75 Employee Survey Questions About Management

Employee surveys about management provide a way for you to understand ‌the relationship between workers and managers at your organization. They help you gauge managers’ effectiveness and reveal areas for improvement in your business. 

However, it’s important to ask the right questions when conducting these surveys. Good questions ensure you’re gathering meaningful information so you can fix any issues and start solving problems before they lead to low productivity, resentment, disengagement, high turnover, and more.

In this article, we cover what makes a good manager, why conducting surveys is so important, and 75 example employee survey questions about management you can use today. 

What Makes a Good Manager?

Good managers possess a range of skills and qualities. 

They get to know each team member on an individual level, ensure employees are on the right track, and share important information so everyone’s on the same page. 

They also demonstrate strong leadership skills, motivating their team and providing guidance, and excellent decision-making skills. 

Plus, they’re adaptable, have high levels of emotional intelligence, and regularly encourage their team members to collaborate.

In addition, good managers will:

Manage their time and tasks well

An effective manager knows to set clear goals for themselves and their employees, establish realistic timelines, and allocate resources appropriately. They can prioritize their tasks, manage their time well, and help their team members do the same.

Communicate effectively

Good managers communicate with employees and others in the organization clearly and respectfully. They convey expectations in easy-to-understand ways and actively listen to workers during discussions. This means they listen to understand rather than to simply respond. 

Effective communication helps create an environment where ideas flow freely and conflicts can be resolved quickly. This keeps teams aligned, motivated, and informed—boosting productivity and success.

Resolve conflicts

Speaking of conflict resolution, good managers can also address issues between team members in a kind, constructive way. They know when to step in to support their employees and can encourage them to work together more effectively.

Provide and seek feedback

Managers are skilled at providing feedback to team members so they can grow and excel. But, they’re also great at gathering feedback from employees to create a better workplace. This continuous feedback fosters a culture of transparency, trust, and personal growth.

Display trust and respect

Good managers show their team members that they trust and respect their knowledge, skills, and opinions. 

This means they properly delegate responsibilities according to employees’ expertise, listen to workers’ thoughts and insights, and allow employees to complete tasks without unnecessary check-ins.

Showing trust and respect makes employees feel safer, more comfortable, and ready to do their best work. 

Similarly, good managers are also trustworthy. They’re honest, treat the entire team fairly, and follow through on their promises.

Promote healthy work-life balance

In addition, effective managers set reasonable deadlines whenever possible and avoid contacting employees outside of work hours unless necessary. This shows employees that their manager values a healthy work-life balance, encouraging workers to follow suit. 

They may also offer flexible work schedules where possible, allowing individuals to focus on their personal needs.

Support growth and development

Managers take the time to get to know employees and their goals on an individual level. They recommend resources and advocate for learning and skill-building opportunities such as job shadowing, mentorships, and cross-training workshops.

They also celebrate employees’ achievements. Managers will offer public or private recognition through thank-you notes or messages, shoutouts in meetings or emails, or rewards like gift cards or extra paid time off (PTO). This encourages employees to do more great work and builds rapport in the workplace.

Promote inclusivity

Finally, good managers champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. They seek out various perspectives on topics and challenges, value differences, and work to create fair opportunities for everyone. Their goal is to create a safe space where employees feel included and empowered to contribute.

Why Feedback on Management Is So Vital

There are a number of reasons to seek and act on feedback about your management team. 

Identifies areas for improvement

For starters, this feedback gives you insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the management practices at your business—including your own. It gives you a sense of where you and other managers can improve and where you can continue to shine. 

This insight makes it easier to address issues and nurture strengths, allowing you and your fellow managers to lead your teams more effectively.

Creates a culture of trust, transparency, and continuous learning 

Seeking feedback on management nurtures a company culture built on trust and transparency. Employees who are asked for their opinions about management are more likely to feel respected, engaged, and valued as part of the team.

​​Feedback on management also cultivates a culture of continuous learning. It signals that growth is a shared goal—not just something that employees have to focus on. This, in turn, fosters stronger working relationships between managers and employees, thus increasing trust even further.

