The power of employee voice:

Creating a feedback-driven culture

Most company leaders say that they want their employees to be heard. They want their
employees to have a voice. But, when it comes down to it, what exactly does “employee
voice” include? Is it simply just about speaking up when they have a concern?

What is employee voice?

Employee voice is more of an all-encompassing phrase to describe the ways in which
employees are able to contribute, influence and share their points of view as it relates
to work activities, decisions and overall company culture. Employee voice includes
things like:
• Speaking up in meetings
• Sharing ideas and knowledge
• Offering feedback and constructive criticism
• Engaging in healthy debate
• Collaborating more with team members
 • Recognizing peers for positive contributions
• Going to their manager with questions or concerns
• Having an overall positive influence on the work for which they’re responsible and
the people around them
Employee voice doesn’t seem complicated – but it can be stunted when leaders do not
convey the importance and acceptance of employee voice with their teams.

Why employee voice matters

When employee voice is recognized and valued, employees are more productive and
committed. They know what they do matters to the company, customer and team
members. Employee voice is a critical ingredient for achieving high employee
engagement, morale, loyalty and retention.
When employees speak up, it’s indicative of a high-functioning workplace. It usually
means:
 • Employees are taking ownership of their work.
• Team dynamics and manager-employee relationships are healthy.
• Comfort, trust and inclusivity are present. People feel safe in being honest and
authentic about their thoughts.
From leaders’ perspectives, employees using their voices prevents companies from
becoming mired in stagnation and groupthink. Companies can gain valuable employee
insights and knowledge, and as a result don’t miss out on any opportunities for
creativity, innovation or improvement.
Additionally, when a person feels comfortable speaking up and contributing, they will
tend to feel more invested in the quality and outcome of their work product, which
ultimately improves the customer experience.

Why employees want to have a voice

For employees, the awareness that they can speak freely makes them feel:
 • Like an active stakeholder
• Valued and appreciated
• Heard
• Supported
• Confident
• Empowered
Employees using their voice has the added benefit of boosting their careers. When
managers and peers are regularly exposed to the insights of an employee and better
understand their value, it can expand that person’s sphere of responsibilities and speed
up their advancement.
How leaders can amplify employee voice
Whether you know employee voice is specifically an area for growth, or if your primary
goal is to improve employee engagement and retention, implementing the below
strategies is a good place to start.
1. Confirm yours is a speak-up, listen-up culture
Everything comes back to the type of culture you have. Evaluate your culture to ensure
that the right elements are in place to encourage people to speak up.
A culture that is conducive to speaking up emphasizes:
• Trust
o Respect for others
o Inclusion
o Tolerance for diverse viewpoints, especially those that differ from one’s own
opinions and beliefs
o Innovation (an appetite for new ideas and challenging the status quo)
o Safety (zero tolerance for harassment or retaliation)
These values must be talked about and demonstrated each day.
But to have an effective speak-up culture, you must also have a listen-up culture. For
employees to make the effort to speak up, they have to know that leaders are listening.
Otherwise, it’s a waste of their time and they’ll quickly become disengaged.

2. Model speak-up behaviors

Leaders set the tone for the organization. Your employees take their cues about what’s
important from you. So, if you want your employees to embrace a certain value or
behavior, you have to model it.
To show them that a speak-up culture is important, you should regularly:
• Share your own thoughts and feedback.
• Challenge conventional ideas – in a positive, constructive way.
• Recognize and praise team members for speaking up.
3. Practice transparency and collaboration
Share as much information with employees as you can, as soon as you can. Whenever
you enact new initiatives or plans of action, hold team sessions and involve employees
in the development process as much as possible. Always look for ways to collaborate
with employees.
The more employees are looped in, the more confident and empowered they’ll feel
and the more meaningful their insight will be.

