Make Employee Opinions Count: 3 Steps to Take

Why Employee Opinions Count at Work
Attracting and keeping exceptional talent matters. While organizations rely on new hires to fuel ambitious growth plans, the reality is that the talent pipeline rarely feels broad or deep enough. This persistent gap between supply and demand makes the engagement and retention of high performers a non-negotiable priority for any company aiming to scale with confidence.

Employee Opinions:  A Key Factor of Engagement and Retention
A core insight from our corporate culture assessments is that people invest more of themselves when they feel genuinely heard, seen, and valued. When employees believe their perspectives matter, they are far more likely to contribute discretionary effort, demonstrate loyalty, and advocate for the organization. They also become more willing to surface ideas, challenge assumptions, and participate in the kind of open dialogue that drives better decisions and stronger performance — for both the business and the people who power it.

Research reinforces this. Gallup reports that only one in four employees strongly agree that their opinions count at work, a strikingly low number for organizations that depend on employee engagement to compete. This gap represents a real opportunity for leaders and new managers who want to cultivate ownership, involvement, and accountability. When employees do not believe their voice carries weight, several predictable — and preventable — outcomes follow:

• Turnover decreases 22%
• Safety incidents reduce by 33%
• Productivity increases by 10%

The Benefits of Employee Feedback When Employee Opinions Matter
What can you learn from timely and honest feedback from employees?  Here are just a few problems you can uncover and address when employees feel that their opinions count at work:

• Problems at the Executive Level
  Even the most capable leadership teams can miss the mark from an employee’s point of view. Misalignment in the C-Suite is not always obvious, but its ripple effects are unmistakable — stalled decisions, inconsistent priorities, and mixed messages that undermine confidence and performance across the organization.

  When the executive team is not operating as a cohesive, high-trust unit, the entire company feels it. Productivity, engagement, and clarity suffer. This is where employee perspective becomes a strategic asset. Employees often see the consequences of executive misalignment long before it becomes visible on dashboards or scorecards. Their day-to-day experiences provide invaluable clues about what is actually happening beneath the surface.

  Tapping into that insight strengthens leadership effectiveness and organizational health. It also sends a powerful message: their observations matter. When employees feel they can contribute to improving how the company operates at the highest levels, they gain a deeper sense of ownership and connection.

• Problems at the Management Level
  Teams rarely rise above the quality of their manager. When employees report to someone who is ineffective, inconsistent, or simply not equipped to lead, the entire unit becomes vulnerable. Productivity erodes, trust declines, and top performers quietly begin looking elsewhere. Yet employees are often reluctant to voice concerns about a difficult manager unless they have a safe, structured forum to do so.

  Regular employee feedback offers a critical early-warning system. It exposes performance issues that might otherwise remain hidden and surfaces patterns that signal a team is struggling. Just as importantly, it highlights who is at risk of leaving — whether due to a lack of recognition, an unsupportive environment, or limited growth opportunities. With the right mechanisms in place, leaders can intervene early, support managers who need development, and protect the talent they cannot afford to lose.

• Problems Within the Team
  Employee feedback is just as powerful at the team level. Strong teams recognize that constructive input is not a threat but a catalyst for improvement. When people feel safe offering candid observations about how the team is functioning, performance becomes easier to calibrate — and easier to elevate.

  High performing teams routinely examine their norms, goals and accountabilities. They clarify roles, refine processes, and pressure-test decision-making to ensure that everyone is rowing in the same direction. They also pay close attention to interpersonal effectiveness, knowing that trust and communication are as essential as technical skill. By inviting and acting on feedback, teams create a continuous improvement loop that keeps them aligned, agile, and ready for what’s next.

Three Steps to Make Employee Opinions Count

1. Actively Involve People
   To continuously improve engagement and drive meaningful change, organizations must create an environment where employee opinions truly matter. Involve people deliberately: solicit feedback consistently, act on what you hear, measure progress, and recognize the contributions that make improvement possible.

   When trust is established, employees become partners in shaping the workplace culture. Ask candidly what is working, what is falling short, and what they recommend to make things better. This approach not only uncovers hidden challenges but also strengthens commitment, ownership, and morale — turning feedback into tangible progress for both employees and the organization.

2. Encourage Curiosity
   A culture steeped in blame, judgment, or criticism stifles engagement, innovation, and growth. To truly hear and leverage employee insights, foster an environment of curiosity instead. Encourage exploration, reflection, and experimentation, and reward the mindset of continuous improvement. When employees feel safe to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and propose new ideas, engagement deepens, solutions improve, and the organization becomes more resilient and adaptive.
3. Normalize Mistakes
   Project postmortem data consistently show that mistakes are inevitable. When leaders openly acknowledge their own errors, they model transparency and create a psychologically safe environment for everyone. Admitting mistakes encourages candid feedback, makes it easier to tackle difficult issues, supports calculated risk-taking, and fosters a culture where asking for help is seen as strength rather than weakness. This openness transforms errors into opportunities for learning and continuous improvement..

The Bottom Line
Making employee feedback count requires more than listening — it demands visible engagement actions. Feedback should never be collected merely to satisfy curiosity; it must form the basis of a deliberate plan to address concerns, improve the work environment, and ensure employees feel genuinely heard and valued. When leaders respond thoughtfully and consistently, engagement strengthens, trust deepens, and the organization becomes more agile, resilient, and high-performing.

To learn more about how to make employee opinions count, download Top Tips to Increase Employee Engagement through Communication