Employee engagement is no buzzword—it’s a critical driver of business outcomes, especially as remote and hybrid workforces grow in 2025. Keeping employees connected, satisfied, and motivated is both a challenge and an opportunity for HR leaders.

According to a recent Gallup study, only 23% of employees feel engaged at work. This honest feedback highlights a huge gap that organizations must address to remain competitive. This lack of a positive employee experience impacts productivity and fuels turnover, with disengaged employees more likely to leave their roles.

So, how do you tackle these challenges head-on? Try leveraging employee surveys to gather actionable feedback. Ask the right questions, and uncover insights into company culture, leadership effectiveness, job satisfaction, and how well your workplace supports remote and hybrid teams.

This guide goes beyond the basics. You’ll find a comprehensive list of questions tailored for 2025, along with practical tools and strategies to make surveys meaningful. 

Let’s dive in and discover how to turn feedback into results.

Measuring employee engagement

Employee engagement is about how committed and connected your employees feel to their roles and the organization. When they are engaged, the results can be transformative: according to Gallup, businesses with engaged teams generate 23% more profit.

But how do you effectively measure something as nuanced as engagement?

How to measure employee engagement

Traditional methods like employee feedback questionnaires or pulse surveys remain some of the most reliable tools for gauging employee engagement. These approaches allow organizations to gather insights into key areas such as workload balance, employee Net Promoter Scores (eNPS), and retention drivers.

However, as your work environments evolve, it’s essential to adapt these tools for remote and hybrid teams. For instance:

• Use digital survey platforms that allow easy employee participation regardless of location.
• Schedule real-time pulse checks to ensure distributed teams feel heard and included.
• Incorporate questions that address challenges unique to remote work, such as isolation, communication gaps, and flexibility.

Why measure engagement?

Understanding employee engagement should be a strategic priority because it brings tangible benefits:

• Retention: Engaged employees are less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere.
• Productivity: When employees are connected to their work, they’re more efficient and effective.
• Satisfaction: An engaged workforce leads to higher morale and overall job satisfaction.
• Growth: Measuring engagement lets leadership identify problem areas, celebrate successes, and align business outcomes with employee needs.

How to get the most out of your surveys

Asking the right questions is the cornerstone of an effective employee engagement strategy. Focus on open-ended and targeted questions that explore:

• Alignment with company values and goals.
• Perceptions of leadership and management.
• Satisfaction with team dynamics and work-life balance.

Equally important is encouraging participation and ensuring every employee feels safe to give honest feedback.

Consider these strategies:

• Anonymity: Guarantee anonymity to foster candid responses.
• Clarity: Keep questions clear and concise to avoid survey fatigue.
• Communication: Explain how survey results will result in meaningful change.

By measuring engagement thoughtfully and strategically, you’ll gain actionable insights to build a thriving and connected workforce, no matter where employees work.

Employee engagement survey questions to ask

Understanding your employees’ engagement levels starts with the right questions. Below, we’ve categorized the most impactful employee engagement questions to help you gather insights and drive change.

Alignment questions

Assess how well employees understand and align with your company’s mission, values, and goals.

1. Do you find your work meaningful?
2. Does the organization’s vision inspire you?
3. Do you feel your role contributes to the company’s success?
4. Do you have a clear understanding of your job expectations?
5. How can we help make your work more meaningful?

Why it matters: Employees who feel aligned with the company’s mission are more motivated and productive.

Employee satisfaction questions

Measure how satisfied employees are with their roles and the organization.

1. On a scale of 1-5, how happy are you in your current role?
2. Do you feel excited about coming to work each day?
3. Are you satisfied with the leadership and management style?
4. Are you happy with the resources provided to do your job well?
5. Do you feel appreciated for your contributions at work?

Why it matters: Understanding employee satisfaction helps address retention risks and improve workplace morale.

Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) questions

Gauge how likely employees are to recommend your organization as a great place to work.

1. On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend this company to a friend or colleague?
2. What is the primary reason for your score?
3. What could we do to make you more likely to recommend our workplace?
4. Have your feelings about working here improved or worsened over the past six months?

Why it matters: High eNPS scores indicate strong engagement and satisfaction, while low scores can signal areas for improvement.

Company culture questions

Evaluate how employees perceive the workplace culture and inclusivity.

1. Do you feel the company fosters a supportive and inclusive environment?
2. Are you satisfied with the organization’s approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)?
3. Does the company’s culture prioritize employee well-being?
4. Do you feel respected by your peers and leadership?
5. How would you describe the organization’s approach to collaboration and teamwork?

