In a recent survey by Kimble Applications, 72% of US employees are eager for more responsibilities at work, showing their genuine desire to contribute meaningfully. Surprisingly, many employers are unaware of this because they don’t actively seek employee feedback.
The survey also reveals that 83% of American workers “would like their boss to ask for their input or opinion more often”. This highlights a big gap between what employees expect and what’s happening in their workplaces. To bridge this gap, employers should actively seek employee feedback. It provides valuable insights into employee sentiments and can help employers better understand how their teams feel about different aspects of their understanding of job roles, responsibilities, and the organization.
The more information employers can obtain from employee feedback, the greater their ability to boost employee engagement rates, improve retention, and elevate their organization as a whole. Here are three practical tips that you can use to help encourage your employees to share their thoughts and insights about the workplace.
1. Know what questions to ask
To effectively gather useful employee feedback and get the answers you’re looking for, it’s essential you know which questions to ask. Explore the following questions as inspiration. Take a look over them and see which ones might be relevant to your company. You want to ask questions that’ll spark meaningful discussions aligned with your company culture, goals and mission.
- What are your thoughts on the most recent project I assigned to you?
- Is there anything I can do to better support you in reaching your goals for this project?
- Is there anything the company or I can do to help you achieve a better work-life balance?
- What projects do you find most fulfilling to work on, and what aspects make them enjoyable for you?
- Which areas do you feel you can improve in, and is there anything the company or I can do to help support you in improving in these areas?
- How do you feel about working with your team members? Is there anything that can enhance collaboration amongst your team?
- Do you have any ideas to improve the process of the projects you’re currently working on?
- Can you provide constructive feedback regarding my performance as your manager?
- Is there anything else you’d like to discuss or mention about your projects, role, or the workplace?
2. Eliminate the Employee Feedback Fear Factor
Employees often fear retaliation when providing feedback to their employers. This fear hinders open communication and may lead to dishonesty. To foster transparency, create a safe environment where employees feel secure in sharing their thoughts without facing negative consequences. It’s important to assure them that their feedback is highly valued and only will be used constructively. This builds trust and encourages genuine insights, benefiting both your employees themselves and the organization.
Consider incorporating these two details into your workplace and see how it impacts your employees’ willingness to provide feedback.
- Give employees the option to submit anonymous feedback. Depending on the type of feedback you need to obtain, this might not be the best-fit strategy. However, in cases where anonymity makes sense, involve your HR department to conduct a survey and share the results without revealing the names of those who responded.
- Create a comfortable atmosphere that inspires and rewards honesty. Establish a safe space where employees feel at ease sharing their thoughts. Express to them their honesty will benefit them because genuine feedback helps you enhance their employee experience.
3. Show how the feedback is applied
Employees are more likely to provide feedback when they see that it actually makes a difference. It’s essential they know their feedback has the potential not only to yield positive results but also to be put to use in tangible ways.
Of course, not all employee feedback will be useful or something that can be put into action, but all input should be considered and respected. This will ensure all employees feel valued, and it’ll help foster their trust in the whole feedback system.
After analyzing the feedback, you have received, you’ll need to decide which input can be incorporated into your workplace and develop a plan for how to implement the information. Once your employees see the impact, they’ll be even more motivated to share their thoughts and opinions regularly.
