45 Employee Survey Questions about Management

Over time it's become clear that there's a direct link between a happy, engaged workforce and a successful business. Research published by the University of Warwick revealed that happiness leads to a 12 percent increase in productivity, while unhappy workers are 10 percent less productive.

It turns out that happiness makes your brain work more efficiently. For businesses, this means that a content workforce will perform at a higher level than unhappy, disengaged employees. As the American Business Magazine highlights: it's not a coincidence that over 40 percent of the companies listed in the top 100 of Fortune magazine's "America’s Best Companies to Work For" also appear on the Fortune 500 list.

A fascinating article by the Harvard Business Review also highlights the many ways in which a positive workplace can have a hugely beneficial effect on a business. From healthcare costs to absenteeism and employee churn to an organization's bottom line, the impact of happy employees ricochets far and wide.

So how can you determine how happy or engaged your employees are? Well, the best course of action is to ask them. You can do this through a variety of different channels but arguably one of the more efficient methods is through regular Pulse surveys. Pulse surveys essentially allow you to get the pulse of your organization. They help you determine how your employees feel about the organization, the culture, their managers, and their own role.

The key with Pulse surveys, or any questionnaires you want your employees to fill out, is to keep the questions short and snappy with some open-ended questions where you ask them to rate their level of happiness, for example.

We've compiled a list of 45 employee survey questions about management. While we don't recommend you overload every survey with this many questions, you can pick and choose several of these questions, send them out in different, timed surveys, and then every year, start again with the same questions. By asking the same questions over time you can determine if there are improvements if staff are happier and if changes you've made have had an impact.

Breaking the questions into areas such as the employees' engagement with their role, their relationship with their manager, the effectiveness of their manager, and their opinion of the company and its culture gives you a comprehensive overview of their happiness levels across the board and their opinion of their direct manager.

What makes a good manager and why is it so important?

Good managers are a key asset for any organization. The phrase "people leave managers, not companies" is often bandied about but there is the truth behind it. A 2015 Gallup study revealed that a significant 75 percent of people leave their job to "get away from their manager at some point in their career". With this in mind, organizations need to keep on top of managers' performance and their relationship with employees.

When you break down what makes a good manager the following four traits are cited regularly: competency, communication, consistency, and care. These are good starting points for any organization looking to determine the effectiveness of their managers. Survey questions that focus on these elements will provide a clear picture of managers' performance.

Communication and Feedback

Never before has communication been so important. With organizations around the globe still operating remote or hybrid work environments, clear communication is the lynchpin that is keeping everything running. But communication has always been important and for most workers, it is one of the more sought-after traits of a manager.

1. Are your day-to-day responsibilities clearly defined to you?

2. Does your manager communicate well with you and your colleagues about projects?

3. Can you see a clear link between your work and the organization’s objectives?

4. Do you know what you need to do to be successful in your job?

5. Are management decisions transparent and explained?

6. Do you have a clear idea of how you will progress in this company?

7. Does your manager keep you informed about company news and developments?

8. Do you have a clear understanding of the organization's goals and objectives?

9. Is organization-wide communication effective?

10. Is the organization competing effectively in its sector?

11. Do you get recognition from your manager when you do a good job?

12. How frequently do you get recognition?

13. Do you feel like your manager values your feedback?

14. Are you comfortable providing feedback to your manager?

15. Do you believe that feedback from this survey will be used to make improvements?

Effectiveness

Today's youngest workforce demographic – Gen Z have different expectations about the organization they work for and their managers. These younger workers are looking for more than just guidance on their day-to-day tasks, they are seeking a sense of meaning and belonging.

Their ideal manager is supportive and displays trust in them (and they, in turn, trust their manager); in fact trust, care and support are the top three management traits identified by Gen Z workers.

1. Do you have a sense of connection with your manager?

2. Does your manager show a personal interest in you?

3. Do you consider your manager to be a good role model?

4. Has your manager given you the information, tools, and technologies you need to do your job properly?

5. Do you feel like your manager is fully aware of your skills and abilities?

6. Do you have access to the learning and development you need to do your job properly?

7. Has your manager displayed an interest in your career goals?

8. Does your manager treat you and your team members as unique individuals?

9. Does your manager inspire you to be better?

10. Do you feel supported by your manager?

Engagement

An engaged workforce is a productive workforce. How enthusiastic or connected an employee feels with their organization and manager directly relates to how motivated they are to go the extra mile. Importantly, it's also key in how long key staff stay at an organization.

As we've mentioned above, feeling valued and supported are important factors in how engaged a worker feels in their job which is why it's good practice to check in with employees regularly on how they feel about their job.

1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you in your job?

2. Do you feel valued in your job?

3. Is your manager engaged with you and your team?

4. Do you feel like there are solid career opportunities for you at this organization?

5. Has your manager created a sense of community with your team?

6. Do you feel supported by your manager?

7. Do you see yourself working here in 12 months' time?

Inclusivity

It's become apparent that today's workforce want to feel heard and valued by their managers and organization. Indeed, feeling heard and supported has a direct impact on how a worker performs in their job, leading to increased productivity if these key areas are a focus.

A Salesforce survey revealed that employees who feel a sense of belonging at work are 5.3 times more likely to feel empowered to do their best work than workers who don't feel like they belong. And those who feel like their voice is heard in the workplace are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to do their best work.

These figures are important and show how highly today's workers value inclusivity in the workplace. Asking employees regularly about their experience in the workplace will give you a clear sense of whether you are fulfilling your inclusivity mandates.

1. Does your manager promote a positive work environment?

2. Do you feel like your manager respects you and your team members?

3. Does your manager encourage an inclusive culture?

4. Are you encouraged to be your authentic self at work?

5. Does your manager/organization actively try to close the gender pay gap?

6. Does the organization's vision motivate you?

7. Does senior management model your values.

8. I am optimistic about the future of our organization.

9. I have confidence in our senior management.

10. Are you proud to work at this organization?

11. Would you recommend a friend apply for any open position here?

12. What three words sum up the company culture?