83 Employee Survey Questions About Culture

We've all heard of toxic cultures, and unfortunately, many of us have experienced them. These company cultures lead to stress, burnout, and eventually turnover.

But there are ways companies can not only fight toxic cultures, but lower absenteeism, and improve productivity, and increase engagement too.

One way is with a workplace culture survey.

Keep in mind that although employee surveys can be a powerful tool for driving engagement and improving overall company culture, it's critical to ask the right questions.

Here, we'll discuss the discuss the importance of employee surveys, how they can help improve company culture, and give example employee survey questions about culture.

What are Employee Surveys?

Employee surveys are a tool used by organizations to gather employee feedback and insights from their employees about various aspects of their work environment, job satisfaction, and overall employee experience.

These surveys are designed to collect anonymous and honest feedback from employees, allowing organizations to better understand their workforce's needs, concerns, and opinions.

Employee surveys can take various forms, including online questionnaires, paper-based forms, or even in-person interviews in certain situations.

Here are some common topics and metrics covered in employee surveys:

Job Satisfaction: Employees are asked about their overall satisfaction with their job, including factors such as workload, compensation, benefits, and work-life balance.
Engagement: These surveys measure how engaged employees are in their work and with the organization. Questions might assess factors like enthusiasm, commitment, and motivation.
Company Culture: A workplace culture survey may explore culture, values, and the extent to which employees feel their values align with those of the company.
Management and Leadership: Employees can provide feedback on their supervisors and managers, including their communication skills, leadership style, and ability to provide support and development opportunities.
Career Development: Organizations often inquire about how employees perceptions of career growth opportunities within the company and whether employees feel supported in their professional development.
Communication: Employees are asked about the effectiveness of internal communication channels, such as company meetings, newsletters, and intranet platforms.
Wellness and Work-Life Balance: Surveys might assess employees' physical and mental well-being, stress levels, and perceptions of work-life balance.
Diversity and Inclusion: Organizations may use a company culture survey to gauge employees' experiences related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including whether employees feel included and valued in the workplace.
Training and Development: Feedback on training programs and opportunities for skill development is often sought to help organizations improve their employee development strategies.
Feedback and Suggestions: Many surveys include open-ended questions where employees can provide comments and suggestions for improvement.

Surveys are valuable tools for HR departments and organizational leadership because they provide data-driven insights into employee sentiment and can help identify areas that need improvement.

Analyzing survey results can lead to strategic changes and initiatives that enhance employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention.

It's important for organizations to ensure that these surveys are conducted confidentially and that employees feel comfortable providing honest feedback without fear of reprisal.

Additionally, organizations should communicate the results of the surveys to employees and take meaningful actions based on the feedback received to demonstrate their commitment to improvement.

How Culture Fits into Employee Engagement

Positive company culture plays a critical role in the overall employee experience. In fact, a toxic company culture was cited as the top reason employees quit in 2022. And research has found that 66% of employees believe positive cultures impact their work for the better every day.

Additionally, a healthy work culture is even reportedly 10 times more important to employees than pay.

While the numbers may be surprising, the sentiment really shouldn't be. Our environments directly impact how we feel - whether that's supported, heard, and empowered, or stifled, burned out, and stressed. A positive work environment makes all the difference.

So, having employee survey questions that target company culture is critical for improving employee engagement and the overall employee experience.

Employee Survey Questions About Culture

Creating effective employee survey questions about culture is essential to understand employee perspectives and make improvements to company culture if necessary.

Depending on your organization's specific focus areas and goals, you can customize and expand upon these questions to gain deeper insights into your company's culture.

Additionally, consider using a mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions to gather both quantitative and qualitative employee feedback.

Here are some company culture survey questions you can use to get workplace culture surveys started:

Likert Scale Company Culture Questions

Creating a Likert scale for your workplace culture survey can help you gain objective, measurable data.

Respondents rate their agreement with a statement on a scale from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree." This is typically conducted on a 5-point or 7-point scale, allowing a true neutral option in the middle.

Gain a holistic view of your company culture by asking questions that touch on a range of aspects of company culture too. Doing so will help provide actionable steps when determining ways to improve company culture.

Overall Culture:

I feel a sense of belonging at [Company].
I enjoy my colleagues.
I feel appreciated and/or valued.
I feel empowered in my role.
I feel safe to be myself at work.

Leadership and Vision:

Our leadership team effectively communicates the company's vision and values.
I have confidence in our company's leadership.
The company's leaders demonstrate a commitment to ethical behavior.
Leadership promotes a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
I believe in the long-term success of the company.
My team leader is accessible.
My team leader is approachable.
My team leader communicates expectations clearly.
I feel supported by my leader.
I learn useful skills from my leader.

Communication:

Communication within the company is clear and transparent.
Information flows freely between different departments and teams.
I feel well-informed about company updates and changes.
Feedback and suggestions are actively encouraged and considered.
There is an open-door policy for addressing concerns or issues.

Teamwork and Collaboration:

Collaboration is encouraged and valued in our organization's culture.
Team members respect each other's contributions and opinions.
Cross-functional collaboration is common and effective.
Teamwork is recognized and rewarded.
I feel a sense of camaraderie and belonging within my team.

Work-Life Balance:

The company promotes a healthy work-life balance.
I can manage my workload without excessive stress.
There is flexibility in terms of work hours and remote work options.
I feel supported in maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
The company values psychological safety and employee well-being.

Psychological Safety

Are you afraid to be yourself around your peers/superiors?
Are you afraid to make mistakes with peers/superiors?
Are you afraid to raise problems with your peers/superiors?
Do you feel respected by your peers/supervisors?
Do you think it is safe to openly identify as LGBTQIA+ at the company?
Do you think it’s safe to openly identify as neurodivergent at the company?
Do you think it’s safe to openly identify as a religious minority at the company?

Diversity and Inclusion:

The company actively promotes diversity and inclusion.
I feel respected and included regardless of my background.
The organization has diversity initiatives in place.
Discrimination and bias are not tolerated in our positive workplace culture.
There is equal opportunity for career advancement for all employees.
The company values diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The company makes efforts to support minority or marginalized groups.
The company has a diverse leadership team.
Inclusive practices are in place to accommodate diverse needs (e.g., religious observances, parental leave).

Employee Development:

The company invests in employee training and development.
I have opportunities for professional growth within the organization.
Performance feedback and evaluations are constructive and helpful.
The company supports skill-building and learning.
I feel that my career goals align with the company's goals.

Job Satisfaction:

I am satisfied with my current role and responsibilities.
My work is meaningful and aligned with my values.
I find my tasks challenging and engaging.
I am proud to work for this company.
I would recommend this company as a great place to work.

Company Values:

I believe in and align with the company's core values.
Our actions reflect the stated company values.
The company demonstrates a commitment to social responsibility.
The company acts with integrity in all its dealings.
I feel that I can uphold the company's values in my work.

Open-Ended Company Culture Questions

Open ended questions allow employees to express their thoughts and experiences in their own words, providing qualitative data to compliment the quantitative data gained from Likert scale questions.

Open-ended company culture survey questions can also be valuable for gaining more in-depth insights into your company culture.

Here are some open-ended questions you can use to explore company culture: