How many questions should an employee engagement survey have?

An annual engagement survey usually works well with twenty to thirty focused questions, while a pulse survey is better at five to ten. Include only questions tied to drivers you intend to act on.

What scale should I use for engagement questions?

A 1–5 Likert agreement scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree) is the most common and easiest to trend over time. Keep the same scale every survey wave so results stay comparable.

What are the main themes to cover?

Common engagement drivers include leadership, communication, recognition, career growth, workload, wellbeing, culture and belonging, the manager relationship, collaboration, and connection to company vision. Choose the ones most relevant to your goals.

Should I include open-ended questions?

Yes — one or two open-text questions explain why the ratings move and surface issues you did not think to ask about. Keep them near the end and avoid making every question open text.

What makes an engagement question biased?

Leading wording, double-barrelled questions that ask two things at once, and vague or unanswerable phrasing all introduce bias. Keep each question neutral, specific and focused on one idea.

Can I reuse the same questions each time?

Yes, and you should for your core drivers. A consistent set of questions lets you compare results across time and teams. Add a few situational questions per wave, but keep the shared anchors identical.

How do I turn these questions into a live survey?

Copy the ones you need into a template, or describe your goal and let AI generate a structured draft you can edit before sending.

Question Banks

Employee Engagement Survey Questions: 50+ Examples

The hardest part of running an engagement survey is deciding what to ask. This page is a working question bank: more than fifty examples grouped by theme, so you can copy the ones that fit your team and leave the rest.

Treat it as a menu rather than a checklist. A focused engagement survey rarely needs every question here — pick the drivers that matter for the decisions you will actually make this quarter, and keep the survey short enough that people finish it.

For how these questions fit into a full program, start with the cornerstone employee engagement survey guide. When you are ready to build, you can create your survey with AI and edit every question afterward.

Leadership and senior management

These questions measure confidence in the people setting direction and whether employees trust leadership to act. Use a 1–5 Likert agreement scale for consistency.

I have confidence in the decisions made by senior leadership. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
Leadership communicates a clear direction for the organisation. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
Senior leaders act in line with the values they talk about. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I trust leadership to make the right decisions for the future of the company. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
Leadership is open and honest in how it communicates. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
What is one thing leadership could do differently to earn more of your trust? (open text)

Communication and transparency

Engagement suffers when people feel out of the loop. These questions test whether information flows well in both directions.

I receive the information I need to do my job well. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
Important changes are communicated to me in good time. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I feel comfortable sharing my honest opinion at work. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
When I raise a concern, it is taken seriously. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
Communication between teams is effective. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
What information do you wish you received more of? (open text)

Recognition and reward

Recognition is one of the most consistent drivers of how valued people feel. Keep these focused on frequency and fairness rather than pay alone.

I receive recognition when I do good work. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
The recognition I receive feels genuine and specific. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I feel my contributions are valued by my team. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
Good work is rewarded fairly across the team. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
How would you prefer to be recognised for good work? (multiple choice: publicly / privately / career opportunities / financially / other)
When did you last feel genuinely appreciated at work, and why? (open text)

Career growth and development

People stay engaged when they can see a future. These questions cover learning, progression and whether growth conversations are happening.

I have opportunities to learn and grow at work. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I can see a path to progress in my career here. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
My manager supports my professional development. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I have access to the training I need to do my job well. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
In the last six months I have discussed my development with my manager. (Yes / No)
What skill or role would you most like to develop toward? (open text)

Workload and role clarity

Chronic overload and unclear expectations quietly erode engagement. These questions surface both.

My workload is manageable. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I understand what is expected of me in my role. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I have the tools and resources I need to do my job. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I am able to complete my work within my normal hours most of the time. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
My responsibilities are clearly defined. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
What gets in the way of doing your best work? (open text)

Wellbeing and work-life balance

Wellbeing questions signal that the organisation cares about the person, not just the output. For a dedicated survey, see the employee wellbeing survey template.

I am able to maintain a healthy balance between work and my personal life. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
My workload rarely causes me unhealthy levels of stress. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
My organisation cares about my wellbeing. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I feel comfortable taking time off when I need it. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I can switch off from work outside my normal hours. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
What would most improve your wellbeing at work? (open text)

Culture and belonging

These questions measure whether people feel included and whether the stated culture matches the lived one. See the workplace culture survey template for a deeper dive.

