Dive Brief:

• Employers may think that they give your employees every opportunity to share, but the results say otherwise, according to Deb Dwyer, president of HSD Metrics, a provider of organizational surveys designed to increase retention, engagement and organizational effectiveness.

• As much as employees might do their best to give you a forthright answer, also expect them to holding back in order to protect themselves, keep their options open or out of fear or nervousness, she said.

• The goal is to get honest answers, helping increase engagement and reduce turnover.

Dive Insight:

Writing for HRMorning.com, Dwyer offers several strategies for bringing out those hard-to-get answers. She recommends that for new employees, employers should check in often to see how they are holding up and if the job is meeting their expectations. 

Other ideas include asking employees how they would manage a particular project or situation, providing employees with opportunities to record and quantify their accomplishments, and establish open forums for talent to shine.

Dwyer cites research from walkthetalk.com that found 75% of leaders report have no engagement plan or strategy. By asking the questions necessary to pinpoint engagement roadblocks, employees can help improve processes like employee reviews and evolve organizational culture. Ask them what they’ve seen work (and fail), she writes.