Transparency in the Workplace
Why Transparency Matters
Transparency in the workplace is a key ingredient to a positive company culture. A transparent approach can motivate employees and help to solidify loyalty. Both small and large businesses can benefit from a transparent workplace.
An effective workplace environment is a transparent one. It can encourage employees to be open about their accomplishments, as well as owning up to missteps. Employees are more likely to feel both empowered and valued.
In this turbulent time, transparency is even more important. Employees may be feeling uncertain about their future employment. They may be concerned about stagnating business growth, or other threats to business growth.
A transparent workplace is an open, honest one. It creates a company culture where employees and leaders alike are invested in the success of the company. It creates trust, and drives a successful organisation.
Achieving a transparent workplace isn’t always easy. It’s important to understand why transparency matters and the exponential results it can drive in a business.
3 Benefits of Workplace Transparency
1. Increased Employee Engagement
Employee satisfaction and recognition are key ingredients to create engaged employees. Workplace transparency helps foster both. Recognition doesn’t translate into handing out gold stars for all of your employees. It’s about ensuring that your employees understand how their hard work and opinions have impacted the overall business. Employees are subsequently more likely to actively engage in the workplace.
2. Improved Workplace Culture
A toxic work environment is of no benefit to anyone. If employees feel that their efforts and work is going unrecognised, it can lead to disenchantment in their position. Equally, if teams are not encouraged to collaborate, or work towards a common goal, it can lead to isolation. Transparency from the leadership level down can build an improved culture in the workplace. By making a deliberate effort to communicate to your employees, you encourage open communication across the business. Employees are therefore more likely to trust in your leadership capabilities, as well as the business objectives.
3. Greater Communication
Greater levels of employee engagement and an improved workplace culture will lead to greater communication across the organisation. By fostering a culture of transparency, and openly communicating successes and mistakes, employees are more likely to communicate openly. Employees are more likely to openly admit to any mistakes, rather than trying to shift blame or cover up any issues entirely. This improved communication can make problem solving easier across the organisation. Teams are more likely to want to work together and collaborate for the wider team’s benefit.
Creating A Transparent Workplace
The benefits of transparency in the workplace are clear. Implementing it, however, is not quite as straightforward. These techniques can help you create a transparent workplace.
- Incorporate transparency as part of your company policy – The first step to integrating transparency in your workplace is to build it into your company policy. If you do not have the authority to implement a company-wide policy, try implementing it within your team.
- Hold an “ask me anything” session – Give your employees and colleagues the opportunity to ask you anything during this session. It gives people the chance to ask questions that they may not otherwise have asked.
- Allow access to information, where possible – In many cases, information within a business may be sensitive. Consider the information that employees have access to. In some cases, they may not have access to information that, despite being sensitive, can be shared amongst the wider business.
- Emphasise the “why” – Business leaders are making decisions on a daily basis. In some cases, these decisions are difficult. Being clear about the “why” behind any decision helps provide insights into the thought-process. It can also help to encourage more active discussion amongst colleagues.
- Involve people in decisions – Alongside the “why” actively involving your colleagues in the decision making process helps foster transparency. Consider holding a workshop or brainstorming session. Plus, it’s a great opportunity for collaboration.
Creating a transparent workplace benefits business and employees alike. Empowered employees are more motivated, loyal and dedicated to the success of their business.
Another key component of a transparent workplace, is understanding your workforce. At hug, our platform can help you support your team. It offers holistic real time analysis of your employee wellbeing and smart matches products, services and benefits to employee needs. If you’d like to book a demo to see how hug can help you build a happier, healthier workplace, please submit the form below.