Keep your finger on pulse of your workplace climate

A speak up culture is one where employees feel comfortable raising concerns, even if they are critical of the company or its leadership. This type of culture is essential for organizations to identify and address problems early on before they become major issues.

There are several ways to check the temperature of your organization’s speak up culture. Here are a few tools you can use:

• Employee surveys: Anonymous employee surveys can provide valuable feedback about employees’ perceptions of the company’s speak up culture. Questions could include whether employees feel comfortable speaking up about misconduct, whether they know about the proper reporting channels, and whether they believe their concerns will be taken seriously.
• Data analysis: Reviewing data such as employee turnover rates, length of employment, and absenteeism can also provide insights into the health of your organization’s speak up culture. For example, high turnover rates or absenteeism could be a sign that employees are not comfortable speaking up about problems.
• Hotline metrics: If your organization has a hotline for reporting concerns, tracking metrics such as the number of calls, the type of concerns raised, and whether employees are willing to be identified can provide valuable insights into the company’s speak up culture.
• Exit interviews: When employees leave your organization, ask them about their experiences with speaking up and whether their concerns were addressed. You may also want to consider anonymizing exit interviews or checking Glassdoor reviews for additional feedback.
• Analysis of incident reports: Review incident reports to determine if employees delayed reporting concerns and/or if other employees knew about the problem and failed to report it.
• Observations of leader behavior: Pay attention to how leaders respond to concerns in meetings and town halls. Do they encourage pushback and feedback? Or do they become defensive or dismissive?
• Performance evaluations: Consider incorporating metrics related to communication into performance management. For example, you could assess employees’ ability to raise concerns in a constructive manner, or their willingness to listen to and consider feedback from others.
• Focus groups: Organize focus groups with a diverse range of employees to encourage open dialogue and gather qualitative feedback about the company’s speak up culture. To promote candor, don’t combine management levels in the same focus group.
• Interviews: Conduct individual interviews with key stakeholders, including employees, managers, and executives, to gather insights into whether the culture fosters open communications.

By using these tools, you can get a better understanding of the health of your organization’s speak up culture. If you find that there are areas where improvement is needed, take steps to address them. A strong speak up culture is essential for any organization that wants to create a safe, productive, and ethical workplace.

Learn more from our essential guide, Building a Healthy Workplace.