Why Are Companies Afraid to Obtain Feedback From their Staff?

In this context, feedback is the helpful information sent to the organization by its employees about its prior actions so that the organization may adjust its current and future actions to achieve desired results.

Why are some companies afraid of feedback?

1. Fear of not meeting expectations

Some organizations are afraid to obtain feedback as they might not have enough resources to fulfill their employee requests. Lack of money, equipment and other resources can put a company in a tight position where it is reluctant to seek feedback from its employees as it won’t be in the best position to meet its employees’ expectations.

2. Fear of bad rapport

There are employees who are assertive enough to discuss freely anything happening in the organization with any interested party, regardless of the impact of this on the organization’s image. The involved employees view this behavior as a sign of boldness whereas most organizations view this as irresponsible and reckless. For that reason organizations are afraid of seeking feedback from their employees for fear of being exposed, thereby b making them reluctant to seek feedback in a quest to protect the organization’s rapport. After all, no publicity is better than bad publicity.

3. Fear of culture change

It takes a lot of time and effort to build a strong and positive organizational culture. Thus, some organizations are afraid of feedback as it might mean leaving their comfort zone (known and comfortable ways) for the unknown, promising and potentially uncomfortable future.

Why feedback is important

It can motivate employees to perform better as they feel valued and appreciated when they are asked to provide input to make the organization better. In turn, organizations are motivated to provide resources and an environment to nurture their employees. Feedback is also important because it improves employee engagement due to the involvement of employees in improvement initiatives. This results in a workforce that is knowledgeable, confident and empowered. Feedback is one of the most effective ways to foster a culture of continuous learning in an organization. This is so because it challenges organizations to periodically assess their goals, strategies, workforce and relationships thus leaving room for improvement.

How companies can request feedback

Organizations can seek ways to improve their operation by engaging with employees through the following methods:

1. Performance appraisals

2. Question and answer sessions

3. Anonymous portals

4. Employee surveys

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