ALA's DEIA committee curated resources to equip legal managers with the right questions to ask during the hiring process. Check out the following resources to assist you in updating your questions to focus more on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
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ALA's DEIA committee curated resources to equip legal managers with the right questions to ask during the hiring process. Check out the following resources to assist you in updating your questions to focus more on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
The direct benefits of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA)-oriented interview questions are two-fold. On the one hand, they ensure that candidates of all backgrounds are able to showcase their strengths and the valuable knowledge that emerges as a result of lived experience. On the other, DE&I interview questions can help identify candidates who may not align with your org’s culture or may be in direct opposition to your company’s DE&I policy. And while a diversity of opinions and outlooks is valuable to any organization, a candidate who does not share your company’s perspective on DE&I may inhibit the overall inclusiveness of your working environment.
Now, don’t be so quick to eliminate a candidate for not sharing your same gung-ho attitude with regards to DE&I. Despite tracing its roots back to the 1960s, in many ways this topic is still new to some — and candidates may simply lack the knowledge of what DE&I actually means. As an HR leader, you’re in a position to educate on the importance of this topic, and there’s no better example than the inclusive environment you’ve helped to cultivate.
As an HR leader, much of your diverse team has likely been on the other side of the table, and has experienced firsthand the ways diversity, equity, and inclusion has been addressed (or neglected) throughout the interview process. These insights are invaluable and can help you continue to hone your DE&I interview question set. (Nicole Fealey – Troop Experience Lead, TroopHR & Former Head of People – 3/13/23)
Questions for the Interviewer | Questions for the Interviewee |
How do you define diversity and why do you think it's important in the workplace? | Can you tell me about a specific challenge you have faced in promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace and how you overcame it? |
Can you describe a time when you had to work with someone from a different cultural background and how you handled it? | How do you ensure that your hiring process is inclusive and attracts a diverse range of candidates? |
What do you think are the benefits of having a diverse team in the workplace? | What strategies do you use to ensure that all employees, regardless of their backgrounds, feel valued and respected in the workplace? |
How do you think companies can create a more inclusive environment for employees from diverse backgrounds? | How do you respond to employees who may be resistant to diversity initiatives or who do not see the value in fostering diversity in the workplace? |
What is your experience working with individuals who have unique abilities or disabilities? | Can you describe a time when you had to address a diversity-related issue or conflict within your team, and how did you handle it? |
What would you do if you witnessed someone being treated unfairly because of their race, gender or sexual orientation? | How do you measure the effectiveness of your diversity and inclusion initiatives and make improvements based on feedback from employees? |
Can you give an example of how you have integrated diversity and inclusion into your work processes or team dynamics? | Can you give an example of how you have worked to create a sense of belonging for employees from underrepresented groups? |
How do you ensure that everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions in a diverse team environment? | How do you ensure that your training and development programs are inclusive and provide opportunities for all employees to grow and advance in their careers? |
How do you stay educated on issues related to diversity and inclusion, and how do you incorporate this knowledge into your work? | How do you incorporate diversity and inclusion into a company's overall business strategy, and how do you ensure that it aligns with the organization's values and mission? |
Check out these mind-blowing diversity recruitment statistics that will surely make you rethink your hiring strategy and get your team in gear to either revamp your Diversity Recruiting initiatives and get one started right away:
Oleeo: Mind-Blowing Diversity Recruitment Statistics
This question is designed to discover what your own approach is to DEI. It can be helpful to draw from your own work experiences, but it's also a good opportunity to look into what these values mean to you and what they look like in your community.
Example: "To me, diversity means a variety of backgrounds, people and perspectives. In my experience, it can bring out better solutions and make the corporate atmosphere more welcoming. Equity means making sure that everyone has equal opportunities, compensation and voice in decision-making, which I think is important in hiring and during a company's everyday operations. When we can make internal processes more equitable, the company can promote talent and attract more future hires. Inclusivity is when we implement these values and help make sure that our diverse workforce feels safe, valued and welcomed."
This is one of several questions that employers may ask to get an idea of how your understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion actually operates in the workplace. Your answer is a great opportunity to show your style of interaction with your coworkers. Also, if you are a candidate for a position at a company that truly values diversity, it can be a great chance for your interviewer to see whether you are a fit for the company culture.
Example: "It's important to me to get to know all of my coworkers. When I have these personal relationships, I can make my team and workplace more welcoming and broaden my own perspective. I try to make space for the personal experiences of my coworkers in conversations. I also recognize that expecting others to explain everything I'm not familiar with can burden them with extra emotional labor, so I make an effort to do my own research on concepts and cultures I'm curious about."
From your answer to this question, an employer can learn about your personal approach to dealing with conflict and how your commitment to equity and inclusion functions in your work life. Good answers usually involve either previous experiences or a well-thought-out approach to a potential situation, and the STAR model is a great tool for structuring these responses. In the STAR model, a candidate explains a situation, their task or responsibility, their actions and the results. This shows both their system of problem-solving and how effective personal methods have been in the past.
