Singapore employees are familiar with completing employee engagement surveys, but are they answering the employee survey questions authentically? Are their answers to the employee engagement survey questions useful for HR leaders to drive actionable insights to improve employee engagement levels?
This guide to employee engagement survey questions helps you prevent survey fatigue and ask the right employee engagement questions to gauge employee engagement, identify trends and employee commitment, and create the best employee engagement survey for your workplace environment.
For example, companies use PraisePal's employee recognition platform to encourage team members to complete employee engagement surveys:
- Employees can earn points for completing engagement surveys ahead of the deadline
- Group incentives can be offered, whereby all employees will be given extra points if survey completion rate is above 80% in the organization
- Employees can use points to redeem rewards from PraisePal's extensive rewards catalog and digital gift cards marketplace
What is Employee Engagement?
Definition of Employee Engagement
Employee engagement is the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral state of being fully involved and committed to one’s work.
It is a key driver of business performance, retention, and workplace culture.
Employee engagement is about allowing employees to feel a part of the system, giving them autonomy.
This can be assessed through employee engagement questions, which provide broader insights into an employee's feelings about the company, as opposed to tactical feedback questions that focus on specific issues.
Importance of Employee Engagement
Employee engagement is crucial for driving business success and improving employee retention.
Employee engagement is essential for creating a positive and productive workforce. Engaged employees are top performers, while disengaged or dissatisfied employees cost the global economy $8.9 trillion in lost productivity.
Collecting employee feedback is a foundational step in shaping a company's culture. Actively listening to employees and sharing insights leads to a more engaged workforce and is essential for being a great company.
In Singapore, employee engagement presents a mixed landscape. While some studies indicate relatively high engagement levels, others suggest there’s room for improvement. A 2022 analysis revealed that 72% of employees in Singapore are engaged at work, which is 4% lower than both the global and APAC averages. Singapore also ranks as one of the lowest in workplace engagement amongst South East Asian countries, with only 13% reporting they are engaged.
Despite these challenges, a Qualtrics study identified key drivers of employee engagement in Singapore as a clear link between work and company objectives (52%), confidence in senior leadership (46%), managers supporting career development (44%), learning and development opportunities (57%), and recognition for good work (52%).
Benefits of Employee Engagement
Employee engagement leads to increased productivity, satisfaction, and employee retention. It also improves customer satisfaction, reduces turnover, and boosts business performance.
Employee engagement is linked to better health and well-being, as well as improved company performance.
What is an Employee Engagement Survey?
An annual employee engagement survey is a crucial element in a broader strategy for enhancing employee engagement.
While it is conducted once a year to gauge overall employee satisfaction and engagement, it should be part of a comprehensive approach that includes various types of surveys to effectively measure and improve employee sentiment.
Understanding the Purpose and Structure of Employee Engagement Survey Questions
An employee engagement survey is a powerful tool designed to measure and understand the levels of engagement among employees within an organization.
Typically conducted annually, these surveys involve all employees and aim to assess various aspects of their work experience.
The primary purpose of an employee engagement survey is to identify areas for improvement and implement actionable insights that can enhance both employee experience and business performance.
A well-structured employee engagement survey should include a mix of quantitative and qualitative questions.
These questions should cover a broad range of topics, such as job satisfaction, motivation, opportunities for growth and development, and company culture.
By gathering comprehensive feedback, organizations can gain valuable insights into what drives employee engagement and what areas need attention. This, in turn, helps in creating a more engaged and productive workforce.
Why Measure Employee Engagement?
Reasons to Measure Employee Engagement
- Measuring employee engagement helps organizations understand their employees’ needs and concerns.
- Conducting an employee survey provides valuable insights into employee sentiment and identifies areas for improvement, focusing on key aspects such as trust in leadership, team dynamics, manager effectiveness, and individual needs. Gathering actionable insights from these surveys is crucial to enhance employee engagement and retention.
- Employee engagement surveys help organizations track progress over time and make data-driven decisions.
How Employee Engagement Surveys Can Help
- Employee engagement surveys provide a platform for employees to share their feedback and suggestions.
- They help organizations identify drivers of engagement and disengagement.
