27 DEI Survey Questions To Include in Your 2024 Survey
Conducting an effective diversity, equity, inclusion (and belonging) survey starts with creating the right DEI survey questions.
In this article, we’ll explore why it’s important to conduct a DEI survey and share 27 DEI survey questions for employees that HR practitioners can use as inspiration for their next survey.
Contents
What is diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)?
Why conduct a DEI survey?
27 questions to ask in your next DEI(B) survey
– Diversity survey questions
– Equity survey questions
– Inclusion survey questions
– Belonging survey questions
What is diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)?
DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. It involves every policy or practice that aims to treat people of various backgrounds fairly, ensure that all voices are heard and celebrated equally, and support them to perform to the fullest of their abilities.
What is DEIB?
Nowadays, we mainly talk about DEIB instead of DEI. The ‘B’ stands for ‘Belonging’. Put simply, belonging is about employees feeling included and accepted for who they are and being able to relate to their workplace culture.
Why conduct a DEI survey?
The number one reason organizations conduct a DEI survey is to hear directly from their employees what they think of the current state of DEIB in the company. After all, they are the ones the company is creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace for.
Other often-mentioned reasons include:
- Identifying areas for improvement
- Adding data to a complex topic
- Gathering data on the experiences and perceptions of different groups in the workforce
- Making it easier to take targeted action.
- Add skip questions
- Make the survey anonymous
- Send it out a couple of times a year
- Ensure that the questions are bias- and prejudice-free.
27 questions to ask in your next DEI(B) survey
In this section, we’ll take a look at 27 example questions HR practitioners can use in their next DEI(B) survey. We’ve divided the questions into four different categories:
- Diversity survey questions
- Equity survey questions
- Inclusion survey questions
- Belonging survey questions
In your DEIB survey, it is advised to have a mix of:
- Open-ended questions
- Yes/no questions
- Rating scale questions.
Diversity survey questions
1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate our organization’s representation of diverse backgrounds and identities?
The answers people give will immediately give you an idea of how diverse the company is according to those working there.
Key learning
Lorraine Vargas explained in an episode of All About HR that, ‘On paper, an organization can be very diverse, but this doesn’t mean much if, in reality, employees perceive the company as not diverse at all.’
2. How well does our organization promote diversity during the recruitment and hiring process? Can you give an example that stuck with you?
A diverse workplace matters to candidates and employees. More than 76% of employees and job seekers say that a diverse workplace is important to them when choosing a job. 32% of job seekers say they wouldn’t even apply to a company with a lack of diversity
Key learning
Answers from recently hired – and onboarded – employees will be particularly insightful here on whether the company was effective with diversity during the recruitment and hiring process.
3. Have you ever witnessed or experienced (unconscious) bias or discrimination based on diversity within our company?
The question ‘Do you ever feel unconscious biases in our workplace culture?’ may be a bit too broad. However, by framing it in this way, you will be able to understand people’s personal experiences and whether they, as individuals, have experienced unconscious bias or discrimination.
Key learning
Look for trends or patterns here. For instance, whether specific demographics within the workforce reply ‘Yes’ more frequently than others. Based on the results, HR teams might know where there is room for improvement or areas of concern.
4. Do you feel recognized for the work you do, regardless of your age, sexual orientation, race, age, nationality or disability status?
Why ask this question?
Employee recognition positively affects employee morale, engagement, and productivity, among other things. According to one study, 97% of employees say recognition motivates them to do their best work.
Key learning
Answers to this question will provide HR with insights on whether certain demographics within the workforce feel like they are being recognized (or not) for their work.
5. Describe a time you felt that diversity was genuinely celebrated at our company.
The main reason for this question is to hear directly from the source – your employees – whether or not they feel that diversity is prioritized within the organization.
Key learning
If employees can describe moments that celebrate diversity at the company, then this validates the success of DEI initiatives. Additionally, employees may also describe things they do within their own teams, which can further inspire HR.
6. When it comes to decision-making, do you feel that diverse perspectives are encouraged and valued?
In a genuinely diverse (and inclusive) work environment, managers actively seek diverse perspectives during the decision-making process. They ensure that all voices in the room are equally heard.
