Editor's Note:
When your employees pass through the company door, they do not
leave their opinions behind. Employee opinions also affect
attitude and performance. Employers need to understand every
facet of their company in order to operate at peak efficiency.
Developing feedback
from employees not only provides them with a way to constructively
voice their opinions, it can also give the employer a heads up on
problems they didn't know existed and develop solutions before
employee issues become employee problems.
What Your Employees Want You to Know (But You
Might Be Afraid to Ask)
by: Jan B. King
This is a challenge for every company owner and manager. You have
tremendous plans for growth and expect a lot of your employees. But
do you know if the company is meeting your best employees’
expectations? Are you providing the type of environment that
supports high productivity and high quality? Do you really want to
know?
If you do, consider creating a Company Performance Review to find
out what your company culture really is. Find out how employees feel
about their environment and morale at your company. The Company
Performance Review asks employees if they see certain behaviors
occurring at your company – behaviors that could kill a company
over time if left unchecked. It will help you determine if there are
ethical issues you need to be concerned about in your company.
This review must be completed anonymously, or employees won’t
be comfortable answering honestly. The object is to make all
employees suddenly more aware that actions that are sometimes common
in companies can do real and lasting damage. It takes effort to
increase the recognition of ethical issues to make it easier to
begin setting standards.
For instance, here are some questions you might consider asking
employees – but only if you are ready to deal with the answers in
the whole culture (don’t kill the messenger).
Do employees…?
Give a full days work for a full days pay
Accept gifts or favors from suppliers
Falsify time sheets or other reports
Gossip about other employees
Do other work on company time or with company equipment
Do managers or supervisors…?
Discriminate by gender or race
Allow unsafe or unhealthy work conditions
Discourage criticism
Forget or fail to give promised performance reviews or salary
increases
Have unfair work performance expectations
Does top management…?
Ignore long-term problems
Live up to our mission statement
Provide rewards such as promotions on a basis other than competence
Mismanage company funds
Really care about employees
When you get the answers tabulated consider these thoughts:
Are there ethical issues you uncovered with this survey that
surprised and concerned you?
Are you setting the right example for employees?
Are you satisfied that the standards of behavior you have set are
high enough?
Are there items that should be added to this list that are unique
to your company or industry?
Do you have a policy and procedures manual or employee handbook
that sets standards on these issues?
Should some of these behaviors be cause for termination of
employment?
Honest feedback can be hard to hear. I suggest you work with an
industrial psychologist or other professional to help you hear the
positive message in the survey results and formulate a plan of
action. The real reward will come later when you administer the
survey a second time and the results have changed for the better.
