Job Engagement Survey: Questions, Examples & Best Practices for 2025

by
Lihong
Jun 3, 2025

Job Engagement Survey

Engaged employees make your business unstoppable. When your team feels connected, valued, and motivated, they don’t just perform better, they stick around and drive real growth.

Job engagement surveys are your go-to tool for measuring what really matters: how employees feel about their work, culture, and future. With the right questions, you’ll uncover powerful insights that help you build a thriving workplace where everyone wins.

What is a Job Engagement Survey? 

A job engagement survey is a structured questionnaire designed to evaluate how emotionally and mentally invested employees are in the workplace. Whether you're a team leader or HR professional, this tool helps you explore how connected employees feel with their job, team, and company mission.

These surveys help organizations understand:

  • How motivated employees are to do their best work
  • Whether they feel valued, supported, and recognized
  • If they see opportunities for growth and alignment with company goals
  • What factors are driving or hindering their engagement

Real-World Examples of Companies Using Job Engagement Surveys

Job engagement surveys are used by many top companies to improve employee retention, productivity, and satisfaction. Here's how some well-known businesses use these surveys:

Google 

Google conducts an annual "Googlegeist" survey to gauge employee sentiment on various topics, including management effectiveness and team chemistry. The survey results guide actions to enhance workplace culture and performance.

Microsoft 

Microsoft uses Viva Glint, an AI-powered platform, to conduct organization-wide engagement surveys. These surveys offer practical insights, allowing management to understand employee attitudes better and make improvements.

Salesforce 

Salesforce conducts quarterly employee engagement surveys to evaluate ethics, diversity, and leadership. The input informs the company's strategies for creating a supportive and inclusive work environment.

Zappos 

Through engagement surveys, Zappos monitors team dynamics and employee wellness, emphasising their unique business culture. The insights acquired contribute to a good and harmonious workplace.

IBM 

IBM conducts the annual IBMer Engagement Survey to gather opinions on how to improve the employee experience. The data gathered informs initiatives to increase workplace satisfaction and performance.

Recommended read: Boost Productivity with an Employee Satisfaction Survey

Job Satisfaction vs. Job Engagement Survey  

Aspects Job Satisfaction Job Engagement
Measures How content employees are How emotionally invested and committed employees are
Key Questions "Are you happy with your role?"
"Are you satisfied with pay?"
"Are you motivated to do your best?"
"Do you feel connected to the mission?"
Scope Surface-level: pay, benefits, work conditions Deeper-level: purpose, motivation, emotional connection
What it Predicts Short-term happiness or dissatisfaction Long-term performance, retention, and growth
Output Use Fix issues like workload, policies, and tools Boost morale, performance, and culture
Example Metrics Satisfaction with salary, hours, and benefits Alignment with values, sense of impact, and enthusiasm for work
Frequency Often done annually Ideally measured more regularly or continuously

Best job engagement survey Questions  

Ask these questions to reveal what keeps your employees motivated, connected, and committed.

Job Satisfaction 

  • On a scale of 1–10, how satisfied are you with your current role? 
  • Do you feel your job responsibilities are clear and manageable? 
  • What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most? 
  • I feel proud of the work I do.

Recognition and Rewards 

  • How often do you receive recognition for your work? 
  • How satisfied are you with the current recognition system? 
  • On a scale of 1 to 5, how fair do you find the performance evaluation process? 
  • Do your rewards match the effort you put in?
  • How important is non-monetary recognition to you?
  • What rewards would make you feel more engaged?

Work Environment and Culture 

  • How comfortable are you in the workplace? 
  • How inclusive is the workplace environment on a scale of 1 to 10?
  • How well does the office environment support collaboration?
  • My workplace fosters a culture of trust and respect.

Communication and Feedback 

  • I feel informed about what’s going on in the company.
  • How well does your manager share critical information with you?
  • What are your suggestions to improve internal communication? 
  • How frequently do you receive feedback from your manager?
  • Does your management/leadership welcome your feedback? 

Growth and Development 

  • Do you see a clear path for growth at this company?
  • I have access to learning and development resources.
  • How supportive is your manager of your career goals? 
  • How prepared do you feel about uncertain challenges? 
  • How relevant are your current projects to your career development?

Work-Life Balance 

  • I’m able to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
  • How many hours do you typically work per week? 
  • Do you feel encouraged to take breaks or time off when needed?
  • What could the company do to improve your work-life balance?
  • On a scale of 1–10, how well are your personal needs respected at work?

Workplace Motivation Insights  

  • What motivates you most at work?
  • How do you feel about your current workload?
  • What part of your job do you find most fulfilling?
  • Do you feel valued by your team?
  • How well do your personal values align with the company’s mission?
  • What changes would improve your job satisfaction?
  • How do you manage your priorities under pressure?

Team and Collaboration 

  • How comfortable are you sharing ideas and feedback with your team?
  • Does your team work well together to achieve common goals?
  • Do you feel supported by your coworkers when challenges arise?
  • How would you rate communication within your team?
  • Do you feel a sense of belonging and camaraderie with your team?

Retention Signals & Intent to Stay 

  • How likely are you to stay with this company for the next 12 months?
  • What factors would make you consider leaving your current role?
  • Do you see long-term career opportunities here?
  • Are you proud to work at this company?
  • If a friend were looking for a job, how likely would you be to recommend working here?