Why it matters: A healthy culture drives employee loyalty and engagement.

Career development questions

Explore employees’ perceptions of growth opportunities within the organization.

1. Do you feel the company supports your career goals?
2. Are you provided with opportunities to learn and develop new skills?
3. Would you like to take on additional responsibilities or projects?
4. Have you discussed your career path with your manager in the last six months?

Why it matters: Employees who see clear career paths are 2.5 times more likely to stay engaged and loyal.

Flexible/remote/hybrid work questions

Address the unique challenges of distributed teams.

1. Do you have the tools and resources you need to work effectively remotely?
2. How can we improve communication within the remote/hybrid team?
3. Do you feel included in team activities and decision-making while working remotely?
4. Are you satisfied with the balance between flexibility and accountability in your role?

Why it matters: Effective remote work support ensures distributed teams remain connected and engaged.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) questions

Identify areas for growth in creating an equitable workplace.

1. Do you feel the organization values diversity and inclusion?
2. Are you aware of how to report incidents of discrimination or bias?
3. How can we improve equity in hiring and promotion practices?

Why it matters: DEI initiatives foster a sense of belonging, which is critical for engagement.

Well-being and work-life balance questions

Evaluate employee mental health and personal life balance.

1. Do you feel supported in maintaining a healthy work-life balance?
2. Does the organization promote mental health and wellness initiatives?
3. Are there any workplace stressors that affect your well-being?
4. How can we better support your overall health and happiness?

Why it matters: Supporting well-being helps reduce burnout and increase productivity.

Innovation and collaboration questions

Measure how employees view teamwork and creative problem-solving.

1. Do you feel your ideas are valued by your team?
2. How would you rate the level of collaboration within your team?
3. Do you feel encouraged to take risks and try new approaches in your role?

Why it matters: Innovation and collaboration are key drivers of organizational growth and employee satisfaction.

Pro Tip: Include these questions in customizable surveys to gain tailored insights into your organization’s unique challenges and opportunities. This comprehensive approach will help you build a thriving, engaged workforce in 2025 and beyond.

Benchmarks for engagement questions

While asking the right questions gets you started and encourages employees to answer, interpreting the results in a meaningful way can make or break your efforts. Set clear benchmarks and use proven techniques like Likert scales to transform raw data into actionable insights.

Using the Likert scale effectively

Likert scales are a popular tool in engagement surveys for a reason: they provide clear, quantifiable data that’s easy to analyze. When designing surveys with Likert scales, keep these tips in mind:

1. Use balanced response options: Offer an equal range of positive and negative choices. For example:some text
   • Strongly Disagree | Disagree | Neutral | Agree | Strongly Agree
2. Limit scale length: Stick to 5 or 7 points. This gives enough nuance without overwhelming respondents.
3. Clarify questions: Ensure each question is direct and avoids ambiguity. For example, instead of asking, "Do you feel supported?" specify, "Do you feel your manager supports your professional growth?"
4. Include a neutral option: A middle choice (e.g., "Neither Agree nor Disagree") provides balance and captures uncertain sentiments.

Pro Tip: Pair Likert scale questions with open-ended questions, such as “Why did you choose this rating?” to gain deeper insights.

Industry-specific benchmarks

Benchmarks give you context to evaluate your survey results against broader trends. While general benchmarks are helpful, industry-specific data is even more valuable.

Here are some common benchmarks to consider:

1. eNPS benchmarks

Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) is a widely used metric that gauges employee loyalty by asking: "On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend this company as a great place to work?"

• Technology sector: Scores typically range from 20-40, reflecting the highly competitive and innovative nature of the industry.
• Healthcare: Scores generally fall between 15-25, highlighting the industry's challenges with burnout and demanding workloads.
• Retail: Scores often range from -5-5, reflecting high employee turnover and varying levels of workplace satisfaction.

Why this benchmark matters

1. Tracks loyalty and advocacy: A high eNPS indicates that employees are more likely to stay and recommend your workplace, reducing recruitment costs and turnover.
2. Signal areas for improvement: A low eNPS score may highlight concerns around management, culture, or job satisfaction.
3. Drives engagement initiatives: Comparing your eNPS to industry standards can help prioritize improvements in employee experience and retention strategies.

How to use this benchmark

• Regularly monitor eNPS trends to identify changes in sentiment.
• Pair eNPS with follow-up questions like, "What would improve your score?" to gain actionable insights.
• Set realistic goals based on your industry—for example, moving from 15 to 25 in retail within a year.

