Only 1 in 4 employees feel truly heard at work: How to gather and act on employee insights

A workplace that systematically gathers and acts upon the views of employees will likely be more productive and more engaged.

Globally, only one in four employees strongly agree their opinions count at work. In other words, the vast majority of employees have doubts surrounding their employer’s willingness to listen to and act upon their input.

As noted by a study in Frontiers in Psychology, listening can substantially improve the work experience and job performance of employees. Seventy-four per cent of employees report being more effective at their job when they feel heard, and highly engaged employees are three times as likely to say they feel heard in their role as highly disengaged employees.

“By taking an active role in your team’s processes and listening to their feedback on business decisions, you can foster a collaborative environment that boosts productivity and helps employees feel valued,” explained Business News Daily.

That same study also found employer and employee perceptions of what constitutes good listening often diverge. When an employee feels unheard, it tends to be for one of two reasons: either employers fail to provide adequate opportunities for employees to voice their opinions or employers fail to act on those opinions.

Taking action, therefore, is a crucial part of the listening process.

According to Gallup, setting up a “listening post” – formal opportunities for employees to share their views, for example, through a survey or forum – can be an effective way to collect employee insights.

When doing so, said Gallup, there are five rules to keep in mind:

1. Craft a response plan

Survey data is only as good as how it is used. When setting up a listening post, it’s crucial that businesses establish a clear plan for how it will be acted upon. Part of the deal in gathering employee insights is an implicit agreement to do something about it.

“Input is just the beginning. Answers can lead to more questions. Data are simply a foundation for further investigation and learning,” said Gallup.

“Ask yourself and your leaders, ‘Are you ready for this?’ An effective listening post requires a response team with the authority, capacity and will to respond to and affect change.”

2. Make use of available data

When it comes to gathering data on employee insights, it pays to consider what can already be gleaned from available data. Whether it’s from past surveys, forums, or behavioural observations, employers should mine widely before directly involving the employee.

“When clients ask us to help them with their workplace culture problems, they usually have data, yes – performance data, exit interviews, old survey results – that could already be telling a story,” explained Gallup.

“Or it may help them ask better questions. Leaders should be cautious about seeking out more input on topics that they could easily resolve with what they already have.”

3. Take action on and communicate survey results

Gallup once worked with a client who surveyed its workforce for new product ideas and received over 9,000 employees. After gathering the data, the company did precisely nothing with the results.

“Was it a good idea to ask employees for ideas? Yes. It turned out that once the responses were analysed, several good ideas emerged,” said Gallup.

What was not a good idea was leaving the data to sit untouched for months, growing less relevant and more antiquated by the day. As mentioned before, one of the two most common ways employees feel unheard is when their employers fail to take action on their contributions.

“[Not acting on the data] frustrated employees who took the time to offer feedback that no one acknowledged or took action on. Having a plan to communicate and take action before collecting input is essential if you want honest feedback,” said Gallup.

4. Be selective

Survey apps make gathering data a low-cost, speedy process for businesses. Considering this, it can be tempting to send out a survey for every minor decision – from chair ergonomics to meeting agendas.

Instead, employers should be selective in their outreach opportunities. Not only could excessive surveys contribute to employee fatigue, but they could make a business less likely to take action on each swathe of results. The rule of thumb, said Gallup, should revolve around how useful the data would likely prove to the employer: “Is the answer you’re going to receive worth gold to you?”

“Every time you ask employees to take pulse surveys, you’re taking their time away from work, so remember that this type of survey should give your business a return on the investment of respondent time,” added Gallup.

5. Don’t replace conversations with surveys

Listening posts are best used as a supplement to meaningful conversations rather than a substitute. A listening strategy cannot be fulfilled by any amount of survey taking. Ultimately, the grunt work should be done every day through ongoing check-ins and leadership communication strategies.

“A leader’s everyday listening strategy includes getting away from their desk, walking the floor, having quick conversations and building rapport that allows for trust and candour,” said Gallup.

“Pulse and census survey results are a starting point for more conversations. And it’s these moments when organisational cultures truly change.”