To gain the full commitment of the workforce, every company requires an open channel of communication. Even the smallest sense of dissatisfaction can have a negative impact on employee motivation, productivity and organisational commitment.With the rise of the Internet and social media, employee discontent can go viral. Glassdoor.com has quickly grown into more than just a popular place to find information about company positions and salaries. The corporate information site is sending messages to your employees asking for anonymous feedback, and many are responding. Even seemingly innocuous responses can communicate a great deal:
At Microsoft the negative comments are pretty staid:"mediocre management" "dinosaurs at the top"
At IBM, they are more biting. One technical solutions manager ponders why IBM disposes of its most "important assets" like "used kleenex."
Worst still, it is highly unlikely, but not improbable,that a dissatisfied whistleblower could turn to Wikileaks — the site that has attracted the world's whistleblowers and conspiracy theorists.
Here, Microsoft is not doing as well. Disgruntled employees have caught microsoft sabotaging open source and lobbying for Obama.
An employee feedback system — the employee suggestion box — is a key communication tool for ensuring all channels of communication are open. Consider having both an anonymous box — the truth hurts but these will provide the most constructive feedback — and a box tied to a reward system.
1. Employee suggestion boxes are often neglected. Reward and incentives have been very successful in getting employees to share ideas and complaints.
2. Use a virtual employee suggestion box — a blog or Facebook page. Consider an internal Twitter with inspiring ideas and tweets that inspire colleagues to join in.
3. Appoint employee suggestion review teams with rotating members to keep staff engaged in processing feedback.
4. Be sure to develop categories to create structure and encourage feedback in core areas — cost savings, productivity, workplace wellbeing.
5. Like any forum, you require rules and a moderator. Senior management presence will make employees feel heard.
The price of a disgruntled employer has never been higher. Stifle any discontent before it leaves your company walls