4. Meet regularly with team members

Trust doesn’t happen immediately – you have to build rapport with your employees,
both in group settings and one-on-one. This also increases opportunities to model the
speak-up, listen-up behaviors you want to cultivate.
5. Solicit employee input
It’s not enough to tell employees to speak up – you have to give them the opportunity
and channels to do so.
Don’t just talk at your team members – invite them to participate in a two-way
conversation. Make it at a regular practice to ask others, “What do you think?” Reserve
time during meetings for others to present ideas or ask questions.
Let employees know that you have an open-door policy, and that they can bring ideas,
questions and concerns to you at any time. If you’re not available at the exact moment
an employee stops by or messages you, schedule a mutually convenient time as soon
as possible.
Consider more formal and scheduled means of capturing employee feedback as well.
You could leverage employee surveys or focus groups on an annual basis, for example.
6. Park your ego
Make it clear, through your words and actions, that you’re not threatened by others
challenging long-held company beliefs or practices and even your own opinions – again,
in a respectful, constructive way. Successful leaders can’t have an ego and take
professional disagreement personally. This is especially true if you want to reinforce
that yours is a tolerant, innovation-friendly workplace.

7. Be respectful
When employees share ideas or feedback, be careful to avoid quick judgement,
criticism or rejection – even if you strongly disagree. These actions could have a chilling
effect on future employee contributions, which can undo all the progress you’re trying
to make toward establishing a speak-up culture.
Instead:
 • Focus on the positive and praise the elements of the employees’ contributions that
you feel warrant it.
• Thank the employee for their contribution.
• Let them know that you’ll think about what they said.

8. Demonstrate active listening

Remember the listen-up culture we referenced previously? In today’s workplace, one
of the most important soft skills that leaders should master is active listening skills,
which include:
• Avoiding distractions and focusing 100% of your attention on the employee
speaking.
• Expressing interest.
• Asking thoughtful follow-up questions.
• Seeking clarification when needed.
9. Accommodate different personalities and working styles
Sometimes, an employee being quiet has nothing to do with your organization or
management. Maybe they’re an introvert and are just naturally quiet and reserved, or
they have a fear of speaking in front of others.
Managers must adapt their leadership style according to personalities and working
styles. Get to know your employees as individuals and learn their preferences. You may
have to identify alternate ways for them to contribute their feedback without
generating discomfort. This is part of having a culture of inclusion.
For example, you could let employees:
• Anonymously share feedback.
• Submit their feedback privately via email or in one-on-one conversations.
• Have extra time to gather their thoughts to avoid a situation in which they feel put
on the spot.
10. Always follow up
If you’re going to ask employees to take the time and make the effort to speak up or
complete surveys, make it worth their while. You can’t just leave them hanging and
ignore what they said forever. This will make them feel belittled and rejected, and
annoyed that you wasted their time. Over time, they will come to understand you’re
not actually listening, nor do you care – and they’ll stop speaking up.
Always follow up with employees to let them know what became of their feedback or
idea. The company will either:
• Implement it
• Modify it
• Take no action
If you can’t implement an employee idea at this time or you have to make changes,
tactfully explain why. Encourage them to keep sharing.
If the company is implementing an employee idea, recognize and celebrate this
employee in front of their peers for their contribution.
If an employee reported a concern to you, inform the relevant parties and come up
with a plan of action in a timely manner.
Report all survey results to the entire company, along with any next steps.
The point is, take some sort of meaningful action that lets the employee know you
heard them and cared enough to investigate what they had to say.

Turn feedback into action

Employee feedback is a powerful tool for driving positive change, but it’s nothing if not
turned into tangible improvements. Once feedback is collected – whether through
surveys, focus groups or informal one-on-one conversations – HR should take the
following steps to ensure it leads to meaningful action. By following these steps,
employee feedback can be sued to improve culture and drive overall business success.
 1. Identify key themes
2. Develop an action plan
3. Engage employees in the process
4. Communicate transparently
5. Monitor progress and make adjustments along the way
Summing it all up
The employee voice is a powerful tool. When employees feel they can speak up and
share ideas, knowledge, opinions, feedback and concerns, this means your company
likely enjoys high levels of engagement, ownership of work, trust, respect and inclusion
among its people. It’s also a great means for companies to improve and innovate.
However, if you’re struggling to get your employees to speak up, enlist the 10 tips
outlined here.