Defining Driver Questions

At their core, driver questions are a specific type of question used in DEI surveys that have a strong predictive relationship with key outcomes. They go beyond measuring sentiment and dig deeper to uncover the factors that truly drive employee experience and business results.

Regular DEI survey questions tend to focus on gauging employees' perceptions and attitudes towards various aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. They might ask about representation, fairness, respect, and other important dimensions of DEI. While this data is certainly valuable, it doesn't always tell the full story.

Driver questions, on the other hand, are carefully crafted to identify the specific beliefs, behaviors, and experiences that are most strongly linked to outcomes like engagement, retention, productivity, and customer satisfaction. By isolating these key drivers, organizations can prioritize their efforts and make targeted interventions that deliver the greatest impact.

But what sets driver questions apart from other types of survey questions? It's all about their predictive power. Driver questions are chosen based on advanced statistical analyses that reveal which factors are most strongly correlated with the outcomes that matter most to the organization. This could be anything from employee engagement and retention to customer satisfaction and business performance.

By focusing on these key drivers, organizations can cut through the noise and focus their efforts where they will have the greatest impact. Rather than trying to boil the ocean and address every aspect of DEI at once, they can prioritize the areas that will move the needle the most.

Characteristics of Effective Driver Questions

So, what makes a question a driver question? Here are some key characteristics to look for:

1. Specificity: Driver questions are highly specific and focus on concrete actions, experiences, or perceptions. Rather than asking about broad concepts like "inclusion" or "fairness," they drill down into specific behaviors and practices. For example, instead of asking employees if they feel included, a driver question might ask if they feel comfortable speaking up in meetings or if they have equal access to development opportunities.
2. Actionability: Driver questions are designed to yield actionable insights. They focus on areas that organizations can directly influence through policies, programs, and leadership behaviors. There's no point in identifying a key driver if there's nothing the organization can do about it. Effective driver questions point the way to clear, concrete actions that leaders can take to drive change.
3. Predictive Power: As mentioned earlier, driver questions have a strong statistical relationship with key outcomes. They are chosen based on advanced analytics that identify which questions are most predictive of the metrics that matter most to the organization. This could involve techniques like regression analysis, factor analysis, or machine learning algorithms that can identify complex patterns and relationships in the data.
4. Comparative Insight: Driver questions often ask employees to compare their experiences to an ideal or benchmark. This helps identify gaps between the current state and the desired state. For example, a driver question might ask employees to rate their experience of inclusion on a scale from "not at all inclusive" to "highly inclusive." By comparing these ratings to a desired target or industry benchmark, organizations can identify areas where they are falling short and need to focus their efforts.
5. Forward-Looking: While regular DEI questions often focus on measuring the current state, driver questions also explore employees' expectations and desires for the future. This insight can help organizations stay ahead of the curve and proactively address emerging needs. For example, a driver question might ask employees what kinds of DEI initiatives they would like to see in the future or what barriers they anticipate facing as the organization becomes more diverse.

By incorporating these characteristics into their driver questions, organizations can ensure they are collecting the most relevant, actionable, and predictive insights possible.

Examples of Driver Questions

To further illustrate the concept, let's revisit some of the examples of driver questions we explored earlier (these are already included in the Divrsity Template Questions:

Example 1:

• Regular Question: "I feel like I belong at this organization."
• Driver Question: "I can bring my whole self to work without fear of judgment or discrimination."

The driver question goes beyond measuring a general sense of belonging and zeroes in on a specific experience (bringing one's whole self to work) and a key factor that enables or hinders belonging (fear of judgment or discrimination).

Example 2:

• Regular Question: "I believe this organization values diversity."
• Driver Question: "My manager actively seeks out and considers diverse perspectives when making decisions."

Again, the driver question moves from a broad belief statement to a specific, observable behavior that demonstrates the organization's commitment to diversity in action.

Example 3:

• Regular Question: "I feel respected by my colleagues."
• Driver Question: "I receive constructive feedback that helps me grow and advance in my career."

This driver question links the experience of respect to a tangible outcome (growth and advancement) and highlights a specific mechanism through which respect is demonstrated (constructive feedback).

Example 4:

• Regular Question: "I believe this organization is committed to equity."
• Driver Question: "I have equal access to opportunities and resources regardless of my background or identity."

The driver question takes the concept of equity and translates it into a specific, measurable experience of equal access.

Example 5:

• Regular Question: "My organization supports work-life balance."
• Driver Question: "I have the flexibility I need to manage my work and personal responsibilities effectively."

