Gallup Q12 Questions: Engagement Survey

Rate your team on all twelve Gallup Q12 engagement elements, in TeamRetro's own wording, and see where the gaps are. TeamRetro is not affiliated with Gallup.

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Twelve questions that predict whether people stay.

Gallup's Q12 grew out of interviews with over a million employees: twelve drivers that consistently predict engagement, retention and performance, arranged as a four-level hierarchy from basic needs up to growth. These twelve drivers map into a team engagement pulse you can run and discuss together. (Wording here is TeamRetro's own, mapped to the framework; the official Q12 is Gallup's.)

Dimensions

Basic needs (What do I get?)

The foundational conditions people need before anything else: clarity on expectations and the resources to deliver.

  • Expectations

    I'm clear on what's expected of me in my role.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Resources

    I have the tools and resources I need to do my job well.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

Support (What do I give?)

Whether people feel their contribution is valued, through strengths, recognition, care and development.

  • Strengths

    My role lets me use my strengths every day.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Recognition

    Good work here gets noticed and acknowledged.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Caring

    My manager and teammates care about me as a person.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Development

    Someone here actively supports my growth.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

Belonging (Do I belong?)

Whether people feel heard, connected to a shared purpose, and part of a team that cares about quality.

  • Voice

    My opinions are heard and taken into account.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Purpose

    Our team's purpose makes my work feel meaningful.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Quality commitment

    My teammates are committed to doing high-quality work.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Belonging

    I have strong, supportive relationships at work.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

Growth (How do we grow?)

Whether people see progress and real opportunities to learn and develop over time.

  • Progress

    I get regular, useful feedback on my progress.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Learning

    I have real opportunities to learn and grow here.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

When to use this health check

  • Run it as a quarterly engagement pulse to keep a steady read on how your team is doing.
  • Use it to unpack a company-wide engagement survey result together as a team.
  • Use it when retention or morale is a concern and you want to find the drivers behind it.
  • Use it when a new manager takes over a team, to set a baseline in the first few months.

Tips & tricks

  • The four levels build on each other, so fix basic needs before expecting the growth items to move.
  • Run it anonymously and look at the spread of answers as well as the averages.
  • Re-run it on a steady schedule so you can read the trend over time.
  • Pick one low-scoring element per round and agree on one action for it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Gallup Q12?
The Gallup Q12 is a set of twelve questions Gallup identified from decades of workplace research as the strongest predictors of employee engagement, retention and performance. They are arranged as a four-level hierarchy, from basic needs up to growth, that describes what people need to feel engaged at work.
Can we use the exact Gallup questions?
No. The verbatim Q12 items are Gallup's intellectual property and "Q12" is a registered trademark. This check uses TeamRetro's own wording mapped to the twelve concepts, which is safe to publish. If you need the official items, license the Q12 directly from Gallup.
What are the four levels of engagement?
Gallup's engagement hierarchy has four levels: Basic needs (What do I get?), Individual contribution (What do I give?), Teamwork (Do I belong?), and Growth (How can we grow?). Each level builds on the one below it, so it helps to address the foundational needs before expecting the higher-level drivers to improve.
What are the Gallup Q12 questions?
Gallup's Q12 is twelve statements, one for each element of engagement, grouped into four levels. Basic needs: (1) expectations, knowing what your role asks of you, and (2) resources to do it. Individual contribution: (3) strengths, using your best skills every day; (4) recognition for good work; (5) caring, someone at work who cares about you; (6) development, someone backing your growth. Teamwork: (7) voice, your opinions counting; (8) purpose, a mission that makes your work feel important; (9) colleagues committed to quality; (10) close friendship at work. Growth: (11) regular progress conversations and (12) chances to learn. The exact wording is Gallup's copyrighted material, so it isn't reproduced here. Gallup publishes and licenses the official Q12 at gallup.com. This check asks about the same twelve elements in TeamRetro's own wording.
How often should we run an employee satisfaction survey?
Once a year is a common baseline for a company-wide survey. A team-level pulse like this one works better every quarter, or monthly during a big change. Run it only as often as you can act on the results.
How do you score a Q12 engagement survey?
Everyone rates each of the twelve elements privately, and the results show an average per element plus the spread of answers. A split team needs a different conversation from one that scores an element uniformly low. Work up the four levels, since basic needs have to be met before the growth elements move.

Engagement drivers mapped to the Gallup Q12® framework (Gallup; First, Break All the Rules, 1999). Item wording is TeamRetro's own; the official Q12 is © Gallup, Inc.

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