How to Use Employee Culture Surveys to Improve Organizational Culture (+Questions & Template)

Analyzing your organization’s culture is vital to the long-term growth of your company. Asking employees about their feelings towards your company culture is essential.

Every company needs an employee culture survey to:

• Understand how employees feel about their workplace culture and leadership.
• Measure employee engagement, morale, and happiness.
• Gain valuable insights into which aspects of your company impact employee satisfaction most.
• Develop strategies for increasing employee engagement, improving retention rates and boosting productivity.

This article will: 

• Explore why these surveys are conducted, uncover best practices, and gain guidance on selecting the right questions. Additionally, we'll share the top 20 culture survey questions and present 10 best practices for conducting an effective workplace culture survey. 

🔍 What is an employee culture survey?

A work culture survey is a questionnaire or set of questions designed to measure employee satisfaction with the work environment and culture.

It can assess employee engagement, job satisfaction, and the overall work environment.

A culture survey will typically:

• Collect employee insights on the organizational atmosphere, values, and beliefs. 
• Gather feedback from both employees and managers about their daily work experiences. 
• Ask questions about communication, leadership, teamwork, recognition, and other factors contributing to employee experience.

The data you collect from culture surveys will help you identify the behaviors and norms they believe are required in order to “fit in.”

You can identify potential improvements within your company's culture and use the data to remedy undesirable workplace practices. 

"Listening to your people is a key component in evolving your workplace culture. But, you also have to take action on what you are hearing. Engagement survey tools can be phenomenal resources when used right, and can create a sense of safety and transparency for your workforce to share their insights on their experience." Jay Barret, Founder & HR Executive at Culture Canopy.

The difference between an engagement survey and culture survey 

An engagement survey focuses on individual employee engagement, satisfaction, and commitment. 

In contrast, a work culture survey examines the collective strengths, atmosphere, and values of the organization, therefore it is more of a "We" analysis.

💡 Discover 46 employee engagement statistics and start adjusting your engagement strategy asap.

📝 10 Best practices for an effective workplace culture survey

Identify the purpose of the survey

Your culture survey should:

1. Assess employee satisfaction, engagement, and happiness.
2. Establish how many people value their jobs.
3. Identify key drivers of performance and culture fit.

Create a list of employee culture survey questions

Think about the goal of the survey and identify what you want to learn from it. Include questions that will help you gauge if employees feel like they're part of a high-performing culture. 

We have included 20 must-ask questions in the section below. 

Make sure the questions are clear, concise, and flexible

The intention is to draw honest feedback from employees, so questions need to avoid encouraging biased answers.

Use open-ended and close-ended questions

Mixing qualitative and quantitative questions will allow you to understand the larger context of the employee rating. Yes and no questions are great to quantify, but they will hardly allow for finding any gray areas.  

Gather a holistic view of your organiztional culture

To gather a holistic view of your organizational culture, it's critical to consider all aspects of the work experience: 

• the physical environment (workspace design, facilities, safety standards);
• communication (transparency, frequency, channels used).

These elements can greatly impact employees' perceptions of the company. 

Understanding how these aspects are perceived allows you to address any issues and further cultivate an environment that supports your desired culture.

Give respondents the option to provide additional feedback

This can be as simple as asking them to write a few sentences about their experience with the company's culture. The responses provide valuable insight into how they view the company, its policies, and its leadership team. 

Make sure the survey is anonymous

The surveyed employees require absolute anonymity as they give their answers. 

If an employee doesn't feel comfortable being asked open-ended questions, an honest response may fail, which throws out the validity of the survey. No employee wants to leave a study wondering if you can use their reactions against them.

Test the survey before sending it out

You can do this by having the HR team test pilot the survey. 

For example, ask your participants if the survey seems fair and balanced. 

Multiple perspectives will help identify any bias in your questions and allow you to make improvements before sending the survey to employees.

The timing between surveys and the length

At least one annual employee culture survey will suffice. 

Also, don't make the survey too long. 

Around 10-15 minutes of about 15-20 questions that focus on cultural opinions is your target. 

And don't rush the survey; give employees time to think about their responses and allow extra time if needed.

Analyze the survey results and use the feedback to improve workplace culture

The essence of conducting a culture survey is not just gathering information, but turning that data into actionable insights. 

Once the survey results are in, analyze the data thoroughly to identify trends, areas of strength, and opportunities for improvement.

Start taking action immediately if you see statement such as:

"I don't feel I belong in this firm."

"The team manager does not respect my views or ideas."

"I get no feedback from upper management, just told to 'get on with it' and no encouragement."

"Too much gossip and drama while I side-eye my way through til 5pm."

"No-one in my team likes their jobs, no enthusiasm at all. I feel deflated when I'm here."

Use this feedback constructively to develop targeted initiatives that enhance your workplace culture, fostering a more engaged, productive, and satisfied workforce. 

Remember, the goal is continuous improvement and alignment with your company's core values and objectives

🔥 Top 20 culture survey questions for your next survey

Here are 20 questions to ask in your next culture survey to better understand how employees perceive your company culture. 