I feel I belong at this organisation. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
People here are treated with respect regardless of who they are. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I can be myself at work. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
Our stated values match how things actually work day to day. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I would recommend this organisation as a good place to work. (0–10 scale)
What is the best thing about working here? (open text)

Create your survey with AI

Describe what you want to learn and get a ready-to-edit survey in seconds — free to start.

Manager and direct relationship

The relationship with a direct manager shapes daily experience more than almost anything else. For upward feedback specifically, use the manager feedback survey.

My manager gives me useful, regular feedback. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
My manager treats me fairly. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
My manager cares about me as a person. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
My manager helps remove obstacles that block my work. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I feel comfortable raising problems with my manager. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
What is one thing your manager could do to support you better? (open text)

Collaboration and teamwork

Engagement is social. These questions test whether teams work well together and whether people can rely on each other.

My team works well together. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I can rely on my colleagues when I need help. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
Different teams collaborate effectively when they need to. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
Conflict on my team is handled constructively. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I feel like a valued member of my team. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
What would help your team collaborate better? (open text)

Company vision and motivation

These questions capture whether people connect their work to something larger — a strong signal of committed engagement.

I understand how my work contributes to the organisation's goals. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I believe in the mission of this organisation. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I feel motivated to give my best effort at work. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I am proud to work here. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
I rarely think about looking for a job elsewhere. (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree)
What would make you feel more motivated at work? (open text)

Choosing the right question type

The wording is only half the decision — the response format shapes what you can do with the answers. Match the type to the job.

Question type	Best for	Watch out for
Likert (agree–disagree)	Trending drivers over time on a consistent scale	Keeping the scale identical every wave so results stay comparable
Rating (0–10 or 1–5)	Overall measures like eNPS or satisfaction	Mixing scales across the survey, which confuses respondents
Yes / No	Simple facts, such as whether a conversation happened	Losing nuance — use sparingly for opinions
Multiple choice	Preferences and categories you already understand	Missing options; always allow an 'other' where relevant
Open text	Reasons, ideas and surprises you did not think to ask	Overusing it — long typing tasks lower completion

A common pattern is a block of Likert driver questions, one rating question for eNPS, and one or two open-text questions at the end. For the eNPS calculation itself, see employee Net Promoter Score.

Questions to avoid

Leading questions

"How much do you enjoy our supportive culture?" pushes people toward a positive answer. Use neutral wording such as "How would you describe the culture here?" so the data reflects reality.

Double-barrelled questions

"Is your manager fair and supportive?" asks two things at once. If a manager is fair but unsupportive, there is no honest answer. Split it into two questions.

Vague questions

"Are you happy at work?" is too broad to act on. Ask about a specific driver — recognition, workload, growth — so the answer points to something you can change.

Questions you cannot act on

Do not ask about things you have no intention or ability to change. Asking sets an expectation, and unanswered feedback damages trust more than never asking.

Assembling a survey from the bank

Turning this bank into a finished survey is mostly a matter of restraint. A practical way to assemble one:

1Choose four to six engagement drivers that matter most right now (for example leadership, recognition, growth, workload).
2Take two or three Likert questions from each chosen driver.
3Add one overall question — "I would recommend this organisation as a good place to work" — on a 0–10 scale for eNPS.
4Finish with one or two open-text questions.
5Keep the total around twenty to thirty questions for an annual survey, or five to ten for a pulse.

For a ready-made structure, see the employee engagement survey template, or start from the employee engagement survey template in the template library.

Let AI do the first draft

Rather than picking questions by hand, describe your goal and create your survey with AI. It assembles a focused draft using good-practice wording, and you edit every question before publishing. New here? Sign up free to save and send it.

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

Employee Engagement Surveys: Questions, Examples and AI Guide

The complete guide to employee engagement surveys: proven questions by driver, a full example and template, anonymity guidance and AI-powered creation and analysis.

Employee Engagement Survey Template: Free Questions and Versions

A ready-to-use engagement survey template with short, detailed, remote-team and hybrid-team versions and customization guidance.

Employee Feedback Survey: Questions, Examples and Template

How feedback surveys differ from engagement surveys, plus question categories, a full example, timing, channels and acting on results.

Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS): How to Calculate and Use It

What eNPS is, how to calculate it, how it compares to full engagement surveys, and best practices for using it well.

Employee engagement survey template

A ready-made engagement survey to adapt.

Employee engagement score calculator

Turn favourable responses into an engagement score.

Create a survey with AI

Generate a focused engagement survey from a plain-language goal.