Employee engagement survey
An engagement score tells you how people feel, not why. This template pairs the eNPS question with four statements about growth, their manager, recognition and workload. When the score drops, you can see which of the four dropped with it, and that tells you where to start.
Best for: People teams and managers at companies big enough that a team lead can't hear every complaint in person.
Use this template freeHow likely are you to recommend this company as a place to work?
A live preview of this template. Click through it. Nothing gets sent.
The questions
- 1How likely are you to recommend this company as a place to work?NPSThe eNPS question on a 0-10 scale. 9-10 are promoters, 7-8 are passives, 0-6 are detractors.
- 2What's the main reason for your score?Long textThe follow-up that turns a number into a reason you can act on.
- 3I have clear opportunities to grow in this role.Opinion scaleGrowth. Strongly disagree to strongly agree.
- 4My manager gives me the support and feedback I need.Opinion scaleManager. Gallup finds managers explain much of the gap in engagement between teams.
- 5The work I do is recognized and valued.Opinion scaleRecognition. Same scale as the others so you can compare them.
- 6My workload is sustainable over the next few months.Opinion scaleWorkload. A low score here is an early sign of burnout, before anyone hands in notice.
- 7What's one thing that would make this a better place to work for you?Long text
Sample replies, counted
These replies are made up to show the method.
Asked: What's the main reason for your score?
My manager actually makes time for our 1:1s every week. That's rare and I'd tell a friend about it.
Good managerno clear path to senior, I asked twice
No room to growI've been covering two roles since March and nobody has said when the second hire is coming.
Too much workLove the team. But the last promotion round came and went and nobody on our side even got a conversation about it.
No room to growon call every other week is too much
Too much workSam has my back when things go sideways
Good managerThe work is fine. I just can't see where I go from here.
No room to growthe free lunches are great lol
Other
| Label | Replies |
|---|---|
| No room to grow | 3 |
| Good manager | 2 |
| Too much work | 2 |
| Other | 1 |
Three of eight people point at growth, more than any other reason. Before the next round, check whether those answers come from one team, then publish what it takes to move up there.
How to run it well
- Say the survey is anonymous and make it true. Don't ask for names, and hide results for any group small enough to guess who said what.
- Report eNPS as the share of promoters minus the share of detractors, never as an average. An average hides the split between people who'd refer a friend and people quietly looking elsewhere.
- Read the score next to the four drivers. A low score with a low manager line is a coaching problem, not a pay problem.
- Read the written answers team by team, not for the whole company at once. The fix is usually local to one manager or one project.
- Ask the same questions each round so you can follow the trend. One snapshot can't tell you if things are getting better.
When not to use this: If you need a quick read on one change, like a new office policy, a full engagement survey is too heavy. Send a short pulse survey instead.
FAQ
What's a good eNPS score?
How do I keep an engagement survey anonymous and still split it by team?
How often should I run it?
Where the method comes from
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