Why saying you have a speaking up culture doesn’t mean you do

Costs are rising – including the cost of silence

The latest figures from an international employee survey show a 3-year gradual upward trend in those willing to speak up, as well as those satisfied with the outcome of so doing. However, of those who chose not to, 34% felt no corrective action would be taken with the same figure fearing it might put their job at risk, figures which are sadly unchanged since 2021.

For these employees, there may be relevant whistleblowing policies and speaking up procedures in place in their workplace. But if they believe they are just there as a box ticking exercise and don’t feel there is either any point or, worse still, a personal detriment in using them, what is the result – decreased engagement, higher turnover, reputational damage?

Savvy employers are aware of the need to reduce cynicism and the costs of silence amongst their workers. That there is no point in promoting an ‘open door’ policy, if their managers do not have the skills to listen and hear what that may bring. And crucially, that everyone in the workplace feels psychologically safe to walk through that metaphorical door and speak up in the first place.

 

The 3 silent barriers HR leaders face today

Cultural Barriers – If inclusion is not believed to apply to all and employees don’t feel their input is valued, that their worth is not equal to others, they are unlikely to risk the repercussions of speaking up. They may feel that they won’t be heard. That if they do speak their mind, a blame culture exists in their team or the organisation and they fear retaliation by colleagues, their team leader, manager, or more senior leadership. That raising their head above the parapet is dangerous and agreement with the status quo their only option.

Structural Barriers – not everyone may be aware of any reporting mechanisms that exist in an organisation and therefore what their options are. A poor response from a line manager or recipient will deter future reporting, as it’s thought less than a third of people will report a concern more than once. Individuals have their preferences as to how they speak up which may not be face to face, some prefer to write things down, others to raise a concern or voice ideas anonymously.

Personal Barriers - speaking up by its very nature is asking an individual to overcome feelings of vulnerability. Often it may be new recruits who, through seeing things with fresh eyes, identify imbedded practices or signs of a toxic work culture. A negative response to airing their observations or being met with an excuse for poor behaviours will result in a further barrier for them. Not everyone will have either the confidence to raise a concern/idea or feel their communication skills are sufficient to allow them to do so effectively in the workplace environment. Those from generations where it was ingrained that it was unacceptable to challenge or air personal views to anyone more senior in a hierarchical setting can face a further personal barrier.

 

Recent research on the return on investment (ROI) of speaking up for organisations

The business case for genuine speaking up cultures extends well beyond compliance and risk mitigation. Research consistently demonstrates that the cost of silence far exceeds the investment required to build psychological safety for all with effective mechanisms for voices to be heard:

Financial performance: Organisations with high levels of psychological safety and employee voice are estimated to show 12% greater productivity and 27% lower turnover rates, according to Gallup research. Identifying problems early through employee input can result in cost savings by helping to prevent issues that might otherwise result in operational disruptions, customer complaints, or regulatory penalties.

Innovation and improvement: Companies that successfully encourage diverse perspectives see 2.3 times higher cash flow per employee over three years, according to diversity research. When employees feel safe to challenge assumptions and propose alternatives, their organisation benefits from continuous improvement and creative problem-solving that would otherwise be possible but continue to be unused.

Risk Management: Research reveals that organisations with effective speaking up mechanisms can experience up to 50% fewer serious misconduct incidents. Early intervention through employee concerns prevents escalation into major compliance issues, protecting both reputation and financial stability.

 

How to help break down barriers to speaking up

Consider speaking up as a spectrum rather than solely a means for reporting concerns. By encouraging everyone in a workplace to share their ideas, they can experience what it feels like to have a voice which is both listened to and heard. This also helps the understanding of why every idea can’t be taken forward or acted upon, but also to see and gain benefits from the diversity of thought which will result from such open communication. In turn, helping to develop confidence should an employee feel they need to raise a concern or issue.

At work, as in life, if individuals witness that what is said is neither listened to, heard or acted upon, they are less likely to say or raise anything directly themselves. By training those in positions of responsibility how to listen, to respond and to encourage constructive conversation will help establish consistency, improve decision making, trust and psychological safety for all. Training everyone in an organisation to help them speak up and participate actively in discussions will increase confidence and, with practice, will lead to it becoming a more normal occurrence and happen at an earlier stage than when silent barriers exist.

 

Resources – to help develop an effective speaking up culture

Building a culture where employees feel free to speak up
A Harvard Business Review article which includes four steps leaders can take to create the conditions where employees have a voice and are motivated to use it.

Employee voice case studies
A series of case studies on the CIPD website which investigate how the human voice operates in a variety of organisations, documenting their experiences as they strive to improve.