Goodbye, Assumptions. Hello, Fact-Based Action.

Many companies in all industries rely on their assumptions — their best guesses — about what their employees need and want. They may even simply depend on their gut instincts when it comes to operational changes and improvements. 

The reality, though, is that the people putting in the work are the ones who best understand your company’s pain points and where improvements are needed. 

In the trucking industry, time wasted on assumptions may lead to lost drivers, increased turnover, and higher costs associated with hiring and training new employees. It goes without saying that those missteps come with a steep price tag. We know relying on guesses clearly isn’t the best strategy… But what is?

Using a feedback mechanism can provide companies with data and real-time information about what actions and changes will actually be helpful. In the long run, this saves headaches and money, and today, we’re breaking down how.

5 Reasons Investing in a Feedback Program Pays Off

When you’re in an HR role or leading a team of drivers, getting inside the heads of your employees can be invaluable. 

You want your employees to stick around, and you try to make decisions that will boost the odds of that happening. Why not arm yourself with the resources you need to be most successful in your efforts?

Here’s how having actual insights from your employees can help:

1. Assumptions Are Expensive

The result of assumptions is wasted time and money. While there’s no definitive data out there about how much time and money is wasted annually on assumptions or guesses without the backing of data, we know that it’s a lot! What you think or even believe you know may be wrong, or you may wind up investing time and money into the wrong decision. Putting money into a potential “solution” that turns out to be unhelpful benefits neither your company nor your drivers.

2. Data Can Help Companies Streamline Their Change-Management Process

Having real-time information from the drivers themselves can help your company see exactly what you need to act upon. Their feedback can help you cut through the clutter and take action on the specifics that drivers need to remain on your team. Instead of guessing at what your company’s priorities should be, you can make highly targeted and informed decisions.

3. What’s Measured Gets Managed

Beyond simply capturing the needs and wants of your drivers in real-time, maintaining an employee feedback program is also invaluable in another sense: It allows you to create a database of information related to driver needs, wants, and best practices. Investing in a feedback program, then, can help ensure that your organization is making consistent progress and focusing time and energy in the right areas.

An added benefit of seeking feedback through WorkHound? We’re focused on measurement, too. Our team is working to keep tabs on the industry and help all of our clients work more efficiently. We’re committing to cultivating insights that can help us all.

4. Worker Insights Can Refocus Your Mindset

When you’re making assumptions about what workers need, you’re not seeing issues from the right vantage point: directly from the driver’s perspective. When it comes down to it, that data can help you accurately assess how to quickly take care of your employees. That brings us to our last (and maybe most important) point…

5. Worker Insights Can Improve Safety

Obviously, your company is aware of the laws and guidelines related to promoting safety on the road and in daily operations. But you also have everyday practices and protocols established internally to improve the safety of your drivers and your entire team. If the person who creates those is someone who doesn’t have “boots on the ground,” you may be missing some elements that could boost safety. Drivers are likely to see potential safety hazards crop up more quickly than someone in the office, and they’re also better able to make suggestions about potential solutions.

Is it time to quit basing your actions on assumptions and start arming yourself with valuable information? Sign up for a free demo to learn how WorkHound can help!