Increases productivity, job satisfaction, and employee retention 

Workers feel valued and become more engaged when they have a chance to provide feedback. And when they feel this way, they’re more productive at work.

Engaged employees tend to be more satisfied with their jobs and connected to the company as a whole. This, in turn, helps increase employee retention, as satisfied workers are less likely to quit. 

Of course, acting on feedback also contributes to these positive outcomes. 

Taking steps to address issues in communication, support for work-life balance, managers’ trust in employees, and so on will show employees that you value their opinions and want to make their lives at work easier and more enjoyable. They’ll feel more engaged and satisfied, be more productive, and remain loyal to your company.

How To Gather Feedback About Managers

Set your objective

Before you create your survey, think about what you’re trying to achieve. Do you want specific feedback about managers’ communication skills? Or, are you trying to learn how employees feel about managers’ effectiveness overall?

Setting a clear objective ensures your survey questions stay focused and relevant so the feedback you receive will be meaningful. 

At this stage, it’s also important to determine whether you want your survey to be anonymous. Anonymizing surveys can make employees feel more comfortable sharing their honest opinions without worrying they’ll be reprimanded by managers.

Determine what questions to ask

The first time you send out a management survey, you might want to cover several topics with different questions. For example, you might ask 3 questions about managers’ overall effectiveness, 3 about inclusivity, and 3 about how well managers respect employees’ work-life balance. 

Alternatively, perhaps you’ve already gotten informal feedback about a particular topic and want more detailed information. You can send out a survey with more focused questions on the same topic. 

In terms of formatting your questions, there are a few different formats you can follow. You can use multiple-choice, open-ended, yes/no, or rating scale questions. 

Each format has its benefits and drawbacks. 

Rating scale questions are great for gathering data you can measure as scores or percentages, and they’re typically easy for workers to answer. It’s also usually quick for employees to fill out multiple-choice and yes/no questions.

Thus, they may be more likely to complete the survey. Open-ended questions, however, allow you to capture more detailed information. But, they take more time to fill out. 

Ultimately, the question formats you choose are up to you. Pick ones that fit your objectives and will provide you with the data you’re looking for. 

We recommend using a combination of all question formats to get the most well-rounded data possible.

Create and publish your survey

With your objective set and your questions in mind, it’s time to create your survey. To encourage participation and make surveys easy for employees to complete, ensure they take no more than 10-15 minutes to complete and consist of about 10-20 questions maximum.

You can use a word processor like Google Docs or Microsoft Word to write your survey, then share it with your team in person using physical copies or via email. Alternatively, you might use an online survey creator and send employees a link to complete it. 

The best way to create and publish surveys, however, is to use dedicated survey software like Connecteam. 

Use Connecteam to simplify the process

An all-in-one work management platform, Connecteam enables you to create fully customized surveys from scratch or using templates. It supports various question types—multiple-choice, open-ended, yes/no, and rating scale—and anonymous surveys, too. 

The surveys tool links right to your company directory, so you can easily select who the survey should go to. Results are sent to you in real time, and the central dashboard shows you exactly how many people have responded to the survey.

Connecteam will send automated notifications to employees when they have a survey to complete. Plus, you can send push notifications to remind your team members to fill out the survey. 

There’s also a live digital polls tool, which lets employees vote on a specific topic and see in real time how their colleagues voted. It’s perfect for gathering instant feedback!

75 Management Survey Questions to Ask Your Employees

We’ve put together a list of 75 survey questions about management—grouped into 5 categories with 15 questions each—to give you some inspiration.

Use any of these questions to build a survey or treat them as a jumping-off point for creating your own.

