First things first; Congratulations on your new HR leadership role!
Your first 90 days are an opportunity to build trust, understand your people and identify where you can make the biggest difference. Employee voice can help you do all three, giving you a clearer picture of what’s working, what’s getting in the way and where to focus your efforts.
You won’t transform workplace culture in three months. But you can establish a strong listening approach that shows employees their feedback matters, and that you’re prepared to act on it.
Here’s how to get started.
Building relationships and trust
Building relationships is a good place to start. Make time to speak to people at all levels of the organisation, from senior leaders to frontline employees. Listen to their experiences, understand their challenges and find out what they value about working there.
Rather than going in with assumptions about what needs fixing, start with a few open questions:
What do you enjoy most about working here?
What’s making your job harder than it needs to be?
Do you feel comfortable raising concerns?
What would you change if you could?
With these insights, you’ll get a starting point for change, a true representation of where experiences differ across the organisation, as well as it being driven by first-hand knowledge.
Creating channels for communication
Employee voice isn’t about choosing one feedback channel and expecting everyone to use it.
Different people need different ways to share their views, depending on their role, location and working environment.
Start by reviewing the channels you already have. Look at existing engagement surveys, team meetings, one-to-ones and informal feedback. Are they helping you understand the employee experience, or are some voices missing?
From there, identify any gaps.
Surveys can help you spot wider patterns, while conversations and targeted follow-up questions can help you understand what’s behind them.
Employee voice platforms like Hive bring different listening methods together, making it easier to build a more complete picture of the employee experience.
Remember, listening isn’t just about asking questions. Give people space to explain their experiences, ask follow-up questions and avoid jumping straight to solutions before you understand the problem.
Encouraging feedback
Don’t rush to launch a new survey just because you’re new to the role. Start by understanding what you already know, where the gaps are and what you need to find out.
Before asking employees for feedback, consider three things:
Purpose: What do you need to understand, and what decisions could the feedback inform?
Participation: Can everyone share their views easily and confidentially where appropriate?
Follow-up: Do you have the time and resources to respond to what you hear, right now?
Asking for feedback creates an expectation that something will happen next. Be clear about what you can influence, and avoid asking questions you have no realistic way of acting on.
Acting on employee voice
Here’s how you can maximise the effectiveness of employee voice:
Look for patterns: Identify recurring themes, differences between teams and issues that need further investigation.
Prioritise what matters: Focus on two or three areas where action could make the biggest difference, rather than trying to tackle everything at once.
Agree ownership: Make sure someone is responsible for each action, with clear next steps and timescales.
Communicate progress: Tell employees what you’ve heard, what you’re doing about it and what you can’t change right now.
Review the impact: Check whether the actions are making a difference, using follow-up feedback and relevant employee engagement measures.
For example, if employees say they rarely receive useful feedback from their managers, don’t jump straight to a training programme. First, understand whether the issue affects the whole organisation or particular teams. Then agree an appropriate response, support managers to make changes and check whether employees notice an improvement.
The aim isn’t to have an answer for every issue in your first 90 days. It’s to show that employee feedback informs decisions and leads to meaningful progress.
Celebrating success stories
Recognising and celebrating the impact of employee voice is essential for sustaining engagement and participation. Share success stories of how employee input has led to positive outcomes, whether it’s process improvements, increased employee satisfaction, or enhanced productivity.
By highlighting these stories, you inspire others to share their ideas and contribute to the growth and success of the organisation, and showcase that their feedback is taken onboard and that as a HR leader and organisation, you’re invested in creating an even better place to work.
You don’t need a major initiative to show employees their feedback matters. Share a change that came directly from their input, thank the people who contributed and explain what difference it has made. Even small, visible improvements can help build confidence in the process.
Your first 90 days: where to start
You don’t need to do everything at once. Use your first three months to move from understanding your people to taking action.
Days 1–30: Listen and learn
Meet employees and managers, review existing engagement data and understand what’s already being done to gather feedback.
Days 31–60: Identify your priorities
Look for recurring themes, explore gaps in your understanding and agree on two or three areas to focus on.
Days 61–90: Act and communicate
Set clear actions, agree who is responsible and tell employees what will happen next. Establish how you’ll review progress and gather further feedback.
By the end of your first 90 days, you don’t need to have solved every challenge. You should have a clearer understanding of your people, a plan for addressing the most important issues and a way to show employees that their voices matter.
Time to begin a successful employee voice initiative
In your first 90 days as an HR leader, harnessing employee voice is a powerful tool to engage your team, build trust, and drive positive change.
By actively listening, creating open channels of communication, and acting on employee feedback, you’ll foster a culture of inclusivity, innovation, and continuous improvement. Employee voice initiatives aren’t just a one time survey with a quick fix. It’s ongoing. Ensure you continuously gather feedback and make changes accordingly.
Remember, employee voice is not just about gathering insights; it’s about valuing and leveraging the diverse perspectives of your team members to create a thriving and successful organisation. So, embrace the power of employee voice and make a lasting impact!
