Why your suggestion box should be anonymous

An organisation I once worked at ran quarterly town halls using Zoom and allowed staff to comment anonymously. The level of engagement was huge, with lots of great questions being asked that the executive team would answer directly. Then there was a change of leadership and the new CEO disabled anonymous comments, meaning every comment had a name attached. Engagement dropped to virtually zero.

The same people attended the town halls, so why did it make such a difference? TLDR; it was fear - fear of being laughed at, or fear of consequences - saying what they thinking, if it wasn't what management wanted to hear, could now have consequences.

You need honest feedback from your staff.

Your employees are on the front-line. They talk to customers, they know where the problems are, and they have great ideas about how to improve processes and products. But if they don't feel safe you'll never hear it.

That's why anonymity is so important. When people know their feedback is confidential, they’re more likely to speak up, and much more likely to provide honest feedback.

An anonymous suggestion box gives everyone a safe space to provide feedback, voice their concerns, and tell you their ideas. That you'll things that you wouldn't find out about otherwise, and that helps create a healthier, happier, more productive workplace.

And, when the focus is on the feedback rather than who provided it, discussions tend to be more constructive and productive. By listening, paying attention, and responding to feedback, you'll build trust between employees and their bosses, make everyone feel heard and valued, identify new opportunities, tackle problems sooner, and build a happier, more productive workplace.

So if you're thinking about setting up a suggestion box, remember: anonymity is key!