Job Satisfaction Survey Questions for Shift Workers

Knowing how often to survey employees and what to ask them can be challenging. You need to find the right balance between showing you care and not being overbearing. You also need to know how to phrase job satisfaction survey questions to get answers you can act on. 

For owners of shift-based businesses, surveys are even more complicated because there are more factors to juggle, such as varying schedules, how often employees work, and how workers’ experiences and satisfaction can vary from location to location.

To make the process easier, we’ve created a collection of employee job satisfaction survey templates — including time-based and theme-based surveys — that you can use or build on to ensure you really know what shift workers are thinking. 

Time-based surveys

Time-based surveys are sent to workers regularly. They can include daily, monthly, quarterly, or annual surveys. 

Daily pulse surveys

Daily surveys should be short — one question only — to prevent employees from getting overwhelmed and make them more likely to respond. They should be designed to give you insight into the daily operations of every level of your organisation.

A simple, hassle-free way to ensure workers fill out daily pulse surveys is to make them part of the clocking-out process. Deputy’s Shift Pulse+ makes it easy to integrate daily pulse surveys into employee clock-outs. You can customise questions to suit your needs and choose which roles or locations to share them with.

You can use daily pulse surveys for a variety of purposes. Maybe you want to confirm that new employees feel comfortable in their jobs as they train. Or maybe you want to see how employees feel after each shift. You could also use them while rolling out new initiatives to verify they’re working. 

Remember, no matter why you’re using a daily survey — make the question count.

Survey templates

Do you understand what’s expected of you at work?

  • Completely

  • Mostly

  • Somewhat

  • Barely

  • Not at all

OR

Do you have what you need to do your job?

  • Yes

  • No

OR

How did you feel during your shift today?

  • Happy

  • Good

  • Okay

  • Frustrated

  • Stressed

Monthly or quarterly surveys

Sent consistently but dispersed enough for different opinions to form, these time-based surveys are a great way to get a detailed picture of how your employees feel about their jobs. 

Because they aren’t sent as often, you can ask for more information from employees' responses.

Survey template 

  1. I’m happy in my current role.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

2. I’m recognised for the work I do.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

3. I’m comfortable giving feedback to my manager. 

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

4. My schedule fits my lifestyle.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

5. Each shift is properly staffed.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

6. I would recommend [company name] to others.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

7. I consistently know what hours and days I will be working.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

Annual surveys

Annual surveys should focus on the big picture. As you’ll see below, many of the questions for annual surveys focus on the future.

Survey template

  1. I feel important to [company name].

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

2. I feel recognised for my hard work. 

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

3. Leadership listens to my needs and feedback.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

4. I would recommend [company name] to a friend.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

5. I have access to professional growth opportunities.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

6. I’m encouraged to grow in my position.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree 

7. I feel that [company name] is living up to its values.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

8. Shifts and work are distributed fairly.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

9. [Company name] supports my work/life balance.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

10. I’m compensated fairly (including benefits) for my job.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

Theme-based surveys

If there’s a specific issue you want to address, you can ask theme-based job satisfaction survey questions. You can send these surveys out anytime as long you explain the reasoning behind the survey.

Use these surveys to dig deeper into problems identified in time-based surveys or when planning new initiatives to improve the company. For example, you can survey employees about scheduling preferences, customer service concerns, or preferred perks. 

Here are a few theme-based survey templates for common workplace issues.

Shift schedule preferences 

  1. What shifts do you prefer to work?

  • First shift

  • Second shift

  • Third shift

2. How many days do you want to work in a week?

  • 1

  • 2

  • 3

  • 4

  • 5

  • 6

  • 7

3. How many hours do you want to work in a day?

  • <4 hours

  • 4–6 hours

  • 5–7 hours

  • 8 hours

  • >8 hours

4. Do you prefer working weekdays or weekends?

  • Weekdays

  • Weekends

5. Are you happy with your current work/life balance?

  • Yes

  • No

6. New schedules are shared within a reasonable time frame.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

7. Managers handle call-outs well.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

Coworker relationships

  1. My coworkers and I work well as a team.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

2. I have a good relationship with my manager.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

3. I have a good relationship with my coworkers.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

4. My team cares about me as a person.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

5. I can share feedback with coworkers and managers.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

6. My manager accepts feedback well.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

Job Responsibilities

  1. Do your responsibilities match your role?

  • Yes

  • No

2. Is work distributed fairly among everyone who’s working a shift?

  • Yes 

  • No

3. Do you have enough equipment or staff to do your job well each shift?

  • Yes

  • No 

4. Are there ways we can improve your daily tasks?

  • Yes

  • No

5. Is there one task you wish you could do less of? 

  • Yes

  • No

6. Is there one task you wish you could do more of?

  • Yes 

  • No

Appreciation

  1. I feel valued by [company name] for my work.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

2. Does your manager tell you when you’re doing a good job?

  • Yes 

  • No

3. Are you and your team recognised regularly?

  • Yes

  • No

4. Do you like how we show recognition for hard work?

  • Yes

  • No

5. If not, how can we improve our recognition system?

  • Offer better rewards

  • Provide recognition more often

  • Have different levels of recognition

View of the company

  1. The company is currently living up to its values.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

2. Company values and community show up at all levels of the organisation.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

3. [Company name] is open to change.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

4. Leadership listens to workers’ feedback.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

5. I trust the company to handle personal conflicts.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neutral

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

Always leave space for personal thoughts

One final thought about using employee job satisfaction survey templates: Leave room for their thoughts. While providing just a few options makes surveys easy to fill out, it is limiting.

Some employees may want to elaborate on their opinions, good or bad. Some shift workers, especially company veterans, may have ideas to help improve the organisation. 

Open text boxes give employees the space to express themselves. If they don’t have anything to say, they can simply move on to the next question. 

Gathering employee feedback is easy with Deputy

Now that you know what to ask your employees, it’s time to send out surveys — which can come with its own set of challenges. In a shift-based business, you’re likely dealing with numerous employees in different locations with inconsistent schedules. Plus, you have to confirm they’ve completed the surveys.

Turn a complex task into an effortless one with Deputy. Our platform’s HR features simplify mass communication and gathering feedback for you and your employees. We also make recording, organising, and analysing employees' answers easy. 

Schedule a demo today.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this publication is for general informational purposes only. Deputy makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, with respect to the software or the information contained in this publication. While, Deputy’s software is designed to simplify shift work by assisting with hiring, onboarding, scheduling, time and attendance tracking, payroll integration, and wage and hour compliance, it is not a substitute for payroll or legal advice, nor is it intended to relieve you of your obligation to comply with the legal requirements applicable to your business. It is ultimately your responsibility to ensure that your use of Deputy complies with all applicable laws and regulations. Please review our Product Specific Terms for more information about your compliance responsibilities.