"WE'LL LOOK INTO IT"

“Engage” and “involve” are two words repeatedly used by executives, consultants and other business leaders to describe what management should be doing with their employees. Yet during the past 40 years the results of our Employee Opinion Surveys have shown little variation in the rating to the question, "Do you believe your suggestions are listened to?” What percentage of employees surveyed believed their suggestions were listened to?

a. 47%
b. 57 %
c. 67%
d. 77%

Choose one on the poll to the right and click the link below to check your answer.

A 57% favorable rating is the correct answer. Why is this poor rating occurring since we supposedly have more skilled managers who have been trained or told that they “should listen to the person doing the job, because they know it best.” The reality is that hourly paid employees, particularly in manufacturing and distribution, are provided little opportunity to give input. Some employees question why their ideas are not sought when changes are being made that affect their job. Others marvel at being asked to participate in a confidential Employee Opinion Survey, a management tool that has been around for decades. Still a few wonder what ever happened to those various employee involvement programs such as quality improvement groups or the Kaizan process, both of which achieved success in many companies but in recent years seem to have faded from the scene.

Most successful leaders recognize that to be an industry leader, everyone should feel a part of the Company. Asking for employee input is one of the best ways of generating this attitude. So what can you do to improve in this area? How about:

• Creating various methods for upwards communications ranging form town halls, lunch with the President, Opinion Surveys, telephone hot lines, restarting the Kaizen process, etc.
• Training your supervisors to solicit employee concerns and suggestions.
• Establishing a process which ensures that every employee’s idea or concern is addressed, whether it is accepted or not.

Don’t create an employee communications process whereby supervisors and managers receive employee questions, but fail to give answers. If you say “we’ll look into it,” do it, using whatever process is available, and get back to your employees with a timely answer.

"The Survey Says" is written by Richard Reinhardt, Vice President of F&H Solutions Group. You may contact Richard by email at rreinhardt@fhsolutionsgroup.com or by phone at 901.291.1546.