According to survey data, there are at least 3% of employees who feel they have no choice but to go outside of the organization to address grievances, problems, or conflicts. Although this is a small number, their concerns and frustrations could create a negative ripple effect throughout the organization.
The most common issues these silent employees seek help on include:
- A manager’s skills
- Abuse and bullying
- Harassment or discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, or age
- Retaliation or intimidation
- Ethics or value issues
- Safety issues
- Performance evaluations
You can give them a voice by addressing the reasons they don’t seek help internally:
- Fear of retribution and retaliation by coworkers or managers.
- Fear for their own or others’ psychological and physical safety.
- Fear of or lack of knowledge to confront the power structure.
- Desire to avoid conflict.
