People often ask me what employment engagement questions I ask my employees. Before creating any survey or questionnaire it is important to understand that honest, two-way communication is critical for any effective employment engagement strategies. Simply put, you’re not going to engage your team members if you’re siloed, distant, or aloof. You need to actually talk to them, soliciting their feedback and checking their pulse.
It helps if you ask the right questions. That’s what I’d like to cover in today’s post: What are the key employment engagement questions you should be asking as you seek to hone your strategies?
I’ll note that these questions can be helpful in a variety of contexts, whether in company-wide employment engagement surveys or simply for use in one-on-ones.
I’ll also note that these are by no means the only questions you might ask as part of your employment engagement approach! Rather, I’d encourage you to view them as a framework and a jumping off point.
11 Key Employment Engagement Questions
So, with the preamble out of the way, here are some questions I think you’ll find useful in the context of any employment engagement strategy.
Are you happy at the company?
Here’s a good baseline question to ask of your employees. I’ll note that employee happiness and employee engagement are not the same thing, but they are connected, and it’s generally safe to assume that employees who aren’t happy also aren’t engaged. So, this is a respectable question to start with. Just find out whether your employees look forward to coming to work most mornings.
What’s important to you?
Are your employees getting what’s really important to them? Are they able to set meaningful goals? And do they believe they can achieve those goals within your organization? You won’t know unless you ask them what matters to them. This information can be invaluable as you seek effective ways to motivate your employees.
How can we improve/how can I improve?
This one can be hard to ask, and for some employees it may be hard to answer. After all, nobody wants to hurt the boss’ feelings! Make it clear that you really value honest feedback, and that you’re ready to listen without judgment.
What barriers or obstacles do you face each day?
Are there roadblocks that keep your employees from doing their job effectively? Or, barriers that keep them from doing the parts of the job they really love? Ask about them, and then brainstorm ways to remove or minimize those roadblocks if possible.
Is this what you want to be doing?
You may have an employee who’s in one role but secretly dreams of another. It’s good to know that, and to talk earnestly about ways in which your employee can prepare and perhaps one day transition into the job they really want.
How would you like to contribute?
Most employees really want to add value to the company and contribute to the team. Some may even have some very specific ideas about how they can do so, and all they need is someone to ask them!
What can I do to make your job easier?
This may be a variation on the roadblock question above, but it’s still worth asking. Your employees may have some specific ways in which you can empower them to work better, and more efficiently. If nothing else, they will be grateful that you asked!
How do you want to work?
Different employees are motivated by different things. Some may really want the opportunity to have a more flexible schedule, to work remotely from time to time, etc. It can certainly be valuable to raise these issues and talk through them together, if that’s something the employee cares about.
Do you feel a sense of purpose?
Do you feel connected to the company’s mission? One of the key aspects of effective employment engagement strategies is articulating a clear sense of mission and showing how each employee plays a role in fulfilling that mission. Double check that you’re doing exactly that!
How would you describe our organizational culture?
Leaders should always be considering the nature of their organizational culture, and one component of that is seeing how other people in the company perceive that culture. Tell your employee there’s no right or wrong answer; you’re simply interested in their point of view!
What are your long-term goals?
The ole’ “where do you see yourself in 10 years” question is a bit of a cliché, but it’s a cliché for a reason. It can be extremely helpful to determine what your employees ultimately want to achieve, and how you can help them get there.
Again, these questions aren’t meant to be exhaustive, but I hope they provide you with some fruitful avenues of discussion as you seek to better engage your team members.
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