Employees to Bosses: Listen Up

Fewer workers trust senior management to make the right decisions, says ”Employees First,” a survey by HCL Technologies. Workers want more opportunities to provide input and solve problems. They believe that the rank and file wins over customers, not managers who devise grand plans. Yet many managers turn a deaf ear to employees' insights. “Leaders must recognize – particularly in the era of social media and the democratization – that the key to success and growth is getting employees to tell you what’s really going on,” says HCL CEO Vineet Nayar, author of the book Employees First, Customers Second: Turning Conventional Management Upside Down (Harvard Business Press). “As a manger, you must demonstrate that you are willing to listen and take action.” That said, many employees interviewed for the survey indicate a sense of optimism about their company’s future and ability to change. The study was conducted by Michaels Opinion Research Inc., which did more than 700 telephone interviews with adults living in the U.S.