More than a third (34 per cent) of employees in large organisations say that management rarely or never listens to them and addresses their ideas, according to a new study commissioned by IT and services company Vevox. In contrast only seven per cent of the employees working in large organisations surveyed felt they were always listened to.
The research also found that more than half of employees (57 per cent) are often afraid to voice ideas to management about how their role or the business could be improved. In addition, just under a third of respondents (30 per cent) said they either lacked confidence or the opportunity to contribute to company meetings.
Worryingly, more than one third (36 per cent) of the overall sample claim their organisation does not even have a process in place to address employee ideas, and a further 35 per cent are unsure if there is a process. However, 42per cent think their organisation is committed to putting employee ideas that meet the required standard into development.
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Peter Eyre, managing director, Vevox, commented,
Organisations must start making employees wellbeing a priority and listening to them will begin to make sure they feel valued and engaged while at work. Businesses need to start moving from the visionary phase to actually putting processes and systems in place that actively address the feedback and ideas that employees have to offer. At the moment there is clearly an engagement gap.
Respondents were also asked which process to assess and develop ideas they would like to see in their organisation. The two most popular options were ‘suggestion boxes’ (41 per cent) and ‘engagement with the management team’ (28 per cent).
The survey also found that if management listened to and addressed more of their ideas, 55 per cent of employees would feel happier and more valued, while almost a quarter (23 per cent) felt they would be more able to voice their opinions openly in the future.
Eyre commented,
It’s clear that employees within large organisations increasingly want to put their ideas forward to management, whether that is anonymously or face to face, and they would feel happier and more confident about coming forward in the future if they felt management was taking their ideas more seriously and addressing them properly. Management need to take this on board and look at measures they can introduce to ensure they are listening to their employees and engaging with them more positively.
Interested in enaged employees? We recommend the Talent Management and Leadership Development Summit 2019, and Job Design for Good Work and Increased Productivity training day.
Aphrodite is a creative writer and editor specialising in publishing and communications. She is passionate about undertaking projects in diverse sectors. She has written and edited copy for media as varied as social enterprise, art, fashion and education. She is at her most happy owning a project from its very conception, focusing on the client and project research in the first instance, and working closely with CEOs and Directors throughout the consultation process. Much of her work has focused on rebranding; messaging and tone of voice is one of her expertise, as is a distinctively unique writing style in my most of her creative projects. Her work is always driven by the versatility of language to galvanise image and to change perception, as it is by inspiring and being inspired by the wondrous diversity of people with whom paths she crosses cross!
Aphrodite has had a variety of high profile industry clients as a freelancer, and previously worked for a number of years as an Editor and Journalist for Prospects.ac.uk.
Aphrodite is also a professional painter.
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