186 Best Diversity & Inclusion Survey Questions for Work

Here is our list of important diversity & inclusion survey questions.

Diversity & inclusion survey questions are prompts used to determine how inclusive and equitable your workplace is. These questions give an insight into how far your organization has come in creating a safe space for all employees regardless of race, gender, and similar protected statuses. These surveys aim to understand how your employees view inclusion and equality and what changes are necessary.

These surveys are similar to employee engagement surveys and aim to stress the importance of diversity in the workplace. These surveys can be used in tandem with DEI programs, diversity training programs, and inclusion quotes to improve workplace equity.

This list includes:

belonging survey questions
inclusion survey questions
diversity survey questions
equity survey questions
diversity and inclusion survey questions for leaders
DEI survey questions for employees
corporate diversity and inclusion survey questions

Let’s get started.

Belonging survey questions

Your employees’ sense of belonging affects their behavior towards their job and other coworkers. Some good belonging survey questions include:

Do you feel your values match that of this organization?
Do you feel your values match that of the other employees?
Does the personality of your workplace reflect your personality?
Do you feel you are integral to the company’s goals?
Can you depend on your coworkers?
Do you think employers do not care about the well-being of their employees?
Are you hopeful for the future of the world right now?
On a scale of one to five, how much do you feel coworkers care about you?
Do you feel like you play a pivotal role in the organization?
Do you feel like you make an impact on the organization?
Do you feel like your unique characteristics are welcomed and celebrated?
On a scale of one to five, how strongly do you feel like you can be your authentic self at work?
On a scale of one to five, how open do you feel your colleagues are to different perspectives?
Do you feel that other coworkers help you?
Are your primary values similar to that of your supervisor?
Do you feel that your values and your supervisor’s values have become the same since you started your job?
Do you use “we’ or “they” when talking about your supervisor?
Do you feel a sense of ownership over your supervisor?
Can you call your coworkers your friends?

These questions will help you gauge how your employees perceive their place in the workplace.

Inclusion survey questions

Employees in a diverse workplace either feel included or otherwise, and it affects their sense of belonging. As a result, inclusion, or the lack thereof, is not always visible or easy to measure. Some inclusion survey questions include:

How do you feel about inclusion in your workplace?
Have you ever felt left out by other employees in certain activities?
Can you rate your bosses’ efforts to improve inclusively at the workplace on a scale of 0-10?
Do you feel the programs in the office are inclusive?
How comfortable are you sharing your issues with your supervisors?
Do you ever face prejudice or discrimination in your workplace based on race, gender, or sexual orientation?
Has there been any inclusivity initiative by your organization that you like? If yes, why did you like it?
How would you improve inclusivity in your company?
Do you feel the working environment in your company is safe to be your authentic self?
Do you trust the company to commit to being inclusive?
Are people of all backgrounds and cultures respected in your workplace?
Are you comfortable discussing your beliefs, backgrounds, and cultural experiences with your coworkers?
Are you included in decisions that impact the business?
Is there a free and open environment for self-expression in the workplace?
Do you believe the organization would take proper action if there were a case of discrimination and harassment?
Do all workers have equal access to promotion opportunities in the company?
Is your opinion valued?
Do all applicants to your workplace have equal access to all employment opportunities?
Are decisions for promotion made regardless of cultural differences?
What changes do you want to see at the executive level regarding inclusion?
Do you trust the business to treat all employees fairly?
How inclusive do you feel the management team is?
Have you ever personally noticed discrimination in your workplace?
Is there support for disabled employees?
Do you feel there are payment discrepancies?

These questions help keep a finger on the pulse regarding inclusion, potentially increasing retention.

Diversity survey questions

Modern organizations prioritize diversity and an inclusive working environment. Diversity survey questions help companies understand whether they are truly diverse and inclusive of minorities. Some diversity survey questions include:

