As a manager, you probably know how difficult it is to get unfiltered feedback from employees. That’s why giving people in your organization an avenue for anonymous feedback is important.
So how do you find the right anonymous employee feedback method for your company?
First, it’s helpful to understand an anonymous feedback strategy, the tools required, and the benefits of implementing one.
1. What is Anonymous Feedback and What Are Its Benefits?
Anonymous feedback is simply any form of communication where employees aren’t identified. This helps develop a company culture of open communication.
Research shows that an anonymous channel for employee communication surfaces issues that leadership otherwise wouldn’t hear and helps leadership proactively respond.
2. What Types of Feedback Should be Anonymous?
You want to give employees an easy and safe environment to share. Here are the common categories we see companies select for anonymous feedback.
Mental Health & Personal Concerns
Harassment
Inappropriate Workplace Behavior
Any Situation Where an Employee Feels Compromised
Open Door (“We’ll listen to anything.”)
3. Which Medium for Feedback Will Work Best for You?
Digital Solution / Software Solutions
Software solutions make anonymous feedback easy and operate in real-time while letting you respond. Dashboards often automate and initiate conversations that are tracked online to help you keep cases organized.
Emily
A common method companies use is setting up an anonymous email inbox. This inbox allows message senders to remain unknown. One drawback is that there’s no way to respond anonymously. If you have a management team, that response will come from an identified person/account.
Surveys
This is old school, but you can use a physical box set up where people can deposit typed or written notes (anonymously, if desired). Again, this is one-way communication and slow.
4. How to Implement Your Feedback Strategy
Once you pick the types of feedback desired and your tools, it’s time to implement them. The key here is communicating to employees that they can understand and trust the channel -- that it’s secure and anonymous.
5. Benefits of an Effective Feedback Strategy
When you get employees to open up, you can improve operations and company culture. If one person is feeling concerned, it is likely other employees are feeling it too.
Having a feedback strategy that includes a variety of methods to communicate, including an anonymous channel, will help you boost employee engagement and morale.
Request a demo today to learn more!