- Surveys can inform action planning and strategy development to improve employee engagement.
- Following best practices when conducting employee engagement surveys is essential for effective survey administration and meaningful results.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your Next Employee Engagement Survey
- Failing to communicate survey results and action plans to employees.
- Not using a validated employee engagement model.
- Not leveraging technology to facilitate surveys and analysis.
- Not conducting surveys regularly.
Designing an Effective Employee Engagement Survey
Best Practices for Employee Engagement Survey Design
- Keep survey questions clear, concise, and relevant to the organization.
- Use a balanced mix of validated questions and unique questions relevant to the organization’s context.
- Ensure survey questions are free from leading language and bias.
- Utilize trusted employee engagement survey software to capture feedback efficiently and provide necessary tools, analytics, and support.
Tips for Crafting Effective Employee Engagement Survey Questions
- Use a 5-point Likert scale to gather employee feedback and encourage survey participation.
- Ask questions that cover three key areas: employee experience, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment.
- Include open-ended and free-text questions to gather qualitative feedback.
- Utilize employee satisfaction survey questions to gauge how employees feel about their workplace and their level of satisfaction. These questions can assess excitement about work, pride in the organization, feelings towards compensation and team dynamics, as well as overall engagement and alignment with company values.
Importance of Employee Engagement Survey Question Scale
- A 5-point Likert scale is recommended to gather employee feedback and encourage survey participation.
- The scale should include options such as strongly disagree, somewhat disagree, neutral, somewhat agree, and strongly agree.
50 Employee Engagement Survey Questions You Should Ask
Here's 50 employee survey questions you can draw ideas from to plan your survey process to improve employee satisfaction and ensure that team members answering survey questions have a clear understanding of the employee engagement questions in your annual surveys, which contributes to better employee perceptions shown in your employees report and employee net promoter score:
Employee Satisfaction and Well-being
Understanding how satisfied and fulfilled employees are in their roles is a cornerstone of any effective employee engagement questionnaire.
As workplaces continue to evolve, prioritizing employee well-being is no longer optional—it’s essential.
Questions in this category help employers gauge happiness levels, identify stressors, and uncover ways to support mental and physical health.
By addressing satisfaction and well-being, companies in Singapore can foster a more productive, loyal, and motivated workforce.
Questions about Job Satisfaction
- How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your job overall?
- How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your ability to do interesting work in your role?
- How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your ability to apply your skills in this role?
- How important do you think open-ended employee engagement survey questions are for gathering valuable feedback and improving organizational practices and culture?
Questions about Work-Life Balance
- How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your work-life balance?
- How often do you feel overwhelmed by your workload?
- How often do you feel able to take breaks and recharge?
Questions about Employee Well-being
- How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your overall well-being?
- How often do you feel stressed or anxious at work?
- How often do you feel supported by your manager and colleagues?
Career Development and Growth
Career growth opportunities are a key driver of employee engagement, especially in a competitive market like Singapore.
Including questions about career development in your employee engagement questionnaire ensures employees feel valued and see a future within the organization.
Employees are increasingly looking for clear pathways to advancement, skill-building opportunities, and mentorship.
These questions can reveal whether your team feels empowered to grow and how well your organization supports their professional aspirations.
Questions about Career Advancement
- How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with opportunities for career advancement?
- How often do you feel challenged to grow and develop in your role?
- How often do you receive feedback and coaching from your manager?
Questions about Training and Development
- How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with training and development opportunities?
- How often do you feel equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to perform your job?
- How often do you receive opportunities for growth and development?
Questions about Mentorship
- How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with mentorship opportunities?
- How often do you feel supported by a mentor or coach?
- How often do you receive guidance and feedback from a mentor or coach?
Leadership and Management
Strong leadership is the backbone of any successful organization, and it plays a critical role in employee engagement.
When crafting your employee engagement questionnaire, it’s important to assess how employees perceive their managers and leaders. Do they feel supported, heard, and inspired?
Effective leadership will be defined by empathy, transparency, and the ability to adapt to changing workplace dynamics.
These questions can help identify gaps in management practices and highlight areas for improvement.
