20 Questions to Ask in a Remote Work or WFH Survey (+Examples)

As much of the business world moved to a remote work model in 2020, leaders scrambled to ensure their teams had everything they needed to be successful. Now, with some companies pledging to never return to the office, the focus is on optimizing the work from home experience.

How are your team members holding up in this new age of distributed workforces? Are they as productive, and as satisfied? To find out, you’ll need to know what questions to ask in a remote work or WFH survey.

Why you should survey remote workers

While one HubSpot study found that remote workers are happier and feel more valued, it also found that they had weaker relationships with their coworkers. This study was also pre-pandemic; workers who were suddenly forced into remote work may not be thrilled with the change.

A 2020 Glassdoor survey found that 72% of remote workers want to return to the office. Their reasons? Socializing with coworkers and in-person collaboration.

This is all the more reason to check in with your remote work team members. They may be fine, or they may feel isolated and need additional support. The right WFH survey questions will help determine the best way to offer that support.

Work from home experience survey questions

The State of Remote Work report by Buffer found that WFH employees struggle most with unplugging after work, loneliness, collaborating, and communication. These factors may be at play for many members of your remote team. It’s important to determine your team’s biggest struggles so you can offer support.

A work from home experience survey can help parse these items out. This type of survey focuses on each remote workers’ unique WFH experience. It will provide insight into what benefits and challenges your team is finding while working from home.

These survey questions will focus on team members’ WFH tools, job satisfaction while working from home, and more. We’ve included some examples in the template below.

Questions to ask remote employees

Outside of the work from home experience, there are other questions you should ask remote employees to nurture a helpful, caring work relationship. These may feel a little more personal, but remote team members are completing work in their personal spaces. As a result, personal experiences and work-life balance with WFH models shouldn’t be ignored.

In compiling questions to ask remote employees, think about what personal factors may be at play and affecting productivity. This can include distractions in the home, scheduling, and more. We’ll include some examples in the template below.

Employee engagement questions managers should ask outside of a survey

Not every question is best presented in survey form. Surveys can feel impersonal and detached. And while anonymous surveys can invite more honest answers, some questions are better suited for a conversational approach.

Here are some questions that are better for 1:1 meetings, team meetings, or if you're lucky enough to have face time with your remote team members:

• How do you feel about working from home?
• What can I personally do to improve your remote work experience?
• Is there anyone on the team who has been especially helpful in your WFH transition?
• Do you feel connected enough to your teammates? Why or why not?
• Do you feel you’ve been able to learn and grow in the last few months? If so, how? If not, why not?
• Is there anything new you think I should be aware of at this time?

Work from home survey template

Looking for a WFH survey template that touches on the work from home experience as well as other questions? Feel free to take this one and adjust as needed:

Work from home experience survey questions:

• Are the WFH policies clear?
• Are your work objectives clear each day? Each week?
• Do you feel there is adequate communication from your teammates and team leaders?
• How satisfied are you with the frequency of communication from leadership?
• How satisfied are you with the quality of communication from leadership?
• What communication channels work best for you?
• Is it easy to reach your teammates and team leaders when you need them?
• Do you feel supported and trusted by your team leader? By the organization?
• Do you have all the equipment and remote tools you need to complete your work to your usual ability? If not, what do you need?
• What can leadership do to support your work while you work from home?

Other questions to ask remote employees in a survey:

• Do you feel you have a good work-life balance?
• Do you have a separate and suitable space in your home for work?
• Is it easy to “turn off work mode” at the end of the day?
• Have you been able to stick to a work routine or schedule?
• Do you take regular breaks?
• Do you feel as productive at home as you are at the office?
• Is anything holding you back from completing your work?
• Do you look forward to returning to the office? Why or why not?
• What do you need to feel safe returning to the office?
• What is your biggest WFH struggle?

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