The Overlooked Role of Worker Voice

An expert on work-life issues and labor relations asserts in this Enterprise Engagement Alliance YouTube Show that worker voice is a generally overlooked source of value creation and risk reduction. This article and webinar provides an overview of the opportunities, benefits, challenges, and steps to success.

Companies frequently say that workers are their No. 1 asset, but what does that truly mean in practical terms? It stands to reason that if this is so, employees would be central to all key decisions related to innovation, continuous improvement, quality, productivity, culture, wellness, and safety. The question is: to what extent do organizations truly engage employees not only in providing feedback on their current level of engagement and satisfaction with the culture but gaining their active participation in crafting critical strategies consistent with the organization’s purpose, values, goals, and objectives.

The answer is very little, says, Larry Beeferman, Independent Consultant and Fellow, at Harvard Law School Center for Labor and a Just Economy, who joined the Enterprise Engagement Alliance as a guest on the EEA YouTube show to share the findings of his recent paper, “Managers: Attuned to Change but Tone-Deaf to Worker Voice?” It provides a compilation of insights from a review of research and papers on this subject.

Very few companies, he underlines, and that means their CEOs, have a clear understanding of worker voice, the benefits, what it involves, and why it’s so important to organizational success. Here’s a summary of his perspective and recommendations.