What Questions Should Be on an Employee Engagement Survey?

These items measure whether employees have a clear target and the tools to hit it. Unclear expectations and missing resources are the two most common, most fixable engagement killers — and they fall entirely within a manager's span of control.

1. 1.

   I know exactly what is expected of me in my role.

   Adapted from Gallup Q12 construct theme 1 (see source note — do not reproduce verbatim)

   Clarity of expectations is the foundational Q12 construct — without it, effort is misdirected. Teams with high scores on this item consistently outperform on productivity and quality metrics.

2. 2.

   I have the materials, equipment, and access I need to do my work well.

   Adapted from Gallup Q12 construct theme 2 (see source note)

   A practical resource gap immediately undermines discretionary effort; it is also one of the fastest items for a manager to address once surfaced.

3. 3.

   My role plays to my strengths on most days.

   Adapted from Gallup Q12 construct theme 3 (see source note)

   Strength alignment (the Q12 'best every day' construct) is a stronger predictor of engagement than job fit defined by qualifications alone.

4. 4.

   I understand how my work connects to our organization's goals.

   Line-of-sight to organizational purpose amplifies intrinsic motivation and reduces disengagement, especially among younger workers.

5. 5.

   My workload is manageable within a standard work week.

   Chronic overload is a leading antecedent of burnout and disengagement — flagging it early allows resource conversations before energy depletes.

6. 6.

   I have enough autonomy in how I approach my work.

   Autonomy is a consistent predictor of intrinsic motivation across work-design research. Even when role clarity is high, low autonomy produces compliance rather than engagement.

Managers drive at least 70% of the variance in engagement scores (Gallup, 2015). This group isolates what a manager does, not who they are — all items reflect behaviors the organization can coach and develop.

1. 1.

   In the last seven days, someone at work recognized me for good work.

   Adapted from Gallup Q12 construct theme 4 (see source note)

   Recent, specific recognition is one of the highest-leverage engagement items. Its recency framing (seven days) makes it sensitive enough to detect week-to-week managerial behavior change.

2. 2.

   My manager genuinely cares about me as a person, not just as an employee.

   Adapted from Gallup Q12 construct theme 5 (see source note)

   Perceived care from a supervisor is a robust predictor of discretionary effort and psychological safety. Without it, other engagement inputs lose traction.

3. 3.

   My manager actively supports my professional development.

   Adapted from Gallup Q12 construct theme 6 (see source note)

   Development investment signals that the organization sees a future for the employee — the absence of this signal is a leading driver of passive disengagement.

4. 4.

   My opinions and input are genuinely considered when decisions affect my team.

   Adapted from Gallup Q12 construct theme 7 (see source note)

   Only about one in four employees globally strongly agree their opinions count at work (Gallup Q12). Doubling that ratio is associated with a 22% reduction in turnover.

5. 5.

   In the last six months, someone has talked with me about my progress.

   Adapted from Gallup Q12 construct theme 11 (see source note)

   Regular progress conversations signal investment in the individual's trajectory. The six-month window separates sustained coaching from a single performance review.

This group captures the mission and learning dimensions — whether employees find their work meaningful and see a path forward. Both are strongly linked to retention and discretionary effort independent of compensation.

1. 1.

   The mission and purpose of our organization makes my job feel important.

   Adapted from Gallup Q12 construct theme 8 (see source note)

   Purpose-connection is a core Q12 engagement construct and a top predictor of engagement among younger workers. It is also one of the hardest for managers to influence, making it a useful diagnostic for leadership communication.

2. 2.

   In the last year, I have had opportunities to learn and grow at work.

   Adapted from Gallup Q12 construct theme 12 (see source note)

   Lack of career development has ranked as the number-one reason employees leave for over a decade (Work Institute). This item anchors that driver at the team level.

3. 3.

   I can see a realistic path to career advancement here.

   Perceived career mobility is distinct from current development activity — employees need to see the trajectory, not just the current role.

