Employers, how well do you listen to your employees’ complaints? A study done by the AMA shows you should be lending an ear whenever you can. Employees expressed a lack of trust and openness with employers and listed poor communication as one of the top 10 issues with past employers. Although listening to employee comments and complaints can be taxing it can also be very beneficial. Opening the line of communication to employees will help you avoid a lawsuit, reduce turnover and give an early indication of problems within your business.
Not Listening + Disgruntled Employee = Lawsuit
A related article to the AMA study revealed the top 10 reasons an employee sues; common issues being harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination and violence. All of these can be avoided if handled properly from the beginning. Employers should establish a channel available to employees, allowing them to safely express concern. Once this is established employers should show the complaint is being taken seriously through an investigation and stay transparent throughout the process. By following these steps employers will establish trust, creating a better work culture while avoiding a potentially dangerous and costly situation.
Don’t have Time to Listen? Say Goodbye
The AMA study was conducted with over 4,000 exit surveys from a variety of employees all of which voluntarily left their jobs. Only 5 percent of the participants left for personal reasons while a vast majority of the surveys showed disdain and resentment for an employer’s behavior. Various answers revealed that employees want to work for companies where they feel they have a voice. By listening to employee complaints, employers can further reduce turnover rates and maintain a quality work environment.
Employees Are Your Eyes When You’re Not There
This benefit is probably the most important one; employee complaints can open your eyes to a problem within your business. To the best of your ability you created the perfect staff; with recruiting, interviewing and properly screening candidates but sometimes things fall through the cracks and what seems perfect isn’t. This is where good communication comes in handy. By establishing trust with employees and providing a way to communicate concerns, you may be able to catch suspicious behavior before it leads to devastating results.
Quick Tips to Get You Started
- Have something formal in place: Create a policy for employee complaints/concerns
- Take precautions: avoid problems with proper pre-employment screening
- Be clear: Communicate policy clearly to employees
- Be fair: Treat every concern equally
- Talk to your employees: Don’t always wait for employees to come to you
Do you agree, disagree or have something to add? We’d love to hear about your communication success stories and tricks in the comments below.
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