5 Ways to Boost Employee Feedback

Author: David Godden, published: Jul 15, 22

For any business to be successful, it must cultivate a positive environment. When negativity takes hold within an organisation, it causes a reduction in productivity, increases stress, and negatively impacts retention levels. Therefore, it is essential to take time to develop an environment where regular feedback is valued.

Of course, receiving feedback is not always easy, especially if you hear things that might not be as positive as you'd like! However, it is fundamental in making improvements. No matter how hard-hitting some comments may be, there are always ways to make positive changes.

Here are some steps you can take to improve your employee feedback:

1. Listen to Feedback

The most obvious way (and one that is often ignored!) to improve employee feedback is to listen to the feedback you get. There is no point in asking your employees for feedback, just to forget about it. You might find the same issues arising time and again, and by listening, you can take positive steps to make improvements. Employee feedback should be anonymous to ensure open and honest discussion and by building this important channel, you can better understand how your employees feel about the place they work.

2. Take Action

Listening is just the first step of course; you also must act on the findings. A study by Unilever revealed that traditional employee feedback channels were taking around eight months to take action on the results, concluding that it was better to switch to an ‘always on’ approach. Regularly uncover what your employees want/need and what issues they have and then resolve these priorities as highlighted from the survey (use Thymometrics' unique 'Importance' feedback feature to understand employees' real priorities!).

For instance, if your employees are having problems with management, make sure you offer additional training or rethink your hiring decisions. If employees are unhappy with their salary and development opportunities, take steps to address these, if possible. It is often small changes, or just a simple acknowledgement, that can make all the difference to your teams' work-life. Always act on feedback. Otherwise, you will never improve employees' experience (or their feedback!).

3. Communicate Regularly

A simple issue can often grow arms and legs, and before you know it, you're battling with employee problems and possibly resignations. For this reason, regular communication with your employees is crucial. If you stay in touch with your employees, you will understand their concerns and be able to act on them before they get out of hand.

It is even more critical if your employees are working remotely. A simple daily or weekly check-in to find out if your employees need any support is all that is necessary. Sometimes, just a friendly chat about any subject, not necessarily work, can form a great bond, particularly for those who may be feeling a little less connected to the business.

4. Promote Positive Wellbeing

Your employees are not robots! They are humans with feelings, emotions, and many other things going on in their lives. It can be easy to forget this when you are running a business. However, your business will suffer if you don't care for their wellbeing. Employees need to be valued, respected, and nurtured. They should be offered some level of flexible working, if possible, while you should take time to understand their issues. Focusing on wellbeing will, ultimately, improve your employees' daily work life, increase productivity, teamwork and improve the company culture.

5. Focus on Recognition

Cultivate an environment of recognition. Tell your employees when they have done something positive or gone that one step further. Offer an incentive-based scheme to motivate and reward them. Recognition is a crucial step for improving employee feedback.

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At Thymometrics, you can benefit from our always-on surveys and anonymous feedback solutions. These can help you gain insight into how your employees feel about their day to day working environment. You can call us on 01223 750251, or email hello@thymometrics.com or visit thymometrics.com to find out more.