Employee Engagement

Different companies may have different goals, but all successful teams have one thing in common: high employee engagement. Highly engaged employees perform better and bring dedication, maximum effort, effective communication, and efficient contributions to every project. They know the work they must do and how to do it. 

Experts in the business world talk a lot about employee engagement but not always how to improve it. It's not enough to just say that employee engagement is important and expect everyone else to figure out the rest. That's why we crafted this helpful guide on ways to improve employee engagement and how to measure it to keep the momentum going.

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11 Tips to increase employee engagement

Every company wants to improve employee engagement and increase all-around productivity, but many managers just don't know where to start. With these 11 tips, you'll be better equipped to support your team and foster a happier, more positive company culture.

1. Implement recognition programs

Everyone deserves recognition for their hard work and dedication. It's easy for employees to feel like they're just spinning their wheels when management seems to overlook their work. By implementing recognition programs to improve employee engagement, you can generate intrinsic motivation for an already engaged workforce.

Recognition programs don't need to be complicated or costly; employees want to feel like their work has meaning, contributes to broader goals, and aligns with their personal values. It's important to remember not only to highlight successes but to recognize effort and resilience.

Officevibe data shows that 91% of employees appreciate the acknowledgment, even if it's a simple recognition message like "I appreciate the thought you put into this project."

Your company is unique, so make sure you implement employee recognition initiatives that best suit your team. Some ways to increase recognition in the workplace include:

• Advocating for regular virtual recognition
• Acknowledging work anniversaries and other milestones
• Recognizing employees’ personal accomplishments

Peer-to-peer recognition is one of the most meaningful ways your employees can acknowledge each other's contributions. Start promoting recognition among colleagues with Officevibe's latest feature, Good Vibes.

2. Ask for employee feedback

One of the best ways to improve employee engagement is by asking your team members how they feel. By collecting employee feedback, you're showing that you're honestly interested in their thoughts and opinions. Asking for feedback help both in-person and remote employees feel valued and more in charge of the overall employee experience.

Asking for feedback through employee engagement surveys will help you take the company's pulse and hear what people have to say. You can check in regularly with employees worldwide to keep the communication lines open. In these engagement surveys, You can also ask for feedback on specific events or operations to evaluate processes, figuring out what went well, what didn't, and what you could do better.  

Don't just ask for feedback, though – respond to it. Let your employees know you're listening and care about their suggestions, questions, compliments, and concerns. Feedback helps employees grow and they'll be much more likely to communicate if they know their voice makes a difference.

Giving and receiving feedback is a key way to boost employee engagement. Check out these 10 tried and true tips for creating a feedback culture in the workplace.

3. Conduct regular one-on-one meetings

One of the best ways to drive employee engagement is by scheduling regular one-on-one meetings with your team members. Make a habit of building time into your schedule to interact with your people and give them your undivided attention.

Keep the meetings short but plan them intentionally. Use them to discuss performance and employee experience, ask questions, nudge for suggestions, and create an opportunity to develop relationships through non-work-related conversations. A time-efficient meeting can go a long way toward improving employee engagement and productivity in the workplace. 

Not sure how to go about scheduling and leading a one-on-0ne meeting? Use one of three Officevibe meeting templates so you can be on the same page.

4. Offer professional development opportunities

If you struggle with actively disengaged employees, consider offering training to help them stay on top of industry trends and sharpen their skills. Some employees may feel like they've plateaued in their positions or daily tasks, so creating opportunities for development that align with your team and organization can help employee engagement levels rise.

Here are some ways to keep the training interesting:

Keep it specific: Tailor the training to your particular industry and even a specific department within your company. Provide learning materials or access to external resources on specific areas instead of broad concepts.

Mix up the format: You don't need to stick to a 500-page textbook and chapter-end quizzes. Mix up the material to keep it engaging. You can incorporate things like online games and team competitions to help people learn and absorb key concepts.

5. Empower your employees with the right tools

You need the right tools to succeed at and complete any task and the workplace is no different. Without the right physical equipment (at home or in the office), employees may experience discomfort and have a harder time focusing on their work. Without the proper resources and software, your team will be ill-equipped to reach their goals, resulting in frustration and eventually maybe even apathy toward their work.

As a manager, you can empower your team and increase productivity by providing the tools they need to succeed, such as:

• Relevant and up-to-date software
• A proper office setup (desk, chair, keyboard, etc.)
• Workshops and training sessions

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6. Organize interactive activities

One of the best employee engagement strategies (and arguably the most fun) is to organize interactive in-person activities. This will obviously depend on whether you're managing a distributed team, but if you have the opportunity to meet as a group, you can improve engagement by incorporating entertaining activities into the schedule.

It's a great way to build team chemistry and overall productivity.

When we talk about fun activities, we don't mean creative ways to tackle business projects. We're referring to opportunities for coworkers to spend time together outside of business hours – activities like:

• Hiking
• A book club
• Bowling
• Volunteering

Keep in mind that different employees may have different definitions of fun. You should organize activities that have something for everyone and will give them a chance to relax and relieve stress. Even an hour or two away from the office can encourage employees to recharge their batteries and feel energized for the next workday.

Looking for more ways to build team chemistry? Check out this list of 40+ fun employee engagement activities.

7. Set clear goals

By setting clear goals, you can help support your employees in their day-to-day tasks and long-term objectives, but you can also improve team alignment. People will rally together if they share a common goal and know how to achieve it. On the flip side, a lack of clearly defined goals can lead to disengagement, apathy, and poor personal commitments.

While there are several methodologies you can use to set objectives like the SMART system, the OKRs framework is an excellent method for creating goals and bringing clarity to your organization. OKRs ask, "what is the goal?" (objective) and then expand by defining "how do we get there?" (key results).

With OKRs, you can set a clear and meaningful objective for the future, like "increase our social media presence by next quarter."

Then, set three to five metrics that will help you know when you've reached your goal like:

• Increased LinkedIn following by 35%
• Increased engagement on social posts
• Publish 15 thought leadership articles

One of our favorite thing about the OKRs framework is that it helps teams realign their focus from individual tasks to the overall impact.

A great employee goal-setting framework can help you and your team go the distance together. Read more about how you can set and meet your objectives.

8. Build trust through transparency

As a manager, one of your priorities should be creating an environment where employees can trust you and freely share their ideas and concerns. Building trust takes time and intentionality. However, it will pay off in the long run as employees engage more effectively throughout the week.

Establishing trust begins with openness on your end. You need to model transparency by speaking openly with employees about your vision, goals, and even your concerns. This will encourage team members (especially new hires) to do the same, helping maintain accountability within the department.

9. Encourage teamwork

Do you worry about the collaboration levels on your team? If you're sensing a disconnect between employees, have an honest conversation with your team to get to the root of the problem.

Encouraging teamwork is a great way to increase employee engagement. You can create projects for employees to work on together or find ways to help individuals with their specific tasks. Collaboration in the workplace plays a crucial role in establishing a great company culture.

10. Focus on employee well-being

Sleepy, stressed-out employees don't have the time or energy to engage with their peers. They also don't perform at their best throughout the day and can easily lose focus on their goals. Physical and mental health are critical components of a vibrant, productive company.

By encouraging company-wide wellness initiatives, you'll automatically promote involvement and have more highly engaged employees. You can do this by:

• Providing healthy food options at lunchtime instead of sugary, artificial snacks.
• Setting up a breakroom where employees can exercise.
• Organizing walk-a-thons, 5K races, and other activities that promote physical well-being.
• Checking in with team members to ensure they're doing well.
• Offering free counseling services to those struggling with stress, burnout, or mental health issues.

Your employees might not always feel comfortable reaching out for help when they need it. Send your team an employee wellness survey to see how you can help their well-being.

11. Revisit the company's core values and mission

Your company's mission and values drive short-term operations and long-term goals. However, they're not always obvious. Defining company values and reminding your employees of them will help communicate what your company stands for and build camaraderie. 

Everyone wants to feel part of something bigger than themselves. People want to know if their individual work is contributing to a larger purpose. By revisiting the organization's mission and values, you can avoid corporate apathy and increase employee engagement.

Tools to help you measure employee engagement

Remember the OKRs framework for setting clear goals? A vital piece of creating an objective is being able to measure it. You must measure your goals to ensure you're on the right track. Improving employee engagement is a worthy goal, but measuring it can be challenging. Fortunately, at Officevibe, we have the tools your company needs to succeed – and to know when you've done so.

Our full suite of tools includes a robust employee feedback tool where your employees can anonymously submit regular feedback quickly and easily online. You can routinely check in with your crew and hear what they have to say, encouraging them to engage more with their work as well as company management. 

We've created Pulse Surveys that use science-backed data to measure employee engagement in your workplace. An employee engagement survey enables you to do a health check on your company weekly with five straightforward questions. Employees can submit the survey anonymously and provide you with real-time insights via direct reports to help track workforce engagement trends.

If you want to have a private chat with one of your employees, the one-on-one meetings tool is the perfect solution for collaborating with team members. This tool can help you organize your meetings to make the most of your time and have meaningful conversations.

With state-of-the-art tools from Officevibe, you can measure your employee engagement levels accurately and quickly. We’ll provide the data and insights you need to keep everyone on your team involved and actively contributing to your business goals. 

Improving employee engagement is an ongoing effort

Building employee engagement doesn't happen overnight. It's an ongoing initiative that will take time and continual intentionality.

If you want to boost employee engagement, you must be willing to collaborate with your team. Here are some excellent ways to do this:

Share survey feedback results. Once you collect anonymous feedback from a survey, feel free to share the results. Let people know what's going on, general attitudes and opinions, and ways to improve certain areas.

Conduct follow-up meetings. Meetings help connect employees and encourage managers to interact – but that's just the beginning. You'll want to conduct follow-up meetings to continue the conversation, increase employee engagement, and encourage middle management to get involved. Asking the right one-on-one meeting questions can help you dive deeper into what matters most to your people.

Set goals on aspects that need improvement. Don't just point out the failures and demand that team members do better. Set goals to help people know what they can do to improve engagement and where. Clear action steps will build a sense of ownership and a team-player mindset moving forward.

Communicate progress. Many employees feel disconnected simply because they're out of the loop. You can fix this easily by communicating progress and keeping everyone in the know. Company goals shouldn't be for your eyes only – let others know about them, too, so you can work together and celebrate milestones.

Establish regular review sessions. Asking for feedback and sending out surveys isn't a one-and-done activity. You must continue monitoring and reviewing to make sure you're on the right track as a business.

If you don't know where to begin, consider these 25 pulse survey questions to boost every employee engagement metric.

This may seem like a tall task at first, but it gets easier once you get into it. After a while, scheduling one-on-one meetings and sending out regular progress reports will become a habit. You'll also start to see the fruits of your labor.

Improve employee engagement with a software solution

In today's competitive business environment, encouraging employee engagement is more important than ever. You'll want to create a company culture that focuses on things like collaboration, rewards for hard work, and an emphasis on long-term goals. It will take time and effort, but with the right tools, you can connect with new employees and maintain a healthy, productive work environment.

Do you want to know how to improve employee engagement and practical, effective ways to do it? Learn more about Officevibe's employee engagement solution that has the tools and knowledge to equip managers and help them engage employees.

As employee experience experts, one thing we know for sure is that the success of a business or a brand is only as strong as the team behind it. And we're not ones to gatekeep the secret behind a winning team.

If you're looking to consistently achieve or surpass your objectives while cultivating a positive work environment, you need to make sure employee engagement is high day-in-day-out.

There are many ways to go about it, but we'll cut through the noise by giving you the 7 best strategies to enhance employee engagement.

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What is an employee engagement strategy?

Let's break it down into two parts. A strategy is an action plan set in place to help a person, group, or organization reach its goals and objectives. Employee engagement is a concept that highlights how people feel towards an organization and how their feelings translate into actions and behaviors at work. So, an employee engagement strategy is all about the concrete and actionable steps you take to build positive engagement at work.

So why is it worth spending time and resources on building this strategy? When done successfully, your team will feel happier at work, more intuned with your company culture, more committed to your company's core values, and more motivated to achieve their goals.

Having a solid employee engagement strategy has never been more pertinent. The transition from the traditional office space to a work-from-home environment has made it challenging for leadership teams to keep a pulse on how their employees are feeling.

The great news is that once you have a plan in place, you'll know what employee engagement outcomes to look out for and how to measure them.

Officevibe's employee engagement solution helps you keep a pulse on your team's engagement levels by measuring and tracking employee survey results over time. Once you pick up on how employees are feeling, you'll be primed to create a work environment that makes your team feel positive about their job.

The benefits of having an effective employee engagement strategy

According to Slack's 2019 State of Work Report, aligned or engaged employees "feel empowered to make strategic business decisions or to pursue new business opportunities."

Effective employee engagement strategies can encourage employees to reciprocate the value the company provides them. In turn, high employee engagement levels increase satisfaction and lower employee turnover.

Other benefits of an effective employee engagement strategy include:

• Increased productivity
• Improved company culture
• Authentic employee satisfaction
• Improved mental health
• Better work-life balance
• Reduced risk of burnout

7 employee engagement strategies for building all-star teams

Improving employee engagement may seem challenging or intangible if you lack concrete data. We've compiled a list of the best employee engagement strategies and strategic management skills that can help you engage employees, increase job satisfaction, and ensure your desired outcome for upcoming projects.

1. Build trusted relationships with your team

Trust is the foundation of employee engagement. Before you can have meaningful conversations and open communication with your team members, your organizational culture has to promote trust between all links in the chain of command.

Given increased stress and rapid changes in the last few years, it's only natural that many employees are feeling disconnected from their jobs and their managers. Such fragmented professional relationships may take a toll on individual employees – and on your company as a whole.

Relationship psychology expert Esther Perel says, "One of the most powerful ways for people not to feel deeply alone is for them to feel listened to." If you want to boost employee engagement and cultivate a positive work environment, your employees need to trust you.

This improved relationship between you and your team breaks down hierarchical barriers and makes your employees feel valued – encouraging collaboration and creating a unified department.

🛠 Building trust as a leader takes time. But with these 8 trust leadership tips, your path towards fostering trust with your employees will be easy and seamless.

2. Make sure your team is aligned

We've seen a significant shift in the organizational structure of many companies since 2020. With a combination of onsite and remote employees, many managers find it challenging to measure employee engagement and keep employees engaged amid these changes. And we've been there too. But having the right tools helped us build employee engagement along the way.

Finding a resolution to this confusion requires alignment and a collective understanding of the things that bring everyone together: company core values.

As the world continues to change at a rapid pace, most employees want to feel passionate about their work. To do so, they need to know why their work is important and how it affects the overall growth of the company.

Knowing what their company values – and receiving clear, consistent communication about these values – can increase employee engagement and further establish trust between leadership and other employees.

On the other hand, a lack of communication about company goals can create frustration for employees, who may feel that reduced productivity is their manager's fault, given the unclear objectives.

To improve employee engagement and realign mutual and individual goals, team leaders should clarify what they expect from their employees and what employees can expect from them.

Developing the right employee engagement strategies for your company requires keeping employees informed about company-wide goals and giving them a clear direction for achieving them.

3. Provide opportunities for giving and receiving employee feedback

One of the best ways to boost engagement is by gathering and acting on employee feedback. Officevibe Pulse Survey data shows that 83% of employees appreciate feedback, regardless of whether it's positive or negative, yet 64% feel that the quality of feedback they received needs to improve.

This dire lack of effective communication and honest feedback can quickly result in low employee engagement rates, reduced productivity, and a less cooperative work environment overall.

Feedback goes both ways

For many companies, the line of communication around feedback only goes one way. There is a huge opportunity to increase employee engagement by tapping into bilateral feedback between managers and employees.

It's what we like to call the continuous feedback loop: a process that helps managers collect opinions, suggestions, and comments from employees regularly and vice versa.

An employee engagement survey allows you to quickly and efficiently gauge how your employees feel and use the data you receive to develop a better employee engagement strategy.

If you need ideas to assess employee engagement, consider asking questions like:

• Do you have the necessary resources to achieve your career goals?
• Are you satisfied with your benefits package?
• Do you feel valued by your employer?
• What can your company do to show employee appreciation?

