4 things to add to your company’s employee engagement survey

“How are things in the office lately?” 

If you’re an HR manager, workplace experience leader, or facilities lead, the answer to that question could be informed by data from a dozen different teams or tools. Answering accurately (and efficiently) can be a formidable task. And yet, those answers are a vital part of good office culture and policy management. To truly understand how well your office space, tech, and policies are serving your staff, you need a sure-fire approach. 

Enter the employee workplace experience survey (check out our example survey here or at the bottom of this page).  When used effectively, self-reported experience and engagement data can provide a wealth of information on the health of the office, and the productivity of its inhabitants. 

Workplace experience definitions vary from company to company. As a whole, though, we define it as, “a proactive and human-centered approach to office design, technology, and culture to help everyone understand, use, and advance their workplace.”

Said another way, a positive workplace experience means every employee can step into their workplace and feel like it was made just for them.

“Leadership teams have to accept employee workplace experience is subjective by definition but it is the reality as experienced by the people who matter most— the employees. This research now provides those teams two key elements: a checklist of the factors that carry the greatest influence in improving that experience as well as the evidence on which to build the compelling business benefit case.” - Leesman

So, do you know if employees feel like their workplace supports their unique needs? We’re glad you asked.

Make your office an effective place for your team. Schedule a demo of Robin’s workplace experience software today.

Building a better employee engagement survey

Data is only as good as the care with which it’s collected. To gain insight into your workspace, start with a strong survey. Crafting clear, concise survey questions that provide a well-defined scope and avoid introducing bias is a good first step. There are a few other best practices worth observing as you collect and contextualize results. 

Here are four big-ticket items worth addressing in your employee engagement survey, along with sample questions to prompt reliable feedback:

1. Physical and space needs

Ask your team to rate the physical space including meeting room and desk availability, furniture quality, office amenities like social spaces, and environmental quality (light, air, temperature, noise).

Examples include:
• Do you feel like the programs and accommodations in the office are sufficient for you to be effective at your role? (If not, what items or programs could we add?)
• In the last three months, how often did you find it difficult to find and/or book an available space with the right resources for the task at hand? (Scale)
• One a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being highest) rate the environmental quality within the office, including light, sound, air quality, and noise mitigation.
• Thinking about the work you do and the people you tend to interact with, do you believe your day-to-day activities are well-supported? (Scale)

2. Technological support

When leveraged well, tech can make working life easier. Find out how your employees rate the tech stack and its benefits — from mobility and flexible work opportunities to communications tools, productivity-boosting platforms, desk management and wayfinding tools, and more.

Examples include:
• Do you feel like our communications platform helps you interact effectively with teams, whether in-office or remotely?
• How responsive do you feel team leads or the IT team is to help with technical issues?
• Do you currently feel empowered to ask for new tools or apps when needed?

3. Emotional wellbeing

How your employees feel while on the job can deeply impact their day-to-day productivity and long-term retention. Provide a check-in on subjects like pride and enjoyment, team and resource support, and stress management.

Examples include:
• How well do you think the workplace impacts your sense of pride and feeling of community? (Scale)
• On a scale of 1 to 10, rate your overall ability to handle and/or mitigate stress while at the office? (Scale)
• Do you feel like you have sufficient access to private or quiet spaces in the workplace?

4. Programs and policies

Are your employees getting everything they need out of benefits packages, incentive programs, inclusivity policies, and general office culture? Ask questions about the intangibles to better understand employee perspectives on job perks.

Examples include:
• One a scale of 1 to 5, rate your satisfaction with the leave benefits offered under our full-time plan. (Range)
• Is there a program or benefit you would like to see offered that is not currently available? (open text)
• Do you feel the policies in place support in-office flexibility and autonomy?

Putting it all together: An example employee engagement survey

Curious how these components add up to an employee survey? Click through the quick quiz below to see what a lightweight workplace survey can look like. Feel free to steal our format — we're all in favor of workplace improvements.

Get a fresh perspective on employee engagement

With the above tips and starter questions to consider, you’ll be on the way to a survey that keeps your organization moving comfort, culture, and benefits forward.

By getting direct feedback on employee activities, workplace impact, physical office features, tech and resource support, and company policies and mobility, you’ll better understand if your workplace is an effective place your team wants to be.