9 Free Employee Engagement Survey Template Examples

Employee engagement survey templates help organizations understand how their employees feel about work. They make it easy to gather feedback on things like job satisfaction, workplace culture, and overall morale. By using these survey templates, companies can find out what’s working well and what needs improvement.

In this article, we share 9 different types of surveys to consider, along with example templates of each.

First, Choose the Right Survey

There are several types of employee engagement survey templates that organizations can use depending on their goals. Each type serves a specific purpose, contains different survey questions, and can provide valuable insights into different aspects of employee engagement.

Here are some of the most common types to consider:

1. Employee Satisfaction Surveys

These surveys assess how happy employees are with their jobs, work environment, and overall experience within the company. They should be used when an organization wants to evaluate overall employee morale or identify areas causing dissatisfaction. This is important because high employee satisfaction often leads to better productivity and lower turnover rates.

2. Pulse Surveys

Pulse surveys are short, frequent surveys that provide real-time feedback on employee engagement. They’re ideal for organizations looking to regularly check in with employees and monitor ongoing projects or workplace changes. They help organizations address issues quickly and maintain a continuous improvement cycle.

3. Onboarding Surveys

Onboarding surveys assess new employees’ experiences during the hiring process and their first few weeks on the job. They’re typically delivered during an employee’s first 30, 60, or 90 days to evaluate their onboarding experience. A smooth onboarding process can help new employees integrate quickly and increase retention rates early on.

4. Exit Surveys

Conversely, exit surveys capture feedback from employees who are leaving the company. This feedback helps organizations understand reasons for resignation, and reveal areas of improvement to reduce future turnover. They should be used when employees resign, retire, or transition to another role.

5. 360-Degree Feedback Surveys

360 surveys gather input from an employee’s peers, supervisors, and subordinates to provide a well-rounded view of their performance and engagement. They are often used for performance reviews, leadership development, or team dynamics assessment. They provide a holistic view of employee strengths and areas for improvement, enhancing personal and professional development.

6. Diversity and Inclusion Surveys

These surveys assess the organization’s efforts to promote a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. They should be considered when an organization wants to measure its progress in creating an inclusive environment or identify areas of bias. Why are they important? Promoting diversity and inclusion can improve employee engagement, innovation, and overall company culture.

7. Well-being Surveys

Well-being surveys focus on employees' physical and mental health, stress levels, and work-life balance. Supporting employee well-being is crucial for long-term engagement, productivity, and reducing absenteeism. So, they should be used when an organization is focused on improving wellness programs or concerned about employee burnout.

8. Team Engagement Surveys

These surveys evaluate the dynamics, communication, and collaboration within specific teams. They’re helpful when trying to understand the strengths and weaknesses of particular teams or departments. Strong team engagement fosters better teamwork, innovation, and goal achievement.

9. Employee Net Promoter Score (NPS) Surveys

eNPS surveys ask employees a simple question: “How likely are you to recommend this company as a great place to work?” They provide a quick snapshot of overall employee engagement, and help companies gauge employee loyalty and satisfaction.

» Best Employee Survey Software - Top 5 Tools for 2025

9 Example Engagement Survey Templates

Here are the survey questionnaires formatted into tables for each type of employee engagement survey:

1. Employee Satisfaction Survey Template

2. Pulse Survey Template

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3. Onboarding Survey Template

4. Exit Survey Template

5. 360-Degree Feedback Survey Template

6. Diversity and Inclusion Survey Template

7. Well-being Survey Template

8. Team Engagement Survey Template

9. Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) Survey Template

Survey Success Stories: 6 Real-World Examples

Employee engagement surveys can drive meaningful change when used effectively. Below we condense six company case studies, highlighting how each implemented engagement surveys, what they learned, actions they took, and the outcomes they achieved.

Mutual of Omaha

• Survey Implementation: Deployed comprehensive engagement surveys, including an annual company-wide survey focused on clarity of organizational vision, supplemented by targeted pulse surveys on specific issues like post-pandemic work preferences.
  
  
• Key Findings: Survey results showed broad improvements in engagement. Favorability scores rose across all employee levels – notably a 22% year-over-year increase among senior leaders. In the 2021 survey, 35 out of 36 items improved in favorability, including a +4.5% uptick in the inclusion index.
  
  
• Actions Taken: Using the feedback, Mutual of Omaha enhanced the employee experience at every stage. They revamped onboarding processes, strengthened diversity and inclusion efforts in line with their supportive culture, and adjusted work policies (e.g. introducing hybrid work arrangements) based on pulse survey input. Leaders also encouraged employees to set and pursue personal growth goals, tracking progress via the survey platform.
  
  
• Outcomes: The company realized significant engagement gains and talent retention benefits. New hires reported a 94% favorable experience within their first 30 days. An impressive 93% of employees made progress on their learning and growth plans, and the organization reached an 86% employee retention rate. These metrics underscore stronger engagement, improved development, and reduced early-tenure turnover.

Nissan

• Survey Implementation: Nissan launched an annual global employee survey (first conducted in 2021) as part of a broader employee listening program. To ensure all voices were heard, they complemented surveys with multiple feedback channels – an open-door culture encouraging direct communication, monthly management information exchange sessions, “Ask Me Anything” forums with executives, skip-level meetings, roundtables, and regular town halls – tailoring approaches to reach both office staff and factory floor workers. This multifaceted approach helped capture diverse employee input across the organization.
  
