Your employees spend a lot of their lives at work — but do you really know how they feel about it? An employee satisfaction survey can surface what’s working, what’s not, and where people feel disconnected.
Think of it as a direct line into how supported and valued employees feel — not just what they’re paid. That’s why surveys are such an important part of an employee’s “emotional salary,” the non-monetary factors that drive engagement, loyalty, and well-being.
And the data makes it clear: research from the Engagement and Retention Report shows 72% of employees would pick a job where they feel supported and valued over one that pays 30% more without it. And while a once-a-year survey won’t cut it, regular, anonymous feedback gives you the insight to build a culture people want to stick with.
So, what exactly should you be asking — and how do you make sure those answers actually spark change? Let’s break it down.
An employee satisfaction survey is a structured way to measure how happy and fulfilled employees feel in their roles — from their workload and growth opportunities to how supported and valued they feel at work.
It gives leaders a direct line into how employees experience their day-to-day reality — what motivates them, what frustrates them, and where the organization can do better. Think of it as your backstage pass to how people really feel about their jobs, their managers, and their teams.
Satisfaction is about happiness; engagement is about commitment. They’re two sides of the same coin — get both right, and you’ll build a culture people don’t want to leave.
Employee satisfaction is about how happy and fulfilled people feel in their jobs. An employee satisfaction survey takes that pulse with questions that reveal how employees see their work environment — the good, the bad, and the gaps. The goal isn’t just to collect answers, but to spot strengths, fix weak spots, and act on what you learn.
Ask employees directly if they’re satisfied at work, and you probably won’t get the full story. In fact, 77% say they’re more likely to give honest feedback through a survey than face-to-face with a manager. That honesty matters — it’s often the missing link between how leadership thinks employees feel and what employees actually experience.
Surveys help close that gap, giving leaders the insight to improve satisfaction before it turns into lost revenue. Because sometimes the difference between thriving and just surviving is a few honest answers on a survey.
So, what should you ask in an employee satisfaction survey? The goal is to get beyond surface-level checkboxes and into the factors that really drive how people feel at work. Here are 30 example questions, starting with one of the biggest drivers of all: recognition.
It’s human nature for employees to want recognition for the work they perform for your company day in and day out. When it comes to questions around recognition, consider asking:
When your employees feel appreciated, they’re more likely to stay right where they are and perform at a higher level — boosting productivity and performance all around.
Culture is the shared values, goals, and practices that shape how work gets done. Employees need to feel connected to it — because alignment is a major driver of “emotional salary.” Consider asking:
It all starts with leadership. Values have to be lived, not laminated — modeled by leaders, reinforced through programs, and visible in everyday decisions. Even small, consistent gestures matter, whether in person or remote, because when values only live in a slide deck, employees stop seeing them in real life.
Most employees take a job hoping they can grow into something more — a bigger role, more responsibility, better pay. When they don’t see a path forward, they start looking elsewhere. Career development is so important that nine out of 10 job seekers say they expect skills programs, clear career paths, and advancement opportunities before taking a role.
Consider asking:
Employees notice when you invest in their future. If you don’t, they’ll happily find an employer who will.
Leadership sets the tone for the entire organization. When leaders inspire, listen, and show they value employees’ contributions, people are more likely to feel satisfied and stay engaged. Consider asking:
However, when leaders dismiss feedback or appear disconnected from their teams, employees start questioning not just their managers — but their future with the company. Because if leadership isn’t leading, employees won’t stick around to follow.
Strong communication is the backbone of a healthy employee-employer relationship. When managers and teams share openly, employees are more likely to feel valued, supported, and satisfied in their roles. Consider asking:
Trust starts with communication. Employees want to know their voices count and that leaders are honest about the “why” behind decisions. In remote and hybrid workplaces, communication is the glue that holds teams together — and when that glue cracks, so does everything else.
Poor work-life balance doesn’t just hurt employees — it drags down engagement and productivity too. Burned-out people can’t do their best work, and the costs show up quickly across the business.
That’s why health and wellness need to be taken seriously. Consider asking:
Encouraging time off, offering flexibility, and streamlining workloads all help employees recharge. When employees run on empty, so does the organization.
Employee satisfaction surveys shine a light on the real drivers of happiness at work — feeling appreciated, balancing work and life, seeing a future for growth, and trusting the people who lead them. They also show how a healthy workplace culture drives business goals — after all, values don’t mean much until recognition brings them to life.
These surveys capture both numbers and nuance. Ratings show the patterns, while comments reveal the stories behind them. And with the right tools in place, that feedback doesn’t just sit in a file — it becomes real-time insights and action steps. The payoff? More engaged teams, higher retention, and a culture that feels less like a slogan and more like an everyday reality.
When done right, employee satisfaction surveys give you insights that can drive real change. To make them effective, keep these best practices in mind:
How you listen matters as much as how often. Survey tools should be easy to use, customizable, and built to turn raw feedback into meaningful insights. Features like pulse surveys, polls, and quizzes give employees flexibility to share both data points and context — and give leaders the clarity to act.
Good questions lead to honest answers. Tailor your satisfaction survey to what you want to learn: onboarding for new hires, workload and meaning for current staff, or manager support. Open-ended questions are especially powerful for surfacing issues leaders can actually fix.
Employee satisfaction surveys will only work if employees trust them. Make it clear that responses are anonymous and explain how data will be used. Employees should know who sees their answers and how those insights will feed into real improvements.
Don’t let feedback gather dust. Look at both the numbers and the comments to see what’s working and where the gaps are. The goal isn’t measurement for its own sake — it’s understanding how your employees really feel.
Nothing builds trust faster than visible action. Share results with your team, involve them in shaping solutions, and address concerns quickly before they snowball.
An annual satisfaction survey won’t cut it. How employees feel can change fast, and waiting 12 months to check in sends the wrong message. Regular, ongoing surveys give you a clearer picture — and show employees their voices matter year-round.
You don’t need to read minds to know how employees feel — you need the right tools to listen. That’s where Achievers’ Voice of Employee comes in. It makes it simple to gather feedback through surveys, polls, forms, and quizzes, then turn that feedback into action employees can see.
With 100+ customizable templates and always-on channels, Voice of Employee lets you measure sentiment across the entire employee journey — from 30-60-90-day onboarding surveys to ongoing retention check-ins and even customized exit surveys. The result? A clear view of what’s working, what isn’t, and where to focus next.
Built-in reporting makes insights easy to understand and act on, while integrations with your HRIS keeps everything running in the flow of work. Voice of Employee gives you more than data points — it gives you the clarity to create lasting change.
Employee satisfaction surveys aren’t about forms and checkboxes — they’re about listening to your people. When you ask the right questions and act on the answers, you show employees their voices matter. That’s what drives satisfaction, engagement, and ultimately, loyalty.
The real win isn’t just collecting feedback, it’s what you do with it. Employees notice when leaders take action — and they remember when they don’t.
Achievers helps you keep that promise by making feedback easy to collect, understand, and actually use. Pair it with recognition, and suddenly you’re not just running surveys — you’re running a culture people are proud to be a part of.
Satisfaction surveys tell you how your people feel today. Learn what will make them stay tomorrow
See the difference your satisfaction survey can make with the right tools
“Achievers has impacted engagement at ATB by giving our team members a platform to share their voice and seek and share feedback amongst each other, to come together as one ATB in a visual way.”
Kelsey Schneider
Senior Manager, Rewards and Recognition, ATB Financial
Written by
Rebecca Mattina
Discover how easy recognition can be with Achievers
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