For companies, listening to employees is never an isolated activity. It’s a year-round practice that requires daily attention and upkeep. Traditional methods like annual surveys are an important start, but they need to be supported by ongoing approaches that ensure important themes and details don’t fall through the cracks.
If you listen to employees regularly and consistently, you’ll discover better ways to support them in their everyday work. A recent ROI Talk covered two compelling case studies that show how organizations can harness listening to drive active engagement strategies that build trust, spark innovation, and drive cultural change.
From Surveys to Steel-Toed Shoes
A consumer-packaged goods client approached ROI for help gathering feedback directly from frontline associates. In response, we proposed that we walk in employees’ shoes — literally — through an in-person, on-site listening tour.
Across 15 locations, ROI colleagues donned safety gear, joined shifts, and met face-to-face with nearly 250 deskless workers to ask them open-ended questions about their daily realities. What we found was eye-opening: Communication channels weren’t reaching employees effectively, and corporate messaging often missed the mark.
This frontline feedback led to a cultural shift in how the company addressed these employees. After experiencing the workers’ tight deadlines and scarce downtime firsthand, we helped redesign a communication strategy and channels with a focus on more relevant, timely, and local content. We also doubled down on empowering managers with turnkey tools that allowed them to cascade information more directly and organically to their reports.
The result was higher engagement and stronger relationships that prove listening isn’t just a communications win — it’s a business imperative.
AI + Empathy = Action
In a second case study, we helped a global tech company use its most recent annual survey not as an endpoint, but as a launchpad. After leveraging AI to help analyze open-ended responses, identify themes, and summarize sentiment, we recommended that the company’s leaders take a step further through targeted conversations with Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).
These often-underutilized teams can be safe spaces to explore the “why” that can be so difficult to discern in the survey data. In this case, ERGs helped uncover root causes, brainstorm solutions, and pilot new ideas with empathy and energy — all while offering participating employees a direct connection with senior leaders.
One standout result came when survey results flagged concerns about well-being. ERGs dug deeper and discovered caregiving stress was a major issue. The company responded quickly by launching a caregiver ERG, adding long-term care insurance to employees’ benefits, and bringing in wellness experts to support work-life balance. The speed and sincerity of the response built trust and showed employees they were truly heard.
Listening That Scales
Listening doesn’t have to be complex to be effective. Our ROI Talk panelists suggested that leaders can start small by grabbing coffee with a team member or hosting a check-in on Friday mornings. Tools like TINYpulse or Culture Amp can keep things light and honest by offering short, frequent pulse surveys that feel less formal and invite more candid responses. In one example, a leader asked, “What animal do you feel like today?” An employee answered, “I feel like a salmon — swimming upstream and exhausted.” That moment of honest humor opened the door to a deeper conversation about burnout and created a space for real action.
After starting small on their teams, leaders can scale their approach through broader pilots with an ERG, teaming up with other execs, or working with HR to expand it into a wider program. At every step, however, it’s important to define the “why.” Whether it’s reducing turnover, boosting engagement, or improving productivity, listening should be tied to clear business goals. Otherwise, without a clear purpose, you may collect feedback, but nothing will change.
Ultimately, employee listening is about demonstrating good faith by showing up, staying curious, and creating space for authentic dialogue. As one of our panelists said, “If you’re not ready to act on tough feedback, don’t ask for it.” But if you are, jump in with an open heart and mind. The insights you uncover could transform your culture.
Tonia King
Senior Vice President
For Tonia King, communication is about building relationships and helping people understand how they fit into a bigger picture. With a background in healthcare, hospitality, education and public relations, Tonia brings over 15 years of experience to her role at ROI and advises executives on internal communication strategy to strengthen employee engagement.
Tara Davis
Vice President
Tara has a contagious spirit of possibility that makes things happen. She has been advising clients for over two decades, excelling in employee engagement, corporate social responsibility, and crisis communications. She's the kind of person who can turn a tragedy into a triumph, organizing a 5k that raised enough money to send 1000 children with muscle disease to camp.
Jeff Lewonczyk
Director
Jeff is a strategist and award-winning illustrator with a background in theater, music and arts advocacy. A resident of Brooklyn, he directs musical comedies and helps clients connect with their audiences through compelling stories and messaging.