4. 4.

   I find my day-to-day work personally meaningful.

   Intrinsic meaning is a direct engagement lever and a partial hedge against satisfaction dips in pay or conditions.

5. 5.

   This organization invests in developing its people.

   Perceived organizational investment in development is distinct from individual manager support — it reflects enterprise-level commitment to growth, and low scores here often surface in team-level morale dips before engagement overall drops.

The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) measures three distinct energy dimensions: vigor (sustained mental effort), dedication (enthusiasm and pride), and absorption (full concentration). These items use a 7-point frequency scale — keep them in a separate section or note the scale change clearly in your survey instrument.

1. 1.

   At my work, I feel bursting with energy.

   Adapted from UWES Vigor subscale, Schaufeli & Bakker (2003) — see source note

   Vigor is the most behaviorally visible UWES subscale and the one most directly linked to resilience under pressure and sustained performance.

2. 2.

   I feel strong and vigorous when I go to work.

   Adapted from UWES Vigor subscale, Schaufeli & Bakker (2003) — see source note
3. 3.

   I am enthusiastic about my job.

   Adapted from UWES Dedication subscale, Schaufeli & Bakker (2003) — see source note

   Dedication captures the emotional investment in work — it is the subscale most closely related to retention intentions and organizational citizenship behavior.

4. 4.

   My work inspires me.

   Adapted from UWES Dedication subscale, Schaufeli & Bakker (2003) — see source note
5. 5.

   I am proud of the work that I do.

   Adapted from UWES Dedication subscale, Schaufeli & Bakker (2003) — see source note
6. 6.

   I am fully absorbed and immersed in my work.

   Adapted from UWES Absorption subscale, Schaufeli & Bakker (2003) — see source note

   Absorption — time passing quickly, difficulty detaching — is the cognitive counterpart to vigor's physical energy. Low absorption scores often surface in roles with excessive interruption or unclear priorities.

Coworker relationships and psychological safety are distinct engagement drivers that no manager alone can create. These items surface the quality of peer connection and collaborative norms — areas where team-level action planning is the right intervention.

1. 1.

   I have at least one close relationship at work with someone I trust.

   Adapted from Gallup Q12 construct theme 10 (see source note)

   Social connection at work is a Q12 construct ('best friend') that predicts engagement and discretionary effort even when controlling for other job factors.

2. 2.

   My coworkers are committed to doing quality work.

   Adapted from Gallup Q12 construct theme 9 (see source note)

   Peer commitment is contagious — low scores here typically signal a broader team-norm or selection issue that managerial coaching alone cannot fix.

3. 3.

   I feel comfortable speaking up when I see a problem or have a concern.

   Psychological safety is a prerequisite for discretionary effort — employees who fear judgment withhold their best ideas and honest feedback.

4. 4.

   I feel like I belong on this team.

   Belonging is increasingly treated as a distinct engagement driver from satisfaction; low scores here predict both disengagement and passive job searching.

5. 5.

   Our team collaborates effectively to get work done.

   Collaboration quality is both a performance and an engagement signal — dysfunctional team dynamics drain the energy that discretionary effort requires.

Three open-text items close the census and surface the qualitative 'why' behind the quantitative scores. Keep them at the end. Code responses thematically — look for convergent themes that your quantitative items may not have captured.

1. 1.

   What is one thing that would make your day-to-day work better?

   QSET-003, compiled best-practice (no named instrument)

   The most action-oriented open question in the bank — it shifts the frame from complaint to solution and produces manager-level actionable input.

2. 2.

   What do you find most energizing about your role right now?

   QSET-003, compiled best-practice (no named instrument)
3. 3.

   What is the biggest barrier preventing you from doing your best work?

   QSET-003, compiled best-practice (no named instrument)

   This framing surfaces systemic blockers that likert items miss — process, tooling, and cultural barriers appear more often here than in the quantitative section.