Template Questions
All 10 Job Satisfaction Questions
Ten questions covering every dimension of job satisfaction linked to employee retention in the research literature. Question 10 — intent to stay — is the most direct early warning signal your HR team can access. Employees who score this below 3 have already begun their mental departure. Questions 5 (career growth) and 7 (work-life balance) are the two dimensions that most commonly trigger that intent to leave when they drop simultaneously.
01How clearly do you understand what is expected of you in your role?Scale 1–5
02How would you rate your relationship with your direct manager?Scale 1–5
03How manageable is your current workload?Scale 1–5
04How fairly do you feel you are compensated for your work?Scale 1–5
05How satisfied are you with the career growth and development opportunities available to you?Scale 1–5
06How recognised and appreciated do you feel for your contributions?Scale 1–5
07How well are you able to maintain a healthy work-life balance in your current role?Scale 1–5
08How much do you enjoy working with your immediate team?Scale 1–5
09How comfortable do you feel voicing concerns or ideas at work?Scale 1–5
10How likely are you to still be working here in 12 months?Intent to Stay
What This Survey Measures
The 8 Dimensions of Job Satisfaction
Job satisfaction is multi-dimensional — a single overall score hides the specific levers that actually drive retention decisions. An employee can be satisfied with their manager but deeply dissatisfied with career growth, and the overall score masks a high attrition risk. This template captures each dimension independently so you can act on the right lever for each person or team.
Role Clarity
Ambiguity about expectations is the most common hidden driver of underperformance and early attrition.
Manager Relationship
People leave managers, not companies. This dimension alone predicts team-level turnover risk.
Compensation Fairness
Perceived fairness matters more than absolute pay. Even well-paid employees leave if they feel undervalued.
Career Growth
The #1 reason employees leave companies that treat them well. Stalled growth + good culture = departure.
Recognition
Low-cost, high-impact. Employees who feel unrecognised are 4× more likely to be actively job searching.
Work-Life Balance
Deteriorates faster than managers realise. Critical to monitor for remote teams and high-demand roles.
Team Dynamics
Toxic team dynamics override all other satisfaction factors. Strong teams retain people despite other negatives.
Psychological Safety
Whether employees feel safe to speak — the foundation of high performance and the hardest to rebuild once lost.
How It Works
From Survey to Retention Action in 3 Steps
1
Use This Template
All 10 questions pre-loaded. Add your company name and send anonymously across your team.
2
Identify low scorers
Focus on the two lowest dimensions per team. Those are your retention levers — not the average.
3
Act before they leave
Employees who score Intent to Stay below 3 have already started looking. You have a short window.
Sample Results
Your Job Satisfaction Dashboard
After 54 employees at a mid-size tech company responded, the career growth gap against everything else was the clear priority — and the department with the lowest growth score had 40% higher turnover the following quarter:
Job Satisfaction Survey · 54 responsesQ1 2026 annual survey
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Overall satisfaction
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Intent to stay
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At turnover risk
Role clarity4.2 / 5
Manager relationship4.0 / 5
Compensation fairness3.4 / 5
Career growth2.8 / 5
Work-life balance3.6 / 5
Psychological safety4.1 / 5
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this job satisfaction survey template free?
Yes. Free forever with no signup from you or your employees. Up to 100 responses free. Pro ($19/month) allows 10,000 responses and quarterly trend analytics.
What questions should a job satisfaction survey include?
The most predictive questions cover: role clarity, manager relationship, workload, compensation fairness, career growth, recognition, work-life balance, team culture, psychological safety, and intent to stay. This template covers all ten dimensions linked to retention research.
What is the difference between job satisfaction and employee engagement?
Job satisfaction measures contentment with current role, pay, and conditions — a present-state measure. Employee engagement measures emotional investment and discretionary effort — a forward-looking measure. Satisfied but disengaged employees stay but underperform; engaged but dissatisfied employees perform well but leave. This template focuses on job satisfaction dimensions predictive of turnover.
How often should I run a job satisfaction survey?
Run annually for a comprehensive baseline with shorter quarterly pulse checks. For teams experiencing high turnover, run monthly. For new hires, run at 30, 60, and 90 days — most turnover decisions are made in the first 90 days.
Which question is most predictive of turnover?
Question 10 — intent to stay — is the most direct predictor of attrition. However, Questions 5 (career growth) and 7 (work-life balance) most commonly trigger intent to leave when they score below 3. Employees rarely leave solely for pay — they leave when growth stalls and boundaries erode simultaneously.
Should job satisfaction surveys be anonymous?
Yes. Anonymous surveys produce significantly more honest answers on compensation fairness, manager quality, and intent to stay. Employees who believe responses are identifiable underreport dissatisfaction on exactly the questions that matter most for retention. VoteGenerator stores no names or email addresses by default.
How do I use this data to reduce employee turnover?
Prioritise the two lowest-scoring dimensions — those are your retention levers. Present team-level scores (not individual responses) to managers to drive accountability without blame.
Can I use this for remote and hybrid teams?
Yes. For fully remote teams, Questions 8 (team culture) and 7 (work-life balance) are particularly critical to monitor — remote employees consistently score these lower when proper support structures aren't in place.
Know who's planning to leave — before they do
10 questions. Anonymous. Results in minutes.
Use This Template — FreeNo signup required · Free up to 100 responses · Pro from $19/month