4. Build a culture of recognition

In business, we ensure customer loyalty by providing clients with consistently high-quality products and service time and time again. Why should the approach be any different for retaining employees?

Research from The Harvard Business Review suggests that supporting employees and helping them feel valued increases productivity, employee retention, and motivation. Though it may seem small, encouraging employees in their day-to-day work can improve both their personal well-being and the company's overall performance.

Addressing individual successes during the busy work week doesn't have to be challenging or tedious. Displays of recognition can be as simple as sending a short message to high-performing employees to keep them engaged and feeling appreciated.

These small acts of genuine appreciation for your employees are critical components of a successful employee engagement strategy. Higher employee engagement and quality performance rely on a unified front from department heads to entry-level employees. Offering support and recognition, even for small wins, can encourage this camaraderie.

👉 We've got you covered with the ultimate guide to creating a culture of recognition in the workplace.

5. Put employee wellness first to encourage engaged employees

Employee burnout appears to be at an all-time high given the particularly stressful circumstances of the past few years. From feeling overworked to lacking the appropriate resources to struggling in their personal lives, many employees find it challenging to stay engaged at work.

As leaders, it's essential that you implement employee wellness initiatives as part of your employee engagement strategy. Try delegating responsibilities appropriately to avoid overworking high-performing employees and create an environment that allows for a healthy work-life balance to combat burnout. Even something as simple as giving your employees an opportunity to recharge whenever possible can be the difference between an overwhelmed team and an engaged one.

Most importantly, you and your colleagues in leadership positions should embody positive attitudes about employee wellness and encourage your employees to prioritize their health. Saying your company supports employee wellness programs is one thing, but actively implementing strategies to ensure a healthier, more balanced work environment shows your employees how much you truly care.

When was the last time you took a pulse on your team's wellness levels? These employee wellness survey questions can help you catch insights you haven't picked up on before.

6. Invest in employee development to ensure job satisfaction

Remember that your employees aren't merely members of your collective workforce. They are individuals who have unique dreams and goals for their career growth. So part of a successful engagement strategy should include personal and professional development opportunities for all employees.

Our Officevibe Pulse Survey data reveals that 23% of employees say the feedback they receive doesn't help them grow or improve. Gallup's 2022 State of the Workforce Report also shows that only 33% of employees say their work helps them thrive.

These stats show us the importance of investing in our employees' futures. Providing employees with career development opportunities can improve morale and ensure the entire team feels valued and fulfilled.

7. Form an employee engagement committee

Most forms of employee engagement require you to take action as a leader. However, forming an employee engagement committee gives your employees an opportunity to contribute directly to a positive work environment.

Using data from your employee engagement survey, the committee members you select can take the reigns and develop engagement solutions with their coworkers. This method lets your employees take an active role in fostering a sense of community in your team or organization and grants them a safe space to voice their thoughts.

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How to implement employee engagement strategies

This might go without saying, but every company has a unique group of employees and needs. Implementing employee engagement strategies requires a personalized approach tailored to your team and company goals. To develop the most effective strategies for your team, consider the following tips.

Define the strategies that suit your company best and identify key drivers

The first step to developing a solution is revealing the problem. Beyond identifying your company's short- and long-term goals, focus on finding the issues your employees face on a daily basis and what you can improve to keep them engaged.

An anonymous survey gives your team the opportunity to provide honest, comprehensive feedback. You can use this input to begin building your employee engagement strategy.

Set realistic goals

It may be tempting to get hasty and make several changes to your organization at once, but such a reaction could backfire. It's important to remember that you won't see the fruits of your labor all at once, and it's likely that you'll make some mistakes here and there.

More important than speed are specificity and consistency. Target specific issues a few ideas at a time and set realistic expectations for improvement. This strategy can prevent you from getting in over your head and help you stay on course as you develop and implement changes.

Make sure everyone involved knows their role and is accountable

Delegating responsibilities and keeping track of everyone's progress from the start will help you gauge the effectiveness of your employee engagement strategies. Everyone – from middle managers to human resources officers to longstanding employees – should have a clear understanding of their roles.

Select high-performing members of each department to serve on the employee engagement committee. Give them the opportunity to implement the strategy on a more personal level, connecting with their coworkers and directly contributing to the work environment they wish to create.

Put your plan into action

Flexibility is key to ensuring the success of your employee engagement strategy. You'll rarely find a solution immediately, and it may take time and a bit of trial and error to adjust your strategies and perfect them for your needs.

Always keep an open mind for new ideas, and be sure to make use of the data you collect through employee engagement survey results. The primary objective of any of these strategies is to foster a relationship between management and your employees that not only allows for effective communication but encourages it.

Make a habit of regularly assessing employee engagement and collecting feedback. Use what you learn to make necessary adjustments to your plans and set your team up for success.

Assessing your employee engagement strategies

Executing a strong employee engagement strategy may seem like a daunting task if you've never done it before. Should you sit down with a whiteboard and map out your plans? Would it be more effective to schedule a company-wide meeting to hear different perspectives and thoughts?

Ultimately, there is no "wrong way" to begin building your strategy. It all depends on your company's specific needs and goals – and the issues you hope to tackle beyond improving overall employee engagement. Luckily, you have many options at your disposal, and you may find it easier to determine where to start once you receive feedback from your employees.

An employee engagement survey is a quick and effective means of identifying specific issues your employees face in the workplace. To get a foundation for your engagement strategy, consider asking employees about things like:

• Their happiness at work
• Their thoughts on your company's work-life balance
• If they feel supported
• The quality of relationships between coworkers and your leadership team
• How they would rate communication
• How they would rate their stress levels at work
• Their thoughts on their future with your company

Need more inspiration? Use these 25 pulse survey questions to boost employee engagement.

Giving your employees the opportunity to respond anonymously to your survey may help them overcome the initial anxiety of communicating with you and other senior leaders. For engagement strategies to work, your employees need to feel comfortable addressing problems. The survey could serve as the first step toward fostering a more communicative, collaborative work environment and bolstering employee confidence.

Once you've sent out your surveys, you'll be set to tackle the right issues by using the information your team members clearly outline for you.

Acting on your survey feedback

The most crucial part of this process is actually using the feedback you receive. By sending out your survey, you're opening a direct line of communication and encouraging employees to speak honestly about their concerns. Nothing could be more disappointing than doing so only for management to neglect the feedback and fall back on old habits.

Listening and showing your employees that you genuinely care about their thoughts and feelings is critical for employee engagement. If you commit to some action to better the culture of your workplace, always follow through. If, through surveys or direct communication, you discover a problem in productivity or employee wellness, work with your team to tackle the issue in accordance with everyone's needs.

Help your team succeed with the right employee engagement strategy

Your eagerness to learn about employee engagement means you're on the right track to fully support your team. Before you know it, you'll be putting your engagement strategy into action, and your team – and organization – will thank you for it.

While going through the process and building out your strategy, practice patience and focus on one issue at a time so you can give each problem that arises the attention it deserves. Doing so can help you see engagement strategies through to completion and honor your employees' needs at the same time.

No company wants high turnover. It's exhausting for managers, leaders, and HR professionals, and financially draining for the organization. That's why it's key to create an engaging and productive work environment. Bonus points if you can sprinkle in a little fun!

You might be telling yourself: that sounds great, but how does this fit into my broader people and culture strategy? We're going to break it down in this article while sharing 40 of the best employee engagement activities to keep your team inspired and energized.

Add these activities to your workflow and see the power of employee engagement firsthand.

Why are employee engagement initiatives so important for maintaining a healthy company culture?

Engaged employees are like oxygen in a body: they're vital to the health and function of an organization. Without high engagement, employees feel disinterested, bored, valueless, and unhappy. Measuring employee satisfaction is a good start, but it isn't enough. Keeping employees engaged and feeling good about their chosen careers requires an all-encompassing approach.

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Employee engagement activities or an extracurricular work program can also provide significant benefits for companies, including:

• Less absenteeism
• Greater productivity and efficiency
• Healthier employees (both mind and body)
• Higher employee retention
• Stronger leadership
• Faster professional growth
• Improved customer satisfaction

{emphasize}

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What manager doesn't want to take advantage of those employee engagement benefits? Great news: those are just the beginning of all the great things an engaged workforce offers employers.

Best practices for building employee engagement activities

If you want to make sure your engagement activities are as successful as possible, it’s important to follow a few best practices. You can also conduct a brainstorming session with your team to see what's engaging them.

Look beyond extrinsic motivation

Including rewards and cash prizes in your employee engagement activities can draw people in for the wrong reasons. Instead, focus on offering genuinely enjoyable experiences, learning and growth opportunities, and relationship-building moments.

Offer both remote and in-person activities

Reserving employee engagement activities during in-person events only can leave remote employees feeling left out. On the other hand, you’ll miss out on human connections if you exclusively host remote activities. Aim for a good balance, and try getting people together in person a few times a year if possible.  

Have an inclusive mindset when organizing events

It’s important for everyone on your team to feel considered and comfortable when choosing your employee engagement activities. For example, if your activity involves food and drinks, think about cultural or religious practices that may impact what you serve.

Always have an overarching goal

Before deciding on an activity, ask yourself what your end goal is. Is it to encourage collaboration and problem-solving as a team? Do you want to foster wellness and happiness at work? Are you looking to build personal connections and relationships? Or is improving job satisfaction your main objective? Answer these questions and narrow your list down from there.

40+ Fun activities to engage employees

With these 40+ employee engagement ideas, you can give your team a chance to unwind, have genuine fun, and create personal development opportunities. Let's dive in!

Innovation challenges

Starting off strong, an innovation challenge is a perfect way to reach the workplace trifecta: high engagement, alignment, and collaboration. These challenges are flexible and can be adapted to every company, regardless of industry or size. The trick is to center the challenge around real obstacles or opportunities that work towards company objectives.

{emphasize}Innovation challenge ideas:

• Pitch a new feature to solve a customer pain point.
• Create a new process to accelerate project timelines.
• Build a new product prototype based on pre-conducted market research.{emphasize}

Tip: Encourage employees to collaborate with colleagues in other departments. Not only will having diverse skill sets increase the team’s success, but it will also give people the opportunity to work with team members outside their usual circle.

Hackathons

The premise of a hackathon is similar to an innovation challenge. The nuance is that it focuses on programming projects only. This employee engagement activity is great for tech companies looking to retain programmers and developers while attracting top talent along the way. You can also partner with universities to involve students in the challenge and professors in the judging panel.

{emphasize}Hackathon project ideas:

• Challenge employees to build a game.
• Ask your team to program a smart assistant for the office
• Ask employees to reate a prototype app.{emphasize}

Tip: Appoint team leaders to delegate tasks, or have every employee select their task based on expertise to encourage ownership and ensure smooth sailing.

Peer recognition

Officevibe's Pulse Survey data found that 62% of employees wished they received more feedback from their co-workers. By implementing an employee engagement program that focuses on employee recognition and celebrating personal milestones, you can prevent one of the biggest contributors to employee turnover: feeling unappreciated and valueless in the workplace.

{emphasize}Activity ideas to foster peer recognition:

• Schedule time to give kudos during team meetings.
• Celebrate milestones (successful project, end of a sprint, employee anniversaries, work anniversaries) as a team.
• Use a private recognition tool like Good Vibes.{emphasize}

Tip: Make sure your team is satisfied with the frequency and quality of peer recognition they receive by sending out these 20 employee recognition survey questions.

Feedback hubs

Getting feedback from employees is far more important than most managers realize. According to Officevibe Pulse Survey data, 83% of employees appreciate any kind of feedback, both positive and negative. Using a dedicated feedback hub is perfect for encouraging employees to provide and receive open, honest, and continuous feedback regarding their work, progress, and development.

{emphasize}Feedback ideas:

• Work with shared documents so everyone can easily give direct feedback.
• Normalize feedback by giving it and asking for it in everyday conversations.
• Use an anonymous feedback messaging tool.{emphasize}

By making the feedback process collaborative, you can foster healthy professional development and skill building, starting with a strong foundation of openness and honesty.

Tip: Set an example by always responding promptly to employees’ comments and acting on feedback quickly. A manager who actively works to improve the employee experience is sure to build trust within their team.

Dynamic onboarding

Everyone remembers feeling shy on their first day of work. To ensure all employees feel welcome and connected to their colleagues right from the start, build a dynamic onboarding experience. In the distributed landscape, it’s best to have a remote-first plan for employees who live out of town or seldom go to the office.

{emphasize}Hybrid onboarding ideas:

• Invite new employees to a happy hour before they join the team to make their first day a little less nerve-racking.
• Ask everyone on your team to individually book coffee chat calls to get to know their new teammate.
• Try an employee onboarding platform to build structured and welcoming experiences.{emphasize}

Tip: New hires meet many people during their first week, and it can feel intimidating. Minimize this feeling by asking team members in other departments to film and submit short welcome videos on onboarding software like Workleap Onboarding.

Job rotation programs

Humans are curious by nature. We’re always seeking to try and learn new things, and this definitely applies in the workplace. That’s why having a job rotation program is a great way to keep things fresh and boost employee engagement. These programs give employees a holistic view of the organization's operations, while allowing them to explore new career paths and collaborate with new team members.

{emphasize}Job rotation program ideas:

• Make two team members switch roles for a set period (day, week, month).
• Allow employees to explore a new role for the duration of a project or sprint.
• Implement a shadowing program where employees can follow and learn from another employee in a different role.{emphasize}

Lunch and learns

Lunch and learns have been a popular way to bring people together and spark continuous learning at work. There are two ways to go about this. First, you can reach out to experts in your industry and have them teach your employees relevant new skills. Second, you can involve employees and ask volunteers to host a session. The latter can help break silos in your organization and give people a sneak peek into the inner works of other departments.

{emphasize}Lunch and learn ideas:

• Host lecture-style sessions with live Q&As at the end.
• Include interactive workshops that allow employees to put their learnings into practice.
• Provide a free lunch or gift card to those attending, if your budget allows it.{emphasize}

Tip: Send a poll or start a Slack channel to gather employee feedback on the topics they're most interested in.

Games and competitions

Who doesn't love a little healthy competition? Company events like mud runs, board game afternoons, or bowling bring out the fun and encourage employees to get to know each other better. And creating personal connections is an engagement game-changer as it allows employees to feel more comfortable around each other inside and outside work.

{emphasize}Virtual game and competition ideas:

• Play a game of virtual charades through video calls.
• Organize fitness challenges using exercise-tracking apps like Strava.
• Create teams and see who can solve as many word puzzles or riddles in a given amount of time.
• Play virtual strategy games like Beat the Hacker escape room.
• Form sports teams and organize regular tournaments.{emphasize}

Team potluck dinners

Food does wonders at bringing people together, especially when it’s home-cooked. Next time you plan a team dinner, opt for a potluck over a restaurant, as it’s a great way to get all employees involved. Food is also at the center of culture, so having your teammates share dishes they love or grew up with is a terrific way to celebrate diversity, an important component of engagement, in your team.

{emphasize}Potluck dinner ideas:

• Ask everyone to bring their favorite dish.
• Ask everyone to bring the first thing they learned how to cook (no matter what it was!)
• Come up with a 5-course menu as a team and divide and conquer.{emphasize}

Tip: Don't forget to ask employees about any special diet considerations or allergies ahead of time!

Interest-based activities

What activities, hobbies, and interests make your employees tick outside the office? Do they love painting? Riding horses? Hiking? Wine tasting? Choosing your activities based on what your team loves doing shows that you care about their lives and interests beyond work. It also provides opportunities for everyone to participate in new and exciting experiences.

{emphasize}Activity ideas based on hobbies and interests:

• Ask employees what activities and interests they have, create a “hobby roulette” featuring every submission, and spin the wheel to pick your next engagement activity.
• Make an activity bucket list based on your team’s passions and interests.
• Assign an “activity captain” every quarter, and have them plan a team activity based on their hobbies.{emphasize}

Tip: Make sure your team submits inclusive ideas and avoid trying out hobbies that cannot be enjoyed by all. For illustrative purposes, avoid rock climbing if half of your team is scared of heights!

Mental health and wellness days

Engaged employees are happy employees, and happy employees understand the importance of self-care and mental health. Holding a mental health day is one of the most popular employee engagement activities for teams. As long as the activity is a positive experience, anything goes. It allows employees to relax, recharge, and get to know each other better in a light, informal situation where their only task is to feel good about themselves.

