Finding the right employee survey template for measuring DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) climate can make or break your organization's culture initiatives.
This guide shares the best questions for DEI surveys, especially those that surface belonging and fairness. Explore how conversational surveys—plus anonymous mode—help employees open up about sensitive topics, ensuring your DEI feedback is as honest and valuable as possible.
Core questions for measuring DEI climate
An effective DEI climate survey dives into several core themes: belonging, fairness, inclusion, and psychological safety. Each category uncovers unique insights into your organization's DEI environment:
Belonging
“I feel like I am a valued member of this team.”
“There are people at work I feel comfortable confiding in.”
“My ideas and contributions are genuinely welcomed here.”
Why it matters: Belonging signals whether people feel connected and respected, which is closely tied to retention. When employees feel included, they’re 5.4 times more likely to stay at their company [1].
Fairness
“Everyone here has equal access to opportunities for advancement.”
“Recognition here is based on merit, not on who you know.”
“I trust management to treat concerns impartially, regardless of background.”
Why it matters: Fairness reveals how equitably practices are applied. It’s a practical test of policies and a pulse-check on whether everyone feels they can succeed.
Inclusion
“I can be myself at work without fear of negative consequences.”
“Different perspectives are valued on my team.”
“There are real opportunities here to contribute to decision making.”
Why it matters: Inclusion is more than presence—it’s about genuine participation. Inclusion boosts employee engagement by up to 83% [2].
Psychological safety
“I feel safe speaking up—even when my views contradict others.”
“Mistakes are treated as learning opportunities, not as failures.”
“Leadership encourages honest and respectful disagreement.”
Why it matters: Psychological safety allows honest feedback. Only 26% of leaders intentionally promote this safety, leaving a huge opportunity for improvement [3].
These questions probe beneath the surface, surfacing the blockers and boosters for true DEI progress. To make your survey truly powerful, combine these with follow-up questions. Conversational AI can automatically dig deeper—for example, by asking, “Can you describe a time you felt (or didn’t feel) included?” This uncovers actionable stories and root causes.
Traditional DEI Questions | Conversational DEI Questions |
|---|---|
Rate: "I feel included at work" (1–5 scale) | “How has your sense of inclusion at work changed over time?” |
Rate: "Our workplace is fair" (1–5 scale) | “Can you share a recent experience that felt fair or unfair?” |
With automatic AI follow-up questions, you don’t just get a rating—you uncover the stories that numbers alone would miss. Respondents tell you exactly what led them to feel a certain way.
Building trust through anonymous feedback and sensitive conversations
Honest answers about DEI require trust. Anonymity plays a huge role: in fact, 75% of people are more likely to be truthful if they know their answers are anonymous [4]. Conversational AI surveys use technology to foster this trust far beyond what rigid forms can do.
Anonymous mode: When enabled, this shields each respondent’s identity while still gathering rich insights. Nobody—not even admin—can match answers to individuals. This “safe zone” makes it easier to admit hard truths or flag microaggressions without fear of repercussions. Employees report feeling much safer in these kinds of surveys.
Sensitive language handling: With advanced AI, survey language adapts in real time. Instead of a static form, the survey sounds human and empathetic. For instance, if a respondent mentions unfair treatment, the AI follows up with, “Thank you for sharing. Would you like to describe what happened, or how it made you feel?” This opens the door to richer feedback while always respecting boundaries—avoiding prying, judgment, or bias triggers.
By blending anonymity and conversational intelligence, the AI ensures everyone feels safe when discussing DEI. For those building a survey, the AI survey generator makes it simple to specify topics and ideal tone—removing the guesswork from delicate DEI conversations.
Making your DEI survey actionable
Timing matters. Run DEI surveys quarterly, during leadership transitions, or after noticeable organizational changes—ensuring you’re not just measuring, but responding in real time. The most valuable DEI surveys are conversational, surfacing stories and patterns that dry rating scales miss.
Response analysis: Once you’ve collected feedback, the magic is in the analysis. Don’t just look at scores—explore themes in the stories and qualitative answers. AI-powered tools reveal clusters of concern or progress. For example:
To spot inclusion gaps:
What themes emerge from responses mentioning exclusion or feeling left out?
To understand fairness concerns:
Summarize key examples where employees felt treated unfairly, and identify their common causes.
To track psychological safety:
What patterns do you see about willingness to speak up or share sensitive feedback?
Specific’s AI survey response analysis gives you instant access to these kinds of insights, making it easy to see the “forest and the trees.” With a conversational format, you’ll capture not just numbers but nuanced experiences. If you’re not running these surveys, you’re missing out on understanding the hidden barriers to true inclusion at your workplace.
Balancing quantitative metrics with qualitative insights
There are a few schools of thought when it comes to measuring DEI:
Traditional approach: Focuses on rating scales and demographic questions (e.g., “On a scale of 1–5, do you feel included?”). This gives structure and easy benchmarking, but often misses the “why” behind scores.
Conversational approach: Uses open-ended questions, real-time follow-ups, and invites personal stories. The result: rich, actionable context that illuminates root causes and uncovers blind spots.
Hybrid approach: Combines rating scales and structured questions with AI-powered follow-up. Start with hard metrics, then dig into stories and patterns behind the numbers. This is where Specific shines, making surveys deeply engaging for both creators and respondents.
The key advantage of follow-ups? They turn a survey into a real conversation—which is exactly what makes a survey conversational.
Start gathering authentic DEI feedback today
Unlock the power of honest, nuanced input with conversational DEI surveys—designed for trust, empathy, and true action. Experience the difference firsthand: create your own survey.