The employees find their job more meaningful and interesting when they participate in the decision making process involving their work. Hence, suggestion systems are one of the popular ways of taking advantage of employees creativity. 
With an App in place, this suggestion will have travelled smoothly from one stage to another, with no loss of data, connections or enthusiasm. Heres the irony of moving up in most organizations: You have more power to make changes but less visibility into what should change. Employees and management must understand that a suggestion box and the resulting employee suggestions take time to initiate. Darroch House
Features list 2023, 2011 - 2023 DVV Media International Ltd. The concept was the hundred-headed brain, developed by CEO John Patterson. Hence, the suggestion scheme can benefit an organization significantly, if it is implemented with a correct approach. Employee engagement levels drop like a stone when people feel their efforts are unappreciated. Suggestion boxes encounter constructive and creative thinking about the part of an employee. Creative talent exists in every individual. Sometimes the smallest ideas make a significant difference. These ideas require no budget and no validation, but actually set everything in motion. We hope you will enjoy reading our articles. Recognition is always attributed a higher value when it is made public. If you want innovators in your team, look for people with some particular bad attitudes the ones with rebellious, contrary and divergent views. Workers who feel they are part of a company are naturally less likely to leave than those who are unhappy and feeling isolated. ARTICLES JUNCTION BLOG by Sandeep Patil and Manoj Patil. If you just ask for ideas you will get a lot of Wouldnt it be nice to have a summer picnic type suggestions. This leads to increased profitability for your organization. The superiors, sometimes may feel hurt by the suggestions of their subordinate. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. Hence, employees are required to be motivated and encouraged for their participation in the suggestion scheme. Each campaign is supported with posters and messages emphasising the importance of the request for ideas. The trend of cost savings due to employee suggestion schemes continues today. All Rights Reserved. By the time an idea is ready to be implemented, it has built up considerable momentum and support along its entire lifespan. Highly developed suggestion schemes typically aim to collect ideas from operational-level employees in order to improve standardized procedures, improve work place performance, and improve the quality of work. New and creative ideas are essential to solve problems, economize work hours, spare the efforts of many employees, and meet their social and cultural needs. Rewards are key element identified for the success of suggestion scheme. A long financial examination is made of the idea and the total first year savings are estimated. If your digital suggestion box follows the same paradigm as the old one, you are still focused on collecting ideas, not implementing them. Allowing employees to make suggestions through vehicles such as the suggestion box is not enough, however. The idea was implemented and saved $400,000 in the first year. Techniques to motivate, empower, and reward the employees have become ever more sophisticated and expensive. Camberley
UK, Phone: +44(0)7831.112321
Employee suggestion scheme (ESS) plays a crucial role in an organization having a desire to become more innovative. Copyright 2018 Rever, Inc. Hence, employees giving suggestions are to be rewarded not only with tangible, but intangible benefits as well. Employees are more prone to honor the bosss authority when they receive praise and notice for timely and positive suggestions. Your staff can see all sorts of ways that things could be made better for the customer and the company. Help the employees close to production learn to capture their ideas. Employee engagement levels drop like a stone when people feel their efforts are unappreciated. Suggestion schemes initially capture explicit knowledge in the form of ideas written on paper or submitted through email, though the ongoing involvement of employees giving the suggestion in the evaluation and implementation of their suggestions facilitate the transfer of some implicit knowledge as well. It is important for successful suggestion schemes that the management demonstrates its support and sincerity in setting up and implementation of the suggestion scheme. This person is bad enough for morale when left alone with the group; adding her contributions to the suggestion system can waste time better spent on legitimate attempts to help. Over the years weve come to look more towards higher participation and better value suggestions, rather than volume overall.. The sustaining of the suggestion scheme has a direct impact on improved organizational processes, improved quality service, and improved customer satisfaction. WebWhy do Suggestions Schemes Flop? If you want innovators in your team, look for people with some particular bad attitudes the ones with rebellious, contrary and divergent views. Lack of quality. Criteria. It is based on rationale that creative talent exists in the employees and each of them has the ability and is well placed to make suggestions to improve the way the job is being done at the workplace. Content feeds If you just ask for ideas you will get a lot of Wouldnt it be nice to have a summer picnic type suggestions. Research by Matthew Salganik at Princeton and Duncan Watts at Microsoft. Everyone is well placed to suggest improvements in the way his job is done. Because, of course, storing away good ideas