{emphasize}Activity ideas to improve mental health and wellness:

• Allow employees to bring their office-friendly pets to work for a day to boost employee morale.
• Offer free drop-in sessions (in-person, through video call, or both) with a local therapist or wellness counselor once per quarter.
• Host weekly yoga sessions at the office and record the class through Teams for employees doing remote work.{emphasize}

Tip: Create a health and wellness committee that can take charge of organizing these activities and gathering feedback from employees before and after.

Arts and crafts

Arts and crafts don’t have to be reserved for children – adults can dabble in the fun too! When introduced to the workplace, creative arts can offer a slew of benefits, increasing engagement being one of them. Aside from being fun, and even therapeutic, they help you flex your creative muscles (literally) by exercising the right side of the brain.

The more employees train their creative functions, the better they’ll support their rational thinking by offering unique perspectives and new ways to solve problems. In the end, you’ll have an engaged team with rounded-out skill sets and problem-solving techniques.

{emphasize}Creative arts ideas:

• Invite local artists to host drawing and painting workshops.
• Attend a pottery class in a nearby atelier.
• Ask a small business owner to teach a jewelry-making session.
• Host a hybrid arts and crafts session using readily available materials with an elementary or high school art teacher.{emphasize}

Emotional intelligence workshops

Emotionally intelligent people can successfully manage their feelings and those of others. It's different from IQ intelligence and is a flexible skill set that employees can hone with practice. Having an emotionally intelligent workforce can significantly reduce stress, improve communication and peer relationships, and boost overall engagement.

{emphasize}Emotional intelligence workshop ideas:

• Follow an emotional intelligence skill-building worksheet.
• Try a self-awareness exercise where employees write down their feelings, identify current emotions, and learn healthier coping skills.
• Create a safe space for employees to talk about their feelings at work and give advice to one another.{emphasize}

Tip: Inviting an emotional intelligence expert to moderate your workshops can help your team make the most of the activity.

How to fit these activities into your employee engagement strategy

Your employee engagement action plan should tackle all parts of the employee experience to be effective. This includes:

• Making sure your team is aligned by continuously communicating company and team objectives, and how each person contributes to them.
• Prioritizing tasks and projects to support realistic and stress-free workloads.
• Investing in employee development programs that help employees grow their careers within your company.
• Giving your team the right tools, resources, and environment they need in both the virtual and physical workplace.

{emphasize}👷Build and implement the best employee engagement strategies to increase work productivity, happiness, and satisfaction.{emphasize}

While employee engagement activities shouldn’t be at the center of your strategy, they’re the supporting actors that round it off. Some of these activities can easily be implemented in your regular workflows, but those that require more effort and resources are fun to include throughout the year.

{emphasize}Here’s how you can plan engagement activities year-round:

• High-effort activities like innovation challenges can be held once a year.
• Medium-effort activities like team potlucks can take place quarterly.
• Lower-effort (but just as important!) activities like dynamic onboarding should happen regularly, or every time someone joins the team.{emphasize}

Take your team's pulse on employee engagement

So, you understand that employee engagement activities should not be ignored within your organization. But how can you benchmark the success of these activities and fun team-building exercises? We've got it covered. Officevibe offers a variety of powerful, science-backed tools that managers and team leaders can use to measure employees' progress and engagement levels.

Our employee engagement solution is the perfect resource for organizations that want actionable advice and insights to help them create a healthy workplace and keep employees connected to their jobs. Receiving critical data and feedback from employees allows you to evaluate and assess their engagement levels quickly and conveniently.

With these 40+ employee engagement activities and strategic tips, you’re primed to create a winning team where all employees feel valued. In no time, you’ll see healthy communication, connections between colleagues, and innovation in your company flourish. All thanks to a little fun in the workplace!

FAQ on employee engagement activities

What are meaningful engagement activities?

Why should companies do employee engagement activities?

What are the benefits of employee engagement activities?

Let’s play a game of “would you rather.”

Would you rather your employees show up to work each day excited for new challenges and opportunities, ready to give it their all, and empowered with the satisfaction of a job well done?

Or would you rather have employees who watch the clock, lack motivation at work, and pass the buck whenever something goes wrong?

Great leaders want employees who are productive, hard-working, and satisfied, so it's no surprise that everyone would choose the former. The question is, how do you achieve it?

Spoiler alert: it’s not free t-shirts, snacks in the break room, and casual Friday. But don't sweat it; solutions for improving the employee experience (EX) are just as easy. Get started by adding these 9 tips to your employee experience strategy.

{emphasize}Learn how to improve your employee experience

• Why is having a positive employee experience important?
• 9 Tactics to enhance your employee experience
• Make your employee experience shine with Officevibe{emphasize}

Why is having a positive employee experience important?

Before jumping into the tactics, it's key to know why having a great employee experience makes perfect business sense. Your EX reflects your team's perceptions of all the interactions, touchpoints, and involvements they have at your organization. In short, it's a good representation of how your team feels about their day-to-day lives at work.

If your team feels positive about their experience in your organization, they're more likely to:

• Feel motivated to do their best work
• Attain their professional goals, in line with broader business objectives
• Contribute to higher customer satisfaction
• Become ambassadors for your brand

9 Tactics to enhance your employee experience

Helping employees feel motivated, productive, and happy at work doesn't need to be difficult. With the right EX strategy, your team will feel and perform better than ever. Here are our top 9 tips to get you there.

1. Prioritize job satisfaction and meaningful work

Not every second of the workday has to be filled with award-winning projects for a positive employee experience, but it’s important that your employees feel that what they are doing matters.

Studies have shown that by trusting your employees, giving them reasonable autonomy, and providing adequate workplace technology, they’ll have higher job satisfaction rates and a better sense of well-being. And we've seen great benefits arising from high employee satisfaction levels, including:

• Lower employee turnover
• Higher productivity
• Loyalty towards the organization
• A positive work environment

📏 Not sure where your team stands? Measure your employee satisfaction with this 10-question survey template.

2. Give thoughtful employee feedback

Giving employee feedback can be nerve-racking or feel like a touchy subject for some managers. You might be caught up on not wanting to hurt someone’s feelings or cause unnecessary conflict. But great feedback should never break your team's harmony. Times have changed and providing clear and constructive feedback is something your employees have come to expect, and even appreciate.

Officevibe’s Pulse Survey data uncovered that a whopping 96% of employees said receiving feedback regularly is a good thing.

Even if the feedback is simple, your employees understand its importance and still want to hear it. Our data further revealed that 83% of employees appreciate receiving feedback, regardless of whether it’s positive or negative.

For feedback to result in better business outcomes and meaningful career development, it should be delivered with thoughtfulness and care. These employee feedback examples can help you get started.

3. Welcome feedback from employees

Feedback is a two-way street, and you can improve the employee experience by giving your team an outlet to express their opinions, too.

Officevibe's employee feedback tool provides an anonymous, safe place for employees in your organization to share their feelings. Most employees feel valued when they know their voices are heard. Plus, when you show that you take this feedback to heart, you will likely improve employee retention rates.

Officevibe not only gives you instant insight into the employee experience, but also tracks how your team feels over time and addresses issues as you see them creeping up in your organizational culture.

👉 Pro tip: Feedback should always be addressed and replied to in a timely manner. Use these tips on how to respond to employee feedback next time you receive an anonymous comment.

4. Create a flexible and positive work environment

Life can get in the way of many things, including work. Instead of penalizing an employee for attending their child’s soccer game or taking a mental health day, consider providing a healthy work-life balance. This strategy gives your employees the best of both worlds: they can meet (or exceed) their work obligations while still enjoying personal time to recharge.

Each organization will have different levels of leeway with flexibility, but potential options include:

• Offer a hybrid work environment with at least one day of remote work per week. Modern employees often look for full autonomy when deciding where to work, so consider this when creating your remote work policies.
• Implement core hours when all employees should be online (ex: 10 am to 3 pm) and allow them to distribute the rest of their time as they wish. You'll soon see your team shift to schedules that fit their lifestyles and help them perform better at work.
• Gather insights from your employees with an internal survey tool to find out what flexibility options they desire, and see if it’s possible to meet them all the way (or at least halfway).
• Provide a holistic time off policy that employees can use regardless of what life throws their way. This can include a general paid parental leave policy, but also a generous (or even unlimited) bank of personal days.
• Sponsor fitness programs and give employees time in their work schedule to hit the gym, take a walk, meditate, or do something healthy for the brain and mind.

By focusing on initiatives that promote employee wellness, you can have happier and healthier employees that stick with your organization through thick and thin. Sending a quick employee wellness survey can help you determine which initiatives would have the biggest impact across your organization.

5. Be mindful of the employee life cycle

Just like a product or company has a life cycle, so do employees!

The typical stages of an employee's life cycle go something like this:

1. Attraction: What does the public know about your product, company culture, compensation, etc., that attracts an employee to apply for a position?
2. Hiring: When an employee applies, does the hiring process feel fair? What can human resources do to make each applicant feel valued?
3. Onboarding: Does the onboarding process for new hires make them feel like they’ve joined a positive work environment with great managers and room for career advancement? The quality of employee onboarding experiences can set the stage for long-term employee engagement.
4. Development: Does the employee experience at your organization include a strategy to encourage employees to continue to develop their skills for professional development?
5. Retention: Retaining employees requires a high degree of employee engagement. Knowing whether you have engaged employees can be difficult to quantify, so it can be helpful to create a series of metrics that, together, help you pinpoint whether you are providing an employee experience that encourages retention.
6. Separation: If an employee's journey comes to an end, exit interviews can help you determine what, if anything, went wrong. Was the employee experience subpar due to the physical work environment, performance issues, or something else?

Asking yourself these questions at each step of the employee journey will help you stay nimble in your management style and improve your employee experience strategy.

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6. Optimize the employee journey

Did you know that there is such a thing as a “job honeymoon?” This six-month period of the employee experience includes gushing over the new job and seamless onboarding experience, delighting in work relationships that feel like personal relationships, and feeling like your schedule is jam-packed with meaningful work.

When the honeymoon is over, employees sometimes experience boredom, less motivation, and even frustration. To avoid such a drastic shift in employee productivity and happiness, keep your finger on the pulse of the 9 KPIs that indicate employee engagement and satisfaction.

Another way to solidify your employee experience strategy is to implement stay interviews. Unlike an exit interview, which happens when an employee departs, stay interviews allow you to identify what’s working and where you can improve before an employee leaves.

7. Promote a workplace culture of diversity and inclusion

The world is diverse, but many employees still tend to eschew what is unfamiliar or different. As a result, 3 out of 5 workers “hide” their identity at work, creating a less-than-stellar employee experience.

Fostering a positive environment and inclusive workplace culture that celebrates a diverse workforce can boost employee engagement and even lead to better business outcomes. Managers and HR leaders could encourage employees to celebrate and learn from each other’s differences.

💡 Build a stronger team with a high sense of belonging with these 5 diversity and inclusion activities.

8. Make room for growth

While there’s something to be said for stability and certainty, a high-performing employee will inevitably want to be at a company that affords a high degree of career development.

Whether your business is brand new or a Fortune 500 company, you can have more engaged employees by showing willingness to fairly evaluate employee performance, provide constructive feedback, and offer room for growth to provide employees with a sense of purpose and upward mobility.

9. Set the right expectations

Setting expectations early and often helps your team understand what’s expected of them and what’s expected of you.

Some of this disconnect is a natural side effect of having an agile organization. Roles and tasks evolve to fit immediate and long-term needs. Still, those shifting (or expanding) expectations need to be communicated to your staff to preserve a quality employee experience.

Don’t wait for an annual review to communicate or learn of a disconnect. Instead, use a tool like Officevibe to customize employee surveys or organize one-on-ones surrounding key issues, including expectations.

Make your employee experience shine with Officevibe

If you want your business to succeed in the modern work landscape, improving your employee experience day-in-day-out should always be a top priority. Be sure to implement these tips and tricks across your teams and departments, and watch your employees bring your company to the next level.

When in doubt, know that you're not alone in your EX journey. Tools like Officevibe will support you along the way by helping you track, measure, and maximize your employee journey and experience. Discover Officevibe's people-friendly EX platform, and start improving your employee experience today.

Are you a performance-driven manager? If so, you likely ask yourself the following questions regularly:

• How can I improve productivity in my team?
• How can my department be more innovative?
• How can we better contribute to our organization's goals and objectives?

Finding the solution to these challenges begins with the people working in your organization. And the best way to reach optimal performance in your team is by measuring employee experience KPIs and acting on your findings in a constructive, timely fashion.

In this article, we'll give you the 411 on how to measure your employee experience (EX) so you can establish a positive workplace culture and productive work environment.

‍

What is employee experience?

Employee experience is how team members observe, interpret, and internalize all the interactions with an organization. It involves all organizational encounters, or touchpoints, throughout the employee lifecycle, including:

• The interview process
• Onboarding after a new hire
• The training process
• Internal promotions
• Pulse surveys
• Exit interviews

Traditionally, employee experience factors are broken down into three categories:

1. Physical workspace: These factors include a safe and practical work environment and a convenient office location. Perks, such as lunch stipends and career counseling, are also physical workplace factors.
2. Cultural: The organizational structure should give employees the opportunity for future growth. Cultural employee experience factors also include fair compensation with sufficient retirement and healthcare benefits.
3. Technological: Employees should have sufficient resources to do their jobs. For example, high-performing computers and speedy networks can improve employee engagement and experience. On the other hand, outdated systems can contribute to poor employee experience.  

In the era of distributed work, other factors that can enhance employee experiences include:

• Flexibility and good work-life balance
• Transparent and open communication
• Organizational trust
• Meaningful input
• Healthy co-worker and manager relationships
• Voice, empowerment, and accountability (VEA)

{emphasize}Recognition and feedback are also crucial to promoting employee engagement. According to Officevibe’s Pulse Survey data, 83% of employees appreciate receiving feedback, whether positive or negative.{emphasize}

The importance of a positive employee experience

Why should an organization aim to improve its employee experience?

When employees feel good about going to work, organizations tend to see a sustainable increase in business success. A few things contribute to this increase in business performance:

• Optimal employee retention: Maximizing employee experience boosts retention rates because happier, more engaged employees feel less of an urge to leave their organizations in search of something new. Employees that stick around become experts and ambassadors at your organization, ultimately contributing to long-term company success.
  
  If that's not reason enough, high turnover can be really expensive. According to Gallup, replacing existing employees can cost up to two times the employee’s salary.

{emphasize}Many business leaders underestimate the financial significance of happy, engaged employees. We've gathered compelling insights on the Return on Investment (ROI) from employee experience to help reframe this essential perspective{emphasize}

• Improved engagement: High employee engagement brings a slew of benefits. For starters, an engaged employee is likelier to be more productive and go the extra mile for their organization. Not only do these employees drive up their own performance, but they often pull the rest of the team with them.
  
  It's clear then that engagement is super important and should be prioritized. However, promoting engagement can be challenging if your organization doesn’t focus on the broader employee experience. One cannot live without the other.
• Easier recruitment: Promoting employee experience should be the bedrock of your employee recruitment strategy. Top talent is in high demand these days. If a talented candidate knows that your organization is serious about building a positive company culture and providing growth opportunities, they'll be more likely to apply for a vacant position. And if you can highlight your EX throughout the interview process, winning them over will be a breeze.
  
  💡Pro tip: Including other employees and brand ambassadors throughout your interview process is a great way to show your employee experience at work. Candidates will see others living and breathing your EX, and it can make all the difference in their decision-making.
• Improved customer experience: Energized employees with a positive experience at work are also more likely to transpire this positivity externally, engage with customers, and provide them with high-value solutions. This is sure to improve your customer advocacy loop and will keep clients engaged with your products and services.

{emphasize}The past two years have changed the reality of work forever. Read our latest data report for insights about the current state of employee experience and how leaders and companies can shape it in the future.{emphasize}

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8 KPIs to measure employee experience

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are metrics that measure employee experience levels within your organization. These quantitative and qualitative data points eliminate guesswork when you need to determine the quality and effectiveness of employee interactions.

