: Teamwork

  1. Most people at GitLab make a good effort to collaborate with each other.
  2. At GitLab, there is open and honest two-way communication.
  3. Workloads are divided fairly among people where I work.
  4. We hold ourselves and our team members accountable for results.
  5. I feel I am part of a team.

Section 6: Your role

  1. I know what is expected of me to be successful in my role.
  2. I have access to the things I need to do my work effectively.
  3. I have enough autonomy to perform my work effectively.
  4. I know how my work contributes to the goals of GitLab.
  5. I believe my total compensation (salary, benefits, equity, perks, etc.) is fair relative to similar roles in my location.

Section 7: The culture

  1. GitLab has an inclusive environment that encourages everyone to contribute.
  2. People of different cultures and backgrounds are respected and valued at GitLab.
  3. I feel my opinion counts at GitLab.
  4. I feel supported when I need to take time off or make use of flexible working arrangements.
  5. I feel safe to speak my mind without fear of negative consequences GitLab’s commitment to social responsibility (e.g., community support, sustainability, etc.) is genuine.

Section 8: Growth and development

  1. I believe there are good career opportunities for me at GitLab.
  2. My manager (or someone in management) has encouraged me with my own development.
  3. I am given opportunities to develop skills relevant to my interests.
  4. GitLab is a great company for me to make a contribution to my development.
  5. I receive appropriate recognition for good work at GitLab.
  6. I have access to the Learning and Development I need to do my job well.
  7. The Learning and Development programs provided by GitLab help grow my career.
  8. If there is an area I want to improve upon, I know GitLab will provide resources or help me find them.

Section 9: Well-being Covid 19

  1. How would you rate the Internal Communications at GitLab overall during the COVID-19 pandemic?
  2. The E-Group at GitLab has remained transparent and is providing a sense of stability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  3. I feel I am able to take care of family and friends first.
  4. I feel connected to my team during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Section 10: Action

  1. I believe action will take place as a result of this survey.
  2. I have been provided an opportunity to see and discuss prior engagement survey results.
  3. I have seen positive changes since the previous engagement survey.

Section 11: Comments (free text questions)

  1. What are some of the things we are doing great here?
  2. What are some things we are not doing so great here?
  3. What other comments do you have?

The survey is thorough, touching on various topics influencing employee engagement–from perceptions of leadership and team dynamics to personal development and company culture.

The comments section allows employees to provide qualitative insights, giving a voice to potential concerns or praises that may not be captured in the fixed-response items.

We particularly like the ‘Action’ section. It helps understand the credibility and trust employees place in the feedback process, indicating if they believe their feedback will lead to tangible change.

This engagement survey example is the longest included in our review. The survey might be too extensive, with many sections and questions to potential survey fatigue. This can affect the quality of responses as employees may rush through questions.

Example 3: Employee engagement survey from the Office of Financial Management, State of Washington

The Employee Engagement Survey from the Office of Financial Management, State of Washington, measures employee satisfaction with several components of the work environment, or “conditions of engagement”:

  • My work questions
  • My team questions
  • My customers questions
  • My supervisor questions
  • My agency questions
  • My work environment questions

The survey contains three main types of questions:

  • 22 standard questions
  • 2 modern work environment supplemental questions
  • 5 demographic questions

For the standard questions, employees have to answer how often the given statement is true. They use a 1-5 Likert scale:

  1. Never or almost never
  2. Seldom
  3. Occasionally
  4. Usually
  5. Almost always or always
  • I have the opportunity to give input on decisions affecting my work.
  • I receive the information I need to do my job effectively.
  • I know how my work contributes to the goals of my agency.
  • I know what is expected of me at work.
  • I have opportunities at work to learn and grow.
  • I have the tools and resources I need to do my job effectively.
  • My supervisor treats me with dignity and respect.
  • My supervisor gives me ongoing feedback that helps me improve my performance.
  • I receive recognition for a job well done.
  • We are making improvements to make things better for our customers.
  • A spirit of cooperation and teamwork exists in my work group.
  • I know how my agency measures its success.
  • My agency consistently demonstrates support for a diverse workforce.
  • I receive clear information about changes being made within the agency.
  • I am encouraged to come up with better ways of doing things.
  • We use customer feedback to improve our work processes.
  • People are treated fairly in my work group.
  • At my job, I have the opportunity to make good use of my skills.
  • At my workplace, I feel valued for who I am as a person.
  • My supervisor trusts me to make decisions or recommendations that affect my work.
  • In general, I’m satisfied with my job.
  • I would recommend my agency as a great place to work.

For the modern work environment supplemental questions, the following scale applies:

  1. Very dissatisfied
  2. Dissatisfied
  3. Neutral
  4. Satisfied
  5. Very satisfied
  6. N/A – Doesn’t apply to my position
  • How satisfied are you with your flexibility?(the ability to adjust your scheduled hours as needed).
  • How satisfied are you with your mobility?(the ability to work remotely from a variety of locations,such as your home or alternate work sites).