Questions about Manager Effectiveness
- How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your manager’s effectiveness?
- How often do you feel supported by your manager?
- How often do you receive feedback and coaching from your manager?
Questions about Leadership Style
- How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the leadership style of your manager?
- How often do you feel empowered to make decisions?
- How often do you feel trusted by your manager?
Questions about Leadership Communication
- How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with communication from leadership?
- How often do you feel informed about company goals and objectives?
- How often do you feel heard by leadership?
Company Culture and Confidence
A positive company culture is a magnet for talent and a catalyst for engagement.
In your employee engagement questionnaire, exploring how employees perceive your organization’s values, mission, and work environment is crucial.
As hybrid and remote work models become more prevalent, maintaining a cohesive and inclusive culture is more challenging—and more important—than ever.
These questions can help you measure employee confidence in the company’s direction and uncover ways to strengthen cultural alignment.
Questions about Company Culture
Questions about Diversity and Inclusion
- How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion?
- How often do you feel included and valued by the company?
- How often do you feel that the company promotes diversity and inclusion?
Questions about Work Environment
- How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the work environment?
- How often do you feel comfortable and supported in the workplace?
- How often do you feel that the company promotes a positive environment?
Questions about Company Values
- How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the company’s values and mission?
- How often do you feel that the company lives up to its values and mission?
- How often do you feel that the company’s values and mission align with your own?
Questions about Company Confidence
Questions about Company Performance
- How confident are you in the company’s performance?
- How often do you feel that the company is meeting its goals and objectives?
- How often do you feel that the company is innovative and forward-thinking?
Questions about Company Reputation
- How confident are you in the company’s reputation?
- How often do you feel that the company is respected by its customers and stakeholders?
- How often do you feel that the company is a leader in its industry?
Questions about Company Vision
- How confident are you in the company’s vision for the future?
- How often do you feel that the company has a clear and compelling vision?
- How often do you feel that the company is working towards a common goal?
Remote Work and Work-Life Balance
The shift to remote work has transformed how employees approach their professional and personal lives, making work-life balance a critical focus.
Including questions about remote work and balance in your employee engagement questionnaire can provide valuable insights into how well employees are managing their responsibilities outside the traditional office setting.
For Singapore employees, who often face high expectations and long working hours, achieving a healthy balance is essential for maintaining productivity and mental well-being.
Use questions to help identify challenges, such as burnout or isolation, and implement strategies to support flexibility, boundaries, and overall satisfaction in a hybrid or fully remote work environment.
Addressing the Challenges and Opportunities of Remote Work
The rise of remote work has brought both challenges and opportunities for employee engagement. As such, it’s crucial for employee engagement surveys to address these aspects to get a complete picture of how employees feel about their work.
Questions should be designed to understand employees’ experiences with remote work, their ability to maintain a healthy balance, and the level of support they receive from their organization.
By including questions about remote work, organizations can identify specific areas that need improvement and implement strategies to enhance the remote work experience.
This might include providing virtual training and development opportunities, promoting virtual team-building activities, and ensuring that remote employees feel connected to the organization’s culture and values.
Addressing these factors can help in maintaining high levels of engagement among remote employees and ensuring they feel supported and valued.
Open-Ended and Free-Text Questions for Employee Engagement Questionnaire
While quantitative questions provide measurable data, open-ended and free-text questions offer deeper insights into employees’ thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
These employee engagement survey questions encourage honest, unfiltered feedback and allow employees to express themselves in their own words.
Why Include Open-Ended Questions in Employee Engagement Surveys?
Open-ended questions provide a platform for employees to share their unique perspectives, highlight issues that may not be captured in multiple-choice questions, and suggest innovative ideas.
However, analyzing free-text responses can be time-consuming, so consider using text analysis tools or categorizing responses into themes to identify common patterns and actionable insights.
By including these questions in your employee engagement questionnaire, you demonstrate a genuine interest in employees’ voices and gain a richer understanding of their experiences.
This, in turn, helps you create a more inclusive, supportive, and engaging workplace.
Benefits of Free-Text Questions
- Free-text questions provide an opportunity for employees to express their thoughts and feelings in their own words.
