Employee Engagement Survey Template
Five questions score engagement, twelve show what drives it. Try it here, then copy or edit it.
- 20questions
- About 6 minto complete
The 20 employee engagement survey questions
An employee engagement survey asks employees how committed they are to their work and to the organization, and what drives that commitment. In this one, questions 1 to 5 give you the engagement score and the next twelve explain it. Open all 20 in the survey creator to change any wording before you send.
The engagement score
The outcome, kept apart from the twelve questions that explain it.
- The work I do at this organization gives me a feeling of accomplishment.low here means the work itself feels unrewarding, whatever the perks.
- Most days, I am glad to be doing this job.
- I care about the long-term future of this organization.
- This organization brings out my best work.
- I intend to stay with this organization for at least one more year.in the UK Civil Service, 81% plan to stay that long.[2]
Manager
Tells a manager problem apart from a problem with the work.
- My manager gives me feedback that helps me improve.
- My manager treats people fairly.
Growth
A next step and the training for this job fail for different reasons.
- I can see a next step for my career here.low while training scores well: people cannot see the next job.
- The training I get here helps me do my job well.
Recognition and voice
If recognition scores lowest, the employee recognition survey shows which kind people want.
- I am satisfied with the recognition I get for doing a good job.U.S. federal staff rated recognition 57% positive in 2024.[1]
- I feel encouraged to suggest better ways of doing things.
Workload and wellbeing
How heavy the work is, and whether people recover from it.
- My workload is manageable.
- I can switch off from work at the end of the day.low while workload scores well points to messages after hours.
Purpose and leadership
Line of sight to the goals, and to where leaders are heading.
- I understand how my work helps this organization reach its goals.the closest federal item scored 86% in 2024, among the highest.[1]
- Senior leaders communicate a clear direction.
Belonging and fairness
Whether people can be themselves and expect equal treatment.
- I can be myself at work.
- People here are treated with respect, whoever they are.
In their words, then the 0 to 10
Two optional open answers, then the employee net promoter score question, the only required one.
- What is the one thing that would most improve your experience at work?one thing per person, specific enough for a manager to act on.
- What should we make sure we keep doing?
- How likely are you to recommend this organization as a place to work to a friend?percent 9 to 10 minus percent 0 to 6.
How to run an employee engagement survey
Send it to every employee during two quiet weeks, away from pay news, and keep that window each year. Optional questions keep completion high: surveys with every question optional complete at 80.8%, level with all-required ones.[3] If layoffs are on people's minds, a job security questionnaire asks about that directly.
Your engagement score is the average percent who agree or strongly agree on questions 1 to 5. For a reference point, the U.S. federal government's employee experience index was 74 percent in 2024.[1]
To find what to fix, compare the score of people who agree with each driver against those who disagree. The biggest gap is where to start. If it sits with the two manager questions, a manager effectiveness survey shows each manager what to change.
Employee engagement survey FAQ
Are employee engagement surveys anonymous?
Yes. This template asks for no name, email or team, and every rated question can be skipped. Report only groups of five or more so nobody in a small team is singled out.
How often should you run an employee engagement survey?
Once or twice a year, with the same wording so the trend holds. In between, recheck the drivers you are working on with a short employee pulse survey.
How much does an employee engagement survey cost?
The template is free, and you can open and edit it without an account. The real cost is time: about six minutes from each employee and one team conversation about the results.
What should you do with employee engagement survey results?
Share them with everyone, with the open answers grouped into themes. Pick the one or two drivers with the biggest gap, and have each team agree on one action, one owner and a date.
Michael Hodge, survey methodology · Updated 26 September 2026 · How templates are reviewed
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Sources (3)
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management. 2024 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey: Governmentwide Management Report, revised edition, April 2025. opm.gov (PDF)
- UK Cabinet Office. Civil Service People Survey 2025: results highlights. GOV.UK, 2025. gov.uk
- SuperSurvey Response Benchmark, 16 September 2023 to 25 August 2026: 25,112 analysed surveys with 998,864 completed responses, out of 2,274,520 responses platform-wide. Method note.
Find out what drives engagement on your teams
Twenty questions, about six minutes for each employee, and no names asked.
Use this template