Top 31 employee net promoter score questions to measure employees' satisfaction

To measure employee loyalty is one of the biggest challenges management and HR professionals face throughout their careers. Perhaps in the past, people stayed with the same company for years or even their entire careers; but it's no longer the case.

When an employee leaves, replacing them isn't simple; a company must spend significant money and time searching for top talents through recruitment agencies, advertising, screening, interviewing, and hiring. According to Employee Benefits News, the average cost of losing an employee is 33% of their annual salary.

Previously, the salary was only crucial for employees to stick with a company; now, measuring employee engagement, flexibility, shared values, growth, recognition, and work-life balance have become some of the key factors to employee retention.

Thus, attracting and retaining employees is an integral part of any business, and it has evolved increasingly complexly over the past years.

Here's where the eNPS surveys come in and make employee retention less difficult. The eNPS is a metric that will be an indispensable part of the business toolkit by measuring and tracking employee loyalty.

Stay tuned; we’re just about to cover everything you need to know about employee net promoter scores and how to calculate them.

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Table of contents:-

• What is the employee net promoter score?
• Why is the eNPS important?
• What are the benefits of employee net promoter score?
• How can eNPS survey increase employee engagement?
• How to use employee net promoter score effectively?
• How do you measure employee engagement through eNPS?
• Satisfied employees lead to satisfied customers
• Identifying promoters, passives & detractors
• Why eNPS questions guides strategy
• eNPS and other employee metrics
• Common challenges and pitfalls to avoid when implementing eNPS surveys
• How to improve your employee net promoter scores?
• 31 eNPS survey questions you need to ask in 2024
• What is a good eNPS?

What is the employee net promoter score?

Employee net promoter score is a faster way to gauge employees' satisfaction in an organization and measure their loyalty to the company.

In layman's terms, it's nothing but how likely your employees are to recommend your organization for work amongst their friends and family. Thereby increasing your referrals and cutting down your hiring costs. Cool right?!

As an employer, when you nurture loyalty in employees, you will start seeing incredible benefits where employees will be more willing to invest in their work, pitch in new ideas, and go the extra mile. Forbes states that "Happy Employees = Hefty Profits."

You can control the problem of employees leaving the organization to a great extent but can't stop it completely. According to Willis Towers Watson, 53% of employees are either actively looking for a job or at risk of leaving.

But you can improve the employees' satisfaction by measuring eNPS since it will give you a fair understanding of how your engaged employees feel about working for your organization.

All the attributes combined make the eNPS more efficient when combined with other HR metrics to know what the employees feel negatively about your organization and improve their overall employee engagement by motivating them to be loyal.

Why is the eNPS important?

Measuring customer loyalty and satisfaction has been a company's primary measure of success and reputation for a long time. From the early '90s, organizations had a "Net Promoter Score" concept for measuring their services and products' popularity by asking simple questions like—How likely are you to recommend our services or products to your friends and family?

Similarly, to improve employee engagement and overall satisfaction is also important in the company culture.

Fred Reichheld from Bain & Company and Satmetrix introduced eNPS scores with similar NPS metrics to monitor and track how employees feel about their workplace.

According to Gallup, 51% of workers are not engaged as they are psychologically unattached to their company and work. They constantly seek employment opportunities and will leave for a slightly better offer.

So, to tackle all these hurdles, the eNPS provides you with deep insights into the recommendation to understand the engagement level for improving welfare and boosting employee productivity.

Workplace satisfaction motivates employees to be the best version of themselves and remain loyal to the organization. With this setup, employees would feel heard, less strained, and will have reduced workplace stress.

With the help of the eNPS score, you can divide the response into three simple categories.

• Promoters: These employees are more positive, satisfied, and motivated.
• Detractors: These employees are dissatisfied and will not recommend their workplace to others.
• Passives: These employees will be neutral and generally content but not generally satisfied or committed to the entire organization.

What are the benefits of employee net promoter score?

Implementing and working through the eNPS score alongside other key metrics improves and creates a holistic view of the employee experience.