Key learning
This question will provide insights into whether demographics within the workforce feel that their opinions are heard. It will also provide information on how well managers are doing to ensure that diverse perspectives are valued and encouraged.
7. On a scale of 1 to 10, how diverse would you say our organization’s leadership team is?
Diversity goes beyond hiring frontline workers from different backgrounds. A diverse team of leaders helps build trust within the organization and creates sustainable diversity.
Key learning
A low rating on this question suggests that the organization’s leadership team, according to the employees, could benefit from more diversity.
8. What suggestion, idea, or initiative would you have for our management to further improve the diversity of our organization?
Asking employees about their ideas around DEIB, and what management could be doing better will provide HR and the leadership team with insights into what employees expect the company to improve on.
Key learning
Employees may provide some valuable, fresh ideas, and HR may gain a better understanding of where managers could use extra support.
Equity survey questions
9. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate our organization’s distribution of opportunities for growth and advancement among employees of all different backgrounds?
Your organization may do a great job of distributing opportunities fairly amongst its employees. However, if your employees don’t perceive it as such, there’s work to be done.
Key learning
Look for trends in the answers across the various demographics when analyzing the responses to this question.
10. Have you ever experienced any barriers or inequities regarding access to resources, training, or mentorship opportunities in our company?
This question is more specific than the first one with respect to equity in the organization. It asks employees about their experiences regarding the accessibility of resources and training opportunities.
Key learning
As with the previous question, identify trends in the workforce demographics to understand where inequities may lie across the organization.
11. If your answer to the previous question is ‘Yes,’ describe a time you experienced barriers or inequities regarding access to resources, training, or mentorship opportunities in our company.
Often you may need more information to take action. In this case, employees may, for example, have no problem accessing resources but encounter barriers when they want to enter the company’s mentorship program. This would be impossible to know based on the answers to the previous question alone.
Key learnings
This question will provide HR teams with insights into the accessibility – or lack thereof – of various company resources and training programs. It will also reveal any discrepancies in access depending on the workforce demographics.
12. In your experience, are managers in our organization transparent to everyone regarding their communication about pay, promotions, and opportunities?
Pay equity and promotions are valuable indicators for companies to track their progress toward becoming a true meritocracy, according to, among others, Harvard Business Review.
Key learning
Apart from using pay equity and promotions as DEI metrics and tracking these, it’s good to ask employees how they perceive the communication around pay, promotions, and opportunities. How transparent are managers – and HR teams – about these topics?
13. If your answer to the previous question is ‘No,’ describe a time you witnessed or experienced a manager not being transparent to everyone about pay, promotions, and opportunities.
Here, too, you need more information to take action. Perhaps managers are transparent about pay but not about promotions and opportunities, for example. Then, the HR team can work on this topic specifically to address this issue.
14. On a scale of 1 to 10, how well does our organization respond to and address pay equity and salary transparency issues?
According to a survey by cloud compensation and software firm PayScale, employee satisfaction is mainly driven by the feeling that pay is fair, not by how much someone is paid. How people feel about the company’s pay philosophy and process is more likely to affect their outlook than their actual pay.
Key learning
The answer to this question will provide clear insights into how employees perceive the organization’s way of dealing with pay equity and salary transparency.
15. Would you recommend our company as an equitable place to work
The best compliment a company can get from its employees is when they recommend it as a great – or, in this case, equitable – place to work.
Key learning
If employees predominantly answer ‘No’ to this question, you know that they don’t perceive the organization as equitable; and this could have a negative impact on your employer branding.
16. In your opinion, how can we improve our equity efforts?
This question will help HR gain employee input into what more needs to be done to ensure equity.
Key learning
Employee input is an important component when developing any kind of new initiative.
Inclusion survey questions
17. On a scale of 1 to 10, how inclusive would you say our organization is?
This question offers a first-impression perspective of how employees perceive the organization’s inclusivity level.
Key learning
It will be interesting to understand whether there are noticeable differences in the perception of people from various workforce demographics and, if so, how big these differences are.
