One of the greatest challenges facing rental housing employees today is not being able to get their work completed in the time allowed. In fact, 1 in 3 employees regularly feel they cannot stay on top of their job responsibilities. The question is, “Why?” However, with so many team members feeling maxed out, it can feel challenging for leadership to pause and ask their employees to provide feedback on how things are going and what could be done to make their jobs more manageable. And yet, that is exactly what can make the difference between a highly satisfied, highly productive team and a frustrated, low-performing workforce. Asking for employee feedback is more than just investing in a survey once every year or two. It’s a commitment to an ongoing conversation that seeks to discover what’s working, what’s not working, and solicit ways to approach challenges in a new or better way. Ready to gain the greatest benefit for both your employees and your bottom line?
Four Critical Steps to Building a Culture of Employee Feedback
1. Request input from all team members Most commonly, this is done through the use of an employee survey. Utilize a third-party survey provider in order to take advantage of their expertise and knowledge of what to ask and how to ask it, but also to create a safe (i.e. confidential) forum for employees to share their candid thoughts and opinions. 2. Make improvements based on what you learn Gathering data without acting on results is a waste of everyone’s time as well as the company’s money, but it is a very common occurrence. There are countless projects, tools, investments, and resources a company could invest in, but without the input or experiences of the employees, it’s impossible to know what would provide the greatest overall benefit. Utilize the team’s feedback to guide improvements, so that those initiatives are actually providing a desired benefit, not just adding one more task to an employee’s already full workload. 3. Share updates on actions taken While leadership may believe it’s obvious what actions were taken and implemented based on the employee feedback, employees often won’t connect the dots. Whether it’s because the change takes place months later or the employees are focused on their day-to-day responsibilities, it’s critical to point to the cause and effect of their willingness to participate in the survey. Let them know, “We have made this change based on what you shared with us in the survey.” Reiterate the value of their opinions and the impact they had on the company. 4. Encourage participation in future surveys Employee feedback has a shelf life. What was true a couple of months ago might not be the experience today, and that’s why ongoing feedback is so important to a successful organization. Leadership continues to build trust by asking for feedback, acting on the information gathered, and sharing the progress. Employees’ motivation continues to grow when they see that their input is important, and that decisions are impacted by sharing their insights and experiences. Continue to ask for their feedback and continue to highlight the company’s resulting actions. Though your organization may feel they are providing an environment that fosters internal discussion and support, 29% of rental housing employees do not feel encouraged to suggest new or better ways of doing things. Imagine the innovation and engagement that could be achieved if leaders tapped into the experience and ideas of nearly one-third of their workforce! Consider taking a new approach to enhancing business performance. Talk to those who are performing, and don’t just check in once. Make ongoing employee feedback a key component of your organizational culture.