Secrets To Getting Honest Employee Feedback
Your job as a Human Resources professional requires you to support and challenge your employees while improving the work environment. To do your job properly, you need to solicit employee feedback. Employees may hesitate to share their thoughts honestly, though, so use these secrets to get honest feedback and create a more productive, healthier and engaging workplace.
Create an Ownership Mentality
Employees who feel empowered and invested in your company's success are more likely to want to improve it. They will share openly and honestly about what’s working right and what can be changed, which is a good reason to create an ownership mentality among all your employees.
Show Interest
Employees are more likely to share openly when they know you care. Spend time interacting with your employees during the day to build trust. Then, you have the leverage to ask tough questions and receive candid answers.
Assign Feedback Coaches
Your employees may be more open to talking if they can share with a non-threatening peer rather than an authoritative manager or unfamiliar HR professional. Choose several employees to act as feedback coaches. Employees can then talk to one of these peers as they share grievances, suggestions and comments.
Ask Insightful Questions
To solicit honest, actionable feedback, you may establish an open-door policy and invite employees to stop in anytime with suggestions, concerns and complaints. Asking deep questions can also give you helpful information.
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What’s going well (or not) with your project?
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What do you need for success here?
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Who/What stops you from reaching your goals?
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What factors contribute to your productivity?
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When do you feel excited/frustrated/withdrawn/wanted?
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If you ran the department, what changes would you make tomorrow and why?
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What do you hear customers say about our company?
Schedule Regular Feedback Meetings
The annual review gives you time to interact with each employee, but you’ll create a stronger company when you meet frequently with your team. Check in at least once a month with each employee to bond and gather feedback.
Take a Walk
A relaxed and non-threatening environment entices employees to be more honest about how they feel and what they need. Go for a walk, grab coffee or shoot hoops as you remove employees from distractions and encourage engagement.
Go Public
A designated whiteboard hung in a public area invites employees to share their ideas, suggestions and comments. Placing feedback in the open space also adds accountability since employees will look for results.
Make Changes
Show employees that you’re listening and care when you follow through on the feedback they share. Create a plan and share it with your staff as you build transparency and trust.
Honest feedback improves your company. Use these secrets to gather the honest feedback you need.