Example: "At a previous position, I met with a client who was new to our company and made some insensitive remarks after a meeting. I asked them to stop and explained that we find that language unprofessional and offensive in this office. The client initially responded by saying that I was being too sensitive, but I was firm, and the client eventually apologized and didn't say anything like that again."
This question, like many interview questions about challenges, is a chance to talk about problem-solving. In your answer, try to present a plausible solution to the situation or a technique to deal with the challenge.
Example: "My previous workplace was developing a new product and added a new process to collect feedback from a group of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and years working in the field during the development phase. While this made our product's timeline longer, it was worth the extra consideration to make sure that we heard all voices. We ended up with a much better product that satisfied our customers."
Leaders play a significant role in promoting company values, and this question gives the candidate an opportunity to show specifically how they promote a friendly company culture.
Example: "As a manager, the input process is one of my most valuable tools for connecting with my team members and making our projects more successful. It's a natural way to prioritize inclusion, so I make sure that I hear from every team member when I collect input before a particular initiative or feedback after rollout. I also work to accommodate feedback in a few different ways, welcoming one-on-one conversations and emails in addition to department meetings."
With this question, employers can see how much initiative you take in the workplace and how your values determine your actions. It's important to be authentic, so consider picking an example where your action had specific results.
Example: "My research and development position was involved with the planning for an initiative targeting a new audience. I realized our team didn't have anyone from the demographic we were trying to reach and our initiative might not serve the audience as a result. After a conversation with our hiring team, we were able to bring on board several people for this project who would help us reflect the communities we were trying to serve."
This is a great opportunity to connect what you know about the company with your experiences and show the interviewer specifically what you can contribute.
Example: "As a member of a hiring committee, I did extensive research on what makes an effective workforce and collected data on how diversity impacts a company. I would bring my expertise from that experience to this position and use the techniques I learned to make sure the hiring process is equitable and involves a wide variety of candidates."
When an interviewer asks questions about diversity in an interview, they're looking for information beyond what the common interview questions cover. To prepare for interview questions on equity and inclusion, research the company's values and history to determine commonalities between your values and the company's, then create a list of questions you may hear. When you compose your answers, draw on your own experiences and keep your answers authentic. Here are a few other strategies to consider:
Interviewees:
Indeed Career Guide – 7/30/23 – by Jessica Hinkle
Questions “Not” to Ask
In addition, some of the following characteristics about a candidate might impact how you view them, even if you are not conscious of it:
Arts Midwest: Interviewing Best Practices for Inclusive Hiring – 11/27/2022
A study by Indeed and Glassdoor found that age
and generation were the most significant factors in determining whether someone
values DEI in the workplace, more so than other factors like gender, race, and
sexual orientation. The data showed that younger workers are more likely to
consider rejecting job offers or leaving companies if they perceive a lack of
support for DEI initiatives, race/ethnicity diversity, and gender balance in
company leadership.
62% would reject a job offer or leave a company
if they felt their manager did not support DEI. This sentiment was stronger
among Black respondents, with 80% willing to make such decisions based on a
company's commitment to DEI.
Most U.S. workers consider corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives important when looking for jobs. Around 74% say DEI efforts matter in their decision-making. It even matters more to certain groups: women (76%), Hispanics (77%), Black/Non-Hispanic workers (79%), parents (80%), and Asian-American/ Pacific Islander workers (82%).
Frieda-Marie de Jager – SelectSoftware Reviews – 6/28/2024
Thank you to DeAnna L. Vaughan, CLM, SPHR, SHRM-CP, for aggregating the content for this resource.
Vaughan has been a legal professional for over 25 years and retired on May 1, 2025. At the time of her retirement, she was the Manager, Office Operations for the Houston office of White & Case LLP. Vaughan joined ALA in 1998 (earning the Distinguished Member status in 2025) and was a member of the Orange County Chapter until moving to Houston in 2011. She served on the Orange County Board and is a past president of the Houston Chapter. She has also served on many ALA committees/position including being the Chair of the 2016 Annual Conference Committee, a member of the Chapter Resource Team. She's currently serving on the Association’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee while also serving on Houston’s Business Partner Relations Committee and their Retreat Committee.
Vaughan is a Certified Legal Manager, Senior Professional in Human Resources and a SHRM-SCP. She also completed the Legal Lean Sigma Institute Yellow Belt Certification and Adult Mental Health First Aid USA courses. Most recently, she earned a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Certificate from the University of South Florida.
Vaughan was awarded the 2016 Susan French Memorial Region 4 Volunteer of the Year Award, ALA’s 2020 Outstanding Association Volunteer Award and the Houston Chapter’s 2022 Volunteer of the Year Award.