Evaluation sounds like a great idea, if you are an evaluator. But if you're the one that suddenly has someone knocking on your door asking "how's it going," it can be a little uncomfortable, especially if the answer isn't "great!"

One of the most common questions for managers who want to know how engaged their employees are is how to get started without making things worse. They may rightfully sense that there are some pitfalls they need to avoid, but they aren't 100% sure what they are. Easiest to just avoid the whole issue, right?

Turns out there are a few simple things that can help reduce the fear of retribution that can come with any assessment, improve participation and increase the quality of data you get. If you are a manager of people and want to start measuring employee sentiment, here are three tips to help you get started.

  1. Tell them you care about team health and employee engagement. It may seem self-evident to you as a manager, but not every manager understands the relationship between engaged employees and great business results. It makes a difference when you explicitly tell your team you care about their experiences as employees.
  2. Set the expectation that you will use this data as a team to improve. If you're using Kiwi Dials (and we hope you are) let them know that their input is 100% anonymous (assuming you have three or more members on a team). Fear of retribution is the number one factor that will discourage adoption. Recap your commitment as a manager to the team in writing along with clear instructions on how they can install the app and vote.
  3. Build the data into the rhythm of your business. Review the data every week or two at the outset. Review them yourself more frequently and raise issues that concern you as they appear. Encourage your team to raise issues that concern them also.

Simply asking the question and acknowledging what's really happening under the surface, good or bad, is likely to positively influence several aspects of employee engagement. It may feel risky, but the rewards are worth the effort.

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