Most every owner or manager recognizes the value of listening to employees. To listen is to understand how they see the business. There are many options for sourcing feedback that range from spontaneous conversations in the office to formal surveys.
But how can you get the most out of employee engagement when it comes to learning about their perspective?
There’s no one answer. It is a process, but one that begins with selecting a useful feedback tool. Here at VoiceSifter, we advocate for anonymous employee feedback as a smart way to listen to anyone in your business that wants to share their input. Since it can be tricky to read between the lines of how an employee feels in a face-to-face conversation, and nerve-wracking for that employee to voice issues, these conversations don't always result in clarity.
That's why anonymity helps more employees to open up. If you want to keep great talent, then letting everyone feel that they have a safe way to share feedback is crucial.
Here are some key benefits:
Surfacing Issues With an Anonymous Feedback Tool
Employees respond well to a space where they know that what they share remains confidential. As someone listening on the other side, you gain valuable insights because anonymity also encourages specificity. It’s in the details where you can find inspiration for innovation, discover a consensus for issues to solve at the system level, and address various employee personalities' individual human needs. The "H" in "HR" stands for "Human" after all.
Solving Issues with Conversation
Encouraging comments through an anonymous feedback tool earns trust. People see an anonymous approach as free from agenda (such as wanting to know who said what) and demonstrates your desire to listen and respond.
While no legitimate anonymous feedback tool will secretly identify anyone, holding a conversation through a platform like VoiceSifter lets our users continue to nurture trust with staff, and many employees in this environment soon feel comfortable self-identifying. At this point, HR personnel can sit down or get on the phone to resolve the specifics of that employee's issue or offer encouragement for a business-improving idea.
Most Businesses Lack a Support Program... and Know It
One Deloitte survey found that 80% "of organizations believe their employees are overwhelmed with information and activity at work (21 percent cite the issue as urgent), yet fewer than 8 percent have programs to deal with the issue." Wow.
In this case, you don't want to be like most businesses but find yourself in the top 10 percent with a useful feedback program.
So, what next?
Change the Game
Fun fact: improving your business culture boosts your business. Employee feedback remains crucial to fixing issues that harm culture and to sourcing ideas for innovation to distinguish your company.
Let employee voices be heard by showing that you care most about the content of their messages by adopting an anonymous feedback tool. We've seen the results, and they are worth it.
