As organisations strive to create better work environments, employee feedback is crucial. But collecting feedback from employees who work in different locations or in the field can be challenging. So let’s explore the importance of implementing an employee voice platform that includes feedback from hard-to-reach employees. From those sitting behind a desk, to those on the frontlines, see how your organisation can encourage them to use their voice.
The importance of employee feedback
Employee feedback is essential for a number of reasons. It helps to identify areas that need improvement and areas that are working well. It helps management to understand employee needs and expectations, increasing job satisfaction, engagement and retention. You could also be looking at improving decision-making by considering your employee feedback and suggestions.
Hard-to-reach employees: why their feedback is important
Every organisation is different. For some, everyone works in the same place, just a desk or an office away from their colleagues. For others, some employees may work in remote locations, out in the field, or in roles that make it challenging to access an employee voice platform.
Their feedback is just as important as that of employees who work in the office. So it’s important to engage these employees who want to give feedback.
Hard-to-reach employees may have unique perspectives on the workplace that are not captured by other feedback channels like face to face 1-2-1’s, or waiting for their annual survey to come through to highlight an issue that needs addressing. This is where always-on listening tools can be impactful. It means challenges can be resolved in real-time and employees can feel comfortable feeding back as it’s completely anonymous.
They may also face different challenges and have different needs that require attention. For example, employees working in the field may have safety concerns or logistical issues that need to be addressed. This is something they’ll be more familiar with, working in this environment on a day-to-day basis. Which makes them the best, most reliable source of information around these issues.
Encouraging hard-to-reach employees to provide feedback
Understood! So not all employees are connected or engaged as well as they could be. What are your next steps to encourage hard-to-reach employees to provide feedback? Well, organisations can take several steps.
Business email
Starting with one of the most basic requirements to ensure your employees can give feedback; an email. In some organisations, not every employee has a business email. And it’s often the ones out in the field that can be without it.
So when your employee voice platform is sending out surveys to gather employee thoughts, feelings and opinions, if you’re only receiving this from your employees sitting in an office for example, this causes multiple challenges. Your insights aren’t accurate, any changes made, don’t account for your entire workforce, and your chances of improving metrics such as engagement, and retention as an overall, will be very slim due to only receiving feedback from a fraction of your employees.
Mobile access
With employees who work out in the field, their access to a computer or laptop can be limited. Ensuring the platform you choose to implement is easily accessible on a mobile is key for engaging your remote employees.
At Hive, our employee homepage can be accessed via a mobile device, so there’s no need for employees to “do it later when I have access to my laptop” and forget about it. They can do it when they receive it if they wish.
Our employee homepage gives your people an easier way to have their say with easily accessible listening tools, so they can access employee feedback channels whenever wherever.
SMS Survey Links
With SMS survey links, your employees will have survey access and reminders at their fingertips. So even those who don’t find themselves frequently using their email, have the chance to access feedback channels and use their voice.
Act upon feedback
Hard-to-reach employees goes beyond location. It can also cover those who are mentally and emotionally checked out where their place of work is concerned and as a result they’re disengaged.
One way to re-engage them again, is to ensure that feedback is acted upon by communicating the changes or improvements made based on the feedback received.
Changes out in the field can sometimes be a little more challenging to implement. Take on-site workers for example. If their site changes month to month, their feedback may change month to month too. Ensuring you look into and act upon that feedback accordingly regardless of if that means regularly addressing issues, is extremely important in engaging your employees.
Taking employee feedback, and doing nothing with it, can be just as damaging for engagement, trust and retention, as not taking it at all.
Always-on listening tools like Hive Open Door, allow your people to feedback, ask for help, and let employers know what’s on their mind at any time. With identity-protected feedback, employees may feel more comfortable and forthcoming with any issues they are having, and employers can go in and respond to any concerns brought forward.
Implementing an employee voice platform like Hive can be a game-changer for organisations striving to create better work environments. It is essential to collect feedback from all employees, especially hard-to-reach ones, who may have unique perspectives and face different challenges that require attention. Encouraging employees to provide feedback can be achieved through steps such as ensuring access to personal business emails, mobile accessibility, and acting upon feedback received. By actively listening to employee feedback and taking necessary action, organisations can increase employee engagement, trust, and retention, leading to a more productive and successful workplace.