But in addition to satisfaction and engagement, employee net promoter score can help your business improve other metrics, like:

Usability

The most significant benefit of the eNPS is that it's easy to use. Employees only need to answer questions in a simple format (on a scale of 1–10), saving valuable time and eliminating survey fatigue.

Higher participation rates

Most of us are more familiar with survey fatigue; often, we might receive an email asking for 5 minutes of our time, and we think, "Okay, fine!" And after answering the first three questions, there will be another set of questions, which will take more than said time and frustrate us.

So, that's where survey fatigue happens. McKinsey defines survey fatigue as "a lack of motivation to participate in assessments." But with the employee net promoter score's simple method of answering, you can increase the employee participation rate in surveys and get accurate results.

Identifying general problem

The employee net promoter score is used to measure employee engagement, organizational problems, and satisfaction. These metrics help highlight underlying issues and optimize interdepartmental communication, employee recognition, and other workplace factors.

Accurate assessment with anonymity

The eNPS accurately reflects how your employees feel about recommending their workplace. Since every employee will answer the questions anonymously, they are more likely to be honest, which allows you to detect the causes of low productivity and employee engagement.

Employee attrition

Employee attrition is when the company gradually reduces employees over time, which means that employees might leave faster than recruitment.

Future Forum report titled—The great executive employee disconnect surveyed 10,569 knowledge workers in many countries, in which 63% of the U.S. workers are ready to seek a new job within the next year.

But by regularly measuring the employee net promoter score, the organization understands and prevents high employee attrition. Remember, employee retention and attrition are two sides of the same coin. So, results allow employers to gauge the issues before employees leave.

Continuous measuring

Tracking and monitoring problems in an organization can be hard for employers, so experts suggest that a company start with a score and consistently work to improve it.

According to Harvard Business Review, the eNPS inspires companies to have great customer satisfaction and success, which will also help bring back customers and improve business.

So when an organization deploys the employee net promoter score survey more frequently than annual employee surveys, it will pave the way for more effective monitoring.

Benchmarking suitability

Benchmarking provides critical insights to help employers understand how the organization has developed compared to past results. The eNPS is flexible and easy to benchmark and better understand when and where things may have changed or where the employer should focus more.

eNPS Benefits by Santhosh Kumar on Scribd

How can eNPS survey increase employee engagement?

t is crucial for all organizations since having effective workplace strategies helps create less employee turnover rate, better work culture, increase productivity, increase customer relationships, and positively impact profits.

But why does it matter for employees?

When employees are more engaged with their company, job, and colleagues, it helps their overall employee experience and workplace satisfaction. Employees become more optimistic, efficient, energized and surpass expectations, which naturally influences their mental health.

But according to Gallup, only 36% of U.S. employees are engaged in their workplace. So showing, as an employer, that you are listening and acting toward employees' feedback will help to increase engagement.

It will boost morale by displaying to employees that you care what they think and know their voice is heard, making them feel respected and included when they see the company take action to close employee experience gaps.

How to use employee net promoter score effectively?

So what's next after successfully implementing the employee net promoter score survey?

Remember the golden rule—there is always room for improvement. So ensure you leverage the employee net promoter score to get better.

Right solution

According to People Doc, nearly 50% of employees are less truthful in their answers. Ensure the results are always anonymous; by doing so, you allow your employees to be more honest. To implement the right solution, you can filter survey findings to reveal differences based on location, department, and demographic.

Extensive programs for employee satisfaction

Measuring and calculating eNPS would provide more depth of understanding on employees' satisfaction and engagement to help employers understand why specific employees are detractors vs promoters and take possible actions to satisfy employees' needs.

Happy customers, happy employees!

Companies have to measure customer NPS surveys during employee net promoter scores because these two metrics are often aligned. If your employees are happy and more engaged at the workplace, they will be willing to go that extra mile to put a smile on your customers' faces.

Normalize listening

You have to normalize the process of you listening and taking care of your employees. So you must make sure that you conduct employee net promoter score surveys at regular intervals (pulse surveys)  to get enough data about your employees and find the current trend.