This driver question focuses on a key enabler of work-life balance (flexibility) and connects it to a desired outcome (effective management of responsibilities).

Example 6:

• Regular Question: "I would recommend this organization as a great place to work."
• Driver Question: "I am proud to tell others about the impactful DEI work my organization is doing."

The driver question links the likelihood to recommend to a specific reason (pride in the organization's DEI work) and emphasizes the importance of impact.

Example 7:

• Regular Question: "I feel like my unique contributions are valued."
• Driver Question: "My manager recognizes and rewards me for the innovative ideas I bring to the table."

This driver question highlights a specific way in which contributions can be valued (recognition and rewards) and emphasizes the role of managers in driving inclusion.

Example 8:

• Regular Question: "I feel comfortable reporting instances of bias or discrimination."
• Driver Question: "I trust that if I report an incident of bias or discrimination, it will be investigated fairly and acted upon promptly."

The driver question goes beyond measuring comfort and probes two key factors that influence reporting: trust in the process and belief that action will be taken.

Example 9:

• Regular Question: "I have opportunities to learn about DEI topics."
• Driver Question: "The DEI learning opportunities at my organization are relevant to my role and help me be a more inclusive leader."

This driver question emphasizes the importance of relevance and practical application in DEI learning and positions it as a tool for inclusive leadership.

Example 10:

• Regular Question: "I believe my organization is making progress on its DEI goals."
• Driver Question: "I see visible, meaningful action from leadership to advance DEI priorities and address disparities."

The driver question translates the concept of progress into specific, observable leadership behaviors and emphasizes the importance of visibility and impact.

Leveraging Driver Questions for Impact

Identifying the right driver questions is just the first step. To truly unlock the power of these insights, organizations need to take action based on what they learn. This requires a strategic, data-driven approach to DEI that goes beyond box-checking and focuses on driving meaningful, measurable change.

One key step is to share the results of the driver analysis with key stakeholders across the organization. This includes not just HR and DEI leaders, but also business leaders, managers, and employees at all levels. By transparently communicating the key drivers of inclusion and belonging, organizations can create a shared understanding of what needs to change and why.

But communication alone is not enough. Organizations also need to translate these insights into concrete action plans and initiatives. This might involve revising policies and processes, launching new training programs, or creating accountability mechanisms to ensure that leaders are following through on their commitments.

For example, if a driver analysis reveals that a lack of flexible work arrangements is a key barrier to inclusion and belonging, the organization might launch a task force to redesign its policies and practices around flexibility. This could involve piloting new models of work, providing training and support for managers to lead flexible teams, and creating guidelines and resources to help employees navigate flexible arrangements.

Similarly, if the driver analysis highlights the importance of manager behaviors in driving inclusion, the organization might invest in targeted leadership development programs that focus on building inclusive leadership skills. This could involve a mix of workshops, coaching, and on-the-job learning experiences that help leaders understand their own biases, practice empathy and perspective-taking, and create a culture of psychological safety and trust.

Another critical step is to create accountability mechanisms to ensure that these actions are actually driving progress. This might involve setting specific, measurable goals and targets, tracking progress over time, and creating incentives and consequences for leaders who do (or do not) meet these goals. Some organizations might even tie executive compensation to DEI metrics to create a powerful financial incentive for change.

Of course, creating a truly inclusive culture is not a one-time event, but an ongoing journey. Organizations need to continue to measure and monitor their progress over time, using driver questions as a key tool in their arsenal. By regularly collecting and analyzing this data, organizations can identify new opportunities for improvement, course-correct when needed, and celebrate successes along the way.

The Role of Divrsity

As organizations seek to leverage driver questions for impact, technology can play a key role in streamlining and accelerating the process. From survey design and administration to data analysis and reporting, there are a range of tools and platforms available to help organizations make sense of their DEI data and drive action.

For example, the Divrsity platform uses machine learning algorithms to automatically identify driver questions based on patterns in the data. This can save organizations time and resources in conducting complex statistical analyses, and ensure that they are focusing on the most impactful questions from the start.

Our platform also provides interactive dashboards and visualizations that allow leaders to easily explore and slice-and-dice their DEI data. This can help them identify key insights and trends, and communicate these findings to stakeholders in a compelling, easy-to-understand way.

Finally, Divrsity also helps to translate insights into action by taking the demographic data, interesting insights and verbatim survey responses and providing AI-driven best practice recommendations and a data-driven Action plan. By integrating these capabilities into their DEI measurement and reporting processes, organizations can create a seamless flow from data to insight to action.