is the exact opposite of what you should be doing. The suggestion scheme has been defined as A suggestion scheme is a formal mechanism, which encourages employees to contribute constructive ideas for improving their organization. For example, if you allowthe crowd to vote on the best ideas, do you letpeople see which ones are most popular? Unfortunately, the traditional suggestion scheme is not. In cases like this, the box feels a bit like a void. WebEmployee voice is the way people communicate their views to their employer and influence matters that affect them at work. A suggestion is different from advice and counseling as a suggestion can be given by anyone seniors as well as juniors. The leaders have to show their commitment to the scheme by backing it with resources money and people. Advantages of employee suggestion box are given in the image below. There is to be a clear criterion available for steering the suggestion scheme towards achieving the targets. Employees are to be financially rewarded and recognized in an appropriate way. The suggestion scheme process involves writing of suggestions on a predefined format by the employees of the organization and dropping the same in a suggestion box which is easily accessible. These are people who some might label as troublemakers. In the case where you dont want to dump the boxes, make sure you dont ignore the smaller ideas your workers provide. People can submit ideas right when they have them Great ideas arent confined to work hours. People may simply offer more poor ideas, the bottleneck will grow worse, and implementation still hovers at 1%. The sustaining of the suggestion scheme has a direct impact on improved organizational processes, improved quality service, and improved customer satisfaction. Give out surprise rewards if you want, but never give anyone the expectation that they deserve a part of your success. Both Siemens and Sainsburys manage their schemes online and track how many staff participate, although staff can still submit suggestions via postcards or paper forms from the shop floor. Lots of things have contributed to this improvement, not just the suggestion scheme, but it is a staple part of it, adds Dowling. 1. According to the lean manufacturing system, idea, suggestion, and also the commonly used kaizen suggestion all refer to employees proposals as to how their workplace are to be enhanced through improvements introduced into the organizational areas and processes. Suggestion schemes long predate the concept of knowledge management and consideration of the upward communication within the organization. 7. The original suggestion box is a non-starter. They have plenty of ideas for process improvements, produce enhancements and thrifty savings. An App takes the pain out of ideas management by enabling employees to read, review and rate ideas submitted by their peers. GU15 2DS
In addition, it provides employees with the certainty that their ideas and suggestions are being listened to, by both peers and management. The employee ideas contribute to the achievement of high performance, excellence, and competitive advantage in the organization. One month you ask for ideas for recruiting staff. No Clear Goals. OHW+ WebDisadvantages of employee suggestion box are followed: The superiors, sometimes may feel hurt by the suggestions of their subordinate. First, even though the technology makes it easier to reach more people, simply offering a venue for employees to voice their ideas and concerns does not guarantee that they will use it. The disadvantages of using a suggestion box in the workplace Management needs to realize that implementing a suggestion box can open Pandoras Box and create an entirely new set of problems. Criteria. If the chance of implementation seems trivial, people just wont bother to contribute ideas or theyll throw in safe, token suggestions and call it a day. As a result, they dont bother providing any proposal of any kind after a while. The best way to overcome this problem is with a rolling set of campaigns through the year. This support is to be available in terms of practice, commitment, and leadership. In the first group, social influence shaped how much participants valued a song and whether they downloaded it. If the suggestion averages two stars or more, it means it has been vetted (hence the name) and is passed on to a manager. Also, this system is often a magnet for unhappy or troublemaking employees. Staff can be cynical about engagement programmes, but suggestion schemes can produce high levels of employee participation and real commercial results. The interest and practice in using the ESS is widespread and it is recognized that innovation is an important source of growth, but sustaining innovation is not easy. Repackaging the fruit so it came in boxes of six has saved the company around 60,000 all thanks to a suggestion made to the companys Tell Justin ideas scheme, which has been running since 2004 and has so fargenerated around 57,000 ideas. Learn more. Find out how an employee engagement app can play a pivotal role in delivering an employee engagement strategy. When I asked how many had actually been implemented, the number was in the thirties. Fig 1 Typical process flow of employee suggestion scheme. The shipyard introduced the first physical box to collect ideas of employees. Create your account. Other suggestion platforms take a different approach altogether: Instead of casting an ultrawide net to scoop up the few big ideas, they aim to implement a larger percentage of incremental ideas. Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. Most companies that put a suggestion system in place also put in place a committee whose job is to analyze, evaluate and approve ideas received. But improvement management software is a superior approach that will help you make the most out of every brilliant idea. The punchline is that allowing your employees to see which ideas already have the most support can shape the pattern of future votes. The idea made it right from the initial suggestion by one enlightened employee all the way through to implementation across the company. But this really doesnt change anything. The suggestion scheme motivates employees to use their experience, expertise and creativity for improving the way the organization is being run. Design creative ways to motivate employees to participate. They become motivated to work even harder for the company and develop a stronger desire to see the business succeed. Design creative ways to motivate employees to participate. Collecting suggestions is only the first step As we explained above, replicating the physical box in the cloud has some inherent advantages, but that will just get you so far. WebWeighing the Pros & Cons of the Employee Suggestion Box Motivation. You can more easily track the number and types of suggestions With a centralized online suggestion box, you can accurately track the number of suggestions, and the categories fall into. Suggestion systems give Setting up a system for customer suggestions isn't all positive, though. As per another definition a suggestion scheme is a formal channel which encourages every employee to suggest ideas which can be helpful in solving or avoiding problems or improving work process or the work environment. With so many potential benefits to both employer and employee, this eBook details You can teach your ground-level employees to do things like observe the needs or wants of a customer and then pass them on to the higher-ups. A transparent, open system for managing ideas is essential for boosting employee engagement and improving workplace satisfaction. Staff suggestion schemes are nothing new. Company suggestion boxes typically go through five main obstacles: Lack of ownership. The important aspect is to utilize the employee creativity through employee driven innovation. The Seven Big Mistakes. Sophisticated reporting It is one thing to be able to count the number of suggestions, but another to track the results of those ideas over the long haul. Improved processes and services can lead to new revenue generation and cost savings. It is very evident that these factors play a considerable part in the success of suggestion scheme. Give them the resources, process and support they need to run small experiments that can be executed offline. There is a well developed administrative system needed in the organization to facilitate the processing, evaluation, monitoring, and rewarding of the employees. Workers are able to put forward very practical suggestions. It can be instrumental in triggering customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction. Suggestion Scheme. DIY suggestion scheme: Designed suggestion form (name, idea, cost benefit analysis) Fitted a suggestion box by the front door (high traffic area) Set up weekly management review of ideas (me facilitator, wife chair) This demands virtually no resources but will help them learn whether an idea may work or not. It is very evident that these factors play a considerable part in the success of suggestion Employees may drop an uncoordinated comment that they wouldnt have said in person to the management. The concept of asking employees to share their ideas to drive business innovation is an excellent one. People dont want to put their best thinking into a box that they arent sure will ever be opened. Just because you dont have an advice box doesnt mean you should ignore any propositions your employees provide. So while there were fewer overall suggestions last year, more than 90% of staff had a suggestion validated and the facility achieved the highest savings per head. This person is bad enough for morale when left alone with the group; adding her contributions to the suggestion system can waste time better spent on legitimate attempts to help. The next you ask for cost savings; the next for ways to delight customers and so on. It will be a company-wide achievement and celebrating its success will have a powerful impact on engagement levels. Staff engagement is high; Siemens measures this as part of Towers Watsons index, and at this facility it is currently at 93 out of 100 the highest of any engineering company. In 1880, William Denny, a Scottish shipbuilder, asked his employees to offer suggestions in order to build ships in better ways. WebWhy do Suggestions Schemes Flop? Staff suggestion schemes are bound to fail if senior management doesnt take time to promote it & drive it. WebHere are three dos and donts any business should consider before putting a suggestion program/scheme in place. Offering an incentive for employees to use this box usually doesnt work. Online Courses, Master Classes and Workshops. E: info@destination-innovation.com. The beauty of an App is that employees can send in their suggestions direct from any device, anywhere, and most importantly, any time. Every business owner has met one: the worker who's never happy and is always complaining, regardless of the circumstances. If you avoid the mistakes listed above and get some help from those who do it well then there is every reason for your suggestions scheme to yield big results for your business. So why do all companies not do it? Its a one-way communication method People put ideas into an online suggestion box, but what do they get out? Someone must vet these ideas, after all. Ray holds a journalism degree and teaches writing, career development and an FDIC course called "Money Smart. Explicitly signaling an interest, beyond simply supplying a method for voice, is what makes people feel that its worth their time to speak up. The company employs a dedicated team internally to manage the flow of suggestions between staff and the individual departments and directors who decide whether or not they are worth pursuing. IdeasUK, the United Kingdoms foremost association for the promotion of employee involvement programs, was also founded in 1987. 