30 employee recognition survey questions

Employee recognition can be best described as explicitly acknowledging employees for their valuable contributions and notable achievements. It is a fundamental aspect of an organization that promotes an overall positive work culture and an engaged and motivated workforce that strives for excellence. 

After all, your employees are the backbone of your organization, and they deserve to feel valued and appreciated for their efforts and contributions.  

The core purpose of employee recognition is for employers to recognize and value their employees' performance and contributions to the company's success and growth to boost their motivation and morale and push them to do better. 

Creating a positive work environment and promoting an appreciation for employees is a strategic practice that fosters a sense of appreciation, respect, and value for them.

Therefore, you must assess your organization's current recognition culture, identify your employees' needs and expectations, and determine whether your company's values are being implemented. 

An employee recognition survey will help you do that. Asking the right employee recognition survey questions will give you deep insight into how your employees feel about their jobs, gather employee feedback on the existing company practices, and help you create a positive, rewarding, and inclusive culture in the workplace. 

30 Employee Recognition Survey Questions to Ask Your Employees

An employee recognition survey isn't just about asking questions. It's about asking the right questions and using the results to improve employee experience, identify problem areas, and implement recognition initiatives in the workplace.

While there are hundreds of employee recognition survey questions you can ask your employees, we've rounded the top X questions to help you get started.

In addition to giving you a deeper insight into how your employees feel about your workplace culture, these questions will assist you in identifying employee recognition programs to implement and highlighting employee pain points that need to be addressed.

1. How often do you receive recognition for your contributions at work?
2. Are you satisfied and happy with the amount of recognition you receive?
3. Does the recognition you receive add value to your work?
4. Do you feel you receive recognition at work?
5. Do you feel valued enough for your contributions to the company?
6. Do your team members or colleagues receive more recognition at work than you?
7. Are you aware of behaviors that receive recognition?
8. What other behaviors do you think should be recognized?
9. Which type of recognition do you value the most?
10. Which achievements or behaviors don't receive enough recognition at work?
11. What kind of recognition would you like to receive?
12. What can the company change about the recognition culture in the workplace?
13. Is the current recognition system or culture fair and just?
14. What kind of incentives and rewards would you like to see offered?
15. Are there any incentives or benefits the company can or should offer to make working here more valuable?
16. What type of reward is most valuable to you?
17. Are the recognition benefits the company offers proportional to the level of achievements and performance?
18. Are all employees recognized and appreciated fairly by the company?
19. When was the last time you received recognition in the workplace?
20. Was there a time when you expected to receive recognition for your work by the organization but didn't?
21. Do you have any suggestions for improving our recognition and reward system?
22. Do recognition and acknowledgment affect employee morale?
23. How does recognition benefit you and your work?
24. How often do you recognize others for their contributions and work?
25. Does the organization reward and appreciate new ideas?
26. If you could change one thing about the way we offer recognition, what would it be?
27. What, in your opinion, is the ideal way to appreciate and recognize employees?
28. What resources can we provide you to improve employee satisfaction and retention?
29. How would you rate the quality of the incentives, benefits, or rewards you receive?
30. Do you prefer private recognition or public recognition?

Understanding and implementing employee recognition survey results

Creating and administering an employee recognition survey is one thing, but understanding and acting on the results is another. It is a comprehensive process requiring concentrated effort and attention to detail. Using this method, you can gauge your employees' feelings, learn about their preferred rewards and recognition, and customize your appreciation to suit each employee.

Here are a few tips to help you do that:

Analyze the results 

Once you have the results of your employee recognition survey questions, the next important is to identify common trends and patterns in the survey results. It will help you identify areas of improvement, highlight commonalities between employee responses, and allow you to develop better recognition programs.

A proper, in-depth analysis is crucial to turn your employee recognition survey results into actionable goals. 

Determine the frequency of future surveys 

Conducting employee recognition surveys isn't a one-time activity. Use the results and findings to determine the frequency of how often you should conduct these surveys. Your employees' responses to the survey will help you assess the current situation and decide when you should do it again. 

After all, business organizations and companies are subject to changing needs, and each survey you conduct will likely give you different results and highlight varying problem areas. So, make employee recognition surveys a regular aspect of your workplace culture to stay ahead of your employees’ recognition needs.  

Take action 

Again, based on the survey results and your company's needs, it's time to take action and pave the way to employee success, satisfaction, engagement, and motivation.

So, you must create a solid employee recognition program to show your employees that you heard what they had to say, value them, and are open to ideas, suggestions, and chances. 

Key takeaways  

The importance of employee recognition cannot be emphasized enough. It's one of the most crucial factors for keeping your employees happy, satisfied, motivated, and committed.

Despite its complexity, sustainability is essential to your business and organization's long-term viability and growth.

When conducting a survey, identify and ask the right employee recognition survey questions to make a difference in the workplace culture and employee experience.