Do all workers in the business have the same opportunity to prosper?
Are all your colleagues given an equal chance to succeed?
Do you trust your company to be fair to all the workers?
If you raised a diversity concern, do you think your bosses would take it seriously?
Do you have enough colleagues of similar backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs in the business?
Are there employees in the management cadre you can relate to?
Has anyone or group ever discriminated against you?
How can your company improve diversity?
Do you feel like you belong in your workplace?
Do your colleagues treat each other with respect?
Is diversity of the workforce valued at your place of work?
Are you included in conversations that affect your job?
Are you comfortable being yourself at this workplace?
Do you feel like your cultural identity is a barrier to career progression?
Do you feel capable of taking risks? If not, do you think it is because of your race, gender, or sexual orientation?
Are the policies guarding discrimination adequate where you are adequate?
Is diversity a priority area for your company?
Is there a commitment to creating an inclusive environment in your workplace?
Would you advise someone of similar background, culture, and gender identity to work in your company?
Do you feel valued by your company?
Do you feel the company has a diverse team?
Do you feel the employee evaluation processes are diverse?
Do you feel the company celebrates diverse people and ideas?
Does HR work towards hiring candidates from underrepresented groups?
On a scale of 1 to 10, can you talk about your beliefs without feeling judged?
In what ways can employees improve their diversity efforts?
Have you ever seen favoritism play out in the company?
Are policies supporting disabled employees adequately?
Do you feel the management practices transparency in issues regarding payment and promotions?

The answer to these questions should inform changes to the company culture.

Equity survey questions

Companies must be aware of any inequalities within their workplace, subtle or not. Including equity-related questions in your HR surveys are an excellent way to identify those issues. Some equity survey questions include:

How would you rate the equity in the company?
Do you feel your coworkers show favoritism to other employees?
Has there been any time you saw your colleagues treated unfairly?
Do you think the equity initiatives in the company are effective?
What equity initiative imposed by the organization do you like the most?
Are career advancement opportunities fair for all employees?
Does the executive team manage equity matters properly?
To the best of your knowledge, are promotions given fairly to all workers?
Is there anything you feel can promote equity in the company?
Do people from all backgrounds in the company have equitable opportunities?
Would you recommend this company as an equitable place to work?
Does the leadership encourage equity?
Are there enough policies that foster equity in the company?
What changes do you want to see as regards equity in this company?
Do you feel that equity policies impact employees’ lives positively?
Does the company actively take measures to seek out a diverse pool of candidates when hiring?
Does management show that equity is important in all organizational decisions?
Does the company foster a workplace that an outsider would call equitable?
Do you feel that the employees can report situations relating to unfair treatment?
How would you rate the business procedures for reporting issues of unfairness on a scale of 1-10?
Is your supervisor committed to equity?
Does your supervisor handle issues regarding equity satisfactorily?
Do you understand all the procedures for reporting incidents of workplace bias?
Do you believe the organization gives appropriate action in cases of bias?
Is there enough oversight to ensure all policies surrounding equity are actionable?
On a scale of 1-10, are employees included in conversations surrounding equity?

Identifying issues regarding equity with these questions is the first step to meaningfully addressing them.

Diversity and inclusion survey questions for leaders

The implementation of diversity and inclusivity usually starts with company leaders. Some diversity and inclusion survey questions for leaders include:

Has diversity influenced you on a personal level?
How inclusive is your team?
Do you feel your recruitment process is inclusive?
How do you celebrate diverse ideas?
Do you actively work to include diverse groups in your team?
Do you feel your team members are free to talk about their backgrounds without feeling judged?
On a scale of 1-10, how do you cater to the needs of your subordinates with disabilities?
Can you rate your team’s diversity on a scale of 1-10?
In what ways can you improve your diversity efforts in the future?
Does your orientation and training program make inclusivity important?
Do your subordinates feel free to confide in you? If yes, how often does it happen?
Is inclusion a priority for you?
Do you feel like this company’s efforts towards inclusivity are sufficient
Can you rate your company’s diversity on a scale of 1-10?
Are you confident to raise your concerns to your superiors?
Do you feel all your team members have equal access to career growth?
Do you feel you need to improve your diversity and inclusion initiatives? If yes, how?
What do diversity and inclusion mean to you?
Are diversity and inclusion important in workplace conversation?
Have you brought any diversity and inclusion initiatives? If yes, how did it impact work?
What are the barriers to inclusion in your workplace?
Do diversity and inclusion have a positive impact on your company?
Do you honestly feel that your company has adequately implemented diversity and inclusivity initiatives?
Do you feel that there are long-term consequences for ignoring diversity and inclusivity in your workplace?
On a scale of 1-10, how effective are the executive cadre’s policies regarding diversity and inclusion?
What measures have you taken to ensure inclusion and diversity in your workplace?
Is an adequate representation of all races a norm in your team?
Do you feel that the organization provides adequate diversity and inclusion training to employees?
What topics relating to diversity and inclusion would you like to see covered more extensively in the workplace?
Which diversity and inclusion workshop topics most interest you?