But, when you implement surveys too far apart, you won't be able to pinpoint the challenges or get enough data to be on trend with your employees.

Be transparent

Glassdoor defines workplace transparency as "an organization that operates in a way that creates openness between managers and employees." So don't hide your eNPS from your employees; make them feel more invested and included rather than removing them from the evaluation process.

Take action

Once you pinpoint the employee engagement challenges and experience gaps your employees face, ensure you dedicate resources to implement an immediate change.

When it comes to workplace engagement, the worst thing you can do is ask for employee feedback and fail to take action, and it develops distrust among employees, who are more likely not to participate in future surveys.

According to SHRM, one in three employees doesn't trust and report their problems to the employer or HR since they don't fix the issue. So, be sure you show that you are more committed to improving employee engagement.

How do you measure employee engagement through eNPS?

The employee net promoter score is the actual difference between your engaged and disengaged employees. The best way to measure it is to use recurrent survey questions more frequently to identify the improvement in employee engagement activities.

Here, the employees will answer the question on a scale of 0–10, with 0 being the least likely to recommend their workplace and 10 being more likely to recommend.

eNPS formula:

eNPS = No. of Promoters – No. of Detractors/Total No. of Respondents x 100

• Promoters are those who gave a score of either 9 or 10
• Detractors are those who gave a score between 0–6
• Passives are those who gave a score of either 7 or 8

Calculation examples

Let's take an example—company A wants to identify their employees' loyalty and satisfaction, and they have a total of 2000 employees and received 2000 responses. Where

• 200 responses were from detractors (0–6 range)
• 600 responses were from passives (7–8 range)
• 1200 responses were from promoters (9–10 range)

Using the eNPS formula: 1200-200/2000x100 = 50

A result is always a whole number and not a percentage; hence, company A's employee net promoter score is 50.

From the above calculation, it's evident that company A needs to analyze the root cause behind a low employee net promoter score and work to improve employee satisfaction.

Satisfied employees lead to satisfied customers

Satisfied employees can have a significant impact on the satisfaction of customers. A happy, engaged employee is more likely to be productive, be more productive, and remain loyal to their employer, which creates a positive customer experience.

Creating a culture of employee satisfaction requires companies to focus on factors such as communication, recognition, and development opportunities. Listening to feedback through employee engagement surveys, such as the eNPS, can help identify pain points and areas for improvement.

By focusing on employee satisfaction, companies can create a positive cycle where happy employees lead to satisfied customers, which leads to increased business success.

Identifying promoters, passives & detractors

The eNPS questions can be used to identify promoters, passives, and detractors and take action to improve employee engagement and satisfaction levels. Here are the reasons why companies should identify promoters, passives, and detractors:

Promoters

Promoters are employees who give a score of 9 or 10 on the eNPS survey, indicating a high likelihood of recommending the company as a great place to work. Promoters are likely to have a positive experience with the company culture, leadership, and work environment.

They may feel valued and recognized for their contributions and may have opportunities for growth and development within the company. Companies can leverage promoters by identifying and celebrating their successes and providing mentorship and leadership development opportunities.

Passives

Passives are employees who score 7 or 8 on the eNPS survey, indicating a neutral or mixed opinion about the company as a workplace.

Passives may have had positive experiences with some aspects of the company, but may also have concerns or frustrations that prevent them from being fully engaged and satisfied.

Companies can use eNPS feedback from passives to identify areas for improvement and take action to address their concerns. For example, improving communication or offering more opportunities for collaboration and teamwork can help increase employee engagement and satisfaction.

Detractors

Detractors are employees who score 0-6 on the eNPS survey, indicating a low likelihood of recommending the company as a place to work. Detractors may have had negative experiences with the company culture, leadership, or work environment. They may feel undervalued, unsupported, or disengaged and may be at risk of leaving the company.

Companies must address detractors' concerns to prevent turnover and maintain a positive workplace culture. By listening to detractors' feedback and taking action to address their concerns, companies can improve employee engagement and satisfaction, leading to better overall performance.