Instead of asking your team questions on the fly, you can strategically create employee surveys based on these indicators to get valuable insight into specific employee experience factors. The results will not only show you where your EX is excelling but also help you identify problem areas that need attention.

If you're not sure where to start, we've got you covered with eight employee experience metrics you can track to keep your EX thriving.

1. Satisfaction levels

This employee experience KPI provides qualitative data on how team members generally feel at work. More specifically, the employee satisfaction metric gauges your team members' satisfaction levels around their role in the organization, compensation, and the workplace as a whole.

Measuring employee satisfaction starts with asking the right questions; otherwise, you'll find it challenging to quantify. Here are a few you can ask:

• Do you feel you are making a difference in the organization?
• Are you satisfied with the resources at your disposal?
• On a scale of 0 to 10, how satisfied are you with your compensation and benefits package?
• Are you comfortable in your work environment?

Once you have your team's responses, you'll be primed to act on the right pain points. You'll quickly find low-hanging fruit that will make all the difference in your employee experience.

{emphasize}

Employee experience surveys and one-on-one conversations offer great avenues to gain an in-depth understanding of satisfaction levels within a department or company.{emphasize}

2. Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)

The employee Net Promoter Scores is a critical metric to measure when evaluating employee experience, and would typically be included in a survey annually.

The eNPS is a key performance indicator that asks employees: “Using a scale from 0 (unlikely) to 10 (highly likely), what is the likelihood that you would recommend your current place of employment as a good place to work?”

Depending on their answers, employees will fall into one of three categories:

• Promoters: A score of 9 or 10
• Neutrals: A score of 7 or 8
• Detractors: A score of 0 to 6

{emphasize}

To calculate your eNPS, subtract the number of detractors from the number of promoters, then divide the answer by the number of respondents.{emphasize}

An eNPS of 30 or higher might indicate relatively high levels of employee satisfaction. The number of neutrals doesn’t impact this score, as these employees are generally indifferent towards the organization as an employer.

{emphasize}💡Pro-tip: While neutrals aren't considered in the eNPS formula, they should not be ignored as they likely represent the largest part of your workforce. You'll want to identify who your neutrals are and implement practical improvements based on their survey feedback to transform them into promoters.{emphasize}

3. Internal referrals

A metric that often gets overlooked when measuring employee experience is the number of referrals your team members are sending HR's way. While it's closely linked with the employee Net Promoter Score, this KPI shows ambassadorship in practice, not just theory.

Think about the times you've referred people you know for a job at your organization – and the times you didn't. More likely than not, employees refer others only when they feel positively about their employee experience. If you don't enjoy the environment you work in, you probably wouldn't want to share that burden with someone else. On the other hand, if you feel engaged day-in-day-out, you'll be happy to see others experience that as well.

Aside from giving you a snippet of where your EX stands, referrals and a good referral program can also do wonders when it comes to actually shaping your employee experience. LinkedIn data shows that people who refer others, especially those who refer others successfully, stay longer at their organizations.

4. Employee productivity

According to a study by the Saïd Business School of Oxford University, employees who are happy at work are, on average, 13% more productive than their counterparts. So, measuring productivity levels will give you a pretty good idea of how your EX is perceived by employees.

A great way to measure your team's productivity is by setting actionable goals on a quarterly or yearly basis and following up on your team's progress regularly. If goals are consistently reached or even surpassed in a department, it's a sign of a positive and motivating employee experience. Once you've gauged productivity levels, you'll be able to improve them over time to help your team do their best work, always.

5. Retention rates

Your employee retention KPI is a big reflection of your employee experience. It's a no-brainer. People stay where they feel happy, motivated, and inspired on the daily.

{emphasize}Employee retention = (number of employees at the end of the year ÷ number of employees at the beginning of the year) x 100{emphasize}

For example, suppose 150 staff members worked for the organization at the start of January, and this number increased to 170 by the end of December. In this case, 20 employees started a new job at the company, and your retention rate is 113%.

A positive retention rate of over 100% indicates high employee experience levels. If retention rates improve over time, it also means that the steps you take to enhance employee experience are effective.

{emphasize}Looking to improve retention? Asking employees what they need during regular touchpoints is a great way to make them feel heard. By opening lines of communication, you're paving the way for healthy relationships, higher retention, and ultimately a better employee experience.{emphasize}

6. Employee absenteeism

Keeping absenteeism rates as low as possible is critical to not only maximizing profitability but also employee engagement. Absenteeism can significantly affect productivity and cost your organization thousands of dollars over a year. When an employee is absent for non-urgent issues, it also increases the workload on other employees, which affects their performance and can create a vicious cycle.

{emphasize}Absenteeism rate = (number of absences ÷ total number of workdays in a year) x 100{emphasize}

Generally, a low absenteeism rate (the closer to zero, the better) indicates a positive employee experience. Employees who are optimistic about their work environment are less likely to play hooky or use minor excuses not to come in.

7. Recognition frequency

Relationships and human interactions are often the backbone of a company's culture. So, if you want to measure the employee experience, you'll want to take a look at how these relationships pan out at work.

The recognition KPI can give managers and leaders great insights, especially when it's given among peers. Colleagues who take the time to recognize each other, whether to acknowledge someone's hard work or simply thank them for being awesome, contribute to a better EX for all.

A great recognition frequency varies per organization, so we recommend tracking your own metric over time to identify trends within your company. Once you have an idea of what the status quo is, you can work to improve or maintain your recognition levels.

8. Wellness

When employees increasingly encounter physical or mental health issues, especially deriving from work-related issues, it can drastically impact their employee experience. Factors that can take a toll on employee wellness include:

• Unrealistic workloads and expectations
• Insufficient health and safety policies
• Poor management and communication practices
• Inflexible work hours
• A workplace culture of harassment or bullying
• An environment that does not value diversity and inclusion

Gathering quantitative data on employees’ wellness can be challenging. However, you can determine how your team is feeling and what factors are taking a toll on their wellbeing by sending employee wellness surveys regularly. You can also pay close attention to other metrics, like your absenteeism rate, as both metrics often move in the same direction.

{emphasize}😌 Prioritize conversations around mental health and use these stress and wellbeing templates for upcoming surveys and one-on-ones.{emphasize}

Employee engagement surveys: A simple tool to measure employee engagement and experience

Gone are the days where decision-making around employee experience happens haphazardly. Keeping a pulse on your EX requires care and attention, so measuring employee experience should come as a long-term strategy. Having a dedicated employee experience survey set in place will help you:

• measure how your team is feeling in real-time
• identify specific areas of improvement
• track trends and fluctuations overtime
• see where you're already doing great

Make your employee experience shine with Officevibe

Having a great employee experience makes perfect business sense. The happier and more engaged your team is, the better the business performs as a whole.

Officevibe's Pulse Survey tool provides a no-fuss, effective solution so you can start measuring employee engagement and gaining insights into your team's experience in no time. Before you know it, your EX will be on the rise and there will be no looking back.

{emphasize}Curious about how our surveys work? Kick off your employee experience improvement journey with an Officevibe demo.{emphasize}

Fostering a positive work environment and employee experience is crucial to the longevity of any organization. Happy employees tend to stay with a business longer, have more focus at work, and perform better on tasks. On the other hand, low employee satisfaction can lead to high employee turnover rates and instability within the company.

Learning what your employees think about your business is the first step to creating a sustainable company culture that encourages employee loyalty.

So, what's the best way to learn how your employees feel about their workplace? Measuring eNPS for your organization.

eNPS stands for employee Net Promoter Score. This metric is a simple and effective way for HR teams to measure employee engagement and satisfaction.

Let’s go over why and how to calculate your employee Net Promoter Score and how you can use eNPS data to implement positive changes in your company's work environment.

‍

Why should you calculate your employee Net Promoter Score?

How organizations treat their employees directly affects the quality of their work. Calculating an organization's eNPS can provide a practical understanding of how employees think and feel about their workplace experience. As a manager, you can use the data to develop impactful strategies to motivate and engage your teams.

Studies show that positive employee engagement can dramatically increase employee retention rates and lead to greater overall work satisfaction and higher productivity levels. 

Officevibe data shows that 96% of employees feel like regular feedback and performance reviews were helpful to their work.

By conducting regular eNPS surveys, you can keep your finger on the pulse of your organization's culture. This allows you to watch how the changes you implement improve your employees' view of your organization over time.

Engaged employees who feel heard typically focus harder on their work and develop a more positive attitude toward their employers. Calculating your eNPS is a positive way of letting your employees know that their thoughts and ideas matter. 

Interpreting employee feedback

Developed by Fred Reichheld in 2003 as a metric to gauge customer satisfaction, the original Net Promoter Score (NPS) helps businesses increase consumer engagement and provides crucial data about consumer concerns.

With the success of the Net Promoter Score (NPS) aimed at consumers, the next step was developing the eNPS, which became an effective method to measure employee satisfaction within an organization.

The data that eNPS questions produced have proved useful for employers looking to better understand how they might improve their internal business practices. Rather than having management implement changes without the input of their people, eNPS scores can give your leadership team valuable employee feedback to help establish a baseline understanding of what employees want and need from your organization.

You will calculate your eNPS from employee answers to the key eNPS question:

Using a scale from 1 (unlikely) to 10 (highly likely), what is the likelihood that you would recommend your current place of employment as a good place to work?

To understand the rationale behind your employee responses, your survey should also provide a follow-up question or prompt that elicits a more qualitative response, such as:

Please let us know why you provided this score.

The initial 1-10 scale allows you to measure the eNPS and determine employee engagement. While you will likely receive a mix of positive and negative feedback, performing this eNPS survey can give you a general sense of how employees are feeling about your company at that moment.

The quantitative data you collect contributes to a helpful rubric for understanding your employees' relationship to their work. Interpreting the data requires the follow-up qualitative prompt, which gives you vital insight into the reasoning behind the score and will give you a window into the individual experiences of each employee.

Grouping employee responses into separate categories based on how they feel about their work will provide your management with an understanding of the state of employee loyalty within your company.

Breaking down the data into three employee Net Promoter Score categories

When we conduct an eNPS survey, we look for trends in the scores that can tell us more about employee experience. The eNPS formula provides us with data that can help us visualize different aspects of employee feedback in more concrete terms.

To process the survey results, you will group employee responses with similar scores on the eNPS scale together into one of the three basic categories. Each category reflects how likely an employee is to recommend your place of employment to friends and family.

To help unravel this data, we assign value associations to each of the three categories, giving us a clear idea of employees' relationships and attitudes about their organizations.

Promoters

We label the first group as Promoters, a category that includes employees who assign the highest scores (9-10). Promoters are indispensable assets and may serve as ambassadors to your company's brand identity and recruitment campaigns.

These highly loyal employees feel the greatest satisfaction and are the most likely to recommend your company to prospective employees and customers. They may even promote your company publically on LinkedIn and spread positive word of mouth among friends and family.

Detractors

On the other end of the scale, we have the Detractors, which includes a broad range of unsatisfied employees who provide the lowest scores (0-6). Detractors are more likely to be pessimistic about the company's future and may view their work negatively. They are likely to be at the core of your low-morale challenge.

Detractors are the least likely to recommend your brand or employment to friends and family. Those with the lowest satisfaction rates may go out of their way to discourage others from engaging with your company.

Passives

The last group, the Passives, are those employees who score a moderate rating (7-8). While passives may enjoy working for your company, they may be open to other employment options, even if they aren't actively seeking new opportunities.

Since Passives are neutral, you will not use their scores to calculate your employee Net Promoter Score. However, this group is the most likely to provide constructive feedback. Passives may also move up to the Promoter category if you make positive changes to your company's culture.

How to calculate your employee Net Promoter Score

Now that you know what measuring your eNPS can tell you about the range of employee attitudes, let's dive deeper into how to calculate an eNPS score.

After you collect your eNPS survey responses and separate the scores into three categories, subtract the percentage of Detractors (those with scores from 0-6) from the percentage of Promoters (those with scores of 9-10). The number you get will be your employee Net Promoter Score.

The eNPS formula should look something like this:

Employee Net Promoter Score = Promoters (%) - Detractors (%)

Although you're subtracting percentages, your eNPS is a number rather than a percentage.

Your eNPS will fall somewhere between +100 (the highest possible score) and -100 (the lowest possible score). An eNPS that is less than the zero midpoint is a serious red flag and can indicate the root cause of systemic issues.

Regardless of whether or not you receive a positive or negative score from your company's eNPS survey, you may be surprised by what the responses tell you about your workplace. Part of what makes engagement surveys like eNPS so effective is their ability to tap into the underlying sentiments of an organization's employees.

One simple question can tell you a lot about what your employees think and feel about your company. Their responses and feedback can help you gauge if your company is heading in the right direction. This metric should serve as the first crucial step toward making improvements in your workplace.

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A practical example of an employee Net Promoter Score calculation

Examining a real-world example of an eNPS calculation can highlight what you might expect from your company's score. It also provides a rough sketch of the process.

Let's use Organization A as our example.

Organization A is a signage business with 300 employees. Amy, Organization A's CEO, has noticed a recent dip in employee performance and focus. Using her eNPS score, Amy wants to measure employee satisfaction and collect feedback. Ultimately, she wants to learn what she can do to improve Organization A's work environment for employees.

Out of Organization A's 300 employees, the survey scoring found that 180 (60%) are Promoters, 65 (22%) are Passive, and 60 (18%) are Detractors.

Disregarding the Passives, the key percentages were 60% Promoters and 18% Detractors. With this information, the results for Organization A looked like this:

60% [Promoters] - 18% [Detractors] = +42 [Organization A's Final eNPS Score]

While Organization A received a positive score from the eNPS surveys, the employee responses revealed a significant number of Detractors. Just by asking one simple question, Amy was able to measure her company's eNPS and find out that nearly one out of five of her employees were dissatisfied with their jobs. But why?

Amy’s analysis noted that a common answer to the qualitative question from the Passives highlighted poor communication from management as the main cause of their discontent. Using this feedback as a baseline, Amy was able to implement changes to increase employee engagement with management.

To find out if the changes she made were improving her employees' outlook, Amy continued to conduct monthly engagement surveys to see if her company's eNPS was improving.

After several months, Amy observed that Organization A's eNPS jumped several points from +42 to +47. While the number of Detractors only slightly decreased, a considerable number of Passives had become Promoters since the eNPS survey and following the management changes.

What should you expect from your organization's eNPS metric?

When you calculate your organization's employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS), it's important to keep an open mind about the results.

As a leader, you’ve poured your heart and soul into your company, so it's normal to be nervous about what measuring eNPS may tell you about your business. But a good leader is one who is open to negative and constructive feedback rather than one who immediately gets defensive. Emotional responses to the data can make it more difficult to understand eNPS results.

Once you calculate your eNPS, you can then use the feedback from your employee Net Promoter Score qualitative surveys to come up with strategies to improve engagement. Regardless of the mix of positive or negative results, what's significant is understanding why your employees gave the responses they did.

For those with positive responses, find out why employees like working for your organization. Rather than patting yourself on the back, use this as an opportunity to expand on working strategies. For the negative responses, consider this a valuable way to review those areas in your organization that need improvement and to reconsider your management tactics.

What is a good employee Net Promoter Score?

While you may expect a higher score than you receive, that doesn’t mean that your score is bad or reflects poorly on your organization. Just keep in mind that eNPS scores can mean different things for different types of companies.

An employee Net Promoter Score can fall anywhere between -100 and +100. The following is a general rubric for gauging your eNPS score:

• Acceptable = 0 (or above)
• Positive or Good = 10-30
• Superb = 50 (or above)

Although your organization's score provides a good baseline for understanding employee engagement, it's more important to look at the underlying factors that contributed to the score you received. The responses to the additional qualitative question in your survey will provide you with insight into your employees' perspectives and the mood of the organization more broadly.

Employee opinions are subject to change, often very quickly, so be sure to remember that eNPS surveys only reflect attitudes in the present moment. As a result, it's important to hold an engagement survey periodically to keep you updated on how your employees regard your organization.

Negative responses one month do not automatically translate to negative responses the next. This is especially true when you implement strategies that target identified areas of weakness.

Conducting an eNPS survey is especially important for companies going through a period of upheaval. Dramatic changes can be unsettling for employees and cause increased levels of discontentment. Calculating eNPS provides an important metric that will help you keep your finger on the pulse of your employees and that can allow you to anticipate these dips in performance so that you can take preventative action.