- They can provide valuable insights into employee sentiment and identify areas for improvement.
- Free-text questions can help organizations understand the underlying reasons for employee engagement or disengagement.
Tips for Analyzing Free-Text Responses
- Use AI-powered sentiment analysis and summaries to analyze free-text responses.
- Look for common themes and patterns in employee feedback.
- Use free-text responses to inform action planning and strategy development.
Survey Administration and Response Rates
Administering an employee engagement questionnaire effectively is just as important as crafting the right questions.
High response rates ensure that the data collected is representative and actionable, while thoughtful administration fosters trust and participation.
Here are key strategies to maximize survey success:
Strategies for Effective Survey Distribution
Effective survey administration is key to obtaining high response rates and valuable insights from employee engagement surveys.
Here are some strategies to ensure successful survey distribution:
Invite All Employees
Ensure that the survey is distributed to all employees to get a representative sample of the workforce.
Keep the Survey Open
Allow a sufficient amount of time (e.g., two to three weeks) for employees to complete the survey, providing flexibility for their schedules.
Use a User-Friendly Platform
Choose a survey platform that is accessible on various devices, making it easy for employees to participate.
Communicate the Purpose
Clearly communicate the purpose and importance of the survey to employees, emphasizing how their feedback will be used to improve the workplace.
Ensure Anonymity and Confidentiality
Guarantee that the survey responses are anonymous and confidential to encourage honest and candid feedback.
Provide Incentives
Offer incentives, such as recognition or rewards, to motivate employees to complete the survey.
You can give points on employee recognition platforms like PraisePal, where employees can use to redeem rewards to incentivise employees to complete employee engagement surveys or provide feedback after gathering survey responses.
By implementing these strategies to create employee survey questions, organizations can increase response rates, ensure the survey is representative of the entire workforce, and gather valuable insights from survey results to inform their employee engagement initiatives and develop ways to increase employee motivation.
Following best practices for employee engagement survey questions helps to build an engaged workplace that strengthens connection employees have with the company and other employees.
The best survey results are when employees perceive that the company has a genuine interest in their personal life, professional growth, career development opportunities, and value employee space and employee appreciation with good employee engagement questions.
Action Planning and Benchmarks When Conducting Employee Engagement Surveys
To ensure your employee engagement surveys yield specific and actionable data, determine the goals you want to focus on before you work on the questionnaires.
Clear goals make it easier to create an action plan and produce better survey results, showing employees how effective surveys can be as internal feedback tools.
An employee engagement action plan is a strategic framework that outlines specific steps and initiatives an organization intends to take based on the results of employee surveys.
When companies make changes based on how employees feel about their work, it shows workers that management cares about the people working there, improving employee morale.
Therefore, action plans improve employee morale, and the working environment improves, and employees feel less disillusioned about their place in the company.
Employee engagement action plans should include important drivers, benchmarks, and milestones, which allow executives and managers to track the effectiveness of the engagement action plan.
Key measures include regular follow-up engagement surveys to track changes in satisfaction, motivation, and commitment levels before and after implementing action plans.
Importance of Benchmarks
- Benchmarks provide a frame of reference for understanding employee engagement.
- They help organizations track progress over time and make data-driven decisions.
- Benchmarks can inform action planning and strategy development.
How to Use Benchmarks to Inform Action Planning
- Use benchmarks to identify areas for improvement.
- Develop action plans that address areas for improvement.
- Track progress over time and adjust action plans as needed.
Tips for Creating an Action Plan
- Involve employees in the action planning process.
- Develop specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.
- Communicate action plans and progress to employees.
Employee Engagement Survey Best Practices
Define Clear Objectives
- Before creating your survey, identify what you want to achieve.
- Are you measuring overall engagement, identifying pain points, or evaluating specific initiatives?
- Clear objectives will guide your questions and ensure the results are meaningful.
Keep It Short and Focused
- Aim for 10–15 minutes to complete.
- Focus on key areas like satisfaction, well-being, leadership, and culture to avoid survey fatigue.
Use a Mix of Question Types
- Combine quantitative questions (e.g., rating scales) with qualitative questions (e.g., open-ended responses).