Why eNPS questions guides strategy?

By asking employees how likely they are to recommend the company as a great place to work, eNPS provides a simple and effective way to gauge overall employee sentiment. But eNPS is not just a metric, it's a strategic tool that can guide a company's approach to creating a positive workplace culture.

The eNPS survey provides valuable feedback from employees that can be used to guide strategy in several ways. For example, feedback from detractors can highlight specific areas where improvements are needed, such as better communication, more opportunities for growth and development, or a better work-life balance.

In addition to addressing specific issues highlighted by detractors, eNPS feedback from promoters can also guide strategy by highlighting areas where the company is doing well. This can help companies identify their strengths, build on them, and better understand what motivates employees and drives engagement.

eNPS and other employee metrics

When it comes to measuring employee engagement and satisfaction, companies can use many different metrics. Each metric provides unique insights into employee sentiment, and no single metric can provide a complete picture of workforce engagement.

However, the eNPS metric has gained popularity recently and is often preferred by companies over other employee metrics.

The eNPS metric focuses specifically on employee loyalty and their likelihood to recommend the company as a place to work.

It is a simple and easy-to-understand metric with a scoring system that ranges from -100 to 100. This makes it easy for companies to track their eNPS scores over time and compare them to industry benchmarks.

That being said, it's important to note that eNPS is not a replacement for other employee metrics.

Rather, it should be used in conjunction with other metrics through employee engagement surveys, like pulse surveys, employee satisfaction surveys, diversity & inclusion surveys, and manager effectiveness surveys, to gain a more complete picture of employee sentiment.

Common challenges and pitfalls to avoid when implementing eNPS surveys

Implementing eNPS surveys can be instrumental in understanding employee sentiment and driving organizational improvement initiatives. However, there are several common challenges and pitfalls that organizations should be mindful of to ensure the effectiveness of these surveys. Here are key points to consider:

• Survey fatigue: One of the primary challenges is survey fatigue, where employees may become inundated with various surveys, leading to decreased participation and lower quality responses. To mitigate this, organizations should streamline survey frequency, ensuring that eNPS surveys are conducted at intervals that balance the need for feedback with employees' time constraints.
• Lack of actionable insights: Merely collecting eNPS survey data without a clear plan for action can render the exercise futile. It's essential to have mechanisms in place for analyzing survey results, identifying trends, and translating feedback into actionable insights. Without this, employees may perceive eNPS surveys as mere lip service, eroding trust and engagement.
• Inadequate communication: Failure to communicate the purpose, significance, and outcomes of eNPS surveys to employees can result in skepticism and apathy. Clear communication regarding the goals of the survey, how feedback will be utilized, and the importance of employee participation is crucial for fostering trust and engagement.
• Limited feedback channels: Relying solely on eNPS surveys for employee feedback may overlook nuanced issues and sentiments that require more qualitative approaches. Organizations should complement eNPS surveys with other feedback mechanisms such as focus groups, one-on-one interviews, or suggestion boxes to capture a holistic view of employee experiences.
• Bias and response rate issues: Biases in survey responses, such as social desirability bias or acquiescence bias, can skew eNPS results and undermine their validity. Moreover, low response rates may lead to sample bias, where the feedback does not accurately represent the diverse perspectives within the organization. Employing techniques such as anonymizing responses and incentivizing participation can help mitigate these challenges.
• Lack of leadership buy-in: Without leadership buy-in and commitment to act on eNPS feedback, implementation efforts are likely to falter. Leaders should champion the importance of employee feedback, actively participate in survey initiatives, and demonstrate a willingness to address identified areas for improvement.
• Overemphasis on scores: Focusing solely on eNPS scores as a measure of success may overshadow the qualitative insights gleaned from employee feedback. While scores provide a quantitative benchmark, organizations should prioritize understanding the underlying drivers behind the scores to drive meaningful change.

How to improve your employee net promoter scores?

