How to come up with feedback questions for your employees?

One of the most valuable business assets you have is available right now for free: employee feedback. HR and upper management can continually renew and improve their policies by asking people straightforward questions about their experiences. Nothing is a better lesson for a business than honesty from the people who make its work possible each day.

It’s one thing to send out surveys and another entirely to benefit from them. Stock questions tend to elicit generic responses, so personalization is key here. The best way to go about acquiring meaningful employee feedback is to first identify your goals and objectives. Instead of merely asking “why,” you are creating questions that directly link to actionable responses.

What types of questions should I ask my employees?

Gauging people’s connection to their workplace can help you identify opportunities to strengthen loyalty and boost retention.

If people don’t feel like they’re acknowledged or valued where they work, it will be hard to keep them onboard, no matter how good your benefits are.

One of the most important areas to assess is personal fulfillment. Do people feel like they have opportunities for professional development? Do they believe the work they do matters and that other people think so, too?

You might find it helpful to come up with questions centered around the following themes:

• Company culture
• Job satisfaction
• Professional development
• Future aspirations
• Current needs and desires

Examples of Great Employee Feedback Questions

Below are some questions that can help you learn more about your employees and how they feel about their job and your company as a whole. These ideas also make for a great initial survey that later helps shape future requests for feedback.

> What is the purpose of your role?

It seems odd to ask someone this, but the question actually provides immediate clarity into a person’s feeling of value in the organization. If someone cannot easily define what they do and why, this signals a need for greater development. Upskilling and reskilling can help people grow and feel more motivated and connected to their jobs.

> Can you describe our company culture in three words?

Without a well-defined culture, companies lack community and loyalty. If people have to go onto your website and read about your mission to see what you stand for, there is a disconnect that you need to resolve.

It’s important to also note any differences between the adjectives people use to describe your culture and the actual company values.

One way to improve a weak company culture is by knowledge sharing, which inspires greater collaboration and connection across departments.

> How does your boss or supervisor inspire you and your team?

Leadership is there to help people become the best versions of themselves. They create opportunities, offer guidance, and give support when it’s needed. If people are not able to identify ways management keeps morale high, it might be wise to invest in leadership training.

Going a step further, you could ask follow-up questions as to what actions would be meaningful to the team. How would their ideal leader act? What do they need from a manager that they don’t currently have?

Using Feedback to Fuel Growth

Remember that employee feedback questions are only as valuable as your response, so keep asking.