Gain Insight into Diversity and Inclusion with an Online Questionnaire

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are becoming increasingly important in the modern workplace. Organizations are increasingly focusing on these areas. This offers significant benefits, such as greater innovation, better decision-making, and increased appeal to both employees and customers. You can gain more insight into and better manage diversity issues with hrmforce’s online (DE&I) questionnaire. We use it internally ourselves to conduct assessments. We shared it with two of our female programmers.

The Importance of Diversity and Equality Within Organizations

Diversity and inclusion foster an organizational culture in which all employees feel respected and valued. Regardless of differences such as gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, or, for example, a physical disability. These differences are often the first to come to mind, but it can also involve other differences such as neurodiversity or competencies. Equality means that everyone is given equal opportunities, regardless of these differences. Those who treat differences as equal-or even leverage them-can reap significant benefits from doing so, in addition to making a principled choice. This not only prevents (unconscious) discrimination, for example, in hiring or promotions. A diverse and inclusive work environment also leads to higher employee engagement, greater creativity, and ultimately better business results.

Research on the Benefits

In recent years, extensive research has been conducted on the organizational benefits, yielding striking results. A 2018 McKinsey study shows that companies with greater gender diversity are 15 percent more likely to achieve better financial performance. Companies with ethnic diversity perform as much as 35 percent better. According to the study, this is because diversity at the decision-making level leads to higher-performing teams. An analysis by Harvard Business Review also shows that diversity in teams leads to improved performance-primarily through better problem-solving and strategic thinking. The greater appeal of diverse and inclusive organizations is especially true for younger generations. People from Generation Z (born since the 1990s), in particular, want to be heard and consider it especially important that organizations consciously address diversity and inclusion, as this international study shows.

Online DE&I Questionnaire

To gain a better understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion within an organization, it is important to be able to measure various related topics. hrmforce’s unique DE&I Questionnaire collects data on how employees experience diversity and inclusion. An organization can use the complete questionnaire or integrate specific questions into existing surveys or, for example, periodic assessments. With these insights, you can take targeted actions within an organization or team to further improve diversity and inclusion. The name of the DE&I Questionnaire, by the way, refers to the English terms Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion . Employees who complete the questionnaire indicate the extent to which they agree with a statement. In addition to direct questions about corporate culture, the questions also cover subtopics such as the organization’s demographic composition, transparency and fairness, recruitment and selection processes, promotion opportunities, pay equity, development opportunities, leadership engagement, and, for example, how the organization handles any incidents or complaints. A connection is also made to employee satisfaction and, for example, the organization’s image. A few open-ended questions can provide particularly valuable input for organizational policy. For example: What additional steps or policy measures would you recommend to create a more inclusive environment for all employees?

What do we measure ourselves?

We also use the DE&I questionnaire in our own organization. One of our findings is that this helps strengthen a culture of openness and respect, in which every employee can be themselves. It also fosters greater engagement because the commitment to equal treatment is valued. And that, in turn, leads to higher employee satisfaction. To put this to the test, we presented a few statements to two of our female programmers. Tilani (Senior Tech Lead) and Uthpala (Senior Software Engineer) have been working for hrmforce as part of our team in beautiful Sri Lanka for 11 and 2.5 years, respectively. How do they experience our work environment?

1. The diversity of our workforce enhances our work environment.

Both recognize this. Tilani: “If you have the talent, you get the opportunity-regardless of, for example, your gender or other differences. The talents that everyone brings together strengthen our work environment, as many studies have shown. Eleven years ago, I was the first female employee hired onto our team. From there, I was able to advance to Senior Tech Lead. Over the years, I’ve worked closely with people of various nationalities, religions, and ethnic backgrounds. Everyone is treated equally here. We also celebrate holidays from various religions within our organization: Christian holidays like Christmas, but also, for example, the Buddhist Wesak Festival.” Uthpala has experienced this firsthand: “Equal treatment of women and men isn’t common in Sri Lanka, but it is in the IT sector. When I was hired here, there were six other candidates, all men. But we were given the same opportunity, and they chose me based on my talent and work experience.”

2. Our work environment supports the unique needs of every employee.

“Thankfully, because different people have different needs,” says Tilani. Uthpala: “If I were to have a problem with my leg and couldn’t climb stairs, I’m sure a suitable solution would be found. Then I could work from home temporarily, or if it took longer, accommodations would be made at the workplace. For example, a pregnant woman can also work from home more often if she needs to.”

3. Our organization is recognized externally for its commitment to DEI.

“I think so,” says Uthpala. Tilani: “Although it’s hard to gauge how the outside world perceives it. You’d have to measure that separately. It’s harder for us in Sri Lanka to assess how it’s viewed in the Netherlands. In any case, the geographical distance isn’t a problem for us. We also feel just as involved. We work closely with our colleagues in the Netherlands and know each other well. We have several online meetings a week and sometimes meet in person as well. That geographical difference doesn’t make any difference either.”