Taking the proper steps to understand and measure eNPS has significant value, and it helps decision-makers address employees' concerns and foster more promoters. Here are some tips to help you improve your employee NPS and customer NPS survey.

1. Collaborate with senior leaders, as teamwork always starts at the top, and everyone should be more committed to continuous improvement. Ensure you are ready to invest in your training, culture, and recruitment, which will lead you a long way.
2. Assure your employees that their honest feedback is completely anonymous and safe to provide. Working with a third-party company to implement an employee net promoter score helps since failure to provide anonymity leads to employees not providing the right or accurate information.
3. Track your reputation on all available platforms since employees or former employees often write reviews on sites like Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Comparably, Vault, and Careerbliss. The reviews might be an eye-opener for you!
4. Cultivate an environment where your employees provide input and are comfortable sharing feedback, like anonymous employee opinion surveys, and make sure you are transparent about the results.
5. Acknowledge and celebrate your employees for going above and beyond in simple methods, such as responding to their feedback and taking appropriate actions, which are some best ways to cultivate workplace satisfaction.

31 Best eNPS survey questions you need to ask in 2024

The employee net promoter score survey opens the door for constructive and honest communication between employees and employers.

You can take further steps to increase employee satisfaction to raise the score. The following are some crucial employee net promoter score survey questions:

1. Is there any specific factor that prevents you from recommending your workplace to others? [scale of 0–10]
2. Has your experience at the company improved over the past 6 months? [scale of 0–10]
3. Would you say your company invests enough resources in employee engagement and satisfaction? [scale of 0–10]
4. How helpful is your manager when you come across an issue at work? [scale of 0–10]
5. Do you see yourself working here in the next 5 years? [scale of 0–10]
6. How valued and recognized do you feel in your workplace? [scale of 0–10]
7. How interesting or exciting would you say your work is? [scale of 0–10]
8. Did any recent changes in the workplace improve, impair, or have no impact on your work experience? [scale of 0–10]
9. Would you say your workplace is more attractive to the employees than its competitors? [scale of 0–10]
10. How closely would you say our organization met your expectations? [scale of 0–10]
11. How likely are you to recommend our company to your friends and family? [scale of 0–10]
12. Do you enjoy working here at our company? [scale of 0–10]
13. Do you think that we are prioritizing workplace culture and work-life balance? [scale of 0–10]
14. How strongly are you willing to go the extra mile for the company? [scale of 0–10]
15. What do you like the least about our organization? [Open-ended question]
16. How satisfied are you with the communication channels within the organization? [scale of 0–10]
17. Are you satisfied with the opportunities for career growth and development provided by the company? [scale of 0–10]
18. How effective do you find the performance feedback and evaluation process at our company? [scale of 0–10]
19. Do you feel that your workload is manageable and reasonable? [scale of 0–10]
20. How satisfied are you with the level of diversity and inclusion in our workplace? [scale of 0–10]
21. Are you satisfied with the benefits and perks offered by the company? [scale of 0–10]
22. How well do you feel your skills and talents are utilized in your current role? [scale of 0–10]
23. Do you feel empowered to voice your opinions and ideas within the organization? [scale of 0–10]
24. How satisfied are you with the level of collaboration and teamwork within your department? [scale of 0–10]
25. Are you satisfied with the level of transparency regarding company goals and decisions? [scale of 0–10]
26. How well do you feel the company recognizes and rewards employee contributions? [scale of 0–10]
27. Do you feel that your work-life balance is respected by your supervisors and colleagues? [scale of 0–10]
28. How satisfied are you with the overall work environment and office facilities? [scale of 0–10]
29. Are you satisfied with the training and development opportunities provided by the company? [scale of 0–10]
30. How well do you feel the company supports employee well-being and mental health? [scale of 0–10]
31. How satisfied are you with the company's efforts in fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion among employees from diverse backgrounds? [scale of 0–10]

What is a good eNPS?

