eNPS: How to Use Surveys to Find Out What Employees Really Think

What Is eNPS

Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) is an adapted version of the classic NPS that measures employee loyalty and engagement instead of customer loyalty. It's built on a single core question:

"On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our company as a place to work?"

Based on the answers, you divide respondents into three groups:

Promoters (9–10): Engaged employees who actively recommend the company. Your ambassadors.

Passives (7–8): Satisfied, but without enthusiasm. A risky group that competitors can easily lure away.

Detractors (0–6): Dissatisfied. They often leave and spread negative experiences.

You calculate the eNPS score with a simple formula:

eNPS = % of Promoters − % of Detractors

The final number ranges from −100 to +100. Anything above 0 means more people recommend you than badmouth you. A score above 30 is already a very good result, and above 50 puts you among the top.

But the real value isn't in the number itself. It's in why people vote the way they do. And to find that out, you need more than just one question.

1. Rating Scale Questions (15 questions)

These questions form the backbone of the survey. Respondents pick a value from 0 to 10 (or 1 to 5 on a Likert scale) and you get quantifiable data you can compare over time.

• On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend our company as a place to work?

• How likely are you to recommend our company to family members or close friends?

• Based on your most recent annual review, how likely are you to speak about us positively?

• On a scale of 0–10, to what extent do you agree with our company values?

• On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to speak positively about our benefits program?

• How likely are you to speak positively about company leadership?

• Based on your overall satisfaction, how likely are you to talk about our company in a positive way?

• On a scale of 0–10, how would you rate the workplace culture?

• How likely are you to recommend our products/services to people around you?

• How likely are you to recommend the company as the "best place to work"?

• How much would you want your friends to work here too?

• How likely are you to recommend the company for a "Best Employer of the Year" award?

• How would you rate the way the company recognizes and rewards employee performance?

• How would you rate communication from leadership to employees?

• How would you rate your overall work experience over the past six months?

Tip: Don't use more than 3–5 rating questions in a single survey. After the fifth scale click, the respondent loses focus and fills in the rest formally.

2. Open-Ended Questions (15 questions)

This is where it's decided whether you'll get real decisions out of the survey or just a pile of numbers. Open-ended questions reveal why – why an employee is a promoter, why a detractor, what specifically they would change.

• What's the main reason for your rating in the previous question?

• How would you describe your overall experience working with us?

• What do you like most about the company?

• What, on the other hand, don't you like or what bothers you?

• What's the biggest reason you recommend the company?

• What's the biggest reason you don't recommend the company?

• What do you feel is missing in our company?

• What's the main reason for any disengagement in your team?

• What could we do to work with you better?

• What does our company do best?

• What could we improve so that more employees recommend us?

• What resources, tools, or training do you feel are missing for you to work better?

• What motivates you most in your work here?

• What would you change about your everyday work life if you could?

• Is there anything we should know that we haven't asked about?

Tip: Open-ended responses are the most valuable part of the survey – and also the most overlooked, because nobody has time to read hundreds of comments. AI analysis of open-ended responses in SentiSnap goes through text comments on its own and pulls out themes, sentiment, and recurring patterns. From two hundred comments, you'll see in moments the five main things bothering people and the ten things employees praise the company for.

3. Closed-Ended Questions (20 questions)

To keep the survey from feeling monotonous, it pays off to mix rating and open-ended questions with closed-ended ones – yes/no, multiple choice, or Likert scale. The respondent answers faster, the survey feels shorter, and you get specific, structured data.

• Are you overall satisfied with your work here?

• Does our company meet your original expectations?

• I'm proud to work here.

• Most days I'm excited to come to work.

• I'm willing to go the extra mile for the company.

• I see myself working here five years from now.

• I would recommend the company as a great place to work.

• I'm satisfied with my growth and career advancement opportunities.

• Goals, KPIs, and feedback are communicated to me clearly and professionally.

• My team and manager support me in doing my best work.

• I feel valued as an integral part of this organization.

• The company's mission inspires and motivates me.

• My achievements are properly recognized in the company.

• Which word best describes the atmosphere at our company?

• What could we improve to enhance your work experience?

• Did we meet your expectations?

• What do you think of the company's mission?

• Our company has the best company culture in the industry.

• I consider my work meaningful.

• I feel the company culture is positive and a good place for personal growth.

9 Tips to Get Better Results From Your eNPS Survey

The questions are only half the equation. The other half lies in how you set up the survey, when you send it out, and what you do with the responses.

1. Always Ask "Why"

The rating scale tells you who is a promoter or detractor. The open-ended question "What's the main reason for your rating?" tells you why. Without it, you have only half the picture.

2. Send the Survey Through Multiple Channels

Don't settle for a single email. Send the survey during annual reviews, into the company chat, to personal email, or even as a QR code on the office bulletin board. Each employee prefers a different channel.

3. Timing Matters

eNPS once a year is like a doctor's check-up you keep missing. The ideal frequency is quarterly – often enough to catch changes, but not so often that it bothers employees.

4. Give Employees a Reason to Respond

Filling out a survey isn't part of the job description. Give employees a clear reason – for example, that the results will be part of the annual review or that the company will actually change something based on the answers.

5. Personalize the Intro

"Hi Peter" works far better than "Dear employee". And a survey sent from a real email address of someone in leadership gets more responses than a message from [email protected].

6. A/B Test Your Questions

If you have multiple teams or offices, try different wordings of questions and compare what people respond to better. You don't have to do this on the first round, but by the second or third eNPS cycle you'll already see what works.

7. Write Questions Simply and Directly

Never ask leading questions. "Do you agree that our company has a great culture?" isn't a question, it's a confirmation. "How would you rate the company culture?" is a question you can make decisions from.

8. Send Reminders

Most employees don't open the survey right away. One or two reminders at reasonable intervals (after 3 and 7 days) can boost completion rates by tens of percent.

9. Respect Anonymity and Communicate It

No employee will tell you the truth if they feel it could be turned against them. Ensure anonymity in practice and communicate it clearly already in the introduction of the survey.

How to Run an eNPS Survey in SentiSnap

In SentiSnap, you can build an eNPS survey within minutes. The process is simple:

Start with the eNPS question: "How likely are you to recommend our company as a place to work?"

Add 3–5 rating questions from the first category

Include 1–2 open-ended questions from the second category

Add 3–5 closed-ended questions from the third category

Send the survey via email or a link you drop into the company chat

Run the open-ended responses through AI analysis – themes and sentiment are processed automatically

After a quarter, repeat the process and compare trends.

You should keep the entire survey under 5 minutes to fill out. Significantly fewer people complete longer surveys, and the quality of responses drops with every extra minute.

Measure Your Employees' Experience With SentiSnap

eNPS helps companies better understand how employees actually feel, what influences their satisfaction, and why some people lose motivation or consider leaving. Through regular measurement, leadership can identify problems in communication, company culture, team management, or working conditions early – and respond before they show up as higher turnover or a drop in performance. For employees, eNPS matters above all because it gives them space to express their opinion and feedback. Collect employee feedback with SentiSnap and build a more pleasant working environment.