- This helps you gather both measurable data and detailed insights.
Keep Surveys Anonymous and Confidential
- Ensure that survey results are anonymous and confidential to encourage honest feedback.
- Use survey software that protects employee anonymity and confidentiality.
Conduct Surveys Regularly
- Conduct surveys regularly to track progress over time and make data-driven decisions.
- Use a combination of annual and pulse employee surveys to gather feedback on how employees feel. Implementing a holistic listening strategy that includes regular feedback mechanisms is essential to analyze engagement levels and inform necessary actions.
Choose the Right Timing
- Avoid busy periods or times of high stress (e.g., end-of-quarter).
- Launch the survey when employees are more likely to have the time and mental space to respond thoughtfully.
Leverage Technology to Facilitate Surveys
- Use survey software to facilitate surveys and analysis and remind employees to complete survey questions
Promote Participation
- Encourage employees to take the survey through multiple channels (e.g., email, team meetings, internal messaging platforms).
- Use employee recognition platforms like PraisePal to incentivise and reward employees for completing employee engagement survey questions ahead of time.
- Leadership endorsement can also boost participation rates.
Communicate Results and Action Plans
- Communicate survey results and action plans to employees.
- Use clear and concise language to explain results and action plans.
- Involve employees in the action planning process.
Act on the Results
- Share the survey findings with employees and outline actionable steps to address concerns.
- Taking visible action demonstrates that their feedback is valued and can drive future engagement.
Benchmark and Track Progress
- Compare results against previous surveys or industry benchmarks to measure progress over time.
- Regularly tracking engagement helps identify trends and areas for improvement.
Follow Up
- After implementing changes, follow up with employees to assess the impact.
- This shows commitment to continuous improvement and keeps engagement a priority.
Taking Employee Engagement to the Next Level
Employee engagement is no longer just a buzzword—it’s a strategic imperative for organizations aiming to thrive in today's workforce.
While traditional surveys and initiatives have laid the groundwork, taking engagement to the next level requires a proactive, innovative, and employee-centric approach.
These tips and strategies for employee engagement shows how companies in Singapore can move beyond the basics, leveraging data-driven insights, technology, and cultural shifts to create a workplace where employees feel truly connected, valued, and empowered.
From personalized development plans to fostering a sense of purpose, form actionable strategies to elevate engagement and drive long-term success.
Tips for Increasing Employee Engagement
- Focus on employee experience and job satisfaction.
- Provide opportunities for growth and development.
- Foster a positive and inclusive work environment for al team members.
Strategies for Improving Survey Participation
- Communicate the importance of surveys and feedback.
- Make surveys easy and convenient to complete.
- Provide incentives for survey participation.
Importance of Continuous Improvement
- Continuously gather feedback from multiple employees and track progress over time.
- Use data to inform action planning and strategy development.
- Involve employees in the action planning process.
Summary of Employee Engagement Survey Questions
Crafting an effective employee engagement questionnaire is a powerful way to understand what drives your workforce and uncover opportunities for improvement.
In this article, we’ve explored 50 essential survey questions tailored for Singapore employees, covering key areas like employee satisfaction and well-being, career development and growth, leadership and management, company culture and confidence, and remote work and work-life balance. A balanced approach in surveys often includes both quantitative and qualitative questions for comprehensive insights.
These questions are designed to provide actionable insights, helping organizations foster a more engaged, motivated, and productive workforce.
By implementing these questions and following best practices, you can create a workplace where employees feel valued, supported, and inspired to contribute their best.
Remember, the true value of an engagement survey lies not just in collecting data, but in taking meaningful action to drive positive change.
Frequently Asked Questions About Employee Engagement Survey Questions
What are the 10 types of questions to avoid in an employee engagement survey?
When planning your employee engagement survey, it's important not to forget which question to ignore. Some types of questions may cause confusion among participants in a question that doesn't offer insight.
Here are 10 types of questions to avoid in your employee engagement surveys:
1. Leading Questions
Questions that lead respondents toward a specific answer can skew results. Avoid phrasing like, "Don't you agree that..." or "Isn't it true that..." which suggest a 'correct' response.
