More surprising is that this continues in a living environment where everything is listening, even if you don’t want it to, and with the use of Apps, HR information systems and performance review systems that are super intuitive, it’s actually really easy to do. And also, dare I say it, a good conversation, face to face, listening to employees couldn’t be easier.
We have countless conversations at the dinner table each evening about things we want to do, or buy, or places we’ve been that day or are going the next day, or even things on the news, and the next day there is a reference to it in social media feeds and advertising. If only teenagers listened so keenly!
In recent ‘listening exercises’ we have completed with clients we were told repeatedly:
“I told my manager, but nothing gets done, they don’t listen”
“I have tried to raise my concerns, but it is pointless, nothing changes”
“I used to tell someone or give my ideas and suggestions, but I don’t now, there is no point, no one is interested”
“Why would I share my ideas or concerns? It won’t change anything”
“I am just an employee, I don’t have any value”
“If I do, my manager will dress it up as their idea, and I won’t get the recognition”
“I am scared of looking silly, putting myself on the radar, being treated differently, being labelled a trouble maker or complainer, being believed, being embarrassed, being held back, losing my job”
It is such a shame to hear this. Admittedly, an organisation that asks for a full listening exercise to be carried out, which involves interviewing everyone in a small company or a team/department, is doing so to reframe the culture of the organisation, or looking for the reason for a poor culture, so it is expected comments like this might be made. But it still makes me sad.
Employee voice (aka listening to employees) is a phrase that refers to giving employees the ability to tell employers their concerns, call-out problems, give their views and make suggestions about working practices and things going on within the organisation.
It aims to foster proactivity, collaboration and even innovation. It should empower employees to have a voice and use it with reassurances that it will actually be listened to and be considered in decision-making for the organisation, or where concerns about working practices, bullying behaviours or sexual harassment are raised that they will be dealt with appropriately.
It should, if given due consideration, give employees from across the organisation, in different roles, with differing responsibilities and levels of accountability/autonomy the same opportunities and respect, creating an inclusive working environment. It goes beyond formal feedback mechanisms; it’s about creating an environment where employees feel truly empowered to speak up.
One-to-Ones – we always encourage our clients to have regular one-to-ones with their employees/team members, rather than rely on a once-a-year appraisal. It is a proven way to build rapport, catch feedback and give feedback as it occurs in real time and work with your employees/team members effectively. This could be a quick and easy way to listen, and would naturally have an element of employee voice. It would be very simple to ask for concerns, suggestions or ideas in these meetings and give feedback at the next one-to-one on action taken. This could be added as a prompt to one-to-one review forms and performance review documentation.
Suggestion Boxes – slightly more dated, but until employees feel truly empowered and trust they will be heard in the right way, a suggestion box can give some anonymity to this activity.
Employee Surveys – there are a number of Apps and systems (some included within other platforms and HR Information Systems) that can produce detailed employee surveys and pulse point surveys which are a bit more regular and shorter/less detailed. These will take the temperature of the organisation and may pick up on cultural issues/themes. Lack of anonymity may mask the depth of issues or themes. Employee surveys could have a different focus each year so they don’t become monotonous.
Away Days – an organisational away day, if well-managed and structured, can be a great way to get everyone involved to step outside of the day-to-day and focus more on other things such as strategy, direction of travel, organisational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges (SWOT).
Policies and Procedures/Handbooks – if an employee does have a complaint or a concern they want to raise that steps outside of day to day real-time feedback then having good HR policies and procedures for raising a concern such as grievances or protected disclosures with clear escalation points are beneficial. These should be regularly updated, clearly communicated and widely available and will set expectations on how the procedure will be managed.
Listening Exercises – if a cultural reset is needed, or wanted or a specific concern has arisen that needs more detailed investigation/analysis with a more human led focus, a listening exercise across a team/department or small business can be very useful and enlightening.
If done well, it can break down barriers around communicating with managers and senior leaders for fear of the outcome of doing so, and organisations can demonstrate they are listening in the moment, actively responsive and that employees and their views are valued.
Listening to employee feedback can have an influence on strategy and organisational direction. Employees may provide important information on the day to day reality of how things work or customer or employee experience that you simply weren’t aware of.
Organisations that are more open to this kind of feedback and are therefore more innovative and willing to take suggestions on board will find that their organisations are more resilient in their operating environment and employees will be more open to change and willing to flex for the success of the business.
Want to build a culture where employees feel truly heard? Get in touch to find out how the team at Metro HR can help you listen better and lead smarter.
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