Do You Know What’s Really Happening in Your Organization?

To run a functioning business, it’s important that you have a clear understanding of your current customer base, your orders and inventory, and your pipeline. Companies should also take this approach with their workforces. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get complacent within your own organization, assuming you know what your workers want and how they’re feeling. The truth is, without a mechanism in place to capture this kind of feedback, your “understanding” is really just your best guess. Today we’re exploring key strategies for getting an honest perspective on your organization’s inner workings as seen from your workforce, and how to use this feedback to improve culture and business operations.

Talk to Your People

For real insights into your organization, start by talking to the people who know it best: your employees. They are the ones working on the frontlines of business every day. They are the ones with firsthand knowledge about what’s really like out there. Regular communication with your team is crucial for a productive work environment. It’s how you build trust, maintain clarity, and promote an atmosphere where ideas can be exchanged openly. By engaging in frequent conversations with these workers, leaders can better grasp their team’s needs, goals, and concerns. This allows them to offer the right guidance, gain and give valuable feedback, acknowledge good work, and improve working conditions, all of which boost team morale and efficiency. Moreover, regular check-ins can help identify potential issues early, making problem-solving easier and contributing to the overall success of the organization. In these ways, consistent communication is a vital component of effective leadership and teamwork.

Of course, with a frontline workforce, initiating a check-in isn’t typically a matter of stopping by someone’s cubicle or sending a calendar invite. Town hall meetings offer employees a chance to voice their concerns and ideas, but they also cater to more vocal personalities and don’t offer an environment where everyone always feels comfortable speaking up. To capture insights from the entire frontline workforce, you need anonymity. 

Want Honest Feedback? Offer an Anonymous Option. 

By providing a safe space for employees to express their concerns anonymously, you’ll receive a more accurate picture of what’s happening within your organization and out in the field. ​​Anonymous feedback empowers employees to voice their honest opinions, concerns, and suggestions without fear of judgment or retaliation. This level of candor can uncover insights that may not surface in open discussions, helping leaders identify blind spots and areas for improvement. It also fosters an environment of trust and openness, as employees feel their voices are valued and considered. Anonymous employee feedback also encourages participation from all members of the team — not just the vocal ones — ensuring diverse perspectives are heard. 

Make it a Two-Way Dialogue: Complete the Feedback Loop

The only thing worse than not engaging with your workers is asking for their feedback and ignoring it. When employees share their thoughts and concerns, make it a two-way dialogue. Acknowledge their input and engage in the conversation, explaining how their suggestions will be addressed and what changes they can expect. If certain suggestions cannot be implemented, explain the reasoning behind the decision. By demonstrating that you value their input, employees will be more likely to remain engaged with the organization. 

Learn from Feedback

Beyond building culture, employee feedback can provide valuable insights into various aspects of your organization, including productivity, safety concerns, and other on-the-ground experiences that the company may not be aware of otherwise. For example, using feedback received through WorkHound, our customer Averitt Express ultimately made the decision to stop working with a customer after learning about unacceptable driver conditions. With anonymous feedback, Director of Driver Services David Broyles was able to better understand his drivers’ lived experience, and he took immediate action to support his team, and, ultimately, the organization as a whole. 

WorkHound Anonymous Feedback Platform

WorkHound can help you create an environment where workers feel comfortable sharing their experiences, which in turn, deliver invaluable insights that can help improve your culture and operations. To learn more, contact us today for a free demo.