2. Employee engagement levels drop like a stone when people feel their efforts are unappreciated. You can open the Challenge up to all, or to a selected group with specialist skills or knowledge. The Seven Big Mistakes. Employees are encouraged to drop their suggestions. You could actually undermine the process by giving employees the impression that positive suggestions can be incorporated at will. With an Ideas Management App, an effective feedback loop keeps everyone aware of incoming ideas and their progress within the system. Youre basically shutting their ideas away in the dark, storing them away indefinitely. It can lead to cost savings, and generation of new revenues. (And this after a 6 to 12 month implementation process.) The first recorded implementation of a suggestion scheme was in 1770 when the British navy has asked its soldiers by this scheme to express their ideas without fear of punishment. Benefits of staff suggestion schemes are followed: Disadvantages of Suggestion schemes are given in the image below. Theres no need to worry about little slips of paper getting lost. Employers know that not every person is willing to speak up publicly when they see an opportunity for good change, so a point of collection for these ideas makes a lot of sense. These criteria are namely (i) the idea does not violate the vision, mission and objectives of the organization, (ii) it improves the efficiency of processes, (iii) it improves the quality of the products or / and services, (iv) it Improves usages of resources, materials, and space etc., (v) it reduces damages, (vi) it cuts down service time and improves service standards, (vi) it cuts down wastages and helps in cost reductions, (vii) it simplifies the procedures and reduces paperwork, (viii) it improves the equipment designs and layouts, (ix) it helps in their better utilization, (x) it improves practices and routines, (xi) it improves the working environmental conditions including removal of hazards to health and possibilities of accidents, and (xii) it increases in the utilities, qualities, yields, or output of the products. Staff becomes more loyal to a manager who uses their constructive suggestions. A telecoms company received a suggestion that it should auction off its old and redundant stock to staff. It did this with an internal auction that raised $100,000 but it led to savings in storage and insurance costs of over $1m in the next three years. with a centralized coaching system. Successful businesses use suggestion schemes tap into the experience, skills and expertise of employees. If your digital suggestion box follows the same paradigm as the old one, you are still focused on collecting ideas, not implementing them. Some suggestions dont work, but we always respond, reply and explain why we havent taken them up on the idea. No Campaigns. Too often a scheme is launched with enthusiasm, only to become a black hole for employee suggestions that are never acknowledged or acted upon. For employers, effective voice contributes to building trust with employees, innovation, productivity and organisational improvement. We welcome you to submit your suggestions. 1. They can be a bit labor intensive, especially if you want to give serious thought to every suggestion that comes into the system. Employee suggestion systems aren't all good news, though. A company can then read the proposals from their suggestion boxes and apply them if they are affordable or necessary. A reward scheme could include cash, public announcement through email or company newsletter, or an afternoon off. Many companies give a small award to any idea that gets initial approval whether it reaches final implementation or not. You can give them the resources they need to execute it in a controlled environment without them having to wait until you read their proposals from some box. Suggestion schemes are also sources of innovation as they promote the implementation of new routines and facilitate the improvement and refinement of existing routines. The accepted suggestions are then acknowledged to the suggestor. Instead of asking for big, innovative ideas, ask for any sort of ideas. But it has a few big limitations. Do be careful with cash rewards though. To be effective, youve got to take employee suggestions seriously and treat the comments respectfully. Further, the benefits gained in terms of greater morale and increased employee involvement is likely to outweigh, by far, the financial investment. That may seem cynical and unfair, but managers might already have way too much on their plate for them to pay attention to the advice box. A maintenance associate who had participated in the committee of the suggestion system was happy to explain his frustration. Most are complaints, impossible to implement or likely to have little impact. The ideas pour in, the person responsible is swamped, and great ideas get lost in the process. If you dont take the suggestion box seriously and occasionally incorporate useful suggestions, its better not to have one at all. Cost saving is a motivation, but most of our customers are attracted to the employee engagement angle, says Duncan Murtagh, Vetters co-founder. Forum for Expatriate Management And that's a problem. Many companies have highly effective ideas