Running an employee engagement survey is one of the most valuable ways to understand how your people really feel, but only if you’re asking the right questions.
Many leaders focus on survey results, dashboards, and engagement scores. Fewer pause to consider what their survey is actually measuring.
At Pupal, we see this mistake often. You can’t build better engagement from shallow data. You need questions that reveal insight — not just sentiment. Here’s how to design a survey that captures meaningful feedback and gives you data you can act on.
1. Start With the Purpose, Not the Platform
Every engagement survey design should begin with intent.
Ask yourself:
- Are you measuring culture after a growth phase?
- Do you want to identify leadership blind spots or retention risk?
- Is this survey about connection, motivation, or enablement?
Your “why” shapes your “what.”
When purpose is unclear, you get surface-level data, numbers with no narrative.
A great survey doesn’t ask “How happy are you?”
It asks “What helps you do your best work here?”
2. Use a Framework That Covers the Full Employee Experience
High-performing companies measure more than happiness. They explore engagement drivers like alignment, leadership, and recognition.
Here’s a sample engagement survey question framework you can adapt to your business:
| Focus Area | Example Questions |
|---|---|
| Engagement | I’d confidently recommend this company as a great place to work. I feel proud to be part of this team. I can see myself growing here over the next few years. |
| Company Confidence | I believe in the company’s long-term success. We use our time and resources wisely to achieve our goals. |
| Alignment & Involvement | I understand how my work contributes to our bigger goals. I have a clear picture of what success looks like in my role. I’m involved in decisions that affect my work. |
| Collaboration & Communication | Teams across the business work well together. Communication here feels open, honest, and two-way. |
| Enablement | I have access to the tools and information I need to do my job well. I have enough freedom to make decisions and take ownership. Our systems and processes make it easier — not harder — to deliver good work. |
| Feedback & Recognition | My contributions are recognised in meaningful ways. Great work is noticed and rewarded consistently. Feedback on my performance helps me grow. |
| Leadership | I trust the decisions made by our leaders. Leaders communicate a vision that motivates me. Our leaders show genuine care for people, not just performance. |
| Learning & Development | I have access to learning opportunities that matter to me. I’m encouraged to develop skills that align with my goals. I believe I can grow my career here. |
| Work & Life Blend | I can balance work and personal life in a healthy way. I’m supported when I need flexibility or time off. My workload feels fair for my role. |
| Action & Follow-Through | I believe our leaders will act on the feedback from this survey. I’ve seen real progress from previous employee feedback. |
This combination delivers comprehensive engagement data you can actually use, connecting emotion, enablement, and execution.
3. Keep Your Survey Language Human
If you want honest answers, write questions in everyday language.
Replace corporate jargon with natural phrasing:
❌ “The organisation demonstrates continuous improvement processes.”
✅ “We learn from mistakes and apply those lessons quickly.”
Plain language builds trust — and trust produces accurate data.
4. Communicate Before You Collect
The success of your employee feedback survey depends on what people believe will happen next.
Before launch:
- Explain the purpose. Tell your team why this survey matters.
- Set expectations. Be clear that you’ll share results and next steps.
- Commit to action. Give a date for when they’ll hear back.
When employees know their voice leads to action, response rates rise and cynicism falls.
5. Think Beyond the Numbers
Engagement scores are starting points, not finish lines.
To turn data into impact, ask:
- Does this tell us why people feel the way they do?
- Can we identify patterns that link culture to performance?
- Do we have the will and capability to act on what we learn?
If the answer is yes, you’ve built a survey that drives growth — not just metrics. Better still organise a debriefing work shop with employees to expand or discuss the ratings. Now those conversations are really powerful.
The Pupal Perspective
At Pupal, we design listening systems for scaling and innovative businesses that want more than a pulse check.
Our frameworks connect clarity, capability, and connection, transforming feedback into strategy.
Because when leaders listen well, they don’t just measure engagement.
They build it.
Final Thought
Before you send your next engagement survey, pause and ask:
“Are we collecting data, or are we creating understanding?”
The most valuable employee feedback doesn’t live in the numbers, it lives in the conversations that follow.
When you ask the right questions and act on the answers, engagement isn’t something you measure.
It’s something you earn.
