7 Things Your Employees Won't Tell You, But Should

If you could be a mind reader in your company for one day, what would you hear? Would you hear how excited employees are to come to work? How thrilled they are with leadership? Or would it be something far less flattering?

According to a recent poll by Gallup, 70 percent of American workers aren’t engaged in their workplace. So if you suddenly became a mind reader, it’s unlikely everything you’d hear would be positive. Knowing what employees secretly think about your company and leadership, however, could help you improve your company culture. While these lessons might be hard to take, they would actually be useful in making the office a happier and more productive workplace.

So let’s queue up our mind-reading ability and see what your employees are really thinking:

1. “I hate meetings.”

While you might think your weekly or quarterly meetings are an essential tool to get everyone on the same page, most of your employees probably see them as giant time wasters. And your worker bees aren’t alone in their hatred of meetings. Executive coach Rick Gilbert found 67 percent of executives actually hate meetings too.

Cut down the amount of meetings you need with clearer and more actionable communication. When you do need to hold a meeting, invite only the necessary individuals, and put a hard stop time in place so employees know they won’t be stuck there all day.

2. “I’m not getting paid enough.”

It’s likely your employees feel they’re worth more than they’re being paid. After all, a recent study found 76 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck with little or no emergency savings. According to Gallup research, 22 percent of employee turnover can be ascribed to pay and benefits.

If your employees are doing a great job, reward them with a little extra cash. Bumping up the salaries of your best people can save you in the long run, since employee turnover can set you back one-fifth of a worker’s annual salary.

3. “I didn’t actually mean it when I said I’d be willing to take your call on vacation.”

You might offer employees vacation time, but if their phone is still ringing with questions, it’s vacation in name only. In fact, America is the only advanced economy which doesn’t require paid vacations. So when your people take a few days off as a break, put down the phone and let them enjoy their time in the sun.

4. “I’d love to give you feedback but I’m afraid of being honest.”

Employees don’t just crave feedback, they’d also like to give honest criticisms as well. Unfortunately, most employees just don’t feel comfortable enough to share their real feelings with bosses, managers, and executives. Your employees might have great ideas and innovative concepts for how to improve your workplace, but you’ll never know unless you create a safe space to share these thoughts.

5. “I don’t want to go to the office party.”

You might think your office parties are fun, but they can be torture for the people who attend. While some employees just want to escape the workplace on off hours, others will have a little too much fun and hurt their professional image.

According to a 2010 Adecco survey, 40 percent of employees have seen or suffered a major indiscretion at a work party. Instead of large-scale parties, have optional events and happy hours so your employees who want to sit the party out can feel comfortable skipping.

6. “I wish you kept us in the loop.”

Employees want to feel involved, but often your communication skills leave a lot to be desired. In a CNN survey, 32 percent of respondents said the written and verbal communication in their company was poor. Miscommunication can cost an organization 25 to 40 percent of its annual budget.

You need to find a way to improve communication. Clearly communicate your company goals with all workers and make sure to touch base frequently, so everyone understands which direction the company is moving.

7. “I don’t feel like you trust your employees.”

Researcher John F. Helliwell found there’s an extremely high correlation between life satisfaction and levels of trust in the workplace. Employees who feel trusted feel empowered to provide feedback and make suggestions. They also feel as if they’re an instrumental part in the success of failure of your company, leading to higher engagement and intrinsic motivation.

“Just moving up one point on a 10-point scale of trust in your management has the life satisfaction equivalence of something like a one-third increase in income,” Helliwell said in an interview with Gallup Business Journal.

You might think your company culture is top notch, but it’s likely you’re falling down on the job. You don’t need mind-reading skills in order to address some of these common employee complaints. By rewarding your best people, trusting them, and improving communication, you can get your company back on track.

What do you think? What are your employees not telling you? Share in the comments!

Image Courtesy ofEwan McIntosh; Flickr

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About Ilya Pozin:

Founder of Open Me and Ciplex. Columnist for Inc, Forbes & LinkedIn. Gadget lover, investor, mentor, husband, father, and '30 Under 30' entrepreneur. Follow Ilya below to stay up-to-date with his articles and updates!