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56 culture survey questions to see how your company really works

Eight dimensions, every question with its answer scale and a Copy button.

KraftyLab TeamUpdated 10 min read
Five coworkers sit in a circle of armchairs in a sunlit office lounge while one woman speaks.

Culture survey questions test whether the company works the way it says it does: whether values show up in decisions, people feel safe to speak up, teams help each other and leaders do what they say. Below are 56 company culture survey questions across eight dimensions, each with its answer scale, plus a 15-question culture survey to copy. Not sure what to ask? Start with the table that matches each goal to a question type.

What survey questions to ask: match the question to your goal

Pick the goal first. The question type and the answer scale follow from it.

Which question type and answer scale to use for each survey goal
You want toAskAnswer with
Track a score over timeA statement about one behavior1 to 5, Strongly disagree to Strongly agree
Get one loyalty numberThe recommend question (eNPS)0 to 10
Learn how often something happensA “how often” questionNever, Rarely, Sometimes, Often, Always
Choose between optionsMultiple choice3 to 5 answers, pick one
Understand whyAn open questionA comment box, one or two per survey
Compare groupsA demographic questionBroad bands only, such as team or tenure
Check a simple factA yes or no questionYes or No
  • Start from a decision. Write down what you'd change if a score came back low. If nothing, cut the question.
  • One behavior per question. “Leaders are honest and visible” is two questions. Split it.
  • Keep the wording neutral. “How much do you love the new office?” pushes people to agree. “How well does the office work for you?” doesn't.
  • Use the same words every time. Change a question and you lose the comparison with last year.

A 15-question culture survey to copy

About five minutes to answer. Paste it into any survey tool and keep the wording for next year.

Company culture survey

1. Our stated values show up in everyday decisions here. 1 to 5: 1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree 2. The behavior that gets rewarded here matches what we say we value. 1 to 5: 1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree 3. On my team, it's safe to take a sensible risk that might not work. 1 to 5: 1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree 4. I can disagree with a senior person without worrying about my career. 1 to 5: 1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree 5. I can rely on other teams to deliver what they promise. 1 to 5: 1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree 6. It's clear who makes the final call on decisions that affect my work. 1 to 5: 1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree 7. I'm asked for input before decisions that change how I work. 1 to 5: 1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree 8. Teamwork is rewarded as much as individual achievement. 1 to 5: 1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree 9. Meetings are run so that quieter people get a chance to speak. 1 to 5: 1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree 10. How often do you hold back an idea because you think it won't be welcome? A. Never B. Rarely C. Sometimes D. Often E. Always 11. Senior leaders model the behavior they ask of everyone else. 1 to 5: 1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree 12. Leaders here admit when they got something wrong. 1 to 5: 1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree 13. When the company changes direction, I understand why. 1 to 5: 1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree 14. Which of our values do we live up to least? 15. Where does work most often get stuck between teams?

  • Twelve statements on one scale, so you can rank the dimensions from strongest to weakest.
  • The values pair up front shows the gap between the culture you describe and the one people live.
  • Two open questions last tell you where to dig.

56 culture survey questions by dimension

Statements use a 1 to 5 agreement scale. Pick two to four per dimension for a full survey.

Values in practice

Do the values on the wall show up in what people do and what gets rewarded?

Rate each statement from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree).

  1. Our stated values show up in everyday decisions here.

  2. How many of the company's values could you name without looking?

    • All of them
    • Most of them
    • One or two
    • None

  3. People who break our values face consequences, even when they hit their numbers.

  4. Our values help me decide what to do when there's no clear rule.

  5. In the past month, how often did you see a colleague act on one of our values?

    • Never
    • Rarely
    • Sometimes
    • Often
    • Always

  6. The behavior that gets rewarded here matches what we say we value.

  7. Which of our values do we live up to least?

    Open answer

Trust and psychological safety

Can people take a risk, admit a mistake or disagree upward?

Rate each statement from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree).