You should get actionable data that you can use to effect top-down change in the company.

DEI survey questions for employees

Understanding how your employees view diversity and inclusion is crucial in creating a healthy work environment for all employees. Some DEI survey questions for employees include:

Do your organization value diversity, inclusion, and equity?
Do your leaders understand how important diversity is for the employees’ success?
Are managers and organizational leaders trained and educated about DEI standards and best practices?
To the best of your knowledge, does the business invest time and energy into building diverse teams?
Do you feel valued at your organization?
Do you feel a real sense of belonging at your organization?
Do you feel respected and seen by your colleagues?
Are all career advancement opportunities equal for all employees?
How well do Human Resources at our organization work to ensure diversity?
How well do you think the company sticks to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion?
Do you feel included in decision-making processes that affect you?
Do you feel that tasks are fairly assigned amongst all the workers in the company?
Are problems and issues in the company handled fairly?
Are you comfortable enough to voice your opinion?
Do you feel comfortable addressing DEI topics in the workplace?
Do you feel supported in navigating potential DEI violations in the workplace?
How can the company improve regarding equity, diversity, and inclusion issues?
Do you feel strongly about your career growth?
Do you feel supported by the company?
Do you feel ethnic, racial, and gender-based jokes are tolerated in your workplace?
Can you voice a contrary opinion without fear of consequences?
Are there strict consequences against discrimination in your workplace?
Does your manager demonstrate commitment to diversity?
Does the organization clearly communicate all its values concerning inclusion and diversity?
Does your organization regularly give out information about employee diversity?
Do you trust the company leaders to always be inclusive in hiring?
Are there differences in pay related to gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual identity?
Do you feel management makes you feel accepted?
Do you consider your colleagues’ families?
Do you feel your colleagues are like-minded individuals?
Any thoughts on how your company can create a positive work environment?

DEI survey questions should be unique to your workforce, depending on where you are in your DEI journey.

Corporate diversity and inclusion survey questions

Diversity without inclusion does not translate to success. These survey questions reveal how well your company is doing on both grounds. Some corporate diversity and inclusion survey questions include:

What are the policies surrounding inclusion and equality in the company?
Do you feel that the policies on diversity in the company are adequate?
Is this organization a safe space for different opinions, ideas, and expressions?
Are employees of different ages, races, and backgrounds valued equally?
Is there a culture of diversity and inclusion at the company?
Are adequate educational programs promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity in the company?
On a scale of 1-10, do your coworkers understand you as a person?
Do you feel connected to other workers in your organization?
Do you feel that you matter to other employees in the organization?
How do the leaders in your workplace encourage inclusion?
How often are the employees encouraged to think more deeply about race-related topics?
Does your workplace actively speak out against racism?
Does your workplace make it easy to connect and interact with people of different cultural backgrounds?
Are the unique needs of employees with disabilities met in the workplace?
How helpful are employees when it comes to issues regarding inclusion and diversity?
How often does your organization help advance diversity and inclusion in the lives of its employees through professional training
Do you feel employees’ career advancement is fair to all?
Have you ever come across favoritism in the workplace?
Have you ever come across discrimination in the workplace?
What processes are in place to ensure no employee experiences prejudice?
Are there consequences for discrimination in the workplace?
How diverse is the management team?
Do you believe the management team is doing enough as regards inclusion? If not, what can they do differently?
Do you feel there is segregation in your workplace?
Have you ever felt you had to work harder than your colleagues to get the same as them?
On a scale of 1-10, how optimistic do you feel about the future of diversity in this organization?

The result of this survey helps companies achieve their diversity and inclusion goals without bottlenecks.

Final Thoughts

Employees devote a significant amount of time, energy, and effort into their jobs, and spend roughly a third of their adult lives at work. It would help if every employee felt safe, comfortable, and seen in the workplace. Not to mention, every employee deserves a safe and comfortable workspace. These questions would benefit employees and leaders in intentionally tackling tough issues surrounding equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. Asking these questions helps pinpoint problems surrounding DEI so you can take well-thought-out actions to fix it. Thus, creating a better working environment in the workplace.

Next, check out DEI tips for work and inclusion moment ideas.