Tactics to improve your eNPS to increase employee engagement and employee satisfaction

Although the exact tactics an organization can use to improve their eNPS will vary between companies, several general principles can help guide you.

One of the major benefits of eNPS is the opportunity it provides an organization's leadership to reach out to employees for input and general feedback about their workplace experience. The first step to improving your eNPS is learning how your employees feel about working for your company and how they feel conditions might improve.

Often, their suggestions will contain practical answers that are within your organization's means to implement. Some of their suggestions will also align with general strategies for increasing morale in the workplace and improving employee efficiency. Several of the goals and strategies you might adopt include:

• Developing transparency between employees and management
• Empowering employees through recognition and incentives
• Allowing flexible work hours so employees feel that they have more agency over their schedules
• Providing constructive feedback regularly (Officevibe statistics show that 83% of employees appreciate feedback, regardless of whether it's negative or positive)
• Encouraging collaboration among employees can build a sense of unity and promote loyalty within an organization

While these are all good places to start, the tactics you will employ will largely depend on your organization's specific needs and the types of changes you are able to achieve. Because some changes may not be possible for your organization, be sure to think creatively about what methods are available to allow you to meet your employees’ needs.

Once you implement these initiatives, the best way to keep track of the results is by continuing with engagement surveys. Future surveys will help you gauge the success of your strategies and can provide you with crucial insight into why and how your initiatives worked (or not).

How Officevibe can help

Officevibe’s easy-to-use, intuitive engagement surveys and Pulse Survey tools help managers connect with their employees on a deeper level. From showing you how to calculate eNPS to recognizing employee achievements, we can help your organization gain a better understanding of what makes your team want to stick around for the long haul.

Sign up for a free Officevibe trial and start improving your employee experience— your team will thank you for it.

In the era of distributed work, keeping a pulse on your team may seem difficult or even tedious. In-person chats are less frequent, and part of your team is likely scattered around the country (or even the world). The ever-changing landscape of work can take a toll on engagement, motivation, alignment, camaraderie, and more if not assessed and addressed early on.

Traditionally, bulky annual surveys were used to evaluate employee engagement. But in this fast-paced environment, the modern employee is now looking for a much more responsive system. Enter employee engagement pulse survey questions: the quick and easy way to gather regular insights on your team's standings.

In this article, we outline the basics of pulse survey questions and provide you with 25 examples to test out in your next employee engagement survey.

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Types of pulse survey questions to ask employees

Your survey questions can be structured differently depending on the kind of information you're looking to gather. Start by asking yourself the right questions: do you want to quantify how employees are feeling with easy data analyses, or do you need more detailed information to follow up?

Quantitative pulse survey questions

For the former, you'll want to include quantitative questions with a predetermined set of responses. These can be true or false, multiple choice answers, or opinion scales (ex: strongly agree-strongly disagree). Quantitative questions are quick to answer and will help you measure employee engagement with the click of a button.

Qualitative pulse survey questions

With qualitative pulse survey questions, open-ended prompts will give your team the liberty to answer as they wish. Keeping these questions anonymous is a good idea, as you'll likely get more candid responses. This will encourage them to expand on their previous answers and possibly uncover successes or issues you weren't fully aware of.

{emphasize}💡Great employee pulse surveys should feature a mix of both quantitative and qualitative questions. Complementing easy-to-measure answers with more in-depth responses will help you keep a better pulse on your team while tracking important trends.{emphasize}

Top 20 employee pulse survey questions by category

At Officevibe, we've uncovered 10 metrics that every manager should measure to assess employee engagement. The following pulse survey questions are broken down by each category:

Questions about ambassadorship

Ambassadorship is a huge employee engagement identifier. It's simple: when an employee feels proud of their job, they're more likely to be motivated, productive, and loyal. A loyal employee is not only more likely to stay at the organization in the long run, but they also act as brand ambassadors, which helps attract and retain stellar talent.

By measuring ambassadorship with pulse surveys, you can also figure out what your employees love about your company culture, and what needs care and attention.

Here are a few questions you can ask to measure your employee’s ambassadorship:

• I am proud of the value we create at work.
• How likely are you to recommend your organization to a friend or peer looking for work?

Questions about alignment

Alignment is all about being on the same page, whether it comes to objectives, culture, or vision. An organization's success is greater than the sum of its parts when every team works together towards common goals and missions.

And while this may seem like common sense, Officevibe data shows that a shocking 73% of employees think that their manager could define more precise goals. Identifying this lack of clarity and sense of direction using pulse surveys can help decrease stress, confusion, and disengagement before they become a real problem.

Here are a few questions you can ask to measure how aligned your team feels with the organization's mission, vision, and values:

• Do you feel that your personal goals align with your company’s overall strategy?
• Do your personal beliefs align with the company values?

Questions about feedback

Employees can only truly thrive in their roles if they receive the right feedback at the right time. But how can you tell if the feedback you are giving is being well-received? Adding a few questions about feedback in your employee pulse survey can give you anonymous insights your team may not feel comfortable giving otherwise.

Here are a few questions you can ask to measure how your employees feel about the quality and frequency of feedback they receive:

• Do you feel you receive enough feedback?
• Are you happy with the type of feedback you receive from your manager?

Questions about employee happiness

Happy employees make for successful teams and companies. And while you don't have control over your team's happiness as a manager, there are definitely ways you can help foster it.

Considering people spend a third of their day at work, making sure the environment is a positive one can have a big impact on a person's happiness levels. Pinpointing any problem areas that may cause unpleasant feelings towards work is also just as important when boosting this metric.

Here are a few questions you can ask to measure your employee’s happiness levels:

• On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy do you feel at work?
• Do you feel a sense of fulfillment from your work?

Questions about personal growth

Personal growth, measured by autonomy, mastery, and purpose, is often a huge gap in the employee experience. But prioritizing it in your EX plan can make all the difference in your employee retention.

The key is identifying how your employees want to grow and what you can do as their manager to support them in their growth.

Here are a few questions you can ask to measure your team’s satisfaction with their personal growth:

• Do you have the resources you need to grow in your role?
• Do you see yourself reaching your career goals in your current organization?

Questions about recognition

Having a culture of recognition in the workplace can make all the difference in overall job satisfaction. Feeling valued and recognized for what you bring to the table is simply human nature. But giving meaningful recognition gets swept under the rug far too often in today's day and age.

Including recognition questions in your employee pulse surveys is a great way to uncover how your team feels about recognition, what kind of recognition works well for each person, and how often you should be giving it.

Here are a few questions you can ask to measure how content your team is with the recognition they receive:

• Are you currently happy with the frequency of recognition you receive?
• Is the recognition you receive meaningful to you?

Questions about employee-manager relationships

An employee's relationship with their manager can make or break their employee experience. In fact, according to Officevibe data, 75% of employees who display low engagement levels or leave their jobs say that it’s due to their manager or leadership.

The good news is that, as a manager, you're in the driver's seat when it comes to this metric. Using pulse surveys, you can continuously identify ways to improve your relationship with employees and reassess your management style as needed.

Here are a few questions you can ask to measure your employee’s relationship with yourself or their manager:

• On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with the number of touchpoints you have with your manager?
• Do you feel that your manager sets you up for success in your role?

Questions about relationships with peers

Just like employee-manager relationships, relationships with peers should be in good standing for teams to work at their best. This includes having great lines of communication, fostering peer-to-peer trust, and building team collaboration.

Here are a few questions you can ask to measure your team’s peer-to-peer relationships:

• Do you enjoy working and collaborating with your peers?
• Do you feel you have an open line of communication with your peers?

Questions about employee satisfaction

Employee satisfaction is all about how a person feels about their role in their company, and everything encompassing it. This can include factors like compensation, tools and resources, and responsibilities. Even understanding if they feel they are part of the right team can be important to determining an employee's satisfaction levels.

Here are a few questions you can ask to measure to measure employee satisfaction:

• Do you feel you are fairly compensated in your current role?
• On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your daily responsibilities?

Questions about wellness

If there is one thing the last few years taught us, it's that wellness at work cannot be ignored. With remote work blurring the lines between home and work, managers have a responsibility to ensure the well-being of their team members.

This can include checking in on people's mental and physical health, or ensuring they have a good work-life balance. Pulse surveys give employees a great outlet to express themselves on how they're feeling at work.

Here are a few questions you can ask to measure your team’s wellness:

• I feel that I can maintain a healthy balance between work and my personal life.
• I believe my company takes diversity and inclusion seriously.

How to interpret employee pulse survey responses

We've covered some of the most useful employee pulse survey questions, but knowing which questions to ask is half the battle; to make the most of your employee surveys and gain insight, you need to know how to interpret your team's responses.

We put together a few examples with different response scales to show you how diverse your employee pulse survey questions can be.

Example 1: Would you recommend your organization as a great place to work?

What this question tells you: Asking your employees if they'd recommend your company to their friends or people in their network can help you measure their levels of ambassadorship. This question can also help you identify which employees feel proud and engaged at work and those that are considered detractors.

Response scale: This question can be answered on a scale of 1 to 10, allowing you to easily measure your employee Net Promoter Score, a metric for determining ambassadorship, employee engagement, and satisfaction.

Example 2: I feel that my work contributes to my organization’s broader goals.

What this question tells you: Measuring the alignment metric, this question will help you identify if employees understand the "why" behind their daily work. It'll help you make sure everyone is rowing in the same direction.

Response scale:

• Strongly disagree
• Disagree
• Neutral
• Agree
• Strongly agree

Example 3: How would you rate the frequency at which you receive recognition?

What this question tells you: Asking questions about recognition will tell you if employees feel seen and valued for their hard work. Scoring poorly on these questions is a sign that your culture of recognition needs attention.

Response scale: Rating from 1 to 5 stars.

Example 4: Which of the following best describes the amount of feedback you typically get regarding your work?

What this question tells you: Asking your manager or peers for feedback can be tough and sometimes intimidating. So, including a question like this one in your pulse survey can give employees an easy way to flag whether or not they are satisfied with the feedback they receive.

Response scale:

• Completely inadequate
• Inadequate
• Adequate
• Completely adequate

Example 5: On a scale from 1-10, how reasonable is your workload?

What this question tells you: This question will help you measure your wellness metric by evaluating whether your team members feel at ease, overwhelmed, or anywhere in between with their workload.

Response scale: Slider from 1 to 10, 1 being very unreasonable and 10 being very reasonable.

How often should you run employee pulse surveys?

Pulse surveys do exactly what their name suggests: they help you get a pulse on how your team is doing and how your employees feel on a regular basis. Great employee pulse surveys should be concise and should only take a couple of minutes to fill out. Making them an easy and virtually effortless task will help you up the frequency and give you a real-time feel on how your team is doing.

At Officevibe, we suggest sending employee engagement surveys on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. With this frequency, managers can gather quick and instant feedback, allowing them to be nimble in their management.

{emphasize}Pro-tip: If your pulse survey results highlight an area of concern, consider increasing the frequency to once a week until you see a noticeable improvement in your trends.{emphasize}

How long should a pulse survey be?

The rule of thumb when deciding on your survey length is that the more questions people have to fill out, the less likely they are to complete the survey or answer it together. Aside from affecting response rates, long surveys can also fall victim to low-quality answers. Those who do fill out the entire survey are likely to speed through the questions to save time.

If you're sending them out on a weekly basis, we've found that the sweet spot for a good employee pulse survey is 5 questions. For a bi-weekly employee engagement survey, you can increase this to 5-10 questions.

You've sent out your pulse survey; what now?

Curating your employee survey questions and sending them out are the first steps to kickstarting your journey towards bettering your employee engagement. From there, all you have to do is analyze your employee survey results and take action.

Learn to interpret the results and track the data

Your employee pulse survey results will be filled with a ton of golden nuggets of information. First, your overall engagement score will give you the big picture of how your team is doing. From there, you can pinpoint exactly which areas your team is thriving in, and those that need improvement by tracking your metrics and submetrics scores.

As you start making pulse surveys a part of your regular activities, you'll get a chance to track trends and changes in the data to help you better direct your attention.

{emphasize}Pro-tip: Your engagement scores are impacted by multiple factors, many of which are out of your control as a manager. These can include seasonality, company context, and industry trends.{emphasize}

Create an action plan based on your pulse survey results

Building your employee feedback game plan doesn't have to be daunting. These easy pointers will get you on the right track and ensure your feedback surveys are as effective as possible:

• Share pulse survey results and discuss them with your team
• Brainstorm ideas as a team to address any points
• Create employee experience goals to hold yourself accountable
• Keep track of employee engagement levels and take note of any noticeable changes
• Maintain a constant communication loop with your team members
• Send follow-up pulse survey questions as needed

{emphasize}Unsure what to send as your next pulse survey? Dig deeper into specific topics by choosing a survey template from our bank of customizable polls.{emphasize}

Take the guesswork out of creating pulse surveys with Officevibe

If they aren't already, pulse survey questions should be a part of your employee experience arsenal as a manager. And with the right tools, kickstarting your pulse survey journey can be easy and breezy.

Officevibe's Pulse Surveys offer a safe space for employees to give meaningful feedback about their work, team, and organization. With automated weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly sends, as well as easy-to-read reports, these pulse surveys are a manager's ultimate sidekick.

Designed with a mix of a slider, rating, multiple choice, and open-ended questions, you'll be regularly generating fresh insights while keeping your team as engaged as possible.

Ready to get your pulse on? Sign up and try Officevibe for free today!

Upholding diversity and supporting your employees are two vital pillars of a healthy workplace. However, supporting diversity requires a genuine deep dive into the employee experience to uncover problem areas. A great way to see how your people are feeling is by sending out diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) surveys.

Read on to learn how you can incorporate DEIB surveys into your day-to-day to create a positive and thriving corporate culture.

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What are DEIB employee surveys?

DEIB stands for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging: the four pillars of building strong teams that support an organization's success. A DEIB survey — sometimes referred to simply as a diversity and inclusion survey — aims to collect data and insights on your organization's employee experience by looking at the reality of different demographics.

{highlight}Understand the 11 pillars of employee experience to build an EX strategy tailored to your diverse workforce.{highlight}

Diversity, equity, and inclusion survey questions usually involve a mix of multiple-choice, rating, and open-ended questions for feedback on your organization's practices.

Let's recap these key components:

• Diversity: Diversity in the workplace means recognizing and celebrating differences across your employees — be it gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age. When you measure diversity in the workplace and create actionable efforts to improve it, employees will feel safer and more welcome. Implementing recruitment strategies that actively reach and invite a candidate pool of diverse social and cultural backgrounds is a great way to bring diversity to the forefront of company culture.
• Equity: Equity in the workplace refers to providing employees with fair opportunities and resources they require to flourish in their careers. Everyone has different needs, so equity is about tailoring programs and other support initiatives to individuals. Think mentorship programs with specially identified mentors, or flexible work arrangements for employees who need to work around certain home-life circumstances.
• Inclusion: Inclusion encompasses whether employees feel respected and valued among their peers and managers, examining how at ease your employees feel in the workplace.To foster a more inclusive environment, organizations can hold bonding activities or host interactive workshops that promote honest conversations to consider diverse perspectives.
• Belonging: Belonging is the emotional aspect of DEI initiatives. Employees should feel comfortable and accepted as they are in the workplace. Belonging is crucial to cultivating a space that is truly inclusive for all. Acknowledgment and recognition go a long way — from birthdays to personal milestones to cultural observances, there are many opportunities in the calendar year to create shared celebrations. Gender-neutral bathrooms, breastfeeding rooms, or prayer areas are also ways to foster belongingness in the office.

Asking the right diversity, equity, and inclusion survey questions — why it matters

Companies leverage the insights of DEIB questions to measure current policies and weed out areas that need improvement. If you ask pointed questions, you can only access a true, holistic view of your workplace environment to measure diversity, equity, and inclusion.

They help managers overcome obstacles

Diversity and inclusion surveys help managers gain more helpful results, which leads to more responsive action. Vague survey questions warrant unhelpful responses, but targeted queries focusing on employee sentiment and experience will help you measure inclusion and boost diversity.