At the end of the survey, they include the following open-ended demographic questions:

  • In which area of the state do you work the majority of the time?
  • Are you a supervisor?
  • How long have you worked for the state?
  • How long have you worked for your current agency?
  • Which agency do you work for?

We can distill the conditions of engagement from their engagement survey into four overarching themes:

  1. Clarity and alignment: This theme highlights the importance of understanding one’s role, how individual efforts contribute to organizational goals, and what’s expected at work
  2. Support and resources: This theme highlights the importance of having the necessary tools, information, and training to do one’s job effectively, as well as a supportive and respectful relationship with supervisors
  3. Recognition and growth: This relates to employees feeling valued, recognized for their contributions, and having opportunities for personal and professional development
  4. Collaboration and culture: This theme underscores the significance of a positive work environment characterized by teamwork, cooperation, continuous improvement, inclusivity, and fairness

Like Cisco, OMF highlights the link between engagement and performance, stressing that “Engaged employees find their work meaningful and are more likely to deliver results for their agency, coworkers, and other stakeholders.”

Example 4: Engagement Survey from Joyous' The Employee Experience Genome Project

The Engagement Survey from The Employee Experience Genome Project contains 25 questions: one for eNPS and 24 questions, six for each of the following realms:

  • Culture and environment
  • Fairness and inclusion
  • Well-being
  • Engagement

The Employee Experience Genome project breaks employee experience into three realms that group the experiences that most impact an employee’s engagement:

  • Culture and environment questions focus on the resources people need to do their jobs well—sub-realms: clarity, responsibility, physical environment

“If you get culture and environment right, you will empower your teams. Get it wrong, and you will limit them.”

  • Fairness and inclusion questions focus on the extent to which people think procedures, rewards, and interactions at work are unbiased and how valued people feel based on how others treat them—sub-realms: belonging, opportunity, fairness

“People who are included in decisions and given opportunities to develop will put in greater effort. And people who are respected and have their work fairly recognized are more likely to be highly motivated. The flip side is grim. If employees think they are treated unfairly and frequently excluded, it is very hard to motivate them in other ways.”

  • Well-being questions focus on the psychological functioning of people in the workplace—sub-realms: support, security, workload

“The core of work-related well-being is helping employees balance work demands with work resources. A good balance between resources and demands promotes flourishing, while not having enough resources to cope with demands can cause people anxiety, burnout, or stress.”

Label Item Realm Sub-realm
Q1 I am proud of the work that I do. Engagement Dedication
Q2 I understand how my work contributes to the success of our organization. Culture and environment Clarity
Q3 I feel like I am part of the team. Fairness and inclusion Belonging
Q4 Someone at work cares about my well-being. Well-being Support
Q5 I feel happy when I am working hard. Engagement Immersion
Q6 I have the freedom to do my job the way I think is best. Culture and environment Responsibility
Q7 I have opportunities to help make decisions. Fairness and inclusion Opportunity
Q8 I feel confident about my future here. Well-being Security
Q9 I feel full of energy at work. Engagement Energy
Q10 The physical workspace allows me to perform my job well. Culture and environment Physical environment
Q11 Compared with my coworkers, I get fair recognition for my work. Fairness and inclusion Fairness
Q12 I am satisfied with the balance between work and other aspects of my life. Well-being Workload
Q13 My job inspires me. Engagement Dedication
Q14 I know what is expected of me and what I need to do to succeed. Culture and environment Clarity
Q15 I feel comfortable sharing my ideas and opinions. Fairness and inclusion Belonging
Q16 I know where to get support when I need it. Well-being Support
Q17 Time passes quickly when I am working. Engagement Immersion
Q18 I feel responsible for my own performance. Culture and environment Responsibility
Q19 I have opportunities to learn and develop. Fairness and inclusion Opportunity
Q20 I feel safe at work. Well-being Security
Q21 I stay energetic even when things are difficult at work. Engagement Energy
Q22 I have the tools, technology, and equipment to perform my job well. Culture and environment Physical environment
Q23 I am treated with respect at work. Fairness and inclusion Fairness
Q24 My workload is fair and manageable. Well-being Workload
eNPS How likely would you be to recommend working here? eNPS Organization

Joyous shares the following recommendations for running the survey:

  • You can send the complete 25 questions twice per year for baseline surveys.
  • To collect continuous employee feedback, they recommend sending one question per week (one question from each realm per month). The goal is to get a general sense of how employees feel about the realms. Since every realm has three sub-realms, each with two questions, ask them 12 weeks apart so that you can track changes over time.

Example 5: The Utrecht Work & Well-being Survey (UWES)

The Utrecht Work & Well-being Survey (UWES) is a self-report questionnaire that measures work engagement.

The survey covers multiple facets of work engagement, providing a holistic view of an employee’s connection to their job.

“Engagement is a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption. Rather than a momentary and specific state, engagement refers to a more persistent and pervasive affective-cognitive state that is not focused on any particular object, event, individual, or behavior.”—Schaufeli, W., & Bakker, A. (2003). UWES Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Preliminary Manual.