Survey questions about manager communication

1. How well do you feel your manager communicates goals and expectations to the team?
   • 5 – Very well
   • 4 – Well
   • 3 – Neutral
   • 2 – Fairly
   • 1 – Poorly
2. Do you feel comfortable expressing your thoughts and ideas to your manager? If not, why?
3. How well does your manager listen to your concerns and suggestions?
4. Do team meetings encourage open and transparent communication?
5. To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “My manager provides clear and timely feedback on my work.”
   • 5 – Strongly agree
   • 4 – Agree 
   • 3 – Neutral
   • 2 – Disagree
   • 1 – Strongly disagree
6. Are communication channels established to keep you informed about important updates and changes?
7. Do you feel your manager communicates with respect and professionalism?
8. Has your manager clearly explained what communication technology is available?
9. How well do you feel your manager provides constructive criticism and guidance for improvement?
   • 5 – Very well
   • 4 – Well
   • 3 – Neutral
   • 2 – Fairly
   • 1 – Poorly
10. Does your manager clearly communicate changes at work (such as changes to schedules or changes to the company’s goals)?
11. Are communication barriers addressed promptly and effectively by your manager?
12. Does your manager encourage and facilitate open dialogue and collaboration among team members?
13. Please describe a time when your manager sent you effective communication and a time when you were unhappy with the communication you received.
14. What communication styles or methods would you like to see your manager use?
15. What could your manager do to improve their communication?

Survey questions about trust and respect with managers

1. Does your manager trust your ability to perform your job effectively?
2. Do you feel comfortable approaching your manager with personal or work-related issues?
3. How well do you feel your manager demonstrates respect for your ideas and contributions?
   • 5 – Very well
   • 4 – Well
   • 3 – Neutral
   • 2 – Fairly
   • 1 – Poorly
4. Are your manager’s actions consistent with their words and promises?
5. Does your manager treat all team members fairly and without favoritism?
6. Does your manager create a supportive and inclusive work environment?
7. Do you trust your manager to advocate for your career growth and development?
8. Are you confident that your manager maintains confidentiality regarding sensitive information?
9. To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “My manager provides opportunities for me to voice my opinions and concerns.”
   • 5 – Strongly agree
   • 4 – Agree 
   • 3 – Neutral
   • 2 – Disagree
   • 1 – Strongly disagree
10. Do you feel your manager makes fair and unbiased decisions?
11. Have you seen your manager work to include everyone on the team in discussions and on work projects?
12. Does your manager enable you to do your work without excessive check-ins?
13. Please describe a time you felt respected by your manager.
14. Please describe any time you felt disrespected by your manager.
15. In what ways has your manager shown trust in you?

Survey questions about managers’ effectiveness

1. How well does your manager provide guidance and direction to help you achieve your goals?
   • 5 – Very well
   • 4 – Well
   • 3 – Neutral
   • 2 – Fairly
   • 1 – Poorly
2. Does your manager allocate resources effectively to support your work?
3. How well does your manager prioritize tasks and manage workloads within the team?
   • 5 – Very well
   • 4 – Well
   • 3 – Neutral
   • 2 – Fairly
   • 1 – Poorly
4. Are you provided with the necessary tools and resources to perform your job efficiently?
5. Does your manager encourage innovation and new ideas within the team?
6. How well does your manager address and resolve conflicts among team members?
   • 5 – Very well
   • 4 – Well
   • 3 – Neutral
   • 2 – Fairly
   • 1 – Poorly
7. Does your manager offer reasonable deadlines and workloads to meet long-term company goals?
8. Are your manager’s decisions aligned with the overall goals and values of the organization?
9. Does your manager explain how your tasks help the company achieve its goals?
10. To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “I consider my manager a role model at work.”
    • 5 – Strongly agree
    • 4 – Agree 
    • 3 – Neutral
    • 2 – Disagree
    • 1 – Strongly disagree
11. Do you feel your manager is aware of your skills and puts them to work in a way that helps your team and the organization?
12. How well does your manager adapt to changing circumstances and provide guidance during transitions?
    • 5 – Very well
    • 4 – Well
    • 3 – Neutral
    • 2 – Fairly
    • 1 – Poorly
13. How well does your manager deal with overbooked shifts, lost files, and other issues?
    • 5 – Very well
    • 4 – Well
    • 3 – Neutral
    • 2 – Fairly
    • 1 – Poorly
14. Please describe something you appreciate about your manager’s effectiveness.
15. Please provide any details about what your manager could do to help you complete your work more efficiently.