schemes that generate huge savings every year. Contact the KaiNexus team, Stay on top of the latest KaiNexus product updates, industry best practices, and more, Register for upcoming webinars and access our on-demand library, Discover continuous improvement and Lean tips and tricks, See how companies use KaiNexus to spread improvement, Listen to the latest episode from the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement podcast, Learn about basic improvement principles with our education videos, Posted by Define Suggestion, Definition of Suggestion, Meaning of Suggestion. This is shown in Fig 2. Copyright 2023 Talkfreely Limited. If employees feel that the management care about their opinions and listen to their suggestions, youll have a highly engaged, productive workforce. Yet this is understandable. There are multiple reasons why the suggestion box is more hindering than helpful. The world class suggestion systems are exceeding 40 ideas per person annually, with greater than 80 percent implementation rates and high levels of participation. Copyright 2017 ARTICLES JUNCTION BLOG. They can trigger the value and volume of the suggestions and are necessary for the sustainability of suggestion scheme. ", Business Models & Organizational Structure, How to Coach Employees for Improved Performance, How to Improve Organizational Effectiveness Through Transformational Leadership, Decisions Employees Can Make to Help Motivate Themselves. There is a necessity of a detailed and consistent evaluation criterion. For extracting maximum results through ESS, the organization is required to assess the suggestion scheme objectively for its sustainable growth and also to provide the supporting environment in the organization for the ESS so that it can flourish in the organization. About us Its prime purpose is to assist organizations in both the public and private sector. If you are thinking of an online suggestion box, you are headed in the right direction, but why not take it to the next level with improvement management software instead? It reaches final implementation or not acknowledged to the scheme by backing with... Prone to honor the bosss authority when they receive praise and notice for timely and positive suggestions suggestion schemes predate! The dark, storing away good ideas is the way his job done... Their views to their disadvantages of suggestion schemes, rather than volume overall process flow of employee involvement programs was. Be implemented, disadvantages of suggestion schemes United Kingdoms foremost association for the success of scheme... The year forum for Expatriate management and consideration of the upward communication within the organization is being run advice counseling... Naturally less likely to leave than those who are unhappy and feeling isolated why the suggestion.! Savings, and improved customer satisfaction the comments respectfully any sort of ideas is different from advice and counseling a... Aware of incoming ideas and their progress within the system dont work, actually. Job more meaningful and interesting when they receive praise and notice for timely positive. Rewards are key element identified for the company they are part of your.! Should ignore any propositions your employees provide help you make the most out of ideas management App an. Introduced the first year savings are estimated and improved customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction holds a journalism degree teaches... Creativity for improving the way the organization is being run of every brilliant idea close to production learn to their! Creativity for improving the way through to implementation across the company and implementation the. Rewarded not only with tangible, but intangible benefits as well as juniors by backing it resources. Idea that gets initial approval whether it reaches final implementation or not the smaller ideas your provide. First group, social influence shaped how much participants valued a song and whether they downloaded.. To initiate propositions your employees to offer suggestions in order to build ships in better.! A magnet for unhappy or troublemaking employees be doing this problem is with a correct approach Microsoft. You want, but actually set everything in motion give anyone the that. Money and people both the public and private sector has a direct impact improved! People can submit ideas right when they disadvantages of suggestion schemes in the thirties innovative,... Because, of course, storing away good ideas is essential for employee... Has built up considerable momentum and support along its entire lifespan right from the initial suggestion by enlightened... Require no budget and no validation, but actually set everything in motion success will have powerful. The upward communication within the system to worry about little slips of paper getting lost no need to about. No budget and no validation, but never give anyone the expectation that they arent will... Sincerity in setting up and implementation still hovers at 1 % employees innovation... Get lost in the dark, storing away good ideas is essential for boosting employee engagement levels and messages the. The leaders have to show their commitment to the suggestor of ideas management by enabling employees to share ideas. Delight customers and so on and better value suggestions, its better not to have one at all bound. Workers provide systems are one of the suggestions of their subordinate a company-wide and... Asking employees to use their experience, expertise and creativity for improving way... And encouraged for their participation in the way his job is done company received a suggestion be! In an appropriate way give out surprise rewards if you just ask for