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Manager effectiveness survey: 15 upward feedback questions

Fifteen upward feedback questions a team answers about its manager, in about four minutes. Try it below.

  • 15questions
  • About 4 minto answer
  • Never to Alwaysfrequency scale
  • Direct reportsanswer it
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Manager feedback: the last three months · answer to move through it
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Question 1 of 15 Overall
My manager makes it easier to do my job well.
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Question 2 of 15 Direction
My manager explains the reason behind decisions that affect my work.
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Question 3 of 15 Direction
My manager shows me how my work connects to what the team is trying to achieve.
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Question 4 of 15 Feedback
My manager tells me what to do differently while there is still time to change it.
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Question 5 of 15 Feedback
When my work is good, my manager says what specifically made it good.
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Question 6 of 15 Feedback
My manager gives me work that stretches what I can already do.
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Question 7 of 15 Autonomy
My manager leaves it to me to decide how my own work gets done.
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Question 8 of 15 Autonomy
When I raise an obstacle, my manager gets it moved.
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Question 9 of 15 Voice
My manager asks what I think before deciding something that affects me.
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Question 10 of 15 Voice
I can disagree with my manager without it being held against me.
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Question 11 of 15 Reachability
My manager is reachable when I need a decision from them.
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Question 12 of 15 Reachability
My manager respects my hours outside work.
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Question 13 of 15 Your words
What is the one thing you would ask this manager to do differently?
Question 14 of 15 Your words
What should this manager carry on doing exactly as they do now?
Question 15 of 15 This survey
How confident are you that something will change because of this survey?
1
2
3
4
5
Not at all confidentVery confident

The 15 manager effectiveness survey questions

A manager effectiveness survey asks one manager's direct reports how often that manager does the things a team can see: explaining decisions, giving feedback, clearing obstacles and listening. It is upward feedback: the manager does not answer it. All 15 questions open ready to edit in the survey creator.

Plain text, one question per line, with the answer scale.

Overall (1 question)

The headline: does this manager make the job easier?

  1. My manager makes it easier to do my job well.Never to AlwaysReport this one by itself, next to the five groups.

Direction (2 questions)

Whether the team knows why things happen and what the work is for.

  1. My manager explains the reason behind decisions that affect my work.Never to Always
  2. My manager shows me how my work connects to what the team is trying to achieve.Never to Always

Feedback (3 questions)

Three feedback habits a manager can change inside a month.

  1. My manager tells me what to do differently while there is still time to change it.Never to AlwaysA low score means feedback is waiting for the review.
  2. When my work is good, my manager says what specifically made it good.Never to Always
  3. My manager gives me work that stretches what I can already do.Never to Always

Autonomy (2 questions)

One question on room to work, one on getting help.

  1. My manager leaves it to me to decide how my own work gets done.Never to AlwaysRead it beside the obstacles question below.
  2. When I raise an obstacle, my manager gets it moved.Never to Always

Voice (2 questions)

Whether people are asked, and whether they can push back.

  1. My manager asks what I think before deciding something that affects me.Never to Always
  2. I can disagree with my manager without it being held against me.Never to AlwaysRaise this one first: it lifts every other answer.

Reachability (2 questions)

Getting a decision when it is needed, and time off that stays off.

  1. My manager is reachable when I need a decision from them.Never to Always
  2. My manager respects my hours outside work.Never to Always

In your own words (2 questions)

Two optional open questions: one to change, one to keep.

  1. What is the one thing you would ask this manager to do differently?Open text, optionalOne request gets an answer the manager can act on.
  2. What should this manager carry on doing exactly as they do now?Open text, optional

This survey (1 question)

A closing rating of the survey itself.

  1. How confident are you that something will change because of this survey?1 to 5, Not at all confident to Very confidentShare one change with the team before the next round.

How to use this manager feedback survey

Send one link to the direct reports of one manager, twice a year. It should come from someone the team does not report to, such as the manager's own boss or an HR contact. The thirteen ratings are required and the two open questions are optional. It asks for no names, so wait for five answers before sharing results.

Read each question as the share answering Often or Always. Take the lowest question to the manager, agree one changed habit, and ask again in six months.

When the same low answer shows up under every manager, run an employee engagement survey. Between rounds, an employee pulse survey keeps a short regular read on the team.

A manager can score well here and still be the bottleneck other teams wait on. An organizational network analysis survey shows whose sign-off people wait for.

Manager effectiveness survey questions grouped into five behavior groups, each feeding one overall column showing how often the manager does it
Five groups of habits, one overall question.

Manager effectiveness survey FAQ

What questions should a manager effectiveness survey ask?

Questions about habits a direct report sees firsthand: explaining decisions, giving timely feedback, clearing obstacles, listening and being reachable. Seven of the questions here adapt manager items from the UK Civil Service People Survey.[1]

Is this an upward feedback survey?

Yes. Upward feedback means direct reports rate their own manager, and they are the only group this survey asks. To hear from peers and senior leaders as well, use the 360 degree feedback survey.

Should a manager feedback survey be anonymous?

Yes. This one asks for no name, email or tenure. On a small team, wait for at least five answers before sharing results, and summarize written comments as themes.

What is a good manager effectiveness score?

Compare each manager with their own previous round first. For an outside reference, the Supervisors index scored 81 percent positive in the 2024 US federal employee survey,[3] and the manager theme scored 78 percent in the 2024 UK Civil Service People Survey.[2]

Related employee survey templates

Six more from the employee survey templates library.

EmployeeEmployee Engagement SurveyWhen the same complaint turns up under every manager, not one.20 questions, 6 min EmployeeEmployee Pulse SurveyThe short recurring read on conditions rather than on one person.9 questions, 3 to 4 min Employee360 Degree Feedback SurveyWhen peers and senior leaders rate the manager too, not only the team.36 questions, about 12 min EmployeeOrganizational Network Analysis SurveyWhen you need to see whose sign-off other teams wait for.14 questions, 8 min EmployeeTeam SurveyWhen the subject is how the team works together, not the person leading it.14 questions, 3 min EmployeeEmployee Satisfaction SurveyWhen the fix is pay, hours or tools rather than a person.16 questions, 3 min

Michael Hodge, survey methodology · Updated 2 October 2026 · How templates are reviewed

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Sources (3)
  1. Cabinet Office. Civil Service People Survey 2015: Civil Service benchmark scores. 2015. gov.uk (PDF)
  2. Cabinet Office. Civil Service People Survey 2024: results highlights. GOV.UK, 2025. gov.uk
  3. US Office of Personnel Management. 2024 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey: Governmentwide Management Report. 2025. opm.gov (PDF)

Give one manager a clear read from their team

Fifteen questions in about four minutes. Add the manager's name and send.

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