Survey questions about work life balance

1. Does your manager promote a healthy work-life balance for the team?
2. Are you able to maintain a satisfactory work-life balance under your manager’s guidance?
3. Does your manager encourage taking breaks and time off to recharge?
4. How well does your manager accommodate flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or flexible hours?
   • 5 – Very well
   • 4 – Well
   • 3 – Neutral
   • 2 – Fairly
   • 1 – Poorly
5. Does your manager respect your personal time and avoid excessive after-hours communication?
6.  Does your manager provide support and resources to manage workload and avoid burnout?
7. Are you encouraged to set boundaries and manage your workload effectively?
8. To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “My manager promotes a culture of work-life balance within the team.”
   • ​​5 – Strongly agree
   • 4 – Agree 
   • 3 – Neutral
   • 2 – Disagree
   • 1 – Strongly disagree
9. Do you believe your manager cares about your well-being outside of work?
10. Do you feel comfortable asking your manager for help or more time for a deadline?
11. How well does your manager address work-related stress and provide solutions?
    • 5 – Very well
    • 4 – Well
    • 3 – Neutral
    • 2 – Fairly
    • 1 – Poorly
12. Do you feel that your manager values your well-being outside of work?
13. Do you feel you could come to your manager with concerns or accommodation requirements related to mental or physical health?
14. Please describe how your manager has helped you promote a good work-life balance.
15. Please make a recommendation about how your manager could better support your time away from work.

Survey questions about manager support for career development

1. Does your manager actively support your professional growth and development?
2. How well does your manager provide guidance on career advancement opportunities within the organization?
   • 5 – Very well
   • 4 – Well
   • 3 – Neutral
   • 2 – Fairly
   • 1 – Poorly
3. Does your manager encourage and provide opportunities for you to expand your skills and knowledge?
4. Are you provided with regular feedback and guidance from your manager to enhance your performance?
5. Has your manager asked you about your professional goals?
6. Does your manager help you set goals and create a development plan for your career?
7. How well does your manager recognize and reward your achievements and contributions?
   • 5 – Very well
   • 4 – Well
   • 3 – Neutral
   • 2 – Fairly
   • 1 – Poorly
8. Does your manager provide you with challenging and meaningful assignments that contribute to your career growth?
9. Does your manager encourage networking and building relationships with professionals in your field?
10. Has your manager suggested resources outside the workplace that could help you with your career goals?
11. To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “My manager effectively supports my professional aspirations and ambitions?”
    • ​​5 – Strongly agree
    • 4 – Agree 
    • 3 – Neutral
    • 2 – Disagree
    • 1 – Strongly disagree
12. Do you feel that your manager advocates for your career growth within the organization?
13. Do you feel you are growing professionally and getting ready for new opportunities under your manager’s leadership?
14. Please describe 3 things your manager could do to better provide you with career development support.
15. Please describe 1 way you’ve grown at this company.

Conclusion

Managers are the cornerstone of many teams—facilitating communication between leadership, employees, clients, and other stakeholders. They provide support and guidance to employees, resolve conflicts, encourage collaboration, make strong decisions, and so much more. 

The trouble is that managers don’t always get the feedback other individuals do. This is where employee surveys about management can help. These surveys collect feedback from employees about their managers, providing insights that help company leaders make meaningful changes. 

It can be daunting to create a management survey, but with the 75 example questions we shared, you’re set up for success. You can also use Connecteam to create and share an unlimited number of surveys on any topic you’d like. 

FAQs

How do you ask for feedback about management style?

You can ask for feedback through in-person meetings, 360 reviews, or online or paper-copy surveys. Ask questions about managers’ communication, trust and respect, support for work-life balance and career development, and overall effectiveness. Consider making surveys anonymous to encourage honest answers and more participation.

How frequent should surveys about management be?

Strike a balance between getting regular feedback and not overwhelming employees. For some companies, that may mean a once-a-year manager review. For others, that may mean monthly or even weekly pulse surveys.

A good rule of thumb is that the shorter the survey, the more frequent it can be. Weekly surveys should be no more than 1 to 2 questions. Monthly surveys can be up to 10-15 questions. Surveys with more questions than that should take place less often, such as once per quarter or once per year, to prevent survey fatigue.