Recognition questions that show whose good work goes unseen
Ask employees how recognition works, from the last thank you to the rewards they would actually want. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What employee recognition survey questions tell you
Employee recognition survey questions ask whether people feel valued: when they were last thanked, who recognizes them, whether credit goes to the right people and what kind of reward would mean something. Recognition costs little, and the answers show whether it reaches everyone or only the most visible people.
Ask once or twice a year, or add three of these questions to your main employee survey. Pick six to eight before you design or change a recognition program, and share the link with anonymous responses on, which store no user ID, traits or visitor ID for website, link or QR code surveys.
Each written answer is read as it arrives and filed under a category and a theme from your own list, with a sentiment and an urgency. The answers about unnoticed work point to the roles to watch, such as support work and quiet fixes behind the scenes.
- Questions
- 15
- Best asked
- Once or twice a year, before a program change
- Industry
- HR and employees
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 15 recognition and rewards questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
How valued people feel
Start with the overall feeling and how much recognition there is, then whether the people who decide pay see the best work.
- 15Emoji
How does recognition here feel to you?
How recognition feels, on a row of faces. Ask it first, so the overall feeling sits next to the specific answers that follow.
- 01Big scale
How valued do you feel for the work you do?
How valued people feel for their work, from 1 to 10. Results shows the average and a column per step; select the low scores to see when those people were last thanked.
- 11Multiple choice
How much recognition is given here?
The amount of recognition on a five-step scale from far too much to far too little. Results shows the share of each; most answers on the too little side call for a simple habit, such as thanks in team meetings.
- 14Slider
How much of your best work is seen by the people who decide pay?
How much of a person's best work is seen by the people who decide pay, from 0 to 100. Results shows the median and the middle half; a low median points to a visibility gap in reviews.
How often and from whom
These questions show when people were last thanked, by whom and whether credit lands with the right people, which tells you where recognition is missing.
- 02Multiple choice
When were you last thanked for your work?
When the person was last thanked, from this week to can't remember. Results shows the share of each; a large share at the older end is a clear prompt for managers.
- 13Date
When did you last get recognition for your work?
The last date the person got recognition, on a calendar. Results shows a calendar of picked dates; it asks the same thing as the multiple choice question on the last thank you, so use one of the two.
- 04Matrix
How often do you get recognition from each?
How often recognition comes from the manager, teammates, other teams and leadership. The heat map shows where it is missing, with a row average for each source.
- 10Dropdown
How is good work usually noticed on your team?
How good work is usually noticed on the team. Results shows the share of each; the teams where it usually isn't noticed are the place to start.
- 03Yes / No
Does recognition here go to the people who earned it?
A yes or no on whether recognition reaches the people who earned it. A low share of yes points to credit going to the most visible people, so read the unnoticed work answers next.
Rewards people want
Ask how people like to be recognized and which rewards they want, in a list, a ranking, a points split and two trade-offs, before you set a budget.
- 06Multiple choice
How would you like to be recognized?
Lets employees tick every way they like to be recognized. Results shows a bar per option; keep the answer for people who would rather not be singled out, since public praise suits some people and not others.
- 07Ranking
Rank the rewards you would actually want
Employees rank five rewards they would want. Results shows the average place per item, a clear order before you set a rewards budget.
- 12Points allocation
Split 100 points across what a reward should be
Employees split 100 points across money, time off, learning, a gift and public thanks. Results shows the average points per item, showing how strongly people prefer each.
- 09This or that
Which recognition means more to you?
Two choices side by side: a public thank you or a private note, a small reward now or a bigger one later. Results shows a split bar per pair.
Work that goes unnoticed
End with the open questions on unnoticed work and what makes thanks feel real, which give managers concrete examples.
- 05Text
What kind of work here goes unnoticed?
An open question on work that goes unnoticed. Answers name roles and tasks, such as support, fixes or mentoring, which tells managers what to look for.
- 08Text
What would make a thank you feel real to you?
Asks what makes a thank you feel real. Answers can point to being specific and timely; share the best ones with managers as examples to follow.
Tips for asking about recognition and rewards
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask how people want thanks
Some people want praise in front of the team and some would rather not be singled out. Set your program by what they choose.
- 02
Look beyond the visible work
Use the unnoticed work answers to brief managers on the roles that rarely get credit.
- 03
Pick one of the timing questions
Ask when people were last thanked with either the multiple choice or the date question. Both ask the same thing, so one is enough.
- 04
Reward what people chose
Use the ranking and the points split to set rewards, and tell people the choice came from their answers.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about recognition and rewards
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
Once or twice a year, with the valued score and the last thank you question repeated in a quarterly pulse.
Six to eight. Start with how valued people feel, when they were last thanked, the recognition grid and the work that goes unnoticed.
Yes, by link or on the website. With anonymous responses on, Usertick stores no user ID, traits or visitor ID for website, link or QR code surveys. Surveys sent through Usertick email are not anonymous.
Yes. Ask the rewards, ranking and points questions first, so the program offers what people said they want.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
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