  1. On my team, it's safe to take a sensible risk that might not work.

  2. People here don't hold mistakes against each other.

  3. I can disagree with a senior person without worrying about my career.

  4. Bad news travels up quickly here.

  5. When someone raises a concern in a meeting, what usually happens?

    • It's discussed openly
    • It's noted and then dropped
    • It's brushed off
    • People rarely raise concerns

  6. People here share information rather than holding on to it for an advantage.

  7. I'd feel safe reporting unethical behavior.

Collaboration across teams

Does work move between teams, or get stuck at the edges?

Rate each statement from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree).

  1. I can rely on other teams to deliver what they promise.

  2. Teams here share credit for joint wins.

  3. It's easy to find out who owns a piece of work.

  4. When you need help from another team, how long does it usually take?

    • The same day
    • A few days
    • A week or more
    • I usually don't get it

  5. Departments here work toward shared goals rather than competing with each other.

  6. Knowledge is written down where others can find it.

  7. Where does work most often get stuck between teams?

    Open answer

Decision-making

Is it clear who decides, how, and how fast?

Rate each statement from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree).

  1. It's clear who makes the final call on decisions that affect my work.

  2. Decisions here are made close to the people who do the work.

  3. Once a decision is made, people commit to it even if they argued against it.

  4. How long does a typical decision that affects your team take?

    • Days
    • Weeks
    • Months
    • It often never gets made

  5. Decisions here are based on evidence more than on who argues loudest.

  6. I'm asked for input before decisions that change how I work.

  7. We revisit decisions when new information shows they were wrong.

Two coworkers sort blank pink, blue and yellow sticky notes into groups on a glass office wall.

Recognition and what gets rewarded

The behavior a company rewards is its real culture.

Rate each statement from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree).

  1. The people who get promoted here are role models for our values.

  2. Which of these gets rewarded most here?

    • Hitting targets
    • Helping others succeed
    • Working long hours
    • Trying new ideas
    • Being visible to leaders

  3. Teamwork is rewarded as much as individual achievement.

  4. Celebrating wins is part of how we work, not an afterthought.

  5. People are recognized for how they get results, not only for the results.

  6. Recognition is shared fairly across different roles.

  7. What kind of work goes unnoticed here?

    Open answer

Inclusion

Can different kinds of people do their best work and be heard?

Rate each statement from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree).

  1. People with different working styles can succeed here.

  2. Meetings are run so that quieter people get a chance to speak.

  3. Colleagues in every location get the same information at the same time.

  4. Assignments that help careers are shared fairly.

  5. I see people like me in leadership roles here.

  6. How often do you hold back an idea because you think it won't be welcome?

    • Never
    • Rarely
    • Sometimes
    • Often
    • Always

  7. Company policies take different life situations into account, such as caregiving.

Leadership behavior

Do leaders do what they ask everyone else to do?

Rate each statement from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree).

  1. Senior leaders model the behavior they ask of everyone else.

  2. Leaders here admit when they got something wrong.

  3. Senior leaders are approachable.

  4. Leaders are open about how the company is doing.

  5. How often do you get a chance to ask senior leaders a question directly?

    • Monthly or more
    • A few times a year
    • Once a year
    • Never

  6. Leaders treat people at every level with respect.

  7. What's one question you'd like senior leaders to answer at the next all-hands?

    Open answer

Change and adaptability

How well does the company handle new directions and new ways of working?

Rate each statement from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree).

  1. When the company changes direction, I understand why.

  2. Changes here are planned well enough that work doesn't fall apart.

  3. People affected by a change get a say before it's final.

  4. We're quick to adopt better ways of working.

  5. How would you describe the amount of change here over the past year?

    • Too much
    • About right
    • Too little

  6. After a big change, someone checks whether it worked.

  7. Think of a recent change that went well. What made it work?

    Open answer

Want words for the culture you have before you measure it? Try our list of words to describe company culture, or take the quiz in our guide to organizational culture.

