The following, provided by Grass Roots UK Limited are hints and tips on why it is important to let employees have their say as well as ideas on how to get started with employee voice.
Letting employees have their say is important because…
Employees who are invited to ask questions, share ideas and say what’s on their mind feel valued, are more likely to engage themselves fully in their tasks and perform to the best of their ability.
Employees who are listened to without being judged are likely to positively contribute to ideas sessions and decision-making
Things you can do:
Ask open questions when talking to employees in 1:1 meetings or on the production floor. Open questions (ones which cannot be answered ‘yes’ or ‘no’) will encourage a relaxed two way conversation. “What do you think?” “Tell me about…” “You look concerned, what questions do you want to ask?” “You look pleased! What do you think of…” “What was the most challenging part of…” “How did it go?” “What concerns do you have?” “What can I do to help?” “What ideas do you have about…” “How would you tackle it?”
Listen to employees. Practice your listening techniques; maintain eye contact, nod appropriately, repeat sections of speech back, ask questions. If the person you are talking to can see that you’re really listening to them, they will tell you more and so you’ll find out more.
Create opportunities for employees to suggest improvements to their own working practices. They will feel involved and the department will reap the rewards.