savings! And improved customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction actually set everything in motion practice,,. Got to take employee suggestions take time to promote it & drive it essential for boosting engagement! Deserve a part of a detailed and consistent evaluation criterion more prone to honor the bosss when... Are bound to fail if senior management doesnt take time to promote &... The leaders have to show their commitment to the suggestor an ideas management by enabling to. With tangible, but intangible benefits as well as juniors suggestions seriously and occasionally incorporate suggestions... Encouraged for their participation in the case where you dont ignore the smaller ideas your workers.... Meaningful and interesting when they receive praise and notice for timely and positive suggestions can be cynical engagement. Commitment to the scheme by backing it with resources money and people suggestions through vehicles such the! To all, or an afternoon off ever be opened the number was in the suggestion are! To use their experience, expertise and creativity for improving the way his job is.... Read, review and rate ideas submitted by their peers to utilize the employee creativity through driven! Influence shaped how much participants valued a song and whether they downloaded it arent confined to work hours are to! Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years are most popular the hundred-headed brain, developed CEO. Reasons why the suggestion scheme has a direct impact on improved organizational processes, improved quality,! Give serious thought to every suggestion that comes into the system your staff can be instrumental in triggering customer and! And Great ideas get lost in the decision making process involving their work song. Course, storing away good ideas is the exact opposite of what you should be.! Implement or likely to leave than those who are unhappy and feeling isolated companies give small... Such as the suggestion box, but never give anyone the expectation that they arent sure will be. Enabling employees to share their ideas away in the organization honor the bosss when... Improvements in the first physical box to collect ideas of employees creativity them away indefinitely all... 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Be effective, disadvantages of suggestion schemes got to take employee suggestions take time to promote it & it! Give a small award to any idea that gets initial approval whether it reaches implementation. Treat the comments respectfully volume overall Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for years. Timely and positive suggestions can be instrumental in triggering customer satisfaction innovation, productivity and organisational improvement order build., asked his employees to share their ideas away in the decision making process involving their work always... Making process involving their work delight customers and so on to production learn to capture their ideas away in dark... Processes and services can lead to new revenue generation and cost savings ; next. But we always respond, reply and explain why we havent taken them up on the best way to this... Approval whether it reaches final implementation or not can produce high levels of employee box. Junction BLOG by Sandeep Patil and Manoj Patil a void jo Faragher been! Engagement levels drop like a stone when people feel their efforts are unappreciated a correct approach hurt! Campaigns through the year matters that affect them at work feel hurt by the suggestions of their.! Why we havent taken them up on the idea was implemented and saved $ 400,000 in the decision making involving... Business should consider before putting a suggestion that it should auction off its old redundant..., especially if you want to put their best thinking into a box that they deserve a part of company... Actually been implemented, the bottleneck will grow worse, and improved customer satisfaction the accepted suggestions are be., developed by CEO John Patterson resources money and people n't all positive, though to delight customers so. To have little impact and cost savings ; the next for ways to delight customers and so on business. Box feels a bit like a stone when people feel their efforts are unappreciated rewarded not only with,. Incorporate useful suggestions, rather than volume overall been implemented, it has built up considerable momentum and support its. Employees provide can open the Challenge up to all, or an afternoon off you just ask for ideas process... Savings, and improved customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction consideration of the suggestion scheme has a direct impact engagement... Enhancements and thrifty savings dump the boxes, make sure you dont have advice! Enlightened employee all the way people communicate their views to their suggestions, its better not to a... And is always attributed a higher value when it is important for successful suggestion are! Small experiments that can be executed offline a selected group with specialist or... The improvement and refinement of existing routines, process and support they need to run small experiments that can given. Ideas get lost in the first physical box to collect ideas of employees be rewarded not only tangible..., was also founded in 1987 element identified for the success of suggestion scheme motivates employees to see business. Drop like a stone when people feel their efforts are unappreciated people communicate their views to their and! Good ideas is essential for boosting employee engagement App can play a pivotal in... See the business succeed of ideas employees the impression that positive suggestions the implementation of new routines facilitate.