2. Employee satisfaction benchmarks

According to Great Place to Work, an average of 55% of employees consistently report experiencing a great workplace across industries.

Why this benchmark matters

1. Benchmarking organizational health: A satisfaction rate below this average can indicate systemic issues, such as poor leadership, inadequate resources, or lack of recognition.
2. Improves retention: High satisfaction scores correlate directly with reduced turnover and increased employee loyalty.
3. Enhances productivity: Satisfied employees are more likely to be engaged, collaborative, and innovative, contributing significantly to organizational success.

How to use this benchmark

• Compare internal satisfaction scores to the 55% benchmark to gauge alignment with industry norms.
• Conduct follow-up surveys to drill down into specific drivers of satisfaction, such as career development or compensation.
• Set incremental goals, such as improving satisfaction by 5-10% over the next year.

3. Work-life balance benchmarks

Remote and hybrid workforces typically report higher flexibility but may struggle with blurred boundaries, leading to work-life balance challenges. Surveys show that employees in these settings often rate flexibility higher, but satisfaction can dip when work spills into personal life.

Why this benchmark matters

1. Reduces burnout: Achieving a healthy work-life balance directly impacts mental health and overall well-being, lowering the risk of burnout.
2. Supports retention: Employees who feel supported in managing their personal and professional lives are more likely to stay with an organization.
3. Drives engagement in remote teams: Balanced employees are more productive, collaborative, and motivated, even in distributed work environments.

How to use this benchmark

• Ask targeted survey questions like, "Do you feel supported in maintaining a healthy work-life balance?"
• Compare scores across departments or regions to identify disparities and implement tailored solutions.
• Create initiatives like flexible work schedules, mandatory offline hours, and wellness programs to address gaps.

Putting benchmarks into action

When evaluating survey results:

• Compare against benchmarks: Use eNPS, satisfaction, and work-life balance benchmarks as guides to spot trends and opportunities.
• Dive deeper: Analyze by department, team, or tenure to uncover unique insights.
• Take action: Prioritize initiatives that address gaps, and set measurable goals for improvement.

Benchmarks are a starting point, but the real value comes from translating data into targeted strategies that create lasting change. By focusing on these metrics, you can continuously elevate employee engagement and build a thriving workplace.

How to Evaluate Results

Interpreting survey data is where insights become action. Follow these best practices to make the most of your results:

1. Look for patterns:some text
   • Identify recurring themes in open-ended responses.
   • Analyze trends by department, tenure, or location.
2. Focus on outliers:some text
   • Investigate unusually high or low scores to uncover potential issues or standout successes.
3. Compare against benchmarks:some text
   • Compare your data to industry standards and past internal surveys to spot areas for growth or decline.
4. Visualize the data:some text
   • Use graphs or heatmaps to identify trends at a glance, especially for Likert scale results.

Creating actionable insights from results

Survey data is only useful if it drives change. Here’s how to turn numbers into action:

1. Prioritize key areas: Focus on questions with the widest score variations or significant gaps compared to benchmarks.
2. Collaborate with teams: Share results with managers and employees to co-create solutions.
3. Set SMART goals: Use survey findings to set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals for improvement.
4. Communicate progress: Regularly update employees on changes being made based on their feedback to build trust and encourage future participation.

By designing surveys with precision, benchmarking effectively, and acting on results thoughtfully, you can continuously improve employee engagement and create a workplace where everyone thrives.

Asking the right questions is just the beginning

Employee engagement isn’t just a one-time initiative—it’s an ongoing commitment to understanding and addressing the needs of your workforce. By asking the right questions, measuring engagement effectively, and leveraging benchmarks, you can create a workplace where employees feel valued, connected, and motivated to do their best work.

The key takeaways for boosting engagement and satisfaction include:

• Gathering meaningful feedback: Use well-crafted surveys to uncover actionable insights into alignment, satisfaction, and well-being.
• Setting clear benchmarks: Compare your results against industry standards to identify growth opportunities.
• Acting on feedback: Prioritize transparency and responsiveness by turning survey results into concrete improvements that employees can see.
• Maintaining momentum: Establish continuous feedback loops and use real-time engagement tracking to stay ahead of evolving employee needs.

When your workforce feels supported and engaged, the results are transformative—not just for your employees but for your business as a whole.

Engage your distributed workforce with Gable. Whether your team is remote, hybrid, or in-office, Gable empowers organizations to foster meaningful connections and build a thriving company culture. Let us help you create an environment where engagement and satisfaction flourish.