Determining what constitutes a good Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) requires a nuanced understanding of the factors contributing to employee satisfaction and loyalty. Here are the key characteristics that signify a strong eNPS:

1. High overall score: A good eNPS typically reflects a high percentage of promoters (those rating 9-10) compared to detractors (those rating 0-6) in the employee survey responses. This indicates that a significant majority of employees are highly satisfied and likely to recommend their workplace to others.
2. Consistency over time: Consistency in eNPS scores across multiple survey periods suggests stable levels of employee satisfaction and engagement. Fluctuations in scores may indicate underlying issues that require attention or external factors influencing employee morale.
3. Positive trends: A consistently increasing eNPS trend over time signifies ongoing improvements in employee satisfaction and loyalty. Positive trends indicate that the organization's efforts to enhance the employee experience are yielding results and resonating with employees.
4. Alignment with organizational goals: A good eNPS is aligned with the organization's broader goals and values. When employees' perceptions of the company's culture, leadership, and opportunities for growth mirror the organization's stated objectives, it fosters a sense of alignment and purpose among employees.
5. Open communication channels: A strong eNPS often accompanies a culture of open communication where employees feel empowered to share feedback and concerns. Organizations with high eNPS scores frequently have robust feedback mechanisms in place, such as regular surveys, anonymous suggestion boxes, or avenues for one-on-one discussions with management.
6. Investment in employee development: Companies that prioritize employee development and provide ample opportunities for learning and growth tend to have higher eNPS scores. Investing in training programs, mentorship initiatives, and career advancement opportunities demonstrates a commitment to employees' professional development and contributes to their overall satisfaction.
7. Recognition and rewards: Acknowledging and rewarding employees for their contributions plays a crucial role in fostering a positive work environment and boosting eNPS. Recognition programs that celebrate achievements, milestones, and exemplary performance reinforce a culture of appreciation and motivate employees to go above and beyond.
8. Strong leadership and supportive management: Leadership effectiveness is closely linked to eNPS, as employees often look to their leaders for guidance, support, and inspiration. A good eNPS is indicative of strong leadership that communicates clearly, leads by example, and actively engages with employees to address their needs and concerns.

Conclusion

Workplace satisfaction should be of the utmost importance for employers to grow as an organization, both in size and revenue.

Satisfied employees are the ones who are loyal towards their organization and would stick with the organization even in the worst scenarios, as they don't work out of compulsion and won't have second thoughts about going the extra mile to help the organization grow.

CultureMonkey's anonymous employee survey and pulse survey tools will help you accurately measure your employee net promoter score, allowing your people leaders to improve employee satisfaction and workplace culture.

Don't wait to spot any challenges that your employees are facing in your organization or to make the change you always wanted to, don't wait. You can implement a user-friendly employee survey to dive deeper into actionable insights and develop competitive work culture.

eNPS questions FAQs

1. What are 3 questions in NPS?

The 3 primary questions in NPS are:

• Simple and standard to the point question—Based on your experience with us, would you recommend our company?
• The reason “why” question—Why did you give us this rating?
• The default follow-up question—What one thing could we do differently to make a change?

2. What are typical questions in a NPS survey?

• On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our company to your friends and family?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to stay with us for the next 12 months?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with your manager’s leadership and communication skills?

3. What is difference between NPS and eNPS?

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) measures customer loyalty, while the Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) measures employee loyalty. CultureMonkey is an employee engagement survey tool that helps companies collect and analyze eNPS data and other employee feedback to identify areas for improvement and take action to improve workplace culture and employee satisfaction.

4. When should you ask NPS questions?

Companies should ask NPS questions on a regular basis, such as quarterly or annually, to track changes in employee loyalty and identify areas for improvement. CultureMonkey helps companies automate the employee net promoter score process and provides real-time data analytics and reporting to help companies take immediate action to improve employee engagement and satisfaction.

5. What is an example of a follow up question on NPS?

An example of a follow-up question for NPS is "What is the primary reason for your score?" CultureMonkey helps companies automatically send follow-up employee engagement surveys based on their responses to eNPS questions and provides advanced analytics and reporting features to help companies identify trends, compare results over time, and take action to improve employee satisfaction and retention.