The average American employee spends almost 25% of each week at the office. Add a commute and overtime and that number begins to climb dramatically. The more employees feel like their time spent working matters, the more likely productivity will improve. Companies investing in employee morale stand to gain. Asking a handful of questions can help discreetly reveal employee opinion in the workplace.

1. On a scale of 1-10, how happy are employees?

Many managers find a simple scale of 1-10 helps gauge satisfaction in the workplace. Staff may have difficulty opening up about particular concerns; a number scale encourages feedback yet allows employees to remain noncommittal about responses. Those comfortable enough to elaborate should be encouraged to do so. The more information managers have, the better they can respond.

2. “If you could change one thing…?”

If employees could make one change to the organization, what would it be? This is a positive approach to understanding how to improve the workplace environment. Suggestions can range from improving the workspace to changing company processes and much more. Approach with an open mind and uncover deeper issues.

3. Is there room to grow?

Goals help increase staff retention and can help boost morale. People want something to work toward. With room for advancement, employees are likely to perform better and tend to feel better about coming to work.

4. Do employees feel like the company cares?

People like to feel acknowledged for their contributions. Encourage excellent performance by recognizing employees for performance. This will help foster stronger relationships in the company and helps encourage others to perform better.

5. Ask employees to describe the company in one sentence.

This is a direct way to gauge satisfaction. Limiting employees to single-sentence responses demands they select words carefully, placing an increased value on the response.

Remember that employees are simply responding to questions they’ve been asked. Treat all responses as constructive criticism. Penalizing employees for responses will create large divides. Increased interaction between staff and management can keep the workplace running smoothly.

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