DE&I Surveys and Metrics

 Employee Surveys

Employee surveys serve multiple purposes across organizations, including measuring employee engagement. From a DE&I standpoint, such surveys can also be a valuable tool for assessing progress toward building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. By collecting demographic data from respondents—while preserving individual anonymity—organizations can evaluate the effectiveness of their DE&I initiatives. Analyzing differences in responses across various diversity dimensions helps identify both strengths and areas requiring further attention.

While diversity can be assessed more readily—such as through data on race, gender, and other demographic markers—inclusion is inherently more subjective. The only reliable way to measure it is by directly asking employees whether they feel included. A well-designed inclusion survey should include questions exploring the following aspects:

• Overall DE&I efforts and organizational culture.
  For instance: Do employees believe that leadership promotes inclusion? Do managers’ behaviors reflect a commitment to diversity? Is the workplace welcoming and inclusive? Does leadership take active steps to support employees with disabilities or other specific needs?

• Hiring and recruitment practices.

  
  For example: Does the organization proactively work to attract a diverse pool of candidates? Are prospective employees exposed to a diverse workforce during the interview process? Are candidates from all backgrounds treated equitably?

• Career growth and development.
  For instance: Are employees from various backgrounds encouraged to pursue advancement opportunities? Is the promotion process fair for everyone? Do employees believe there’s a clear career trajectory available to all?

• Individual experiences.
  For example: Do your personal experiences in the organization make you feel included? Have you faced challenges connecting with colleagues from diverse backgrounds?

• Policies and procedures.
  For instance: Do current policies promote diversity, equity, and inclusion? Are employees aware of the organization’s DE&I-related policies? Do they trust that discrimination complaints will be addressed appropriately? Has relevant diversity training been made available?

• Open feedback and suggestions.
  Surveys should also provide room for participants to share their ideas, comments, and feedback freely.

It’s also critical to examine points of intersectionality in survey results. For example, findings may suggest that employees across all racial groups and gender identities feel similarly included. However, a closer analysis might reveal that Black women, specifically, report lower levels of inclusion—an issue that could be hidden by higher satisfaction scores from Black men and white women. Without analyzing overlapping identities, organizations risk overlooking significant DE&I challenges that may later lead to reduced engagement or increased attrition in those subgroups.