1. What do you think makes our company unique?
2. How well do you feel communication flows within the company?
3. What is the most essential element of the company's culture?
4. Does the company encourage creativity and innovation?
5. Does our company provide a positive work environment?
6. Do you think the company values your input and ideas?
7. Do interactions tend toward politeness and inclusiveness, or is conflict more accepted?
8. Does the organization know what it wants to accomplish, or does it flounder as opportunities come?
9. How risk-averse is your employer? Has your organization been conservative about investing in risk capital, or does it take on more risky projects?
10. How likely are you to inform your friends and coworkers about our company because of the culture?
11. Do you receive timely feedback regarding your job from your manager?
12. With extra effort, what facets of the company can make it an ideal workplace or improve current work conditions?
13. Is your company committed to inclusion and diversity?
14. Do you understand clearly how your work affects the corporate objectives?
15. Do you believe the company conducts its operations responsibly and focuses on socially acceptable practices?
16. Is there a collaborative and teamwork-oriented culture within the business?
17. Do you approve of the organization's method of conducting performance reviews?
18. Sum up the culture at your office in only three words.
19. Do you maintain a balanced work-life schedule?
20. Do you have any suggestions for more survey questions?

The answers to these questions will allow you to identify areas where the organization's culture needs to improve. 

🌈 Check out Microsoft’s inclusion survey for more question ideas.

📊 How do culture surveys help improve culture?

1. Identify strengths and weaknesses: Culture surveys shed light on what's working well and what isn't within an organization's culture. They provide clear insights into areas of strength to be amplified, as well as weaknesses that need targeted interventions.
2. Foster open communication: By inviting employees to share their perceptions and experiences, culture surveys encourage open dialogue, making employees feel valued and heard. Listening to employee voices can significantly enhance mutual trust and transparency, essential elements of a healthy culture.
3. Drive positive change: The feedback derived from culture surveys serves as a roadmap for cultural improvements. It guides leadership in implementing effective strategies and initiatives that promote a positive, inclusive, and high-performing work environment, ultimately aligning everyone towards a shared vision and values.

🌟 Why improving your company culture matters

Organizational culture is the set of values, ideals, and norms that guide decision-making in an organization.

A company's culture can either help or harm its performance. Aligning your employees' values, ideas, and work styles with your own can help you achieve tremendous success for the company.

58% of employees who quit a job due to workplace culture say that their managers are the main reason they ultimately left. 

Therefore improving company culture does matter. A lot.

Your company culture can contribute to:

• a positive working environment;
• improved employee engagement and productivity;
• less absenteeism and turnover;
• A positive reputation for the company (your employer branding will be essential for attracting high-potential candidates).

It’s hard to imagine highly engaged employees in a toxic cultural environment. 

A Glassdoor survey revealed some eye-opening results on the importance of company culture. 77% of participants considered culture before applying for a job.

56% value company culture even more than their salary for job satisfaction.

You cannot hide a bad work culture from future applicants. With social media's influence today and popular sites like Glassdoor and Indeed, thousands of employees leave a review of their current or past employer. 

➡️ Collect feedback with just a few clicks with Zavvy

Feeling swamped by scattered documents and messy processes when collecting employee feedback? 

Zavvy feels your pain and that's why we built our feedback and survey solutions. 

We've made it a breeze to send out culture surveys, taking the heavy lifting off your shoulders. 

Wave goodbye to the confusion of manual collection and analysis - Zavvy is here to declutter your processes.

Plus, with our ready-to-use templates, you can launch a feedback survey quicker than making a cup of coffee. 

Our platform also values the importance of openness in feedback.

With our employee survey software and anonymous feedback features, we encourage your employees to speak their truth, and share real, meaningful insights about your workplace.

Want to get specific with your feedback collection? Zavvy lets you target specific groups with customizable survey distribution options.

So, are you ready to take the hassle out of your culture surveys and dive deep into understanding your workplace better? 

📅 Book a demo with a Zavvy specialist.

❓ FAQs

📋 What questions are asked in a culture survey?

Culture surveys measure how employees feel about their workplace, but they can also measure employee engagement, satisfaction, and other aspects of organizational culture.

🤔 What should I ask employees about culture?

The best way to start a culture survey is by asking employees about their work environment. You'll want to ask questions like: Do you feel you're part of a cohesive team? Does your job make you feel valued? If there are problems in the workplace, it's essential to identify them to fix them.

📊 How do you measure employee culture?

Measuring employee culture often involves using a variety of methods to gather data about the values, behaviors, and attitudes present in an organization. 

Surveys, or culture assessments, are common tools used to gauge employee perspectives and satisfaction levels regarding the workplace environment and practices. 

Plus, direct observation, team feedback, and an analysis of patterns in employee behavior and performance can also provide valuable insights into the prevailing culture.

➡️ Use Zavvy’s survey templates to understand how your employees feel about their workplace, what drives them, and how they think about the company's leadership.

🔗 What is the link between the culture survey and improving DEI in the workplace?

A commitment to supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

1. Inspires equal representation in the workplace to drive innovation, growth, and productivity.
2. Attracts customers who appreciate such values.

The survey questions can address the following challenges by asking the right questions:

• Provide insights into the diversity challenges an organization may face.
• It can identify disparities in representation, experiences, and opinions among people based on gender, age, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
• Identify areas where employees feel unheard or undervalued, as well as areas where employees feel comfortable and respected.

This data can better understand diversity challenges, create more fair policies, and create a more inclusive workplace culture.