Feedback is an essential part of successful; communication, and when it comes to workplace communication, only employee feedback can improve the culture. This is why getting reactions and feedback from your employees must need a central place where they can dump their thoughts and share their ideas. This is the primary concept of a suggestion box, so read along to know how you can make one at your office.
What is an employee suggestion box?
Before moving forward with how to make one, let’s discuss what a suggestion box is. At workplaces, a suggestion box is a tool that companies use to collect feedback from their employees with the sole purpose of making improvements. It is placed at a central location which is accessible to everyone.
How do you create a suggestion box at the workplace?
Now that you know what a suggestion box is and what purpose it serves, let’s focus on how you can build one.
1. Get the management on board:
The first step of creating a suggestion box would be getting the entire management on board. Sell the idea to them and make them understand how important it can be for your business. Then get the HR approval and make a plan including guidelines for handling suggestions.
2. Ask for input:
The next step would be to ask your employees so that you can know what kind of suggestion box is the most convenient for them and whether they prefer a physical or an online suggestion box.
3. Create the suggestion box:
If you are going with a physical suggestion box keep it at a central location where everyone can access it. You can keep it in the cafeteria or beside the coffee machine so that everyone can use it. Make sure the box is safe and no one can tamper with it or alter any forms others have submitted. If it's online, make sure the link is working and everyone has it. It is also better if you keep anonymity when it comes to online submission to respect your employees' privacy.
4. Provide the employees with a suggestion form:
After creating the suggestion box, the next step is to create a form regarding the feedback. Sure it is a safe space where your employees can share their thoughts and ideas, but most of the time employees appreciate having guidelines. You can also add some questions in the form such as "Why do you want to make this change?", "How might this change influence the company or workplace?", "What steps can management take to make this change?", etc. These questions will help you understand their ideas more straightforwardly.
5. Review the suggestions routinely:
After you start getting suggestions and your employees' ideas, it is time for you to review them. Make a schedule, which can be weekly or monthly, where the entire management team sits together to work on the suggestions and review them properly. You also need to explain to your employees how often you are going to review their suggestions.
6. Acknowledge the effort and work on the recommendations:
After the review is done, it is time to take some action. First of all, after the employees have submitted their suggestions you need to start acknowledging them. Send out acknowledgment letters to your employees and then start working on them. Throughout the entire process, you need to maintain full transparency with your employees and team members.
After you are done reviewing and working on them if the result helps your business, make sure to reward your employees for it.
