Mitarbeiterengagement-Umfrage zur Identifizierung der Motivation und Zufriedenheit
Mitarbeiterengagement-Umfrage zur Identifizierung der Motivation und Zufriedenheit
Why Employee Satisfaction is a Gamechanger
From our own experience, we know: Employee satisfaction is far more than a buzzword; it's a true gamechanger for a company's success and development. When people enjoy coming to work, are motivated and engaged, it directly reflects in their performance, loyalty, and overall team dynamics.
Over time, we've realized that satisfaction doesn't solely stem from salary. Factors such as genuine appreciation, development opportunities, a supportive environment, and a lived company culture play at least as significant a role. Learn more about **satisfaction and employee retention** in our article on 360-degree feedback, which demonstrates how an open feedback system contributes to increasing employee retention.
In this article, we share why it has become so important for us to regularly measure employee satisfaction, how we implement it concretely, and what has truly helped us sustainably strengthen satisfaction within the team. Additionally, you'll find some practical tips and three helpful templates that we use ourselves: an employee engagement survey, an employee well-being survey, and a feedback form for talent development and retention.
Why Measuring Employee Satisfaction is So Important
We have recognized how crucial it is to regularly capture the actual mood within the team. Only by knowing how employees truly feel can we respond appropriately and improve working conditions. To this end, we regularly use our employee engagement survey to measure motivation and retention within the team.
- Motivated employees deliver better results.
- By reducing dissatisfaction, turnover and absenteeism can be significantly decreased.
- Good teamwork clearly promotes creativity and innovation.
- And last but not least, an open feedback culture strengthens trust.
→ We have our own employee engagement survey to measure motivation and retention within the team, which now provides us with valuable decision-making foundations.
How to Measure Employee Satisfaction
Over time, we've tried various methods to determine what best suits us and our culture. Our learnings:
1. Classic Employee Surveys
They are conducted anonymously and cover topics such as work climate, leadership quality, development, and work-life balance.
Hot Tip → Clear questions and simple answer scales (e.g., 1 to 5) work best—too many open-ended questions make initial evaluation unnecessarily difficult.
Example questions that work well for us:
- How satisfied are you with your work environment?
- Do you feel supported by your team?
- Would you recommend our company?
→ Our employee engagement survey template is precisely tailored to this—with questions that have proven effective for us and are ready to use.
2. Pulse Surveys
We also rely on short, regular surveys—e.g., once a month—to get a current mood picture. Especially during change phases, this was extremely helpful for us.
Hot Tip → For these quick surveys, we use our employee well-being survey. With questions about stress levels, workload, and mental health, we get concrete insights into how our team is really doing.
→ We use this template specifically to continuously track the mood—and to improve work-life balance purposefully.
3. 360-Degree Feedback
We have also had good experiences with 360-degree feedback—especially when it came to developing leaders.
Hot Tip → Anonymity is crucial for honest feedback—that was an important learning process for us. More details can be found in our article on 360-degree feedback.
→ We have also developed a template for this, which can serve as a good basis for your own 360-degree feedback.
4. Employee Conversations
Personal conversations remain an important component for us—often providing the deepest insights that no survey can offer.
Hot Tip → We've learned how important a trusting atmosphere is—only then do employees speak openly.
5. eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score)
The eNPS has become a fixed component for us—a simple question with a lot of significance:
"How likely are you to recommend our company?"
The division into promoters, passives, and detractors helps us recognize developments early—and to inquire specifically when the score drops.
What Measurement Brings
The results of these measures have become a real treasure for us, provided they are used correctly:
- ✅ Recognize strengths & weaknesses: We clearly see what is going well and where action is needed.
- ✅ Derive concrete measures: e.g., on topics like recognition or internal communication.
- ✅ Build trust: Employees feel heard, which strengthens collaboration.
- ✅ Continuously improve: Our regular surveys show whether measures are effective.
How to Improve Employee Satisfaction Long-Term
The best results are achieved when concrete changes follow the measurement. Our learnings:
1. Create Transparency
We openly share the results within the team—and show what we derive from them.
Hot Tip → Openness has strengthened trust for us and initiated new dynamics.
2. Take Concrete Action
We set clear measures and stay committed to implementation—instead of getting caught in actionism.
3. Show Recognition
Small gestures and honest feedback often make the biggest difference for us.
4. Promote Development
Continuing education and perspectives have become a central theme for us—with a noticeable impact on satisfaction.
5. Strengthen Leadership
We have recognized how significant the influence of leadership on satisfaction is—and have since invested specifically in training and feedback processes.
→ Our templates—engagement survey, well-being check, and feedback form—serve as a basis for approaching measures data-driven and targeted.
What You Should Definitely Avoid
- ❌ Not providing feedback: trust is lost in the process.
- ❌ Lack of anonymity: honest feedback only comes when no one feels observed.
- ❌ One-time actions: Satisfaction is a marathon, not a sprint. Only those who persist will see long-term results.
Employee Satisfaction is the Key to Success
For us, it's clear: Satisfaction is not a bonus but the cornerstone of a healthy company. Its impact is evident everywhere, in performance, mood, team spirit, and innovation.
Regular measurement was our first step; however, it was crucial that we took action. Today, we benefit from more open collaboration, clearer communication, and more motivated teams.
→ Our templates: the employee engagement survey, the employee well-being survey, and the feedback form help you make employee satisfaction measurable and truly effect change.
Jürgen Ulbrich
Jürgen Ulbrich has more than a decade of experience in developing and leading high-performing teams and companies. As an expert in employee referral programs as well as feedback and performance processes, Jürgen has helped over 100 organizations optimize their talent acquisition and development strategies.