The UWES contains questions grouped into three main categories:

  1. Vigor: This dimension pertains to high energy and mental resilience while working, the willingness to invest effort in one’s work, and persistence even in the face of difficulties.
  2. Dedication: This refers to being intensely involved in one’s work and experiencing a sense of significance, enthusiasm, pride, inspiration, and challenge.
  3. Absorption: This is characterized by being fully concentrated and engrossed in one’s work, such that time passes quickly and one has difficulty detaching from work tasks.

Each category provides insights into different facets of work engagement, and together, they give a comprehensive picture of an employee’s level of engagement with their job.

There are 17 statements to be rated on a 1-6 scale with the following labels:

  • 0 - Never
  • 1 - Almost never / A few times a year or less
  • 2 - Rarely / Once a month or less
  • 3 - Sometimes / A few times a month
  • 4 - Often / Once a week
  • 5 - Very often / A few times a week
  • 6 - Always - Every day
  1. At my work, I feel bursting with energy. (VI1)
  2. I find the work that I do full of meaning and purpose. (DE1)
  3. Time flies when I’m working. (AB1)
  4. At my job, I feel strong and vigorous. (VI2)
  5. I am enthusiastic about my job. (DE2)
  6. When I am working, I forget everything else around me. (AB2)
  7. My job inspires me. (DE3)
  8. When I get up in the morning, I feel like going to work. (VI3)
  9. I feel happy when I am working intensely. (AB3)
  10. I am proud of the work that I do. (DE4)
  11. I am immersed in my work. (AB4)
  12. I can continue working for very long periods at a time. (VI4)
  13. To me, my job is challenging. (DE5)
  14. I get carried away when I’m working. (AB5)
  15. At my job, I am very resilient mentally. (VI5)
  16. It is difficult to detach myself from my job. (AB6)
  17. At my work, I always persevere, even when things do not go well. (VI6)

VI= vigor; DE = dedication; AB = absorption

UWES is grounded in academic research, making its findings credible and reliable for organizational use.

Ready to create your new engagement survey?

Discover a list of 90+ employee engagement survey questions that can effectively gauge overall employee engagement levels.

For extra assistance, choose from our ready-to-use engagement survey templates to kick-start your engagement efforts.

Automate engagement surveys and boost motivation with Deel Engage

Well-crafted employee engagement surveys are essential tools for any organization aiming to enhance employee satisfaction, morale, and productivity.

However, the most critical step for a successful surveying strategy is to take action according to your findings and communicate with your employees. Deel Engage ’s specialized tools will help you achieve this:

  • Set up recurring engagement surveys with open-ended or rating questions
  • Decide if you should collect feedback anonymously or not
  • Define the target audience of your survey according to specific group belonging (team, department, location), hire date, or more
  • Send reminders to employees via email or your internal communication tool
  • Use the Slack plug-in to collect data where your employees spend a lot of time
  • Use feedback analytics to understand the most pressing issues shared by your employees
  • Address learning and development concerns with the career management and training modules of the tool
  • Deel HR, our truly global HRIS solution, is always included for free

‍Automate your survey processes with Deel Engage and unlock powerful analytics today.

FAQs

An employee engagement survey should include questions about:

  1. Company leadership to collect perceptions of management effectiveness, communication, and vision
  2. Team dynamics to investigate key areas like team collaboration and communication
  3. Growth & development to assess employee perceptions of opportunities for training, career advancement, and feedback
  4. Work-life balance to gauge employee opinions on flexibility, workload, and support for personal well-being
  5. Feedback & actionability to investigate whether your people believe feedback is heard and leads to change

Also, include the space for collecting open-ended feedback. Doing so will allow employees to voice concerns, suggestions, or praises not covered in specific questions.

Here’s a list of the best ten questions from the company engagement surveys discussed.

  1. I am proud of working for this company.
  2. Company leadership is contributing to the work culture.
  3. I am motivated by the organization’s mission and core values.
  4. I can relate my position to the company’s objectives.
  5. I believe my efforts are respected and appreciated.
  6. I enjoy working in a team.
  7. The company contributes to my professional growth.
  8. I feel that everything necessary for success is offered.
  9. I receive feedback on my performance regularly.

The following actions can boost employee engagement:

  1. Encouraging open communication and feedback
  2. Providing opportunities for growth and advancement
  3. Recognizing and rewarding employees
  4. Creating a positive work environment
  5. Encouraging collaboration and teamwork
  6. Providing financial benefits
  7. Empowering employees to contribute to decision-making processes
  8. Encouraging creativity and innovation

Consult these 14 outstanding employee engagement examples across diverse industries.

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About the author

Lorelei Trisca is a content marketing manager passionate about everything AI and the future of work. She is always on the hunt for the latest HR trends, fresh statistics, and academic and real-life best practices. She aims to spread the word about creating better employee experiences and helping others grow in their careers.

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