The Power of Employee Voice: A Guide for Board Members

Employee voice is the ability of employees to express their opinions, ideas, and concerns to their employers. It is a key factor for organizational success, as it can enhance employee engagement, innovation, and performance. However, employee voice is often overlooked or ignored by board members, who may not be aware of its benefits or how to foster it. Let’s dig into why employee voice matters for board members, and how they can support and encourage it in their organizations.  Employee voice can have positive impacts on both the individual and organization. For employees, having a voice can increase their sense of autonomy, empowerment, connectivity and satisfaction. It can also improve their motivation, commitment, and loyalty to the organization. For organizations, employee voice can foster a culture of trust, collaboration, and learning. It can also enhance innovation, creativity, and problem-solving. Moreover, employee voice can help organizations adapt to changing environments, respond to stakeholder needs, and achieve strategic goals. All that sounds good, right?  However, employee voice is not always welcomed or valued by board members. Some may perceive employee voice as a threat to their authority, a challenge to their expertise, or a source of conflict. They may also lack the skills or willingness to listen to and act on employee feedback.

As a result, boards may miss valuable insights and opportunities that could improve decision-making and governance and worst-case result in catastrophe or a crisis for the organization.  

Actions to Take

Board members can play a crucial role in creating and sustaining a culture of employee voice in their organizations. Here are some ways that board members can support and encourage employee voice: 

• Ask the CEO and executive team how employees can share information and insights about the company today.  Board members can ensure that employees have several ways to express their voice, such as surveys, focus groups, town hall meetings, suggestion boxes, or social media platforms. 

• Listen actively and respectfully to employee voice. Board members can demonstrate genuine interest and curiosity in what employees have to say. They can also acknowledge and appreciate employee contributions, ask clarifying questions and provide constructive feedback. 

• Act on employee voice. Board members can show that they take employee voice seriously by following up on employee suggestions or concerns. They can also communicate how they have used or incorporated employee voice in their decisions or actions. 

• Empower employees to use their voice. Board members can create a safe and supportive environment for employees to speak up. They can also provide employees with the resources, skills, and opportunities to use their voice effectively. 

Benefits

Listening and acting on employee voice can foster a culture of trust and transparency within the organization, as board members show interest and appreciation for the work and opinions of the employees. It can enhance the quality and relevance of strategic decisions, as board members gain a deeper understanding of the customer needs, market trends and innovative solutions that employees encounter in their daily work. Employee voice impacts loyalty and employee retention, as employees feel valued and respected by the board members and have more opportunities to share their feedback and suggestions for improvement. And it also improves communication and collaboration between different levels and departments of the organization, as board members facilitate the exchange of information and ideas across silos and hierarchies. 

If you care about your reputation you should care about the voice of your employees because they can either be the biggest advocates or detractors of your brand.  

These reasons are not only detrimental to your organization's reputation, but also to its long-term success and sustainability. By ignoring or suppressing employee voice, you risk losing your competitive edge, talent pool and stakeholder trust. I believe boards who have a scalable way of listening to their employees will be the winners of the future.  Nicole Vaughan, CEO & Founder of myCandr