Listening to Your Employees?
Cathie Leimbach • February 28, 2023
With our current workforce reality, it is particularly important that we listen to our employees and act on their input. Millennials and Gen Z, which make up the majority of our workforce, are quite willing to speak up with both suggestions and concerns about their career experience. With the high number of open positions in most communities, they are willing to look around rather than stay in a poor or mediocre environment. Paying attention to their input will reduce turnover and increase morale, positively impacting the bottom line.
Let’s look at 4 common ways managers listen to and act on employee feedback.
- Conduct a large-scale survey a few times per year and share the information with HR and the executive team.
- Conduct a survey or conversations around specific topics within the organization and share the findings will most leaders.
- Use a strategic listening approach using at least 2 different feedback methods and quickly act on suggestions and concerns.
- Various listening approaches are used throughout the year to get feedback on matters that impact business goals and their achievement. All levels of the organizations take responsibility for acting on improvements and all executives champion the process.
Organizations that regularly use multiple approaches for listening to and acting on employee input are 3 times as likely to meet or exceed financial targets and 10 times as likely to have high levels of customer satisfaction and retention.
What is one way you can enhance your employee listening?
Most leaders want better performance. They want employees who take ownership, solve problems, adapt to change, and consistently deliver results. Yet Gallup reports that only 31% of employees are engaged at work. That means nearly 7 out of 10 employees are not fully applying their talents, effort, and initiative to their roles. The question leaders should be asking isn't simply: "Why aren't employees performing?" It's: "Are we developing people to perform at their best?" Gallup's latest research suggests many organizations may be falling behind. Nearly 6 in 10 CHROs say employee development is one of the areas where their organization struggles most. At the same time, fewer than half of U.S. employees have participated in training or education to build new skills for their current job. That gap creates risk. As AI, technology, customer expectations, and job responsibilities continue to evolve, employees cannot meet changing expectations with outdated skills. The impact is especially significant among high performers. Gallup found that organizations providing fewer development opportunities are more likely to lose their best people. The good news is that development doesn't require expensive programs or lengthy workshops. It starts with leaders who consistently: • Connect strengths to daily work • Clarify expectations • Provide meaningful feedback • Coach performance • Hold growth-focused conversations One of the most effective ways leaders can support employee development is through regular 1-on-1 meetings with each direct report. These conversations create opportunities to coach, remove obstacles, align priorities, and discuss growth before problems become bigger issues. For practical ideas, read our resource: 5 Factors in Successful 1-on-1s . Organizations that thrive won't simply expect more from employees. They'll develop people so they can contribute more. Because when employees grow, performance grows with them.
Most leaders want stronger culture. Less silo thinking. Better accountability. More ownership. Healthier teamwork. Higher engagement. But culture rarely changes because of posters, slogans, or mission statements. It changes through thousands of conversations leaders have every week. That’s one reason Jim Brown’s book, The Imperfect CEO , stands out. Rather than focusing on leadership image, the book centers on the real work of building trust-centered organizations. Shari Seckler, CEO of PenFinancial Credit Union, wrote: “This book shows why collaboration and culture aren't soft – they're the backbone of lasting success.” Marc Jeffreys, President of Revision University, described it this way: “Jim Brown’s framework helps leaders foster environments where trust grows, purpose strengthens, and teams move forward together.” In our Conversational Management work, we consistently see that culture is shaped by how leaders handle everyday moments: difficult feedback missed expectations recognition conflict coaching conversations accountability discussions collaborative decision-making Employees usually decide whether they trust leadership based on these interactions far more than company messaging. That’s why books like The Imperfect CEO matter. They remind leaders that organizational health is not built through perfection. It is built through clarity, humility, consistency, and meaningful conversations repeated over time. If you lead people, this book deserves your attention. Order your copy today.