Every business is expected to follow good management practices. One of the most important, yet underappreciated, practices involves listening to your employees and lending them a voice.
But can you afford to take such a big risk? What if your employees damage your reputation, become angry, or refuse to focus on their work? These myths couldn’t be further from the truth. Giving your employees an opportunity to speak, while scary, can actually improve your workplace culture.
Here are four reasons why:
More Initiative and Innovation
When your workers are engaged, they tend to have more innovative ideas that can steer your company in the right direction. By listening to their opinions, you’ll improve your business and keep your employees engaged at the same time.
Since employee engagement is directly correlated to company performance and bottom line, it’s more important than ever before to encourage it. Giving your employees a voice will begin a cycle that feeds both engagement and improvement. It doesn’t get more efficient than that.
Lower Turnover Rate
As unemployment continues to drop and the economy continues to improve, companies are working harder than ever to retain top talent. Giving your employees an opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings can improve their relationship with management, lowering your risk of being blindsided with a notice of intent to leave.
This is especially true for younger generations, who aren’t afraid to change jobs when they feel dissatisfied with their work environment.
Strong Leadership
When you open the floor to employee opinions, you encourage potential leaders to come forward. These leaders will bring to light the shared opinions of many of their peers – often voicing them in a professional yet compelling way.
Leaders will drive change, work closely with coworkers and superiors alike, and encourage your employees to make the most of their newfound voice.
These leaders are obvious choices for promotions in the future. And, while their opinions might frustrate you, they’ll often have an undeniable point. You’d be surprised how often this point can improve the reputation of your business, if you just listen.
Trust Between Employee and Employer
There are few things more important in the employer-employee relationship than trust. When employers don’t trust their employees, they micromanage and make things more difficult for everyone involved. When employees don’t trust their employers, they find themselves less engaged and productive in the workplace.
By showing your employees that you’re willing to hear them, acknowledge them, and give weight to their opinions, you can build a collective trust between yourself and your workers that will last for years to come.
Contact an Expert to Learn More
At Top Notch Personnel, we pair impressive employees with companies that need their expertise. Contact our team of recruiters to learn how our references can improve your workplace culture!