Workleap Officevibe data found that 37% of employees don't feel close to their managers — highlighting the fact that a disconnect between leaders and their teams is not uncommon. Without diversity and inclusion surveys, managers might not even be aware of diversity and inclusion issues, unconscious biases, or other inclusion gaps.

They uncover industry-specific issues

While many DEIB practices can apply to all cases, creating an inclusive work environment also has its industry-specific challenges. As a manager, you're deeply connected to your field and might not recognize the widespread diversity and inclusion issues within your industry.

Researchers Paul J. Hickey and Qingbin Cui found that female and LGBTQ employees in construction and engineering fields suffer striking workplace discrimination rates within traditionally male-dominated industries. Male or heteronormative managers may not be aware of this since they do not experience the same reality.

25 DEIB survey questions to make your own

Here, find diversity, equity, and inclusion survey questions to use as examples. Personalize them so they align with your own company's needs and goals.

Diversity questions

Diversity questions like these aim to assess and enhance the diverse richness of your workplace environment. Personalize these questions to align with your company's unique context:

1. Do you think our company has a diverse workforce?

You might stare at numbers and percentages all day and think your workforce boasts decent diversity. However, this means little if your employees disagree. Sometimes straightforward questions offer the most transparent and helpful results.

2. On a scale from 1 to 10, how well does our company promote an inclusive environment regardless of sexual orientation, race, age, nationality, or disability status?

Using a rating system or a check-all-that-apply response for this question can help you identify which groups your company should work harder on including.

3. Do you think our company considers job applications from diverse groups equally?

The people a company hires are a crucial indicator of its diversity and inclusion status. Ask your employees about their experiences with the hiring process and whether or not they felt it honors diversity.

4. Do you feel valued for the work you complete, regardless of your sexual identity, race, disability, or nationality?

You might have a variety of people making up your workforce, but that doesn't mean your company treats each person the same, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Learning who does or doesn't feel appreciated or valued for their skills at work can help you discover where you might need to increase recognition efforts.

5. Do you ever feel unconscious biases within our workplace culture?

Sometimes coworkers, bosses, or business community members might unintentionally circulate biased and prejudicial opinions. Uncovering subtle diverse microaggressions helps reveal what goes on behind the scenes.

6. Have you ever felt uncomfortable discussing your race, nationality, gender identity, or disability with anyone at work?

Everyone should feel comfortable and confident talking about who they are, and that extends to the workplace. Of course, conversations at the office should stay professional, but it's important to connect with your peers on a human level for interpersonal support.

7. Do you have ideas on how our management might improve the diversity and inclusion of our workplace culture?

Open-ended, idea-based questions are remarkable opportunities for improvement. Your employees are the bedrock of your organization and will help you identify any diversity issues they may be facing, and will likely have ideas on how to resolve them.

Equity questions

Equity survey questions focus on unearthing possibly unnoticed inequalities within the workplace. Asking direct questions often helps you discover which employees experience unfair treatment and how you can address those issues:

8. Do managers offer equal opportunities to people of all different backgrounds?

Managers offer opportunities to their employees in many ways, like selecting who will present a sales pitch, dedicating a new client to a certain employee, or picking someone as their go-to associate. Use this survey question to gauge whether or not your workforce perceives that your management allocates opportunities equally.

9. Does our company's career progression system offer equitable opportunities for career growth among all employees?

While everyone's professional trajectories and ambitions take different shapes, companies should offer equitable opportunities for all employees and offer incentives to boost employee engagement like promotions, raises, and bonuses. Ask your team this question to ensure that you're promoting employees fairly.

10. Do you think everyone gets treated fairly within our organization?

Sometimes, asking straightforward questions can help you receive the best survey results. You could use an open-ended answer for employees to discuss how they feel about fairness or offer a rating scale to gather quantifiable data on equity.

{highlight}💡 We recommend leaving this survey question anonymous so that employees feel at ease answering transparently.{highlight}

11. Have you ever noticed favoritism in the workplace? If so, how did it happen?

Favoritism is a privilege and comes in many forms; most managers often don't realize they're doing it. Maybe you tend to pick the same people repeatedly for the most sought-after tasks or never consider certain people for projects with big payoffs. Other team members are likely to be aware of this, hence why diverse opinions matter.

12. Does your management team support disabled employees' needs?

Equity requires supplying each person with the tools they need to succeed, regardless of who they are and what abilities or disadvantages they might have. Providing differently-abled persons on your team with the necessary support creates a more accessible and equitable work environment.

13. Does management practice transparent communication for everyone regarding pay, promotions, and opportunities?

Each manager practices transparency and communication differently. Regardless of your preferred methods, you want to ensure that everyone receives the same information. Use this question to determine the perceptions of how well your managers communicate with everyone on their teams.

14. How can we improve our equity efforts?

Just like at the end of the diversity survey, we recommend offering an open-ended box where employees can offer ideas on possible and suggested equity improvements.

Inclusion questions

Inclusion survey questions aim to uncover how people feel about the company's entire environment, including their peers, managers, workload, projects, meetings, discussions, and more. Personalize your inclusion survey questions to assess current policies or initiatives.

15. Does the senior leadership team prioritize inclusion initiatives?

Managers must take action on employee feedback surveys to show their commitment to change. Even if you don't think your organization has diversity and inclusion challenges, employees will still expect you to make constant positive strides toward improvement. Use this question to learn whether or not your team thinks your management prioritizes diversity and inclusion.

16. Do you feel comfortable sharing your opinions and ideas with coworkers and managers, even if they differ?

Feeling included means feeling comfortable enough to join conversations. Often, when someone feels shunned because of their race, gender, sexuality, or other identifying factors, it signifies an inadequate level of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

{highlight}💡 You might consider offering an open text box where employees can add names of anyone they specifically don't feel comfortable speaking with to help you discover problem areas.{highlight}

17. How would you rate our company's inclusive culture on a scale from 1 to 10?

Often, a diversity and inclusion survey provides insight but no measurable results to compare against other metrics in the future. We recommend using a rating scale between 1 and 10 so you can quantify results and see how well any new policies improve diversity and inclusion survey scores.

18. Are you confident in sharing your opinions with management, even when they contradict the "norm?"

Some employees might feel intimidated by their managers, especially if they hold a contrary opinion. Certain groups may feel less inclined to share their thoughts out of fear of retribution or discrimination.

19. Has anyone at work discriminated against you because of your race, ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, or cultural background?

The main goal of this question is to uncover discrimination in any possible area of the workplace. Discriminatory actions could include comments from other coworkers, clients, customers, interns, or any other stakeholder.

20. Do you have ideas on how we could introduce more inclusion efforts to improve workplace culture?

Again, we recommend closing your diversity and inclusion survey questions with an open-ended, qualitative idea response form. Let your employees offer their ideas and feel heard. You'll likely gather excellent information from their opinions.

21. Did this diversity and inclusion survey feel helpful? If not, what inclusion questions would you like to see next time?

Asking a general question about the survey itself can help improve your questions for the next survey. You may have missed a key question on sexual orientation, or perhaps employees would prefer a different rating scale to answer their questions. Letting your team advise you on future questionnaires can boost survey completion and employee engagement rates.

Belonging questions

Belonging in the workplace is crucial for creating a supportive environment where employees feel accepted and valued. Personalize the following questions to how strongly your employees feel they belong within the company:

22. On a scale from 1 to 10, how included do you feel in team activities and discussions?

Sometimes, asking if an employee feels they belong might be too open-ended. Steering questions towards specific contexts that are linked to belongingness, such as asking about their experience with team activities and discussions, might reveal more insights

23. Have you ever hesitated to express your authentic self at work?

Gauging belongingness is not as straightforward as with other components of DEIB surveys. Think of creative questions that prompt different ways belonging (or lack of) can manifest in employees or present in how they experience work.

24. Are there specific aspects of our workplace culture that you believe contribute positively to a sense of belonging?

To complement employee insights on what could use improvement, include questions that assess what initiatives are working well. This allows decision-makers to assess what DEIB activities are having the most impact, and understand what to invest in more or less of.

25. Do you have suggestions on how we can enhance the overall feeling of belonging for employees?

It's good to use open-ended questions that allow employees to answer how they want. Some might provide a lot of insights, while some might be more reserved. Regardless, some answers may reveal surprising truths when not confined to pre-define multiple-choice answers.

8 tips for boosting employee engagement on your survey

Nudging your employees to take the time out of their day to answer survey questions can be challenging. We recommend using the tips below to boost employee engagement and participation rates across your surveys:

Tip #1. Pick the best questions from our list above and personalize them to your business

Every employee, every team, and every company is unique. Customize your diversity and inclusion surveys so that questions reflect the nuances of your business. You could ask questions about how recent industry trends have impacted employees on a day-to-day, or their opinion on a specific inclusion initiative at work.

Tip #2. Make the survey anonymous

Some topics can feel vulnerable, and anonymity allows employees to freely express themselves. At the end of the day, you want survey answers to be honest, not censored. Leverage the anonymity features of online surveys, which work like a digital anonymous feedback box.

Tip #3. Communicate the survey objectives

Avoiding ambiguity here is key. When you provide context to employees, they can better understand the purpose behind the questions, which might encourage them to invest a little more in their answers. Something as simple as "We are exploring remote work scheme possibilities, and your insights would help us decide what's best collectively" does the job.

Tip #4. Carve out a time so everyone can fill out inclusion surveys

When days get busy, it's hard to find time for non-urgent tasks. DEIB surveys might get bumped back up the pipeline if employees have to prioritize client calls or project deadlines, so make sure you help employees schedule time to complete the survey without stress.

Tip #5. Make all questions optional, so no one feels pressured

Some employees might feel uneasy answering questions — and even more so if it's mandatory. Employees are entitled to privacy, so questions about personal life or sexual orientation should always be optional. Try open-ended questions, which allow employees to choose what aspects they want to answer unnecessary pressure.

Tip #6. Offer multiple response formats

Because people have different communication styles, one-size-fits-all inclusion surveys might not capture everyone's input effectively. Using a variety of response formats, like multiple choice or open-ended text boxes, allows you to collect both quantitative and qualitative data.

Tip #7. Share survey results with your team for transparency

To create a culture of openness, transparency has to go both ways. Just like you include employees in collecting answers, include them in accessing insights, too. This could look like a post-survey recap once all data has been compiled.

Tip #8. Follow up with additional surveys after you introduce new policies

Changes within companies are a never-ending journey. It's all about evolution! After implementing new DEIB policies, use follow-up surveys to gauge their effectiveness. This practice is part of a continuous improvement culture.

Leveraging technology to bring your DEIB efforts together

Creating effective and helpful diversity and inclusion survey questions isn't easy, but there are solutions out there designed to help you navigate the process.

Workleap Officevibe helps build safe channels between employees and management teams with interactive and engaging survey questions, private responses, and powerful data insights with tools that make tracking data easy.

Request a demo to start building more inclusive and healthier workplaces.

Did you know that 47% of people say they regularly feel overwhelmed at work? And that more than a quarter of employees report an unhealthy balance between their work and personal life?*

That’s pretty rough. But it doesn’t have to be. Companies that foster positive company culture and prioritize employee satisfaction and happiness will stand out above the rest in an increasingly competitive employee marketplace.

While it can be challenging to measure something as crucial yet intangible as employee satisfaction, it’s comforting to know that no person is an island and there are tools out there to help you gauge how your people are feeling and make improvements so you can go the distance together. Ask the right employee satisfaction survey questions with this curated template and start tuning in to satisfaction levels in your workplace. 

* According to Officevibe data

What is employee satisfaction?

Employee satisfaction: the industry term on everybody’s lips – with good reason. Also known as job satisfaction, it refers to how content an employee is with their:

• Daily tasks 
• Relationship with manager and peers
• Workplace culture
• Salary, benefits, and perks
• Overall employee experience

Employee satisfaction is the cornerstone of any successful organization. Most professionals are no longer content with simply clocking in and biding their time at the office; employees want to immerse themselves in productive and meaningful work, feel connected to the company’s culture, and feel valued for the time and effort they contribute to the big picture. 

Why is it important to survey employee satisfaction?

Don’t discount the importance of employee satisfaction: according to recent Officevibe data, 53% of employees who answered our Pulse Survey questions have searched for a new job in the past year. Considering that so many have actively sought new professional opportunities, companies should be looking at implementing long-term solutions to boost employee engagement and satisfaction and improve employee retention if they want to assert themselves as forces to be reckoned in their industry.

Happy employees are generally more engaged and productive, but did you also know that higher employee satisfaction also results in:

• Lower turnover rates
• Better collaboration (with peers and leadership)
• Stronger company loyalty
• More positive brand association

{emphasize}Psst! Learn more about the importance of employee satisfaction and how improving it can make for a more engaged workforce.{emphasize}

How to survey employee satisfaction

While there are many ways for HR professionals and team leaders to measure job satisfaction, the most important thing is to actually check in on how your employees feel about the organization and their positions within it. Let’s dive into some of the ways you can gauge employee engagement and satisfaction. 

Pulse surveys

If you’re not sure where to start on your quest to assess employee satisfaction, pulse surveys may be your new best friend. Workplace pulse surveys generally feature a short series of questions meant to give managers a clear understanding of how their teams are feeling on a range of topics including:

• Work-life balance
• Company culture
• Work environment
• Employee engagement
• Employee well-being

Employee satisfaction survey questions can be answered using a qualitative sliding scale (i.e. strongly agree - strongly disagree), or with a quantitative scale (i.e. 1-10). It’s also important to note that survey answers should be anonymous to ensure employees feel comfortable giving honest feedback. Keep your questions concise, and opt for fewer questions to avoid survey fatigue.

{emphasize}Resources like Officevibe’s employee pulse survey tool help you ask the right questions to gather insight into what your company is doing well for your employees, and how it can improve employee satisfaction and increase engagement.{emphasize}

Anonymous employee feedback channels

Another great way to measure employee satisfaction is to create a safe space for your people to express themselves freely and give their honest opinions on anything from company initiatives and culture to how happy they are with their career progression or with their role within the business.

Gathering anonymous employee feedback will help you get a clearer picture of how you can improve as a manager, overcome roadblocks, and foster a healthier and happier workplace for all your employees.

One-on-one meetings

Along with annual performance reviews, holding more frequent one-on-one meetings with your employees will help you get a better sense of how satisfied your people are with their jobs. These meetings can be formal, scheduled sessions or shorter, more informal touchpoints throughout the week or month. 

Regardless of how frequently you hold your one-on-one meetings or send out your pulse surveys, it’s fundamental to be thoughtful with how you respond to this feedback so that your employees feel seen and valued.

{emphasize}💡Need a hand coming up with some talking points in your next chat? Try these useful one-on-one meeting questions.{emphasize}

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10 Employee satisfaction survey question examples

Now that you’re filled in on the ways you can check in on your team and measure their job satisfaction, we’ve gone ahead and put together a list of some employee satisfaction survey questions you might want to introduce into your next satisfaction survey.

1. Do you feel like you have all the resources you need to succeed at your job? 
2. Do you feel like there is an opportunity for career growth here in this organization?
3. How reasonable do you feel your workload levels are right now?
4. Are you satisfied with the frequency of recognition you receive?
5. Do you enjoy what you’re currently working on?
6. How would you rate your work-life balance?
7. Do you feel you are fairly compensated in your current role in the organization?
8. Do you feel a sense of fulfillment from your work?
9. How satisfied are you with the number of touchpoints you have with your manager?
10. How would you rate your employer-employee relationship?

To generate deeper feedback from your employees, consider including a section where they can expand on their answers. With Officevibe, employees have the option of keeping their feedback anonymous so they can feel comfortable giving their honest opinions.

{emphasize}Want more question ideas? Check out these 30 employee satisfaction survey questions that are sure to produce actionable results.{emphasize}

Benefits of using employee satisfaction surveys

The benefits of conducting an employee satisfaction survey are endless, especially if you’re using a dedicated platform where you can centralize all of your questions and responses. When you can keep track of what matters to your employees, you’ll be able to highlight problem areas and nip issues in the bud before they escalate, or keep improving on what they think makes your organization great.  

Conducting an employee satisfaction survey gives your people the opportunity to express their opinions, builds trust between the management team and their direct reports, and fosters a culture of transparent dialogue.

