Keep your finger on the pulse when times are tough!
In the face of global economic uncertainty, it is even more important than ever to know what staff are thinking, how they are doing and what matters most to them right now. Companies and organisations need to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, and in this environment, the well-being and perceptions of employees take centre stage. Particularly in difficult times, capturing the feelings and opinions of employees helps to create a sustainable and resilient workplace that can face challenges together.
Why is staff consultation important?
Building trust: in difficult times, trust between the organisation and employees becomes more important. When employees feel that their opinions and well-being matter, they are more engaged and motivated. This increases team spirit and improves the working atmosphere, which in turn can have a positive impact on the company's performance.
Early identification of problems: regular staff consultation helps to identify potential problems at an early stage. This allows management to intervene before they escalate into major crises. Early action can prevent the spread of staff dissatisfaction and improve job satisfaction.
Collecting innovations and suggestions for improvement: employees are often the best experts in their fields. They can have valuable insights and suggestions for improvement that management may not have thought of. Consultation with staff can bring out innovative ideas that help the organisation to evolve and better adapt to changing circumstances.
Maintaining wellbeing: in economically challenging times, workers' stress levels can rise, directly affecting their wellbeing and work performance. Consulting staff and monitoring their wellbeing allows for the right targeting of interventions. This can include flexible working hours, wellbeing programmes or other interventions to help workers cope better.
What should you ask in the Vibemeter or in a Pulse Survey?
When surveying staff opinions and well-being, it is important to focus on a few key questions:
What's the vibe?: Our classic question. This question helps to understand the general well-being of employees and any concerns they may have.
What motivates you at the moment?: This is a super useful question, for example in the midst of change negotiations. It helps to find out what factors are important to employees and what things they find motivating - and then do everything you can to make sure those things happen in the midst of change.
Do you have any suggestions for improving the workplace?: Suggestions for improvement from employees can be valuable in improving the functioning of the organisation. In one of our client organisations, we ask: what do you think is the most important thing to invest in at the moment to strengthen our common direction? It's almost the same thing, while helping to drive change on both a concrete and psychological level.
Dealing with difficult feelings and thoughts together makes the work community more resilient.
Overcoming difficulties together brings people together
When times are particularly difficult and even line managers are under pressure, it can be tempting to avoid meeting staff and listening to their opinions. But it's a path to ruin that will take a long time to repair. Constant direct contact and sharing of ideas is the only way to keep a work community together and functioning in difficult times. When it works, the workplace is more welded together and is ready to hit the ground running when the choppy waters come.