2. Double-barreled Questions
Questions addressing two topics at once can be confusing and lead to unclear answers.
For example, “Do you feel your manager communicates effectively and supports your career development?” should be split into two separate questions for clarity.
Separate concepts until you are measuring only one idea per question.
3. Jargon and Acronyms
Keep your questions simple and straightforward. Avoid jargon, acronyms, and/or technical terms that not all employees might understand. Mind-bending business jargon is the fastest way to get someone to close your survey.
4. Negative Framing
While it’s important to address challenges, framing questions negatively can influence respondents to focus only on the negative aspects.
Instead of asking, "Why do you think there's a lack of trust in management?" consider, "How can trust in management be improved?”
5. Hypothetical Situations
Questions about hypothetical situations often lead to speculative answers that don’t reflect actual experiences or feelings.
Focus on real situations and experiences.
6. Overly Personal or Sensitive Topics
While it’s crucial to understand all aspects of employee engagement, asking about overly personal or sensitive topics without a clear purpose can make employees uncomfortable and less likely to respond honestly.
7. Broad Questions
Questions that are too broad can lead to vague answers that don’t offer actionable insights.
Instead of asking, "Are you satisfied with your job?" try to be more specific, like, "How satisfied are you with your current work-life balance?"
8. Vague, Open-Ended Questions
It’s best to ask specific questions that can bring about actionable insight that link to business outcomes.
If nothing is top of mind, then ‘nothing’ will be the answer you get.
9. Questions You're Unwilling to Act On
If there’s something you’re unwilling—or unable—to take action on, don’t include it in the employee experience survey.
- Questions Employees Are Too Afraid to Answer
Employers should guarantee confidentiality to further encourage employees' open and candid responses.
What are the do's & don'ts of encouraging engagement survey participation?
Here are some do's and don'ts for encouraging employee engagement survey participation:
Do:
- Emphasize Confidentiality and Data Security: Ensure employees that their responses are secure and confidential.
- Outline How Feedback Will Be Reviewed and the Approach for Taking Action: Explain how feedback will be reviewed and what steps will be taken as a result. Share concrete examples of past changes implemented based on survey results to demonstrate the tangible impact of their participation.
- Model the Behavior You're Seeking: Take the survey yourself and share your experience with your team. For example, share that, "It only took me ten minutes and was a welcome distraction from emails on a Friday morning!" or "I found the survey format really easy to use".
- Communicate Effectively: Announce the survey well in advance using multiple channels, like email, company meetings, or your intranet, to get the word out. Implementing changes based on survey results increases employee trust and encourages future participation in surveys.
- Frame the Survey Positively: Frame it as a two-way conversation where employees can contribute to shaping their work experience.
Dont:
- Ask People Directly If They've Taken the Survey Yet
- Reference How You Would Like Participants to Respond
- Make Poor Judgments: Making poor judgments without comprehensive input from most employees can lead to subpar outcomes and missed growth opportunities.
- Ask Questions You're Unwilling to Act On: If there’s something you’re unwilling—or unable—to take action on, don’t include it in the employee engagement survey.
- Ask Questions Employees Are Too Afraid to Answer: Employers should guarantee confidentiality to further encourage employees' open and candid
How to get the most out of your employee engagement surveys?
It can be difficult to conduct a passive engagement survey — you must do it properly. Organizations should aim for a high response rate to surveys, ideally between 70-90%, to gather robust data on employee engagement.
As you continue to ask people they have questions, you better understand what questions are best for action.
What can you measure with employee engagement surveys?
Surveys are a great way to assess employees' happiness, morale and job satisfaction. This data helps HR leaders in developing effective retention strategies.
What are the types of employee surveys?
Common types of employee surveys include employee opinion and satisfaction surveys, employee culture surveys, and employee engagement surveys. Employee experience surveys are also commonly used.
Why use surveys to measure employee engagement?
Employee Engagement Survey serves multiple important uses. An anonymous form is able to be accessed by employees, allowing frustrated teams to express their own opinions.
In addition, they provide you with the opportunity to get honest feedback on how the team interacts.
