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20 Must-Ask Employee Recognition Survey Questions

20 Must-Ask Employee Recognition Survey Questions

Why should you care about employee recognition?

Here’s why:

  • New hires receiving recognition are 5x less likely to leave within the first year.
  • Employees who feel undervalued in the workplace are 5x as likely to be disengaged.
  • Recognition viewed as an investment can create $215 million of value or a 6.9x ROI.

When employees feel valued, their engagement, productivity, and overall job satisfaction increase — and as a result your company is more successful. 

One of the most effective ways to understand how well your organization is doing in terms of recognition is by conducting surveys. These surveys provide valuable insights into employees’ perceptions of recognition and help identify areas for improvement.

What is an employee recognition survey? 

Employee engagement surveys are used to measure how committed and satisfied employees are with their work and workplace. These surveys gather feedback on various aspects of the employee experience, including job satisfaction, recognition, communication, and work environment. 

Employe recognition survey questions

Conducting these surveys helps organizations identify strengths and areas needing improvement, ultimately fostering a more engaged and productive workforce.

In this article, we’ll share ways you can conduct an employee recognition survey, insightful questions you can include in the survey, and tools to help facilitate employee recognition

How to conduct an employee recognition survey

  1. Define objectives: Clearly outline the purpose of the survey and what you aim to achieve.
  1. Design the survey: Create questions that cover various aspects of employee engagement, such as recognition, job satisfaction, communication, and management.
  1. Select a survey tool: Choose a platform to distribute your survey. Popular tools include Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, Typeform, and Microsoft Forms.
  1. Communicate the survey: Inform employees about the survey’s purpose, how their feedback will be used, and ensure anonymity to encourage honest responses.
  1. Distribute the survey: Send the survey to all employees, providing clear instructions and a deadline for completion.
  1. Analyze results: Collect and analyze the responses to identify trends, strengths, and areas for improvement. Some specific insights to keep an eye on are participation rate, favored types of recognition, recognition impact, and recognition diversity. 
  1. Act on feedback: Develop action plans based on survey results to address issues and enhance employee engagement.
  1. Communicate findings: Share the survey results and planned actions with employees to demonstrate that their feedback is valued and being acted upon.

Employee recognition survey questions to assess employee perceptions

To gauge how employees perceive recognition within your organization, consider incorporating the following questions into your survey:

Employee surveys

Overall perception

  1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how valued and recognized do you feel within the organization?
  2. Do you believe your efforts and contributions are adequately acknowledged by your peers?

Recognition sources

  1. How often do you receive recognition from your colleagues for your work?
  2. Are you more likely to receive recognition from peers, managers, or both?

Types of recognition

  1. What forms of recognition do you find most meaningful? (Select all that apply: verbal praise, written thank-yous, awards, team mentions, etc.)
  2. Are there specific types of recognition you feel are lacking within the organization?

Visibility of achievements

  1. Do you think your accomplishments are widely known and acknowledged within your team or department?
  2. Have there been instances when you felt your achievements went unnoticed?

Peer recognition

  1. How comfortable are you with recognizing your colleagues for their contributions?
  2. Do you believe your team actively participates in recognizing each other’s efforts?

Recognition channels

  1. Which communication channels do you think are most effective for peer recognition? (Slack, email, team meetings, etc.)
  2. Are there any communication tools you would like to see implemented for recognition purposes?

Managerial recognition

  1. How often does your immediate supervisor recognize your achievements?
  2. Do you believe your manager encourages team members to recognize each other?

Recognition impact

  1. Does receiving recognition motivate you to perform better?
  2. Have you observed any positive changes in team dynamics after recognition initiatives?

Recognition diversity

  1. Do you feel that recognition is distributed fairly across various teams and departments?
  2. Are there any groups or individuals you believe are consistently overlooked?

Personal experience

  1. Share an instance when you felt especially recognized by a colleague or manager. How did it impact you?
  2. Can you recall a time when you went the extra mile but received no recognition? How did it make you feel?

Tools to facilitate employee recognition 

Employee recognition and rewards tools are arguably the most effective way to boost recognition within an organization. 

Yet, many companies don’t invest in these tools. 

Only 52.6% of employees have employee recognition programs set up at their company. And only 29% of surveyed employees had access to employee recognition software

If you’re company is looking to add this software to your tech stack (or upgrade to a more effective tool), here’s one to take a look at. 

GoProfiles is an employee engagement and company culture tool specifically designed to facilitate recognition. This AI-powered platform makes it easy for employees to acknowledge and appreciate their colleagues’ contributions. 

Here’s how it works: 

  1. Go to the GoProfiles dashboard and click “Give a bravo” 
  1. Select a bravo recipient 
  1. Write a personalized message and give points that the recipient can redeem for gift cards 
  1. Pick from a large selection of bravos or create a custom one 
  1. Give the bravo and watch it show up in a dedicated Slack channel where any employee can engage

Here are some additional peer recognition software features that GoProfiles offers: 

✅ Bravo leaderboard 

✅ Social sharing 

✅ Slack integration 

✅ Employee profiles

✅ Team analytics 

✅ Generative AI suggestions

✅ Mobile app 

Click here to learn more about GoProfiles or schedule a demo to see how it can help you fosture a positive work culture. 

Schedule a demo

FAQ

What are some effective ways to recognize employees

Effective recognition methods include verbal praise, written thank-yous, virtual awards or badges, team mentions, public acknowledgments during meetings, and personalized rewards.

How often should employees be recognized? 

Employees should be recognized regularly, ideally as soon as they achieve something noteworthy. Consistent, timely recognition is more effective than occasional, generic praise.

What is the impact of employee recognition on retention rates? 

  • 68% of employees plan to stay at their company for 5+ years when their recognition needs are fulfilled.
  • 74% of employees are more likely to say they don’t plan to be at their company in one year if they feel undervalued.
  • New hires who receive recognition are 5x less likely to leave in the first year.

(Source: workhuman)

How can surveys help improve employee recognition programs? 

Surveys provide direct feedback from employees about their recognition experiences and preferences. This data helps HR leaders identify gaps and areas for improvement in their recognition programs.

What should be included in an employee recognition survey? 

An employee recognition survey should include questions about overall perception of recognition, sources and types of recognition, visibility of achievements, peer recognition, recognition channels, managerial recognition, recognition impact, recognition diversity, and personal experiences.

How can technology enhance employee recognition? 

Technology can streamline recognition processes through platforms like GoProfiles, facilitating easy acknowledgment of contributions and integrating with tools like Slack for seamless communication.

What are the benefits of using a tool like GoProfiles? 

GoProfiles enhances employee recognition by providing an easy-to-use platform for acknowledging contributions. It integrates with communication tools, making recognition more engaging and efficient.

How can managers encourage a culture of recognition? 

Managers can encourage a culture of recognition by leading by example, regularly acknowledging team members’ efforts, promoting peer recognition, and integrating recognition into daily routines and communications.

What are common challenges in employee recognition programs? 

Common challenges include inconsistency in recognition, lack of awareness about effective recognition methods, and ensuring fair and inclusive recognition across all teams and departments. Conducting surveys and using tools like GoProfiles can help address these challenges.

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