How to Create Inclusive DEI Surveys with Hubspot-Inspired Questions

Designing inclusive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) surveys can feel overwhelming, but lessons from Hubspot research and survey examples make it much easier. By following a clear structure, using inclusive language, and asking the right questions, you can collect meaningful feedback that helps create a fair and welcoming workplace.

Why Use a Hubspot-Inspired Approach to DEI Surveys

DEI surveys need to balance sensitivity, clarity, and actionability. The approach highlighted by Hubspot emphasizes:

• Psychological safety for employees
• Simple, respectful language
• Questions tied directly to workplace experience
• Data that can drive specific improvements

Instead of asking broad or vague questions, a Hubspot-style framework focuses on the employee journey, representation, access to opportunities, and everyday behaviors.

Core Principles Behind Hubspot DEI Survey Questions

Before drafting questions, align on core principles that underpin strong DEI surveys.

1. Prioritize Psychological Safety

Employees must feel safe to answer honestly. A Hubspot-informed set of guidelines would recommend:

• Allowing anonymous responses
• Clearly stating how data will be used
• Limiting who can see individual answers
• Sharing only aggregated findings

Explain this at the start of the survey so people understand protections in place.

2. Use Inclusive, Neutral Language

Language shapes how questions are interpreted. The Hubspot article on DEI survey questions demonstrates patterns you can follow:

• Avoid assumptions about identity, family, or background
• Use gender-neutral phrasing where possible
• Ask about experiences, not stereotypes
• Offer skip options for sensitive questions

Inclusive wording ensures more people feel seen and respected.

3. Connect Questions to Action

Every question should help you decide what to improve. A Hubspot-style DEI survey focuses on actionable themes such as:

• Hiring and promotion fairness
• Belonging and respect
• Access to development opportunities
• Leadership accountability

If you cannot imagine how you would act on the result of a question, revise or remove it.

Key Sections of a Hubspot-Style DEI Survey

Breaking the survey into sections makes it easier for employees to complete and easier for you to analyze later.

1. Overall Inclusion and Belonging

Start with broad questions about day-to-day experience. Inspired by Hubspot examples, use statements with rating scales such as:

• “I feel like I belong at this company.”
• “I can be my authentic self at work.”
• “My ideas and opinions are valued.”
• “I feel safe speaking up about workplace issues.”

Use a Likert scale (for example: strongly disagree to strongly agree) so you can track trends over time.

2. Diversity and Representation

Next, explore how employees perceive representation across the organization. In line with the Hubspot survey structure, ask about:

• Perceived diversity within teams and leadership
• Visibility of underrepresented groups
• Whether employees believe hiring is fair and unbiased

Sample questions could include:

• “I see people with diverse backgrounds represented in leadership roles.”
• “Our hiring process feels fair to candidates from all backgrounds.”

3. Equity and Opportunity

Equity focuses on fairness of processes and access to resources. A Hubspot-informed set of DEI survey questions often looks at:

• Pay and promotion perceptions
• Access to projects and visibility
• Support for career growth

Example prompts:

• “I believe promotions here are based on fair criteria.”
• “I have equal access to opportunities for advancement.”
• “I receive the resources I need to do my job well.”

4. Inclusion in Everyday Interactions

This section explores interpersonal dynamics. Drawing from patterns seen in the Hubspot DEI content, consider questions about:

• Respectful communication
• Team collaboration
• Microaggressions or biased behavior

You can use statements like:

• “My manager treats everyone on the team with respect.”
• “I rarely witness or experience biased comments at work.”
• “Issues related to discrimination are taken seriously.”

5. Leadership and Accountability

Leadership commitment shapes how employees view DEI. A Hubspot-style survey includes questions such as:

• “Leaders in this company demonstrate a commitment to DEI.”
• “I trust leadership to act on DEI survey results.”
• “Our DEI initiatives are communicated clearly.”

These responses help you understand whether leadership actions match their stated intentions.

Demographic and Identity Questions the Hubspot Way

DEI surveys often include demographic questions so you can analyze equity across groups. The Hubspot example emphasizes that these should be:

• Optional
• Clearly explained
• Inclusive of many identities

Best practices include:

• Explaining why you are asking identity questions and how they will be used
• Providing multiple options plus “prefer to self-describe” and “prefer not to say”
• Separating questions about gender identity, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, and disability status

Mirror the tone and care used in the Hubspot DEI survey question examples to avoid causing discomfort or confusion.

How to Design Your DEI Survey Step by Step

You can follow a simple, repeatable process inspired by the Hubspot approach.

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Clarify what you want to learn. Examples:

• Understand if employees feel like they belong
• Assess fairness of promotion decisions
• Evaluate the impact of current DEI programs

Your goals shape which sections and questions you prioritize.

Step 2: Build a Draft Questionnaire

Using the Hubspot-style sections above, build a first draft:

1. Select 5–10 questions on inclusion and belonging
2. Add 3–6 questions on equity and opportunity
3. Include 3–5 questions on leadership and accountability
4. Decide which optional demographic questions you will include

Keep the survey short enough that employees can finish in 10–15 minutes.

Step 3: Review for Bias and Clarity

Next, test your survey for clarity. The Hubspot article emphasizes careful language review. Ask yourself:

• Is any question leading or judgmental?
• Are terms clearly defined?
• Could any phrase be offensive or exclusionary?

Ask a diverse internal group or an external consultant to review the wording.

Step 4: Launch and Communicate

A successful DEI survey needs strong communication. A Hubspot-informed launch plan might include:

• An email from leadership explaining the purpose
• Reminders during the survey window
• Reassurance about anonymity and data privacy
• Clear deadlines and time expectations

Make it easy for employees to access and complete the survey from any device.

Step 5: Analyze and Share Results

Once the survey closes, analyze results by theme and, where appropriate, by demographic groups. The Hubspot research approach highlights transparency, so you should:

• Share high-level findings with employees
• Highlight areas of strength and concern
• Explain what will happen next

This builds trust and shows that people’s time and honesty matter.

Step 6: Turn Insights into Action

Finally, convert survey data into a practical DEI roadmap. Use your Hubspot-inspired question categories to group actions, such as:

• Training managers on inclusive leadership
• Refining hiring and promotion processes
• Updating benefits or policies to support underrepresented groups
• Creating employee resource groups or listening circles

Set deadlines and owners for each action and communicate progress on a regular schedule.

Enhancing Your DEI Strategy Beyond the Hubspot Model

While the Hubspot article provides a strong template for DEI survey questions, you can go further by:

• Pairing surveys with focus groups or interviews
• Running shorter pulse surveys quarterly
• Using benchmarks to compare your results over time
• Bringing in DEI and analytics experts to interpret complex patterns

If you need specialized support designing robust surveys, analyzing complex data, or integrating results into broader people-strategy initiatives, you can partner with advisory teams such as Consultevo for tailored guidance.

By using a structured, Hubspot-inspired approach to DEI survey questions, you can move beyond surface-level metrics and build a clearer, more honest picture of how inclusive your organization truly is. That clarity makes it easier to prioritize initiatives, hold leaders accountable, and create a workplace where all employees can thrive.

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