header Hive Employee Voice 90 Days

How to Use Employee Voice In Your First 90 Days As a New HR Leader

How to Use Employee Voice In Your First 90 Days As a New HR Leader

First things first; Congratulations on your new HR leadership role! As you embark on this exciting journey, it’s crucial to recognise the importance of employee voice and its impact on organisational success. 

In this blog post, we’ll explore how you can effectively use employee voice during your first 90 days to build trust, gather valuable insights, and drive positive change. 

One important thing to remember is that you won’t be able to achieve a complete overhaul of culture in 90 days, but what you can do is follow our guidance to make a great start and show employees they will be listened to and their insight is appreciated.

So, let’s dive in and unlock the potential of employee voice together!

Building relationships and trust

building trust

As a new HR leader, building strong relationships and trust with your colleagues and team members is the foundation for success. Take the time to connect with individuals at all levels of the organisation, from senior executives to frontline employees. 

Engage in open and meaningful conversations, listen attentively, and demonstrate genuine interest in their perspectives and experiences. This way you can show that you’re starting to open dialogues to drive positive change within the workplace. 

Creating channels for communication

communication channels

To encourage employee voice, it’s vital to establish various channels of communication that enable individuals to share their thoughts and ideas easily. Not everyone likes to communicate in the same way, and not everyone can. Some employees are out in the field on building sites or travel for their role, for instance, so sit down one-on-one conversations with managers aren’t always as often as they could be.

Whether it’s through regular team meetings, one-on-one discussions, suggestion boxes, surveys, or employee voice platforms, provide multiple avenues for employees to share their opinions. By doing so, you create an inclusive environment that fosters collaboration and innovation.

Employee voice platforms like Hive offer a range of ways in which employees can communicate their thoughts and feelings, so no need to have multiple third parties for all of your digital employee voice needs – explore the option of having it all in one dashboard.

Hive toolkit

Active listening

active listening

Listening actively is a crucial skill for HR leaders as it lays the foundation for effective communication and builds trust within the organisation. In your first 90 days, it’s essential to prioritise listening to employees and making them feel heard. 

By practising empathetic listening, you create an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. This involves giving your undivided attention, maintaining eye contact, and using non-verbal cues to show engagement. 

Asking follow-up questions and periodically reflecting on and summarising their main points demonstrates your commitment to understanding their perspective. Avoiding interruptions or jumping to conclusions ensures that employees feel valued and encourages a free flow of ideas. By actively listening and valuing employee input, you foster a culture of collaboration, problem-solving, and positive change within the organisation.

Encouraging feedback

Don’t wait for feedback to come to you; actively encourage it. 

Actively seek feedback from employees by regularly asking for their input on experiences, challenges, and improvement suggestions. Opt for channels like surveys, discussions, and confidential options to encourage participation. 

Emphasise the value of their feedback and how it will drive positive change within the organisation. Follow up promptly, take action based on their input, and celebrate successes resulting from employee feedback. Creating a feedback culture fosters engagement, morale, and continuous improvement.

encouraging feedback

Acting on employee voice

Here’s how you can maximise the effectiveness of employee voice: 

  • Take action:  Use the valuable insights gathered to identify areas for improvement, address concerns and implement changes. Demonstrate you’re taking feedback seriously.

 

  •  Transparent communication: Communicate openly and transparently with employees about the steps being taken to respond to their feedback. Share updates on progress and initiatives resulting from their input. 

 

  • Involve employees in decision-making: Wherever possible, involve your people in decision-making. By including them in these discussions, you show that their voices are valued and that their expertise contributes to the organisation’s success. It also supports getting buy-in from employees on potential actions. 

 

  • Foster a culture of accountability: Hold yourself and others responsible for following through on commitments made in response to their input. This cultivates a sense of ownership and empowerment among employees, as they see their ideas translating into tangible actions.

 

  • Drive positive change: Acting on employee voice drives positive change, fosters innovation, enhances employee engagement, and promotes continuous improvement. Valuing and acting upon employee feedback creates an empowering environment that motivates employees to contribute their ideas and perspectives.

 

Celebrating success stories

celebrating success

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.

Employee recognition tools are a great way to not only highlight successes but thank your people for their contributions to making their workplace even better. 

Positive feedback

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!

Table of Contents

Related posts
why confidentiality differs in onboarding and exit surveys blog header (1)

Why Confidentiality Differs in Onboarding and Exit Surveys

Read more
5 inspiring examples where employee feedback fuels successful change blog header (1)

5 Inspiring Examples Where Employee Feedback Fuels Successful Change

Read more
how to retain employees after an organisational change blog header

How to Retain Employees After an Organisational Change

Read more