Here’s Why You Need To Pay Attention to Your Employees’ Feedback

70% of employees and 82% of CEOs say an empathetic workplace is directly tied to a company’s financial performance, but 75% of employees say empathy needs to evolve. Here’s a look at how employee feedback can be one of your greatest assets for driving real results.

Employee feedback is one of the most valuable assets a company can look at to drive success. For HR pros like you, it’s also one of the top barometers you can look at to gauge the reality of your workplace culture.  

We’ve been studying empathy in the workplace for nearly a decade now and across every study we’ve run, we continue to see several of the same takeaways: Employees want and need an empathetic work environment to feel successful and supported.  

But empathy is not one-size-fits-all. So how can you possibly evaluate where your organization needs to shift gears or pivot entirely? For us, investing in leadership coaching and employee feedback has paid dividends for our culture, our people, and our clients. 

Here’s a look at why it works. 

Real empathy requires strong leadership beyond the C-suite

Empathy is more than just a buzzword; it’s a vital component of a thriving workplace. Over the years, we’ve discovered that organizations that prioritize empathy see significant improvements in employee satisfaction and productivity—which directly impacts business performance. Empathy-driven companies are better equipped to handle conflicts, adapt to change, and build strong team dynamics. 

However, empathy isn’t always easy to execute on. Many leaders struggle to balance empathy with business demands, especially in high-pressure environments. To truly harness the power of empathy, your people leaders need to balance emotional intelligence with business acumen.  

Here’s a look at how we equip our Solver leaders execute on empathy:   

• Leadership training: We support our Solver leaders with trainings, like Connected Leader, to help them balance the logistics of people-leading with being empathetic coaches and peers.  

• Regular check-ins between HR and leaders: Our HR team (we call it Engagement at Businessolver) has standing 1:1s with people leaders to provide coaching and continuing support to help leaders navigate coaching, delegation, prioritization, and more. 

• Coaching and providing regular feedback in 1:1s and other channels: Good and effective coaching takes work—and trust. We help all Solvers build this from Day 1 with 1:1 frameworks, anonymous surveys, and regular performance reviews to ensure everyone has what they need to be successful. 

• Making time to connect as humans: All work and no play makes us really bored. Building community through avenues like volunteer initiatives, team wellness activities, and even virtual coffee chats creates more space for our Solvers to bring their authentic selves to work and connect beyond their project lists. 

8 questions to ask your employees to monitor empathy at work

At Businessolver, we’ve been gathering feedback from our Solvers for 9+ years. We call it “employee pulsing” and it’s one of our greatest tools to truly understand what our people need to come to work as their most authentic, happiest selves. These insights are not just observations but actionable strategies to improve workplace dynamics, address mental health challenges, and enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives. 

Here’s what we ask our Solvers: 

• Do you enjoy what you do?  

• Do you feel connected to your leader?  

• Are you empowered to make decisions and maintain a balance between conflicting priorities?  

• Have you received quality feedback from your leader in the past month? 

• Do you feel like you have a strong support network? 

• Do you have the tools and resources you need to perform? 

• Do you have a sense of belonging at work?  

• Do you have opportunities / are you encouraged to grow and develop your skills? 

These questions help our leaders across the organization understand what’s working, what isn’t, and where our Solvers need others to show up more. We run this survey regularly—at least monthly, but Solvers are welcome to fill it out as often as they need—and review results at the individual, team, and organization levels to assess and address opportunities.  

How to balance accountability and empathy at work

Empathy and accountability go hand in hand. While empathy fosters understanding and compassion, accountability ensures that actions align with organizational values. Feedback has shown that employees appreciate when leaders demonstrate empathy while holding themselves and others accountable. 

Building a culture of empathy and accountability requires clear communication, consistency, and transparency. Leaders should set expectations and provide feedback constructively. This approach not only strengthens relationships but also promotes a sense of responsibility among employees. 

Providing opportunities for growth and development is another crucial strategy. When employees feel supported in their professional journeys, they are more likely to take ownership of their roles. This, in turn, enhances accountability and contributes to a positive workplace culture. 

Learn more about how community and feedback are the foundation to a healthy and successful organization in our latest State of Workplace Empathy study.