Employee benefits survey

Why survey employees about benefits

Benefits are a large investment, and what employees value can differ from what employers assume. Hourly and frontline employees may care more about predictable schedules, paid time off or earlier access to pay than about perks designed for office staff. A survey helps you avoid paying for benefits few people use and shows employees that their needs count. Our employee benefits guide and total compensation guide explain the wider picture.

When to run it

• Two to three months before benefits renewal or open enrollment.
• Before setting the next year’s budget.
• After a major change, such as new locations or rapid growth.
• When turnover or exit interviews point to benefits as a reason for leaving.

Questions about current benefits

1. Which of these benefits have you used in the last 12 months? (list current benefits)
2. How satisfied are you with each benefit you use? (1 to 5)
3. How well do you understand the benefits available to you? (1 to 5)
4. Which benefit is most valuable to you today?
5. Is there a benefit you do not use because it is hard to understand or access?
6. How do you prefer to receive information about benefits: app, paper, meetings or one-on-one?

Questions about priorities

Ranking forces real choices. Example format:

1. Rank these from most to least important to you: health coverage, paid time off, retirement savings, schedule flexibility, training and development, commuter or transportation help, meal benefits, wellness programs.
2. If you had 100 points to spend on benefits, how would you divide them across these options?
3. Which one new benefit would make the biggest difference to you?
4. Which benefit could we change or drop without much impact on you?

Only list options you could realistically offer, so you do not raise expectations you cannot meet.

Questions for hourly and shift employees

1. How important is advance notice of your schedule to you?
2. Would you value the ability to swap shifts easily?
3. How important is paid time off compared with higher hourly pay?
4. Would access to support such as an employee assistance program be helpful?
5. Would you use training or certification support if offered?
6. Are there barriers to using current benefits, such as eligibility rules or enrollment timing?

Open questions

1. Is there anything about our benefits that frustrates you?
2. What benefit from a previous employer did you value most?
3. Any other comments about benefits or pay?

Tips for a good benefits survey

• Keep it under 10 minutes and make it easy to complete on a phone.
• Keep responses anonymous and report results only for groups large enough to protect identities.
• Offer it in the languages your team speaks.
• Allow completion during paid time.
• Ask a few optional demographic questions only if they will help you design benefits, such as full-time or part-time status, and avoid questions about health conditions.
• Explain how the results will be used.

Sample survey structure

This structure fits in about eight minutes. Pilot it with a handful of employees from different shifts to check that the questions are clear.

Getting a good response rate

• Explain why you are asking and what you will do with the results.
• Have managers mention the survey in pre-shift huddles.
• Keep it open for one to two weeks so every shift and schedule has a chance.
• Send one or two reminders, not daily messages.
• Share the response rate as it grows to encourage participation.
• Thank everyone who took part when you share the results.

Turning results into decisions

1. Summarize which benefits are used and valued, and which are not.
2. Compare priorities by group, such as full-time and part-time or by location.
3. Estimate the cost of the top requested changes.
4. Check eligibility rules and legal requirements with your benefits broker or advisor before making changes.
5. Decide on one to three changes and announce them with the reasons.
6. Improve communication for benefits that are valued but poorly understood.

Communicating benefits better

Surveys often show that employees do not know about benefits they already have. Simple steps help: a one-page benefits summary in plain language, short explanations during onboarding, reminders before enrollment deadlines and a named contact for questions. Share examples of how a benefit works in practice, such as how to book an EAP session or how PTO accrues each pay period. Better communication can raise the value employees see in your benefits without changing the budget.

Running surveys with EZTime

EZTime lets you send short surveys to all employees through the mobile app, including frontline staff without company email. Results can be shared back through announcements, so employees see what changed. See also our employee surveys use case.

Questions to leave out

A benefits survey can drift into territory that creates legal risk. Avoid these, even in an anonymous survey:

Ask about benefits instead: “How important is mental health coverage to you?” gives you what you need without asking anyone to disclose a condition.

Frequently asked questions

Where to go next