Culture survey vs employee engagement survey

They overlap, but they answer different questions. For the second kind, use our employee engagement survey questions.

How a culture survey differs from an employee engagement survey
Culture surveyEngagement survey
Asks aboutHow the company worksHow people feel about their own work
Sample statement“Decisions here are based on evidence.”“My work makes good use of my skills.”
Who acts on itSenior leaders and HRManagers and their teams
How oftenOnce or twice a yearYearly, plus quarterly pulses

How to run a culture survey and read the results

  • Ask about behavior, not belief. “In the past month, how often did you see...” gets more honest answers than “Do you believe in our values?”
  • Find the gap between stated and lived values. The value statements with the lowest scores show where daily life differs from the culture on the wall.
  • Read the spread, not just the average. An average of 3 can mean everyone is lukewarm or a team split in two. Check how many people chose 1 or 2.
  • Compare teams only where groups are big enough. Fold small groups into a larger one so no one can be picked out from their answers.
  • Follow up in small groups. Take the two lowest items to short listening sessions and ask what's behind them before you plan any fix.
  • Run the same core again. Once or twice a year, same wording, so you can see whether culture work is moving anything.

Send it, read it and act on it with KraftyLab

KraftyLab Intelligence sends surveys for you, by email, to anyone. Start from 20 ready-made templates, from eNPS to burnout. People answer in the browser with no account, and AI summarizes the answers. Book a KraftyLab event and a short pulse survey also goes out automatically afterward to every participant with an email.

KraftyLab Culture pairs enterprise people analytics with a marketplace of workshops, team experiences and training, so when a score points to a problem you can book the fix in the same place.

When culture scores point to a fix:

  • Low trust scores: Psychological Safety in the Workplace is a 60-minute session on building a team where people feel safe to share ideas, give feedback and take risks.
  • Low inclusion scores: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Foundations is a 60-minute seminar on DEI basics, with interactive exercises and practical ways to build a more inclusive workplace. More in our DEI workshops.
  • Teams strained by change: Fostering Emotional Intelligence is a 60-minute talk by psychiatrist Dr. Ellen Vora on managing emotions and responding to stress.
  • All run live on Zoom by default (Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request). Book about 2 weeks ahead. Hybrid teams can join from a conference room alongside remote colleagues.

Two live sessions, with today’s price.

Send your date and headcount and get a free quote. We reply within 24 hours.

Culture survey FAQ

What is a culture survey?

A culture survey asks employees how the company really works: whether values show up in decisions, people feel safe to speak up, teams collaborate and leaders act on what they say. It measures the culture people live, which is often different from the one written down.

What survey questions should I ask?

Start from the decision the answers will inform, then pick the question type that fits: agreement statements to track a score, how-often questions for habits, multiple choice for options and one or two open questions to learn why. For more answer formats, see our multiple choice survey questions.

How many questions should a culture survey have?

Fifteen to thirty is enough for most companies, about five to ten minutes. Cover each dimension with two to four questions and end with one or two open questions.

Should a culture survey be anonymous?

Questions about trust, safety and leaders get honest answers only when people feel protected. Say clearly whether answers are anonymous or confidential, ask few demographic questions and only report groups big enough that no one can be identified.

How often should you run a culture survey?

Once or twice a year. Culture changes slowly, so surveying more often mostly measures noise. Use short pulses in between for specific changes.

What is the difference between a culture survey and an engagement survey?

A culture survey asks how the company works. An engagement survey asks how people feel about their own work, manager and future. Many companies run both, or combine a few questions from each. Our employee engagement survey questions cover the second.

What should you do with culture survey results?

Share the main findings within a few weeks, pick one or two gaps to work on, and name an owner for each. A culture committee can carry the work between surveys; these culture committee ideas are a good start.

Want the survey sent for you?

KraftyLab Intelligence sends any survey by email, from 20 ready-made templates, with AI summaries of the answers. Or tell us your team size and get an event plan within 24 hours.

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