Job Engagement Survey Template For Free  

Instructions: Please answer the following questions honestly. Use the provided scales or open space to share your thoughts.

Please indicate your level of agreement:
(1 = Strongly Disagree, 5 = Strongly Agree)

  • I feel enthusiastic about my work.
  • I have the necessary resources and training to perform my job effectively.
  • My skills and abilities are fully utilized in my current role.
  • I feel valued and recognized for my contributions to the team.
  • Communication from my manager or supervisor is clear and supportive.

Which of the following factors motivates you the most in your role? (Select all that apply.)

  • ☐ Recognition
  • ☐ Career growth
  • ☐ Compensation
  • ☐ Team environment
  • ☐ Meaningful work
  • ☐ Other: _________________________

What suggestions do you have for improving employee engagement at our company?

How long have you been with the company?

  • ☐ Less than 6 months
  • ☐ 6 months – 1 year
  • ☐ 1 – 3 years
  • ☐ 3 – 5 years
  • ☐ More than 5 years

On a scale of 1 to 5, how motivated do you feel on a typical workday?
(1 = Not motivated at all, 5 = Extremely motivated)

Do you feel your contributions are recognized and appreciated?

  • ☐ Yes
  • ☐ No

Thanks for your valuable input! Your responses will guide us in improving employee job engagement and support.

Job Engagement Survey Best Practices

Here are some best practices for every organization to keep in mind while creating and running job engagement surveys 

Start With a Purpose

Before anything else, ask yourself why you are conducting this survey. Is it to boost morale, identify employee burnout, or improve retention? Remember that clear goals mean clear insights. 

Keep It Short, Sharp, and On-Point

Long surveys lose people. Aim for 5 to 10 questions that can be answered in under 10 minutes. Keep the language simple and avoid jargon, buzzwords, and corporate speak.

Keep questions open-ended.

Include a couple of open-ended questions or a comment section . While not everyone will use it, it allows employees to raise concerns or provide further context.

Make it a habit, not a one-time

Do not wait 12 months to check in. Quarterly pulse surveys or event-based check-ins help you remain on top of issues while also demonstrating to your staff that you are listening all year.

Ensure anonymity

Employees are honest when they feel safe. Keep responses anonymous by default, but provide the opportunity to leave a name for follow-up. Transparency promotes trust.

Respect Their Time and Headspace

Don't ask people to rush through surveys between meetings. Block off time, communicate how long it takes, and encourage a calm space to reflect and respond.

Use Scales Smartly

Likert scale questions  (Strongly Agree → Strongly Disagree) are effective for identifying patterns. But don't overdo it; mix up the formats to make the survey interesting and enlightening.

Close the Loop Every Time.

Nothing destroys engagement quicker than silence. Share what you've heard, what you're changing, and how the team's feedback influenced it. Follow-up converts comments into real momentum.

Create Job engagement surveys with TheySaid

Collecting employee feedback with TheySaid is the first step toward building a strong, positive company culture. When you use TheySaid to truly listen to your people’s voices and then share what you’ve heard along with how you’ll grow together, you’re laying the foundation for a workplace where everyone feels valued and engaged. That’s what great companies do today.

TheySaid takes the guesswork out of survey creation by providing smart, ready-to-go templates so you can focus on what matters most: your people. With open-ended questions and AI-powered insights, no voice gets lost in the noise. Plus, you can send surveys wherever your team already is, via Slack, email, or SMS, making it easy to get fast, honest responses.

Our AI doesn’t just gather data — it helps you see the story behind the numbers by highlighting trends and flagging urgent feedback, so you always know what to tackle first. 

Sound like the kind of survey your team would actually want to fill out?
Try TheySaid today and start conversations that drive real engagement.

Key Takeaways 

  • Job engagement surveys are crucial because they reveal what motivates and retains your employees.
  • Leading companies like Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Zappos, and IBM use these surveys to boost culture and performance.
  • Set clear goals to focus your job engagement survey on what truly matters.
  • Keep surveys short and simple for honest and thoughtful responses.
  • Combine rating scales with open-ended questions for richer feedback.
  • Conduct surveys regularly to catch issues early and show you care.
  • Ensure anonymity to encourage honest and open employee feedback.
  • Provide employees with a quiet, distraction-free time to complete surveys.
  • Always share survey results and actions to build trust and engagement.
  • Use AI-powered tools like TheySaid to simplify surveys and get deeper insights.
  • Act on feedback to create meaningful improvements in the workplace.

FAQs

How many questions should a Job Engagement survey have?

Aim for 10 to 15 questions. This keeps the survey focused enough to get meaningful insights without overwhelming your team. It’s enough to cover important topics like job satisfaction, communication, and company culture while keeping people engaged.

When’s the best time to run a Job Engagement survey, and how often?

The ideal time is during calm periods when things aren’t changing too much. Many companies do these surveys once or twice a year to track progress. For quick check-ins, shorter pulse surveys right after big changes help you stay in tune with how employees feel.

What common pitfalls should I avoid when creating Job Engagement surveys?

Steer clear of vague or confusing questions and don’t make the survey too long. Avoid jargon that might put people off. Make sure the survey is anonymous, instructions are clear, and test it with a small group first to catch any issues—this builds trust and gets better responses.

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