{emphasize}💡Compliment your employee satisfaction surveys with Officevibe’s guide to employee engagement surveys to get the full picture of how your team is really feeling.{emphasize}

How often should you conduct an employee satisfaction survey?

Every business operates differently, so it’s only natural that the frequency at which they’ll send satisfaction surveys will vary. There’s no universal rule of thumb for how often you should conduct a survey, but we recommend against only sending lengthy and time-consuming annual surveys. Instead, opt for shorter, more frequent touchpoints. 

Before sending out your surveys, build yourself a schedule or plan based on your employees’ needs and workloads; the whole point of sending out an employee satisfaction survey is to identify how you can boost your team’s happiness, so make sure it works for them!

What to do with your employee satisfaction survey results

Conducting a staff satisfaction survey is the first step toward fostering a happier employee experience for your team, but how you address the feedback you collect is arguably the most crucial piece of the puzzle.

Recent Officevibe data shows that 52% of managers reviewed survey results but took no action; don’t become another casualty of this unfortunate statistic and act on the data you collected. Remember that employee satisfaction looks different for everyone, so take the time to discuss employee survey results with your team individually to brainstorm new ideas and initiatives together.

How Officevibe can help you measure employee satisfaction

There’s really nowhere to go but up when you take the time to listen to what matters most to your people.

Employee experience platforms like Officevibe make it easier for you to gather data-backed insights to help you brainstorm new initiatives for both employee and company growth and success. We like to think that a bigger picture is a better picture, and Officevibe can help you get a clearer understanding of how you can engage your teams and turn insight into action.

Request a free demo and learn why Officevibe is trusted by more than 3,200 businesses worldwide.

We all like to know that someone sees and appreciates our efforts. When you recognize and reward employees' hard work, you improve employee motivation, boost their loyalty to the organization, and create a more positive company culture.

So how can you improve employee recognition, especially in a dynamic workplace where many people work remotely? Read on to discover the most effective ways managers and leaders can improve recognition and boost employee morale.

The importance of employee recognition in the workplace

In today's intensely competitive and stressful workplace climate, people don't just work for a paycheck. Employees also need to feel recognized and valued to sustain their mojo.

Research shows that individual and public recognition can boost employee motivation, improve performance, and reduce attrition. A full 91% of employees say recognition is meaningful, even if it's just a simple "Thank you!"

Today, many organizations understand that showing appreciation for employees can:

• Make employees happier and more ready to learn new skills that will make them an even better fit for their role
• Increase employee engagement and promote team collaboration
• Improve staff retention and help keep valuable talent within the organization
• Foster friendly competition between team members
• Boost employee morale during challenges, like working towards a tight deadline

8 ways to improve recognition in the workplace

Here's some good news: you don't need to spend a lot of money (or any!) to recognize your employees or make them feel appreciated. 

In fact, it’s been shown that cash rewards can actually decrease intrinsic motivation. Companies without a large budget for employee rewards can develop an effective and authentic recognition program without spending money with the following low-cost high-impact suggestions. 

#1: Make employee recognition genuine and impactful

Giving kudos should be intentional and well thought out. Sending a robotic “thanks” or “great job” every time an employee goes the extra mile won’t get you much further than not recognizing them at all.

That said, recognition doesn’t have to be long and tedious to give. Including these simple points in your message will make sure it’s authentic and effective, ultimately helping you boost your employee engagement:

• Include a short but clear recap of what they accomplished
• Mention the value it brings to the team and/or organization
• Share any shoutouts you received from other employees and leaders
• Add a personal flare and warmth

For example, rather than just saying, “Great job on building this landing page,” say something like, “I really appreciate your efforts in fixing the glitches on the homepage. Your work helped us reach our campaign targets, and our customer acquisition team is so excited about the improved user experience!” The key here is sincerity; if you don’t mean it, don’t say it.

#2: Advocate for regular virtual recognition

With a distributed workforce, employees, especially those that are fully remote, may sometimes feel disconnected at work. It’s normal. Casual chats by the coffee machine aren’t as common or may not even happen at all for some team members. 

Making real-time virtual recognition a habit and even the norm can make sure everyone feels seen and appreciated, no matter where they choose to work from. From video sessions, to Slack channels, to a recognition platform, the opportunities for remote employee recognition are endless. 

{emphasize}Pro tip: host casual virtual games and get-to-know-me sessions that add a more fun and personal touch to professional relationships.{emphasize}

#3: Prioritize employee engagement

Employee appreciation and recognition go hand in hand with employee engagement, which is critical to the success of any organization. Rewards and recognition motivate employees to invest more in their performance and go the extra mile to advance and fulfil company-wide goals.

A strategic employee recognition program will also include elements that improve engagement, like building connections, encouraging collaborative teamwork, and providing real-time feedback and praise. Engaged employees are happier, more productive, and less likely to seek out professional opportunities elsewhere.

{emphasize}Officevibe's employee engagement platform can help you assess engagement levels in your company and map out a plan to boost employee motivation.{emphasize}

#4: Provide career development opportunities

Investing in an employee’s professional development is one of the most effective ways to incorporate recognition into your company culture. Nurturing your employee’s career development is like saying, "We believe in your abilities and want to keep you in the company long-term."

Today, many employees prioritize professional growth and are more likely to stay in a company that understands and promotes their long-term career goals. While some larger corporations subsidize their employees' MBAs or provide other scholarships, an organization can also help its employees develop their careers with:

• Targeted mentorship programs and workshops
• Flexible work options for employees balancing work and academics
• Setting goals using OKRs 

Employees can upskill with both hard skills (i.e. learning a programming language), and soft skills like leadership, empathy, and communication.

A good manager will encourage employees to reflect on their strengths and plan their career for the next year, five years, and 10 years.

#5: Promote peer-to-peer recognition

Recognition and appreciation shouldn't just flow from managers to employees. A healthy company culture encourages employees to value, acknowledge, and motivate their peers. When team members share peer recognition and support, the entire crew works better together.

Promoting recognition between colleagues can lead to: 

• Improved collaboration. When coworkers uplift rather than compete, it encourages mutual trust and cooperation. While a bit of inner competition is healthy, managers should emphasize that individual success is team success.
• Higher job satisfaction. Employees who are supported and acknowledged by their peers are happier with their workplace and less likely to look for a new job.
• Increased motivation. Positive feedback and recognition from colleagues can boost employee initiative and autonomy.

Managers can encourage inter-team recognition using different methods like sending appreciation messages on Slack channels or implementing an anonymous shout-out platform.

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#6: Acknowledge work anniversaries and other milestones

In a large company, employees may wonder how much they really matter. Acknowledging each employee’s work anniversary shows them that the company values them.

The “workiversary” recognition message can appear on a physical board or a communication app and say something like, "Two years ago today, Susan joined our team. We all treasure Susan’s commitment, initiative, and willingness to lend a helping hand.”

You could also turn the spotlight on successful past projects that played a major role in your business with a message such as: “Exactly one year ago today, we signed the contract with our biggest client. We could never have done this without David’s skilled networking.”

#7: Recognize employees' personal accomplishments

Recognition in the office is not just about highlighting a great PowerPoint presentation or a thorough annual report. In a positive company culture, a tight-knit team celebrates its people’s personal milestones, like getting married, having a baby, or completing an academic degree.

Employee recognition programs may also acknowledge employees whose personal endeavors reflect company values, like giving back to the community through volunteering or fundraising.

#8: Carve out time for recognition during team events

We love recognizing employees regularly and virtually. With the right tools, it’s easy, tidy, and accessible. But sometimes nothing compares to being celebrated or celebrating someone else in person. It's the cherry on top of the recognition sundae.

Whether your team has gatherings once a month, quarter, or year, taking the time to recognize them during these events will bring an extra layer of motivation and engagement. The important thing is to let employees know that you value them not only for their productivity, but for who they are as individuals. 

{emphasize}Pro tip: For smaller team gatherings, make a list of the milestones and/or accomplishments (promotions, work anniversaries, birthdays, etc.) that happened since your last event and take 5 minutes to give each person a shoutout or toast.{emphasize}

Tips for successful employee recognition programs

We’ve walked you through why you should work toward improving recognition in the workplace and the ways to go about it, but now we’ll go through some handy and actionable tips for making your people feel seen at work.

Give real-time recognition

When you want to highlight someone’s accomplishments, there’s no better time than the present. Thank your employees for their outstanding work in real time, even if you plan to offer a more structured reward later.

{emphasize}Emails are great tools for real-time recognition. Acknowledge your employees' successes, big or small, using our email templates for expressing gratitude.{emphasize}

Recognize efforts, not just success

We all love to have our work yield positive results: a major contract, new clients, or an inflow of sales. However, your employees deserve to feel appreciated for their extra hours and effort regardless of the outcome.

Ask for feedback

Is your recognition program working? Does it improve your employee engagement rates and promote a healthier, more supportive company culture?

An employee survey can help you assess how much your employees benefit from the program and what changes you can implement to show employee recognition even more effectively.

Demonstrate team appreciation with Officevibe

Create a healthy recognition culture in your organization with Good Vibes, Officevibe's newest platform for highlighting effort and the little victories in everyday tasks. Motivate your employees with personal recognition tools that help improve team vibes and create a more positive workplace. 

Employees are arguably an organization’s most valuable assets. So it makes sense that having optimal employee performance is key to ensuring a company’s long-term survival. 

Keeping your team happy and engaged can help you maximize profitability and provide a consistently pleasant customer experience – and setting up a recognition program will let you do just that.

We understand that as a manager or supervisor it can be challenging to promote employee satisfaction while:

• Treating all team members fairly
• Setting clear expectations
•  Establishing trust and healthy peer relationships
• Addressing conflict and other roadblocks
• Understanding everyone’s challenges, aspirations, and motivations

Overcoming this challenge, with the support of your management team, makes it possible to implement a dynamic employee recognition program to boost employee engagement and productivity.

To help you understand your team’s needs and expectations, we’ve put together 20 employee recognition questions for your next survey.

The importance of employee recognition

Recognition occurs when an employee receives an acknowledgment for their contributions to their team and/or organization. These contributions include consistent performance, new ideas, and professional behavior.

According to an analysis by Gallup, 74% of employees who say their team receives regular recognition strongly agree that they feel their work is valuable and useful. It’s clear then that implementing a vibrant recognition program is the key to:

• Providing employees with a sense of accomplishment
• Enhancing employee engagement
• Establishing company loyalty
• Improving employee productivity
• Maximizing employee retention and saving costs

Creating an employee recognition survey is an effective way to gauge how employees feel about the current recognition program and identify areas for improvement.

20 employee recognition survey questions

Including the questions below in your employee recognition surveys will allow your employees to give feedback and helpful suggestions to improve their employee experience. Using the answers to these questions, you can pinpoint problem areas and formulate optimal solutions for your team.

1. How often do you receive recognition?

How frequently employees receive recognition for their contributions plays a role in how appreciated they feel. 

One-on-one meetings with employees are the ideal opportunity for managers to acknowledge stand-out work or an innovative idea. If employees indicate that they only receive recognition once per month or even less often, you should start making improvements to your recognition program.

{emphasize}💡 Pro tip: Employees should receive recognition, either from their managers or peers, at least once a week.{emphasize}

2. Do you feel you receive enough recognition?

Each employee is unique. Some individuals require daily recognition to feel valued at the workplace, while others might not know how to respond to recognition or may feel uncomfortable with praise. This question in the employee recognition survey indicates whether or not the existing program is sufficient.

{emphasize}For example, if employee responses show that your team is happy with a yearly reward, implementing a daily or weekly appreciation program may be unnecessary.{emphasize}

3. Is the recognition you receive meaningful?

The employee recognition survey should give insight into how relevant and substantial your organization’s rewards are. If an employee doesn’t find the existing rewards valuable, upping the frequency might not be the right solution. They may be looking to receive meaningful rewards instead.

{emphasize}For example, some employees prefer acknowledgment in front of their peers, while others may feel appreciated with a private message. Each organization needs to determine whether the form of recognition it offers is effective, and then make changes accordingly.{emphasize}

4. Do you feel valued at the company?

Employees want to feel that their daily activities, work ethic, or ideas contribute to the company’s success. When employees know they play a specific invaluable role within the organization, they are more likely to stay on which boosts employee retention rates and creates a more positive work culture.

{emphasize}💡Pro tip: You can easily show employees that their roles are valuable through clear communication. Being attentive to an employee’s wins and giving real-time kudos will help your team feel appreciated.{emphasize}

5. Do you know which behaviors receive recognition?

Employees should clearly understand the behaviors that receive recognition within your company. When your team knows what is most important to your organization, they are more likely to focus on these tasks.

{emphasize}💡Pro-tip: One-on-one meetings or training initiatives are effective ways to let employees know what the company expects of them.{emphasize}

6. Which behaviors should receive recognition?

This employee recognition survey question prompts employees to consider other achievements that managers should acknowledge. Because employees deliver products and services, interact with customers, and collaborate with vendors, they can identify efforts that are integral to the company’s success.

{emphasize}Managers might not be in tune with which tasks are necessary to retain customers. In the survey, employees can indicate that personalizing offers and selling loyalty programs are the reasons customers return. These tactics and initiatives should receive recognition.{emphasize}

7. Which recognition type do you value most?

As managers, it’s important to know what part of your recognition program is the most valuable to employees. Making changes according to these survey results is simple and will make sure your program runs more effectively.

{emphasize}Officevibe can help give your team a safe space where they can be honest about the type of employee recognition they value.{emphasize}

8. What rewards would you like to receive?

If you’re missing the mark with the previous question, you may need to reevaluate the rewards you're offering altogether. Asking employees what they'd like to receive can give you more clarity. 

Providing valuable rewards ensures that employees find the recognition meaningful and motivating. At Officevibe, we strongly believe that non-monetary recognition, such as verbal or written praise, peer-to-peer acknowledgment, or leader-to-team recognition, leads to more intrinsic motivation than to monetary perks.

{emphasize}💡Pro-tip: Consider asking this question in multiple-choice format. Employees’ recognition preferences should align with your organization’s resources.{emphasize}

9. Is the company’s recognition program fair?

Keeping things fair promotes a healthy company culture. This can be as simple as recognizing two employees if they both worked on a successful project.

{emphasize}💡Pro-tip: Set personal relationships aside when recognizing employees. Remaining unbiased makes sure all employees are satisfied with the recognition program.{emphasize}

10. Are the recognition benefits proportional to achievements?

Do employees believe that the recognition they receive is appropriate for their achievements or milestones? Recognition can be tiered according to the impact a person’s work or efforts have on the team and/or organization.

{emphasize}For example, if a team member proposes a new process that will streamline their team’s work, they can receive kudos during their next team sync. On the other hand, if someone secures the biggest client of the year, a company-wide shoutout may be worth giving.{emphasize}

11. How can HR improve the recognition program?

If you have difficulty coming up with ways to recognize employees and improve employee satisfaction, why not ask them what they want? 

Your employees likely spend a lot of time thinking about how the company can show them they are appreciated. Adding this question to the survey allows them to give their valuable input anonymously.

{emphasize}With Officevibe, you can give your team members a stake in their own development.{emphasize}

12. How accessible do you find recognition benefits?

Having an accessible program can be as simple as ensuring your employees know the program exists and making all the recognition tools easy to find and use. If employees need to jump through hoops to view or access their praise after earning it, you may need to rethink how your organization tackles recognition.

If the employee recognition survey answers indicate that the program is complicated or time-intensive, be sure to find a way to improve their experience.

{emphasize}💡Pro-tip: Having a centralized and user-friendly platform like Officevibe can make your recognition program intuitive for the entire team. {emphasize}

13. How frequently do you give others recognition?

For a culture of recognition to thrive, showing recognition is just as important as receiving it. Implementing a peer feedback loop is effective and can motivate employees to be excellent team players.  

In organizations where employees recognize the accomplishments of others, employee experience tends to reflect the company values.

{emphasize}💡Pro-tip: Encourage employees to provide weekly feedback and acknowledgments to each other. This can be done verbally during a coffee chat, or by sending Good Vibes on Officevibe.{emphasize}

14. Is the recognition for additional effort sufficient?

Some employees have the inherent need to go the extra mile for their employer. Those who go above and beyond should always receive recognition from company management.

