In the dynamic landscape of today’s diverse workplaces, one of the best ways to get a sense of what benefits matter the most to your employees is by conducting an employee benefits survey. By delving into the intricacies of what truly matters to their employees, leading employers are empowered to tailor benefit offerings that not only meet their needs but resonate with them on a personal level, enhance workplace satisfaction, and increase employee engagement and retention.
What is an Employee Benefits Survey?
An employee benefits survey is a questionnaire that asks employees to provide feedback about the company’s culture, benefits and other workplace topics. It provides employers an opportunity to understand how they can better support their employees at home and at work.
Survey results help employers understand what benefits and programs matter most to their workforce, while identifying additional opportunities to support them and boost employee morale and retention.
A Guide to Employee Benefits Surveys
If you’d like to get started on creating your own employee benefit survey questionnaire, we’ve created a complete employee benefits survey guide to help employers survey their employees in a meaningful and efficient way. Inside you’ll find out:
- How to Create and Distribute an Employee Benefits Survey
- Tips for Driving Survey Participation
- When to Survey Employees
- Survey Best Practices
- A Sample Employee Benefits Survey Template
Download: A Guide to Employee Benefits Surveys: Best Practices and a Template
Sample Employee Benefits Survey Questions
When writing your employee benefits survey, keep it quick and easy. Try not to overcomplicate your questions and responses, but avoid repetition in structure to prevent employees from “clicking through” without actually providing honest input.
These sample employee benefit survey questions below are designed to identify trends in workforce needs, evaluate awareness and interest in your existing benefits, and identify opportunities for benefit enhancement moving forward.
Section 1: Learning About Your Employees
- What age group are you in? [select one]
- Under 25
- 26-34
- 35-44
- 45-54
- 55 or older
- Which life stage do you identify with? [select all that apply]
- No dependents, focused on self-care
- Pet parent & independent
- Planning or building a family
- Raising a family
- Caring for children and an adult loved one
- Caring for an adult loved one
- Planning for retirement
- How would you describe yourself? [select one]
- Individual contributor
- Individual contributor with a desire to manage others
- People manager
- Division leader
- Executive
- On a scale of 1-5, how familiar are you with [Company]’s employee benefits?
- 1 – I am not at all familiar
- 2 – Not too familiar
- 3 – I know the basics
- 4 – Somewhat familiar
- 5 – I am very familiar
- How long have you been with [Company name]?
- Less than 1 year
- 1-3 years
- 4-5 years
- 5+ years
Section 2: Today’s Employee Benefits
- Which health care plan are you currently enrolled in? [Customize the first options in the list to represent the plan options you offer]
- Plan Option 1 – Single [customize]
- Plan Option 2 – Single [customize]
- Plan Option 1 – Family [customize]
- Plan Option 2 – Family [customize]
- I’m not on [Company]’s health care plan
- I don’t know
- What is your perception of our health care plan today?
- It works for me [and my family]
- I have difficulty finding in-network providers or specialists
- The cost is higher than expected
- I’m not on [Company]’s health care plan
- Other [explain]
- Outside of health insurance (including dental and vision) rank in order the benefits you value the most today. (This is your opportunity to celebrate everything you offer! List out every single benefit. It’s important to highlight what exists today as a reminder).
- 401(k) with XX% match
- Backup care for children, adults, or pets
- Parental leave (XX weeks for birthing and non-birthing parents)
- Commuter expense reimbursement
- Care Membership (platform to find caregivers)
- Child care tuition discounts
- Breastfeeding support and breastmilk shipping
- Access to Care Specialists for guidance & resources
- On-demand tutoring
- [Insert other benefits you offer in this list]
- Outside of health insurance (including dental and vision), which of the benefits have you used, or do you plan to use in the near future?
- Health insurance (including dental and vision)
- 401(k) with XX% match
- Backup care for children, adults, or pets
- Parental leave (XX weeks for birthing and non-birthing parents)
- Commuter expense reimbursement
- Care Membership (platform to find caregivers)
- Child care tuition discounts
- Breastfeeding support and breastmilk shipping
- Access to Care Specialists for guidance & resources
- On-demand tutoring
- [Insert other benefits you offer in this list]
- What benefits have you heard of from other employers that you wish we offered? (This question will help you understand which benefits your team should prioritize in future promotional communications to drive enrollment and utilization. The data will tell an interesting story when you break it down by the life stage information captured above!
- 401(k) with XX% match
- Backup care for children, adults, or pets
- Parental leave (XX weeks for birthing and non-birthing parents)
- Commuter expense reimbursement
- Care Membership (platform to find caregivers)
- Child care tuition discounts
- Breastfeeding support and breastmilk shipping
- Access to Care Specialists for guidance & resources
- On-demand tutoring
- [Insert other benefits you offer in this list]
- For the following statements, please state if you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree.
- The benefits offered by [company] are one of the top reasons I stay at [company].
- The benefits offered by [company] help make me more productive.
- The benefits offered by [company] provide something for every employee at every life stage.
- The benefits offered by [company] are affordable and accessible.
- The benefits offered by [company] make [company] a desirable place to work.
- Is there anything else you’d like to share about the benefits we offer today? (Allow your employees the ability to write their own response to this question for additional insights).
Section 3: Future Benefit Opportunities
- Life happens, and sometimes we have to miss work to take care of things at home. Which of the following are common reasons you may need to miss work or adjust working hours? [Select all that apply.]
- Gaps in child care (schools closed, day care closed, nanny gaps, etc.)
- Gaps in senior care
- Gaps in pet care, or pet illness
- Issues with safe or reliable transportation
- Stress or anxiety due to work
- Stress or anxiety due to personal matters
- Burnout or exhaustion
- Personal sickness and/or medical appointments
- Family sickness and/or medical appointments
- Other
- It’s important that we help you balance the demands of work and life, so you can be your best self at work and for your loved ones at home. Which of the following are common reasons you may feel distracted or unproductive during the workday? [Select all that apply.]
- Managing a major life event (divorce, home buying, adoption, childbirth, etc.)
- Concerns with finances
- Burnout or exhaustion
- Personal relationships
- Personal mental health/wellness
- Gaps in child care
- Gaps in adult care
- Gaps in pet care
- Other
- What benefits have you heard from other employers that you wish we offered?
- If we had to sunset an existing benefit, to add what you listed above, what benefit would you be willing to give up?
Free Employee Benefit Survey Template
If you’d like to get started on creating your own employee benefit survey questionnaire, we’ve created an employee benefit survey template based on the questions above.
This downloadable template includes several more questions, along with examples of multiple-choice answers, that you can copy and customize for your company.
