Employee suggestion boxes allow workers to give anonymous feedback on how to improve the workplace. Figuring out why workers are unhappy can help pinpoint why they are leaving their jobs and feeling unmotivated.

This article talks about why employee suggestion boxes are important and how you can make your own with Formaloo.

Organizations may also use employee engagement surveys to gauge how workers feel about management and work culture. Supervisors can utilize this form to gain direct feedback from employees and identify areas for improvement.

What is an employee suggestion box?

Employee suggestion boxes are bins in the office where employees fill out paper forms to share ideas. This practice is seen as outdated. Employees may not be able to stay anonymous. There are doubts about whether they will consider their feedback.

However, many companies have started to adapt and move towards online suggestion boxes. Employees can give feedback on how to make the workplace better by filling out an online form anonymously.

As businesses expand globally and more people telecommute, employee suggestion boxes are essential for gauging company morale. These boxes provide valuable insights into the thoughts and feelings of all employees.

They help management understand the overall sentiment within the company. This feedback is crucial for fostering a positive work environment and addressing any concerns that may arise.

Most common employee suggestion box questions

An employee suggestion box form is centered around one simple question, “Please let us know your suggestion”. This open-ended question gives employees the flexibility to respond however they want. Responses could be short sentences such as “Provide more office pens.”

They could be more detailed suggestions such as “Management should provide more feedback on our work. We postponed our project because we need confirmation and quicker feedback to fix any problems our team may have”.

Employees are encouraged to regularly utilize the suggestion box to ensure that the workplace is flowing smoothly.

Follow-up questions help categorize respondents and determine which department the suggestion is for. A common follow-up question is “Which department is your suggestion directed towards?”

Some employees may want to know that their suggestion was heard and updated on how the company will implement their feedback.

A question such as “Please provide your contact information if you would like someone to follow up.” gives the employee the choice of whether they want to stay anonymous or be updated on their suggestion.

Why should you use an employee suggestion box?

Here are some reasons why an employee suggestion box could boost your company:

Employee engagement and satisfaction:

Employees who feel that their opinions are heard are often more engaged in the workplace. Encouraging employees to believe in their ability to make a difference can boost their motivation at work. Showing that management values their input is also important. This can help employees feel more engaged and motivated in their work.

Ultimately, this can lead to high performance and job satisfaction. Taking action on issues identified by employees will decrease turnover rates and ensure employee retention.

Cost reduction and efficiency improvement:

Suggestion boxes are great for finding problems within the workplace and for discovering new methods for improving efficiency. Employees know how a company runs and can suggest ways to make tasks easier or save money.

Fostering a culture of continuous growth:

Regularly aiming to improve the work environment shows employees that management is continuously striving for improvement. This can inspire employees to pursue their own growth professionally and foster a workplace culture that encourages improvement.

Once you have compiled the suggestions, make sure you follow up with your employees. Keeping employees informed and listening to their suggestions shows that management values their opinions and cares about their input.

Sending out regular check-ins also allows employees to give their thoughts on certain changes. This ensures that the changes made will actually fix the issues in the workplace and raise concerns about certain aspects of the plans.

How to create your employee suggestion box

Step 1: Choose a suggestion box template

Using Formaloo, it’s easy to create your own virtual suggestion box. You can simply choose one of our templates and start editing the form based on your company’s needs.

There are many fields to choose from such as Long Text, Score Field, Single Choice, and Rating Scales.

Step 2: Customize your employee suggestion form

You can also customize how your form looks using one of our preset themes or matching it to your company colors. You can choose how your employees answer your form, whether it’s a classic form or one question at a time.

Step 3: Share your form with your employees

Once you finish making the survey, you can choose to share it with your employees by publishing it.

You can do this by clicking on the “view” button, which will take you to the survey preview page. You can copy the unique link at the top of the page and distribute it to your employees.

This way, you can ensure that all of your employees have access to the survey and can provide their feedback. This can be especially helpful for remote or distributed teams who may not all be in the same physical location.

Make the survey easy for employees to access to get more feedback and higher participation rates. This feedback can help you identify areas for improvement, gauge employee satisfaction, and make informed decisions.

The great thing about virtual employee suggestion boxes is that employees can respond anytime and from anywhere. Keeping track of all your responses and responding on time is crucial for ensuring that all opinions are heard.

To do this, you can set up notifications to get an email whenever somebody uses the suggestion box. This can be valuable in addressing key employee concerns quickly and storing all your responses in your email.

Once you’ve gathered some responses, your Formaloo app will automatically keep track of all the results! The table makes it easy to keep all the responses in one place. You can view all the respondents and their specific suggestions on the table of results page:

You can also visualize your data by clicking on the Charts and Insights to see trends and patterns among respondents.

Boost your workforce productivity with a suggestion box

An employee suggestion box is a simple yet smart tool that can unlock a treasure trove of untapped potential. It’s more than just a box; it’s a platform for your team to voice their ideas, concerns, and creative solutions. By showing that you value their input, you foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and ownership.

Your employees are on the front lines, facing daily challenges and opportunities. They often have unique perspectives and practical solutions that managers might miss. An open suggestion box helps generate new ideas for better processes, workflows, and product/service ideas. When employees feel heard and valued, their engagement and morale naturally increase.

Engaged employees are productive employees. Use the best ideas from your suggestion box to make work easier for your team by improving processes and removing obstacles.

The result? A noticeable boost in productivity across the board. So ditch the brainstorming sessions that often feel forced and uninspired. Embrace the power of the suggestion box and free the hidden potential within your team.

Ready to get started? Sign up for free and create your custom online suggestion box for your employees.