Employee Wellness Survey: Questionnaire Template

Do employees really feel taken care of in an organization? Are their burnout and stress noticed by their employers? A 2021 Gallup study shows that only 4 out of 10 American employees feel their employers care about their well-being.

Another recent Gallup report claims that about 70% of employees are less likely to report their burnout by work. This is because they think their employers do not care about their state of being.

This could be the result of lack of wellness surveys. Employers can help manage employees’ stress and bridge the communication gap through employee wellness surveys. They are powerful tools that assess the employees’ health and wellness in an organization and make employees feel validated and empowered.

They efficiently bridge the communication gap between employees' state of being and the employers inculcating a positive work culture where employees feel taken care of. This blog article will give you every detail about wellness surveys, what they are, and how they benefit organizations. Read on!

What is an Employee Wellness Survey?

In simplest terms, an employee wellness survey is a questionnaire through which employers can assess the overall well-being of their employees. It is a simple yet formidable tool that measures physical and mental well-being, boosts job satisfaction, effectuates wellness programs, and improves company reputation.

Wellness surveys also help improve the current wellness programs, if any. They raise the morale of the workforce by demonstrating that their company cares for their health and wellness. They can be conducted quarterly, biannually, or annually.

Let's dive deeper into the subject matter and ask a few questions!

Wellness Surveys vs. Engagement Surveys

Wellness and engagement surveys are sometimes used interchangeably but they are different from each other. Wellness surveys assess the well-being of the employees like stress levels, moods, weight, etc.

Conversely, engagement surveys focus more on the employees' attitudinal aspects like job satisfaction, alignment with the organizational structure, and others.

Questions to Ask in an Employee Wellness Survey

A survey is conducted with some objective in mind. That objective can be efficiently achieved with both open-ended and closed-ended questions. Here are some examples of questionnaires you ask in an employee survey:

Physical Wellness

• How would you rate your overall physical health? (e.g., Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor)

• How often do you engage in physical activity (e.g., exercise, sports, walking)? (e.g., Daily, Weekly, Occasionally, Rarely/Never)

• Do you feel you have sufficient energy throughout the workday?

• Do you feel that your workload impacts your physical health? (e.g., Yes, frequently; Sometimes; Rarely; Never)

• How often do you experience physical discomfort (e.g., back pain, eye strain, fatigue) due to work-related activities?

• Does your work schedule allow time for physical activity during the day? (e.g., Yes, often; Sometimes; Rarely; Never)

Stress and Mental Health

• What are your primary sources of work-related stress? (e.g., Deadlines, workload, team dynamics, lack of resources, unclear expectations)

• Do you feel your current workload is manageable? (Yes/No/Somewhat)

• How often does work-related stress impact your personal life? (e.g., Frequently, Occasionally, Rarely, Never)

• Do you feel comfortable discussing mental health challenges with your manager or HR? (Yes/No/Unsure)

• Are you aware of the mental health resources and support available at work? (Yes/No)

• How would you rate the organization's efforts to support mental health? (e.g., Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor)

Workload and Work-Life Harmony

• Is the current workload allowing you time for yourself? (e.g., Yes, No/Somewhat)

• Do you think you manage your work stress well? (e.g., agree/disagree)

• Do you feel supported at work by your teammates and manager? (e.g., agree/disagree)

• Would you rather work remotely or in the office?

• Do you feel you have achieved personal and career growth working with us? (e.g., Yes, No/Up to an extent)

Employee Needs and Interests

• Do you feel you are getting enough exposure to upskill and refine yourself? (e.g., yes/no)

• What skills or areas of expertise would you like to develop further? (Open-ended)

• How satisfied are you with the current training and development programs? (e.g., Very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, Neutral, Dissatisfied)

• Do you feel that your teammates and manager value your ideas and opinions? (e.g., yes/no)

• Are there any hobbies or interests you want the organization to support? (open-ended)

Financial Wellness

• Do you feel financial stress affects your job, health, or relationships? (e.g., yes, no/somewhat)

• What employee benefits do you think would help you reduce concerns about money? (open-ended)

• How often have you been worried about the rising cost of living in the past week?

• How satisfied are you with your compensation and benefits? (e.g., Very, Somewhat/Not at all)

• Do you feel the company supports your financial well-being very well? (e.g., yes, no/somewhat)

Social Wellness

• Do you think you have a good relationship with your teammates? (e.g., yes, no/somewhat)

• Do you feel the company communication is transparent and open? (e.g., yes, no/somewhat)

• Do you feel supported by your team when facing challenges? (e.g., yes, no/somewhat)

• Do you feel anxious sharing your opinions or show any signs of social anxiety? (e.g., yes, no/somewhat)

• Are team roles and responsibilities clear to everyone? (Yes/No/Somewhat)

Work Culture

• How well do the organization's culture and policies align with your personal goals?