This survey question provides valuable insights into how the company treats high achievers. You can optimize these employees’ efforts by making the necessary improvements to the recognition system.

{emphasize}💡Pro-tip: If an employee consistently performs well, it’s important to schedule one-on-one time to understand their career goals and how you can play a role in their personal growth.{emphasize}

15. How easy is recognition across geo-locations?

Employee recognition is critical in a distributed workforce. Building personal relationships can be challenging when dealing with remote teams, and you might also have difficulty determining a remote employee’s motivators. Asking this question can help you make sure you have a team of engaged employees, no matter where they work.

{emphasize}💡Pro tip: If remote workers participate in the employee recognition survey, ask them if they find the acknowledgments from the organization meaningful. These answers can help you make improvements to establish loyalty among all employees.{emphasize}

16. When did you last receive recognition from management?

Communication gaps may exist between management and their direct reports.

For example, team leaders might believe that they regularly acknowledge employee contributions. But if the employee recognition survey indicates that several weeks have passed since employees received an acknowledgment, they might not realize that management recognizes their achievements. This can allow managers to assess and revisit how they are giving kudos.

17. What is the impact of recognition on employee morale?

The ultimate goal of an employee recognition program is to keep your team happy and engaged. Asking this question will help you determine if the current program is effective in keeping employee engagement levels high and boosting your team’s morale.

{emphasize}💡Pro-tip: In some cases, acknowledging one employee’s achievement can enhance the general mood of an entire office. This simple act of appreciation can be a source of inspiration for other employees and can even carry a domino effect.{emphasize}

18. Does the organization reward new ideas?

Through employee recognition, a company can incentivize team members to come up with new ideas to improve efficiency.

The survey answers to this question should indicate that employees are satisfied with the acknowledgment of a new idea. If the answers highlight a pain point, you’ll be better equipped to come up with a solution.

{emphasize}💡Pro-tip: Let people in your organization know that you value innovation by creating an innovation board or Slack channel where everyone can share new ideas.{emphasize}

19. How does employee acknowledgment impact the work environment?

Digging deeper, does acknowledging employee performance affect the general mood and productivity of the team?

Giving kudos is a win-win situation for both employees and organizations. When employees feel recognized, not only do they feel motivated to do their best work, but they can also see a clearer picture of how their work impacts the company’s goals. A pleasant work environment is essential to ensure company-wide efficiency and productivity. 

20. Does the company culture promote employee satisfaction?

Once you start building a culture of recognition, you’ll want to measure if there is a clear connection between the appreciation given and the levels of employee satisfaction.

Do employees feel motivated after receiving kudos? Do they recognize employee engagement efforts set forth by the company? This will help you identify the efficacy of your recognition programs and allow you to make any tweaks to improve them.

{emphasize}💡Pro-tip: Consider following up your recognition questionnaire with an employee engagement survey to better understand how the two align.{emphasize}

How to create employee recognition surveys

Creating pulse surveys is one of the most effective ways to collect employee feedback. These feedback tools give you a real-time, bird’s eye view of your team’s employee recognition requirements so that you can make informed decisions.

An employee engagement survey is also viable if you need to keep track of remote teams.

Employee recognition ideas to improve employee engagement

Effective ways to recognize employee achievements include:

• Scheduling one-on-one meetings and carving out time for kudos
• Promoting employee feedback within a virtual setting, like sending Good Vibes on Officevibe
• Acknowledging team members’ contributions during company-wide projects
• Celebrating employees’ milestones

How Officevibe can help

As a Pulse Survey platform, Officevibe lets you measure 10 metrics and 26 sub-metrics of staff satisfaction, including wellness and recognition. Using Pulse Surveys, you can collect employee feedback from targeted questions more frequently, which means you don’t add to your team members’ workflow.

Using Officevibe, you can track metrics like recognition quality and frequency. You can also generate a visual report that overviews employee satisfaction and problem areas needing attention.

Want to talk with our team about how Officevibe might help your organization? Request a demo today where we'll get the conversation going!

Do your employees feel comfortable, engaged, and supported in the workplace? Are they experiencing a positive company culture and a healthy work-life balance? It's crucial to understand their well-being and address any emotional exhaustion, burnout, or anxiety they may be facing.

Employee wellness surveys offer a powerful tool to gain valuable insights, improve employee engagement, increase productivity, and foster genuine connections within your team. By delving deeper into the significance of these surveys, you can unlock opportunities to improve employee well-being and create a supportive environment.

Wellness surveys demonstrate that a company supports its employees through and through. Let's explore further the importance of employee well-being survey efforts and discover practical ways to implement them, ensuring your team's mental and physical health remains a top priority.

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The importance of employee health and wellness

A happier employee performs better — that’s a fact. A recent study shows that happiness boosts productivity by about 12%. Corporate giants like PwC invest billions in employee wellbeing not just because it’s good PR, but because they know it pays off.

Poor physical health, mental health issues like anxiety and depression, burnout, and toxic workplace culture can cause serious harm to the overall health of an organization. An employee struggling with negative thoughts or high levels of stress is more likely to become disengaged, make mistakes, miss work days, or even quit their job.

With this in mind, managers and team leaders need to keep a finger on the pulse of their team’s well-being, emotional health, internal relationships, and psychological safety. The problem? Employee wellness can be hard to measure, especially if you work in a large organization and can’t communicate with each team member directly.

Anonymous employee wellness surveys can encourage your team to open up about their health, wellness, and workplace dynamics in a safe, judgment-free space. With the proper question structure, they can give you answers to important questions like:

• How do your team members evaluate their own health and wellness in the workplace?
• How much stress do your employees experience on a daily basis?
• Do your employees have access to stress management tools, mental health support, and other resources?
• Do your employees have access to proper healthcare, and how do they manage chronic health conditions?
• How does your team rate any ongoing wellness initiatives in your company?

{emphasize}If you’re sensing an employee is on the brink of burning out, use this template on work stress to gauge your team’s stress level and get to the bottom of what is triggering their anxieties.{emphasize}

Tips on how to conduct insightful surveys and measure employee wellness

An employee health and wellness survey can provide data on factors that influence employee well-being, like workloads, business management, stress, or relationships within the team. Such a wellness survey aims to assess team well-being, discover what drags employees down (too much work? not enough communication? external stress?), and give leaders valuable ideas to improve employee wellness.

Statistics like employee turnover rates and the number of absences are helpful, but wellness survey results provide more precise data directly from employees. A high turnover rate lets you know you have a problem; an employee engagement survey can help discover what the issue is and what can help solve it.

1. Ask the right questions

Employee wellness surveys need to be simple, clear, and detailed to provide useful feedback. Surveys should focus on specific data that can help you get to the root of problems like high turnover or conflicts within your company.

That's why both close-ended and open-ended questions should be included in your wellness survey. Close-ended questions give measurable data (“74% of the employees who took the survey rated communication with their managers 8 out of 10 or higher”), while open-ended survey questions provide personal insights (“several employees who completed the survey point out that they feel significantly more tired and less productive after 5 p.m.”).

2. Keep the employee surveys short

Your employee wellbeing survey should be short and the questions concise. If a survey takes more than a few minutes to complete, your employees may abandon the survey, leave questions unanswered, or provide meaningless answers where you need feedback.

Any time you survey employees, focus on what you want to know now and leave the rest for subsequent employee wellness surveys.

3. Communicate about the survey

To ensure maximum participation and engagement, it's crucial for managers to effectively communicate about the upcoming employee wellness survey. Send a company-wide email or use the internal communication platform to announce the survey's purpose, its importance in shaping a healthier work environment, and the anticipated timeline. Encourage transparency and assure employees that their feedback will be anonymous and valued.

By choosing a channel that reaches everyone and emphasizing the significance of their input, you'll foster enthusiasm and increase survey participation.

4. Offer incentives to employees

Offering incentives to team members who complete the wellness survey can increase survey participation rates. The reward can be simple, like a coffee coupon or a gift card raffle. Make sure to let your team know beforehand that a prize awaits them at the end of the survey.

Above all, show employees that their survey feedback matters.

5. Send a thank-you message

After the survey, you could send a message like, “Thank you for taking the time to answer employee wellness survey questions last week. We’ve noticed that many of you have concerns about fluctuating workloads. We’ll see what we can do to improve consistency.”

30 employee wellness survey questions

The specific questions you choose for your employee wellness survey may depend on your industry and your company’s structure. Here is a basic list of wellness survey questions to get you started:

Overall health and wellness

1. How are you feeling at this moment?

2. Do you feel like your organization supports your overall well-being?

3. Do you have access to comfortable and adequate office equipment and infrastructure (on-site and at home)?

4. Do you feel like the benefits provided by your organization support your overall health?

5. How can your organization help improve employee wellness?

6. Are you able to eat a nutritionally balanced lunch during office hours?

7. Do you have access to healthy snacks at work?

8. Do you feel like you can take breaks away from your computer during work hours?

9. Do you feel like your organization provides access to adequate wellness resources?

10. What wellness-promoting initiatives would you like to see in the workplace?

Workload, corporate culture, and stress management

11. Do you agree with the following statement: “I have a reasonable workload”? (Strongly agree, partially agree, disagree, strongly disagree, not sure)

12. Do you feel you can communicate openly with your manager about workloads and performance expectations? (Always, sometimes, rarely, never)

13. On a scale of 1 to 10, please rate your degree of work-related stress.

14. On a scale of 1 to 10, how strongly do you agree with the following: “My co-workers are friendly and supportive.”

15. In the past 6 months, have you considered looking externally for employment opportunities?

16. Is there a person within the organization you feel you can speak to about stress and other factors that influence your work performance?

17. Do you have access to resources that address stress, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues?

18. On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you at work?

19. Would you recommend our company as a positive place to work?

20. In your opinion, what program or initiative might reduce your work-related stress?

Work-life balance

21. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you agree with the following: “I enjoy an optimal work-life balance at my current job”?

22. Is your lunch break long enough?

23. How often do you handle work-related tasks outside of work hours? (Daily, often, sometimes, never)

24. On a scale of 1 to 10, how difficult is it for you to balance your workload with childcare and other personal responsibilities?

25. Do you agree with the following: “My supervisors do their best to accommodate me when I need to take time off for personal reasons”? (Strongly agree, partially agree, disagree, strongly disagree, not sure)

26. Does your workload leave you enough time to pursue hobbies, personal activities, or career development?

27. On a scale of 1 to 10, how well would you say our organization supports employees in achieving a better balance between work and other responsibilities?

28. On a scale of 1 to 10, how high do you rate the importance of flexible hours and time off?

29. Do you agree with the following statement: “The pressure related to my personal workload is harming my productivity at work”? (Strongly agree, partially agree, disagree, strongly disagree, not sure)

30. In your opinion, what workplace initiative, wellness program, or policy can help you improve your work-life balance?

The insights you gather from answers to workplace wellness survey questions can help you devise solutions for improved employee well-being, like a broader benefits package, exercise and wellness programs, or ergonomic office furniture.

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Employee wellness programs for a healthy and thriving workforce

Once you have your employee well-being survey results and a better sense of the employee health and wellness dynamics in your organization, it’s time to put your money where your mouth is and take actionable next steps. Poor employee health can lead to lower engagement or productivity. Relevant wellness initiatives could address the pain points you uncovered through the wellness survey.

Some might claim that employee wellness programs “don’t work.” These opinions, however, usually refer to other wellness initiatives that focus purely on the physical side of wellness, like workplace gyms or exercise programs. A holistic wellness program targets all aspects of employee well-being: physical, mental, social, professional, and financial.

Here are some examples of wellness initiatives your company might consider:

1. Fitness programs: While this may not work for every organization, an on-site gym or a yoga class can help employees reduce stress, boost energy, and improve concentration. Companies with limited space can overcome this challenge by providing discounted gym memberships or sponsoring a fitness package that employees can use to fund their preferred activities, like pilates, swimming, or biking.
2. Expanded health benefits: If your employees cut corners with their healthcare because of insufficient coverage, both their health and their work performance will be greatly affected. A more generous benefit package can encourage employees to take better care of their health needs.
3. Healthy lunch and snack plans: How many of your team members skip lunch, cram in a burger before they rush back to the office, or try to stay alert with too much caffeine? Healthy catered lunches and balanced snacks will keep employees more energetic and productive throughout the day. Accommodating (if possible) the needs of people who follow vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free diets will create a more inclusive workspace.
4. Mental health programs: An effective mental wellness program starts with a corporate culture that recognizes the importance of mental health. When business leaders acknowledge issues like anxiety, depression, and burnout, employees are more likely to take advantage of a subsidized coaching program, therapy, or meditation classes.
5. Financial wellness program: Employees dealing with debt or other financial constraints will be more stressed and less productive. Organization leaders can help their employees achieve financial well-being with initiatives like money management workshops, personalized financial coaching, and reimbursement for professional development courses and programs.
6. Naps: A brief 15-30 minute nap can help employees fight the infamous afternoon slump and get back to work more alert and energized. Offices with insufficient space for a nap room could benefit from compact sleeping pods that allow workers to take quick naps.

Work-life balance ideas that cultivate productive employees

Today, most leaders understand that 80-hour workweeks are unsustainable and unhealthy. The WHO confirms that working 55 hours a week or more leads to more deaths than stroke and heart disease in the workforce, while research shows that shorter work hours increase productivity.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of remote work brought the importance of work-life balance to the forefront. Many employees discovered that they like the flexibility of working remotely, while others voiced concerns about overwork and blurred boundaries between work and home hours. An organization that prioritizes work-life balance will have happier, more productive, and more loyal employees.

{emphasize}Here is how companies can help their employees find a better balance between work and family or personal life:

• Flexible leave policies: Many organizations now offer general paid time off instead of splitting it into sick days and vacation days.
• Flexible work hours: Employees appreciate being able to pick up their children from school or work four-day weeks during the summer.
• A limit on job-related communication: With all the benefits of telecommuting, remote employees can feel like they’re working around the clock. Let your people know that they are not expected to answer messages after a specific time.
• Family-friendly initiatives: Companies can support working parents by offering childcare subsidies, after-school programs, on-site daycare, flexible schedules, accommodations for pregnant and breastfeeding employees, and more.{emphasize}

Track and improve employee well-being with Officevibe

Employee engagement surveys can help you understand how your team members feel and what you can do to improve employee well-being. With Officevibe’s user-friendly pulse survey tool and clear reports, you can easily track your team’s vibe through an employee well-being survey and pinpoint where your company needs to adjust and improve.

Start putting the employee experience at the top of your priority list, and build a positive workplace culture where employees feel happy, engaged, and healthy.

Conducting employee wellness surveys prioritizes the well-being

In a nutshell, employee wellness surveys are a powerful way to understand and support your team's well-being. By asking the right questions and keeping surveys concise, you can gather valuable insights into their physical and mental health, work-life balance, and overall satisfaction.

These surveys help you identify areas for improvement and implement targeted initiatives that promote a healthier and more engaging work environment. Remember to communicate about the survey, offer incentives, and express gratitude for their participation. By taking action based on the survey results and sharing the outcomes, you show your commitment to their well-being — that you've got their backs as they have yours!

Employee wellness survey FAQ

What is an employee wellness survey?

An employee wellness survey is a valuable tool for gathering feedback from employees about their overall health and well-being, work-life balance, and work-related factors.

It provides a structured way to assess various aspects such as physical health, mental well-being, work and personal time management, job satisfaction, and employee engagement.

What are the benefits of employee wellness surveys?

Employee wellness surveys offer several benefits to both employees and organizations. They provide valuable data and insights into the overall well-being of your workforce, helping you identify areas for improvement and implement targeted interventions.

By understanding employees' needs, concerns, and perceptions, you can create a healthier and more engaging work environment that promotes productivity, satisfaction, and retention.

What do you do with employee wellness survey results?

Once you have collected employee well-being survey results, it's crucial to analyze the data and identify key findings. By examining patterns and trends, you can gain a deeper understanding of the factors affecting employee well-being and engagement. Use these insights to develop action plans, implement changes, and address specific concerns raised by employees.

Additionally, effective communication about the survey results is essential to keep employees engaged and informed. Sharing the aggregated results with your team and communicating the actions taken demonstrates transparency, shows that their feedback is valued, and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.