How to build a more effective employee mental wellness survey (+ free template)

Mental Health Awareness Month is nearly here — do you know if your employees feel supported at work? A study by Harvard Business Review found that while 86% of employees think companies should prioritize their mental health, less than half of respondents felt their companies were doing so. 

The good news: every organization has the opportunity to turn a corner and better serve the mental wellness of their people.

A wellness survey is a critical step toward gaining the data and insights you need to refine your wellness program, launch new initiatives, or improve company culture. This comprehensive guide (with dozens of sample questions) will help you streamline the process and get the most impactful results.

A wellness survey can:

• Serve as a temperature gauge: Employees’ needs evolve over time, along with company culture and policies. Wellness surveys help you keep your finger on the pulse of how your organization is feeling.

• Foster open communication: Wellness surveys let employees know that you care about their needs while giving them a platform to voice their concerns — generating trust as well as key insights for decision-making.

• Facilitate an action plan: Post-survey, focus on one or two main areas of growth to ensure you can make an impact, and include a summary of the survey results to employees for transparency.