• Do you feel diversity and inclusion are valued by the organization?

• Do you feel well-informed about organizational goals, priorities, and changes? (Yes/No/Somewhat)

• Do you feel teamwork is encouraged and valued within the organization? (Yes/No/Somewhat)

• How would you rate the approachability and supportiveness of leadership? (e.g., Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor)

• Is there any aspect of work culture that negatively affects you? Please write to us!

Career Development

• Do you have a clear career path within the organization? (Yes/No/Somewhat)

• Do you receive regular feedback on your performance for growth? (Yes/No/Somewhat)

• Do you feel your current role aligns with your long-term career goals? (Yes/No/Somewhat)

• How often do you have performance reviews with your reporting manager? (e.g., Annually, Quarterly, Rarely, Never)

• How well does your company communicate new opportunities for training and development?

Health and Wellness Facilities

• On a scale of 1 to 10, how well do you feel your organization cares for your health?

• Do you have access to your organization's wellness facilities, such as yoga and a gym?

• If yes, how often do you utilize these facilities?

• Do you think the wellness facilities offered address all the employees' needs?

• Satisfaction with Wellness Program Implementation

• How often do you participate in the wellness programs in your organization?

• Do you think the wellness programs offered are enough for the time being?

• Do you have any suggestions for implementing new wellness programs?

How to Interpret the Results of Employee Wellness Surveys?

The results of a wellness survey can provide various insights into the health and well-being of the company. However, to get the most out of these results, one must be able to interpret them correctly.

Data Segmentation and Visualization

Segmenting the data obtained fosters a clear understanding of the survey. It helps prepare reports for presentations and analyze them in the future. Here are some ways to segment and visualize the data:

Quantitative Data: This data is the average of scores on each question, the average age group in the organization, and other numerical figures that were mentioned in the survey. The numerical figures also help determine any trends in the organization.

Qualitative Data: This data is relatively hard to interpret as it includes grouping similar comments, recognizing the tone of employees from the answer, and spotting sentiments.

Prioritization of Key Findings

It is crucial to prioritize key findings and evaluate them. Determining the aspects that received the most negative comments, or low scores can pinpoint issues in the organization.

Developing Action Plans

Once the analysis and segmentation are done, an action plan must be devised to tackle the issues. Define specific, measurable, and achievable goals for addressing the problems identified.

For example, if stress levels are high, mindfulness training or workload adjustments should be introduced. Similarly, flexible hours can be introduced to improve work-life balance.

Best Practices to Conduct Employee Surveys

Employee wellness surveys are most fruitful when conducted properly. Here are some of the best tips on how to conduct an employee wellness survey:

Secure the Support of the Leaders and Shareholders

It is crucial to secure the support of the leaders and shareholders before conducting the survey. Leadership buy-in is critical because it demonstrates that the organization values employee wellness, encourages participation, and ensures that insights gathered will lead to actionable changes.

Choose the Right Questions to Ask

Include various questions on physical and mental health, financial wellness, etc. Remember, the survey result depends solely on what questions you ask.

Ensure Anonymity

Confidentiality and anonymity will encourage the audience to answer honestly, adding to the efficacy of your survey.

Let Employees Know About the Survey

Clearly communicate the details of the survey to the employees. If the employees know about it, they will be better prepared. So, inform them of the purpose and the timeline of the survey.

Determine the Appropriate Time and Frequency

Choosing an appropriate time of the day is essential for authentic answers and alertness. Choose a time when employees are at their best energy levels. Also, decide how frequently you need to conduct the survey. This depends on the number of employees you have and the purpose of the study.

Incentivize Participations

Offer the employees something in return for participating. If nothing monetary, recognition on an organizational platform like Vantage Circle can be encouraging and empowering. It will also ensure more participation.

Avoid Survey Fatigue

Survey fatigue happens when too many surveys are offered to employees. Avoid bombarding the employees with too many surveys, as this can lead to fake answers and degrading results.

Share the Survey Results with Employees and Take Action

When participating, employees would expect to see the accumulated results. This can empower them to participate later in future surveys. Most importantly, share the actions you plan to take. With the results out, take action and implement them properly.

Frequently Asked Questions

1) Why are employee wellness surveys important?

Employee wellness surveys are essential for assessing an organization's employees' physical, mental, emotional, and financial well-being.

2) What questions should I ask in a wellness survey?

You should ask a variety of questions, both open-ended and closed-ended. Diversity of questions ensures more authentic results.

3) How do you measure employee wellness?

Employee wellness can be measured through metrics like employee engagement, absenteeism rates, etc.

4) How do you ask an employee about their well-being?

You can conduct employee wellness surveys to assess employees' well-being. These surveys are powerful tools for determining how well an organization as a whole is functioning.