  
• Key Findings: Nissan saw dramatic improvements in engagement in just two years. By 2023, 77% of employees said Nissan is a great place to work, a leap from the baseline set by the 2021 survey. Employee feedback also reflected a safer, more inclusive culture – the share of employees who felt the workplace is psychologically and emotionally safe rose by 11 percentage points on the latest survey. Additionally, pride in the company was high (83% of employees were proud to tell others they work at Nissan) and significantly more employees indicated they want to stay with Nissan long term (a 10-point increase vs. 2021).
  
  
• Actions Taken: Nissan’s leadership responded to survey insights with a focus on transparency and inclusion. Top executives, led by the Americas chairperson, modeled open communication by hosting frequent Q&A sessions and encouraging management at all levels to listen and act on feedback. To ensure every voice was heard, Nissan strengthened its diversity, equity & inclusion efforts – for example, leveraging employee resource groups (called Business Synergy Teams) to connect underrepresented employees with leadership and surface their feedback. Leaders committed to share even challenging news candidly, allowed more workplace flexibility, recognized employee successes, and emphasized growth and development conversations in response to what surveys revealed. This top-down and bottom-up listening culture created a strong feedback loop.
  
  
• Outcomes: The engagement initiatives yielded clear business benefits. With more employees feeling valued and heard, Nissan experienced higher employee retention intentions – significantly more staff now plan to stay for the long run. The company’s Great Place To Work® certification in 2023 (a first for Nissan U.S.) attests to its transformed workplace culture. Leadership noted a boost in productivity and enthusiasm; the engaged workforce contributed to some of the highest success-sharing payouts in years and helped Nissan gain market share as production rebounded. Instead of “quiet quitting,” Nissan reports “active engagement and enthusiasm” that is contagious across the organization, demonstrating the power of listening to employees and acting on their input.

Salesforce

• Survey Implementation: Salesforce embeds engagement measurement into its culture by surveying all employees twice a year on their experience. Uniquely, after each survey cycle, Salesforce aggregates the results and shares the data openly through an internal app accessible to every employee. This transparency means employees at all levels can see the organization’s engagement scores and feedback trends in real time. The open data approach not only promotes accountability but also encourages employees themselves to take initiative in improving the culture. Managers, in particular, get a “wake-up call” if their team’s engagement scores lag, since the information is visible company-wide.
  
  
• Key Findings: Salesforce’s surveys consistently indicate a highly engaged workforce, validating the company’s intense focus on culture. The company has been recognized among the World’s Best Workplaces (ranked #1 in 2018 and #2 in 2019 by Great Place to Work) in large part due to its strong employee feedback and engagement scores. Survey data also helps pinpoint areas for improvement – for example, if a particular department reports lower engagement, it becomes immediately apparent and is addressed. Overall, the findings have shown that employees feel a strong sense of ownership and pride in Salesforce’s values, which is a key competitive differentiator. This high engagement has been linked to better performance outcomes; Salesforce noted that engaged employees drive superior results, confirming research that connected employees are more productive.
  
  
• Actions Taken: Salesforce leadership proactively cultivates a culture that keeps engagement high. They treat company culture as a strategic priority, even writing down a formal culture strategy and continually measuring and refining it. A signature practice is the V2MOM framework (Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, and Measures), which aligns each employee’s goals with the company’s vision and is revisited regularly to keep everyone moving in the same direction. The company’s “Ohana” culture (Hawaiian for “family”) fosters inclusivity and support – Salesforce encourages open dialogues, peer recognition, volunteering, and robust wellness programs to make employees feel part of a family community. Importantly, engagement isn’t left to HR alone: employees are empowered to form culture committees, volunteer groups, and other initiatives that reinforce core values. After surveys, teams and leaders at all levels review the results and brainstorm solutions together. This way, maintaining an engaged workforce is a shared responsibility – everyone contributes to sustaining Salesforce’s award-winning workplace.
  
  
• Outcomes: Salesforce’s relentless focus on engagement has paid off with tangible success. The company consistently enjoys lower turnover rates than the tech industry average, thanks in part to employees’ strong commitment and satisfaction. It has earned repeated “Best Place to Work” accolades, reflecting high employee morale and loyalty. Greater engagement has translated into higher productivity and innovation – Salesforce employees are motivated to go above and beyond, leading to better customer service and business performance. Leaders note that when employees are truly engaged and feel like owners of the culture, it creates a positive feedback loop: happy employees deliver great results, which in turn reinforce pride and engagement. The company’s dramatic growth and stellar reputation as an employer underscore the ROI of prioritizing employee experience.

Each of these examples shows that while the approaches vary, the fundamentals of leveraging employee engagement surveys are similar: listen to your people, learn what matters to them, act on that knowledge, and then watch both culture and business outcomes improve. These real-world cases provide a roadmap for any organization looking to turn survey data into meaningful change.

Using PerformYard for Employee Engagement Surveys

PerformYard is a versatile performance management platform that can be used to run a variety of employee engagement action plans or surveys. It allows organizations to create custom survey templates, automate their distribution, and analyze feedback through built-in reporting tools.

Whether it's employee satisfaction surveys, pulse surveys, or 360-degree feedback, PerformYard provides flexibility to tailor questions, set survey schedules, and gather insights to address specific engagement needs. Its automated reminders ensure survey completion, while its analytics features help track trends and identify areas for improvement over time.

Additionally, PerformYard supports diverse survey types such as onboarding, exit, and well-being surveys, enabling organizations to collect feedback at key moments in the employee lifecycle. The platform’s integration with performance reviews and its ability to run quick, focused surveys like eNPS make it easy to gauge employee sentiment and loyalty.

By using PerformYard for these surveys, companies can make data-driven decisions to enhance employee engagement and foster a more productive, inclusive, and satisfied workforce.