VOE is one of the four voices which you should be listening to when managing your organization. There needs to be a balance between the Voice of the Customer (VOC), Voice of the Business (VOB), Voice of the Process (VOP) and Voice of the Employee (VOE).
Overview: What is Voice of the Employee (VOE)?
VOE concerns the needs and preferences of the employee. VOE is defined as the opportunity for employees to express concerns about policies in the workplace, offer ideas about how to improve conditions in the workplace and gather input on how to improve the customer experience.
Ignoring this Voice can have a significant impact on both the VOB and VOC. Jack Welch, former CEO of GE said that “No company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it.”
Unhappy and unmotivated employees will deliver poor customer service which will have a negative impact on the ability of the business to meet customer needs and wants. Unhappy and unmotivated employees will often want to substitute monetary satisfaction for job satisfaction thus raising the cost of doing business. There will be high turnover, sloppy work practices and possibly work stoppages or strikes. This will be in direct conflict with the VOB.
An industry example of Voice of the Employee (VOE)
The company’s HR Manager put together a draft of a Voice of the Employee survey he wished to distribute to all employees. Below are some of the draft questions:
- Based on your overall experience with the organization, how likely are you to recommend the organization to your family/friends?
- How proud are you of working in this organization?
- How happy are you with your roles and responsibilities at work?
- Do you feel aligned with the organization’s goals?
- Are you aware of the organization’s expectations from you?
- Do you have access to resources and tools to successfully complete your tasks at work?
- Are you satisfied with the time given to you to finish the tasks at hand?
- Do you feel inspired to come to work every day?
- Do you feel this organization is a good place to develop your career?
- How clear are you about your career path in the organization?
- Do you feel your manager values your opinion?
- How often does your manager provide performance feedback to you?
- Do you enjoy working with your team?
- If you could change one thing about this organization, what would that be?
- What do you like the most about this organization?
- What are the organization’s greatest strengths and weaknesses?
- What would you do to improve the organization’s customer experience?
- Do you believe the organization truly values its customers?
- Does your manager stress the importance of improving organizational processes?
- Does your manager respond to your questions or concerns in a timely manner?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Voice of the Employee (VOE)
What are some of the benefits of gathering the Voice of the Employee?
Some benefits include:
- Improved employee satisfaction and engagement
- Increased employee retention
- Improved processes
- Identification of employee needs
- Improved customer experience
How can I gather the Voice of the Employee?
You can collect VOE data using employee surveys, feedback systems, employee engagement software, one-on-one conversations and focus groups. It can be formal or informal.
Should I share the results of Voice of the Employee feedback with the rest of the organization?
Definitely. But, be prepared to also provide information on how you plan to respond and address the issues that have been brought up.
VOE is one of the four voices which you should be listening to when managing your organization. There needs to be a balance between the Voice of the Customer (VOC), Voice of the Business (VOB), Voice of the Process (VOP) and Voice of the Employee (VOE).
Overview: What is Voice of the Employee (VOE)?
VOE concerns the needs and preferences of the employee. VOE is defined as the opportunity for employees to express concerns about policies in the workplace, offer ideas about how to improve conditions in the workplace and gather input on how to improve the customer experience.
Ignoring this Voice can have a significant impact on both the VOB and VOC. Jack Welch, former CEO of GE said that “No company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it.”
Unhappy and unmotivated employees will deliver poor customer service which will have a negative impact on the ability of the business to meet customer needs and wants. Unhappy and unmotivated employees will often want to substitute monetary satisfaction for job satisfaction thus raising the cost of doing business. There will be high turnover, sloppy work practices and possibly work stoppages or strikes. This will be in direct conflict with the VOB.
An industry example of Voice of the Employee (VOE)
The company’s HR Manager put together a draft of a Voice of the Employee survey he wished to distribute to all employees. Below are some of the draft questions:
- Based on your overall experience with the organization, how likely are you to recommend the organization to your family/friends?
- How proud are you of working in this organization?
- How happy are you with your roles and responsibilities at work?
- Do you feel aligned with the organization’s goals?
- Are you aware of the organization’s expectations from you?
- Do you have access to resources and tools to successfully complete your tasks at work?
- Are you satisfied with the time given to you to finish the tasks at hand?
- Do you feel inspired to come to work every day?
- Do you feel this organization is a good place to develop your career?
- How clear are you about your career path in the organization?
- Do you feel your manager values your opinion?
- How often does your manager provide performance feedback to you?
- Do you enjoy working with your team?
- If you could change one thing about this organization, what would that be?
- What do you like the most about this organization?
- What are the organization’s greatest strengths and weaknesses?
- What would you do to improve the organization’s customer experience?
- Do you believe the organization truly values its customers?
- Does your manager stress the importance of improving organizational processes?
- Does your manager respond to your questions or concerns in a timely manner?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Voice of the Employee (VOE)
What are some of the benefits of gathering the Voice of the Employee?
Some benefits include:
- Improved employee satisfaction and engagement
- Increased employee retention
- Improved processes
- Identification of employee needs
- Improved customer experience
How can I gather the Voice of the Employee?
You can collect VOE data using employee surveys, feedback systems, employee engagement software, one-on-one conversations and focus groups. It can be formal or informal.
Should I share the results of Voice of the Employee feedback with the rest of the organization?
Definitely. But, be prepared to also provide information on how you plan to respond and address the issues that have been brought up.
