If you are an HR professional or a manager you can understand the importance of getting employees to voice their problems. It isn’t always an easy task. Here are some tips that other professionals have found helpful:
- Find the source of workers’ silence. Are workers afraid if they speak up about a problem, they might be reprimanded? Understanding why workers won’t speak up can help you tear down communication barriers.
- Provide multiple options for speaking up. Some workers may not be comfortable speaking up in front of groups. So give employees multiple avenues for reporting problems.
- Have managers model honesty. If your company wants to create a culture of openness, workers will have to see that managers and other higher-ups are willing and able to broach difficult topics in meetings, too.
- Show workers their voice matters. Staffers may feel like even if they do speak up, their ideas will just be passed over. To squelch that misconception, give workers regular updates on their suggestions and concerns to show the company is giving their opinions serious consideration.