Have you ever asked your colleagues what they would like to see more or less of at work? Have you asked them why they work for your business? Why do they stay, why have some left? 

These questions may fill you with dread. You may be anticipating a barrage of abuse about what a terrible manager and business owner you are. Or on the flip side, is your ego getting in the way? You may think you don’t need to ask your staff for their thoughts and opinions. However, in the wise words of LL Cool J, ego is not your amigo. 

The reality is that your employees will give you great feedback – they will point out some of the obvious stuff that you can’t see because you’re in the thick of it. They may also tell you some home truths that you are aware of, but haven’t quite admitted yet. 

There’s always the “trivial” (absolutely not trivial, but quick wins) – we need more mugs in the kitchen or I can never get parked. It could be something about their job that you have a responsibility to sort out – I’ve never had Health & Safety training  or I’ve never had an appraisal. Now and again, you will get a comment that hits hard but resonates with most – throughout January and February I heard time and time again that working from home is lonely or I am emotionally exhausted at the end of the day. Some of these feelings are accentuated in the Winter months, some are as a fall-out of remote working. Whatever the reason, comments relating to mental health and wellbeing are a concern and should be taken very seriously – help is at hand and action can be taken. 

Asking your employees for feedback on their job, your organisation and how they feel about work, is all part of the Employee Value Proposition (EVP). There are many parts to your EVP because it is all about understanding the culture of your business, why it is unique and what it stands for. You may know all this in your head – or at least you may think you know it – some of you will have it written down in your business plan. If you want to really understand your EVP, and build relevant business strategies and goals for 2023 and the years ahead, you need to ask your employees what their thoughts are, their perceptions and why they work for you. 

The simplest way to start understanding your EVP is through a short, anonymous staff survey – using Google Forms, analysing the data, creating an action plan and most importantly, sharing the results and comments with your team. As a start, you should be asking employees about pay, benefits, flexible working, progression opportunities, health & safety, relationships with colleagues and managers, their job role, wellbeing in the workplace, their concerns for the year ahead…..this list is not exhaustive and you can tailor the survey to your business. 

Your EVP will flow through all aspects of your organisation – from whom and how you recruit, to the culture of the organisation, the ways of working, the communication and teamwork….it is an endless thread even incorporated in how and why people leave your business – is it for greater things? Or do people strop out in a tantrum when things have come to a head? Do staff go off sick and never return? Or do they weep on their last day because you’re the G.O.A.T (I learnt that from the kids). 

If you would like further insights into the EVP and how it can benefit your business, get in touch and we can explore this more. Every business is unique and we can tailor a staff survey and the follow-up actions to suit your needs, employees and goals.