The desire to be heard and feel valued is natural. From CEOs to employees to consumers, it’s important to provide people with the opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions.
According to results-oriented marketing professional Stacy Beer, “Everybody wants to be heard and ignoring what your human resources have to say about issues that affect them – or disregarding or belittling their ideas – only breeds discontent and exclusion.”
In order to avoid dissatisfaction from your employees, it’s essential to give them a voice to create an inclusive culture that ultimately increases your company’s bottom line.
Increased engagement
Employees are more likely to be engaged with what they’re doing when they feel like their input is being taken seriously.
Higher engagement means that employees care more about whether or not the company succeeds. According to 2013 Gallup research study, employee engagement is heavily connected to several performance outcomes including customer ratings, profitability and productivity.
Emphasis on strength leads to productivity
Research conducted by Gallup has shown that employees who utilize their strengths everyday are 8% more productive than those that don’t. In addition, teams have 12.5% higher productivity when assigned to something they’re good at.
The more employees use their strengths, the more likely they are to report “having ample energy, feeling well-rested, being happy, smiling or laughing a lot, learning something interesting, and being treated with respect.” By allowing employees to voice and actively perform what they feel they’re best at, companies can increase productivity and ultimately profits.
Innovation station
A study by Catalyst shows that the more employees felt included within their organization, the more innovative they became.
Inclusion has also been linked to employees going above and beyond their assigned roles to ensure that KPIs were being met, as well as becoming more driven to propose new ideas.
Innovation often generates passion, excitement and creativity within a company.
Employees as company ambassadors
Employees that are treated with respect, dignity and appreciation are more likely to treat the customer or client that way.
A Westminster College study found that 78% of U.S. workers report that being recognized motivates them at their job. In addition, 69% would work harder if they felt their efforts were being appreciated. Therefore, it’s essential to appreciate your employees in order for them to perform for the client.
Bonding = fulfillment
With technology’s ever increasing presence in the work place, it’s easy for employees to feel isolated. As a social species, neuroscience research has shown that humans need to bond with others in order to feel fulfilled; in fact, bonding and communicating in the workplace are effective ways to increase employees’ dedication to the company.
But how do we do that? Face-to-face interactions are key. Melissa Daimler, Global Learning & Organizational Development Leader at Twitter, put it best: “When I close my laptop and it’s just me and the person across the table, there’s a connection. There’s energy. There’s the reminder of what’s possible if we focus on what the other person has to say. I’m reminded of why what we’re building together matters.”