Listening Isn’t Enough: How to Act on Feedback

In a crazy job market brought on by the Great Resignation, it’s more important than ever for organizations to focus their efforts on retention. But with competing organizations continually getting more creative in benefits and perks, how can an organization set itself apart from the competition? Focus on retention, not just recruitment. How do you keep your people? Ask them, and act on their answers.

Refresher: What is the Great Resignation?

The “Great Resignation” is a term coined by Professor Anthony Klotz—organizational psychologist at Texas A&M University—to describe the ongoing labor trend of record-breaking monthly resignation rates in the US economy. 

Beginning in early 2021, the BLS has reported an all-time high “quits rate” for five different months of the year—March, April, August, September, and November—with near-records for the months in between. As of January 2022, these all-time highs have been topped, proving job turnover isn’t slowing down. 

The “Great Resignation” has been making headlines since May 2021 with reports mostly crediting COVID and compensation for the volatile labor market. According to the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), the compensation narrative is a compelling one for employers, many of whom are responding by raising base pay and improving benefits in 2022. 

Company culture is an even stronger predictor of attrition, one that employers should not overlook.

Why Is Receiving Employee Feedback Important?

Many organizations saw a record-breaking number of employee departures following the pandemic. Thanks to a shift to remote work and a greater ability to compete in the job market, many employees took the time to reassess their careers and the opportunity to leave for a better position. Increased turnover has put many organizations’ company cultures under the microscope while encouraging leadership teams to listen to employee feedback to prevent them from leaving proactively.

According to a survey conducted by Perceptyx, organizations may find that listening to employees pays off in more ways than one. Results found that organizations with an emphasis on listening to employees are three times more likely to meet their financial targets and goals while increasing employee satisfaction tenfold. Often when employees feel their voices are heard, they work harder and productivity increases.

More than 60% of organizations stated they already surveyed their employees quarterly, but not responding to feedback received can backfire on organizations.

Use BerniePortal to Make Employees Feel Heard

It can feel like a daunting task to find time to gather employee feedback. But BerniePortal makes it easy, allowing organizations more time to put feedback into action.

BerniePortal’s Performance Management Feature has many advantages beyond tracking employee performance, such as gathering employee feedback through surveys. Within the feature, HR administrators can send organizational-wide and individual surveys, notifying employees via email. 

If your organization is trying to gauge overall employee satisfaction as a retention strategy starting point, BerniePortal makes sending out an eNPS survey efficient. To get your organization started, check out this article for 20 survey questions to ask employees for effective feedback.

Once you have gathered employee feedback, it’s crucial to put the feedback into action before it’s too late. One way to do so is to find time to talk to each employee at your organization. 

The best way to accomplish this is typically by recruiting team leaders to schedule 1:1 meetings with their reportees. Using BerniePortal’s 1:1 feature, employees and managers can have one designated area for documentation, ensuring everything discussed is in writing. Meeting with employees should happen on a continuous basis, not a one-off instance, and having a digital trail will make it easier for your organization to remember feedback. 

 

Spend More Time Checking In

Checking in with your employees more often to gauge satisfaction adds another task to your to-do list, but it won’t go unnoticed among your company culture. Routine check-ins allow organizations to spot any cracks in the foundation—big or small—that could contribute to employee turnover. Employees are the backbone of an organization, and ensuring they feel heard by acting on their feedback is a proven way to prevent gaps in your roster.

 

Additional Resources

You can stay informed, educated, and up-to-date with important HR topics using BerniePortal’s comprehensive resources:

• BerniePortal Blog—a one-stop-shop for HR industry news
• HR Glossary—featuring the most common HR terms, acronyms, and compliance
• HR Guides—essential pillars, covering an extensive list of comprehensive HR topics
• BernieU—free online HR courses, approved for SHRM and HRCI recertification credit
• HR Party of One—our popular YouTube series and podcast, covering emerging HR trends and enduring HR topics