18. Are you confident sharing your opinion with colleagues and managers, even if it differs from theirs?
Employees who feel included voice their opinions and concerns without fearing alienation or victimization. They are confident that they will be listened to and that their viewpoints will be embraced.
Key learning
If some people do not feel confident sharing their opinions with colleagues and managers in your organization, this indicates that the atmosphere may not be fully inclusive yet – at least not in every team or department or for every part of the workforce. Analyze whether there are any commonalities in the responses.
19. Have you ever felt that management did not value or consider your voice or contributions?
In an inclusive workplace, all voices are both heard and equally celebrated. Managers have an important role in this, which is why it’s helpful to ask this question.
Key learning
If many employees answer ‘Yes’ to this question, this may indicate that (some) managers need additional support in ensuring that they’re being inclusive in their leadership.
20. If your answer to the previous question is ‘Yes,’ describe a time you felt that management did not value or consider your voice or contributions.
To know exactly what kind of support to provide to managers – and to determine if help is needed at all – it’s important to hear what kind of experience employees have had.
Key learning
The results will indicate whether certain demographics of the workforce feel that they aren’t being listened to or considered by management as much as others.
21. Does your manager involve you in the organization’s decision-making process?
Involving employees in the decision-making shows that their manager trusts them and values their opinions. It also makes them feel included and creates a stronger sense of belonging.
Key learning
If the answer to this question predominantly is ‘No,’ the HR team might want to look into ways to increase employee involvement in decision-making.
22. Would you feel comfortable reporting an issue or a challenge you encountered knowing that you’d be taken seriously?
Sharing an opinion that differs from your colleagues is one thing. Reporting an issue is another. In a truly inclusive workplace, people should feel comfortable doing so.
Key learning
If people predominantly answer ‘No’ here, you know that as an HR team, there is work to be done in this area.
23. If your answer to the previous question is ‘No,’ could you explain why you wouldn’t feel comfortable reporting an issue or a challenge you encountered?
The previous question only enables you to determine whether or not people feel safe enough to report an issue. To take action, you will need to know more about the reasons why people don’t feel comfortable.
Key learning
The responses may indicate that employees don’t feel comfortable because they fear that they’ll be perceived as ‘difficult.’ Or perhaps they don’t know who to turn to with their concerns. But it may also be that certain managers have dismissed employee issues in the past, discouraging others from coming to them, or it may be something else entirely. Based on the responses, HR will be able to identify the root issue.
24. In your opinion, what initiative or practice could help our organization become more inclusive?
This question will help to get input from employees and provide further ideas for your inclusion efforts.
Key learning
As mentioned, employee input is important and further helps achieve inclusivity.
25. Did you find this DEI survey useful? If not, what questions would you suggest we add next time?
The goal of asking your employees to answer DEIB survey questions is to get their feedback on the organization’s current state of DEIB. If they don’t find the questions you ask useful, this defies the purpose of the survey.
Key learning
Depending on whether you get mostly a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’ here, you’re either on the right track with your DEI survey questions or not, in which case you’ll get insights into what can be improved.
Bonus: Belonging survey questions
26. I feel that I belong among my peers and colleagues.
This is a simple question that immediately tells you a lot. Either people feel like they belong in the organization – which is great – or they don’t.
Key learning
The key learning here will be an overview of the organization’s current state of employee belonging.
27. Do you feel that your personal values match those of your colleagues and the organization?
While values aren’t the only element that plays a role in employees feeling that they belong in the organization, they are an important factor nevertheless.
If all of your colleagues have personal values that differ greatly from those you hold yourself, this will likely impact how you feel.
Key learning
If, for instance, employees who answered ‘No’ to the previous question also answered ‘No’ to this one, you might want to look into this as HR.
A potential follow-up action may be to (further) increase the importance of your organizational values during the hiring process.
- Analyze the data
- Decide how to share the results and what to share, including with employees (i.e., in a report, a town hall, etc.)
- Decide on the priorities and next steps
- Regularly share progress reports.
Key takeaway
Perhaps the most essential element of a successful DEIB strategy is the feedback you get on it from your employees. The DEI survey questions in this article can be helpful to create your own survey for 2024.
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