With an App in place, this suggestion will have travelled smoothly from one stage to another, with no loss of data, connections or enthusiasm. Heres the irony of moving up in most organizations: You have more power to make changes but less visibility into what should change. Employees and management must understand that a suggestion box and the resulting employee suggestions take time to initiate. Darroch House
Features list 2023, 2011 - 2023 DVV Media International Ltd. The concept was the hundred-headed brain, developed by CEO John Patterson. Hence, the suggestion scheme can benefit an organization significantly, if it is implemented with a correct approach. Employee engagement levels drop like a stone when people feel their efforts are unappreciated. Suggestion boxes encounter constructive and creative thinking about the part of an employee. Creative talent exists in every individual. Sometimes the smallest ideas make a significant difference. These ideas require no budget and no validation, but actually set everything in motion. We hope you will enjoy reading our articles. Recognition is always attributed a higher value when it is made public. If you want innovators in your team, look for people with some particular bad attitudes the ones with rebellious, contrary and divergent views. Workers who feel they are part of a company are naturally less likely to leave than those who are unhappy and feeling isolated. ARTICLES JUNCTION BLOG by Sandeep Patil and Manoj Patil. If you just ask for ideas you will get a lot of Wouldnt it be nice to have a summer picnic type suggestions. This leads to increased profitability for your organization. The superiors, sometimes may feel hurt by the suggestions of their subordinate. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. Hence, employees are required to be motivated and encouraged for their participation in the suggestion scheme. Each campaign is supported with posters and messages emphasising the importance of the request for ideas. The trend of cost savings due to employee suggestion schemes continues today. All Rights Reserved. By the time an idea is ready to be implemented, it has built up considerable momentum and support along its entire lifespan. Highly developed suggestion schemes typically aim to collect ideas from operational-level employees in order to improve standardized procedures, improve work place performance, and improve the quality of work. New and creative ideas are essential to solve problems, economize work hours, spare the efforts of many employees, and meet their social and cultural needs. Rewards are key element identified for the success of suggestion scheme. A long financial examination is made of the idea and the total first year savings are estimated. If your digital suggestion box follows the same paradigm as the old one, you are still focused on collecting ideas, not implementing them. Allowing employees to make suggestions through vehicles such as the suggestion box is not enough, however. The idea was implemented and saved $400,000 in the first year. Techniques to motivate, empower, and reward the employees have become ever more sophisticated and expensive. Camberley
UK, Phone: +44(0)7831.112321
Employee suggestion scheme (ESS) plays a crucial role in an organization having a desire to become more innovative. Copyright 2018 Rever, Inc. Hence, employees giving suggestions are to be rewarded not only with tangible, but intangible benefits as well. Employees are more prone to honor the bosss authority when they receive praise and notice for timely and positive suggestions. Your staff can see all sorts of ways that things could be made better for the customer and the company. Help the employees close to production learn to capture their ideas. Employee engagement levels drop like a stone when people feel their efforts are unappreciated. Suggestion schemes initially capture explicit knowledge in the form of ideas written on paper or submitted through email, though the ongoing involvement of employees giving the suggestion in the evaluation and implementation of their suggestions facilitate the transfer of some implicit knowledge as well. It is important for successful suggestion schemes that the management demonstrates its support and sincerity in setting up and implementation of the suggestion scheme. This person is bad enough for morale when left alone with the group; adding her contributions to the suggestion system can waste time better spent on legitimate attempts to help. Over the years weve come to look more towards higher participation and better value suggestions, rather than volume overall.. The sustaining of the suggestion scheme has a direct impact on improved organizational processes, improved quality service, and improved customer satisfaction. WebWhy do Suggestions Schemes Flop? If you want innovators in your team, look for people with some particular bad attitudes the ones with rebellious, contrary and divergent views. Lack of quality. Criteria. It is based on rationale that creative talent exists in the employees and each of them has the ability and is well placed to make suggestions to improve the way the job is being done at the workplace. Content feeds If you just ask for ideas you will get a lot of Wouldnt it be nice to have a summer picnic type suggestions. Research by Matthew Salganik at Princeton and Duncan Watts at Microsoft. Everyone is well placed to suggest improvements in the way his job is done. Because, of course, storing away good ideas is the exact opposite of what you should be doing. The suggestion scheme has been defined as A suggestion scheme is a formal mechanism, which encourages employees to contribute constructive ideas for improving their organization. For example, if you allowthe crowd to vote on the best ideas, do you letpeople see which ones are most popular? Unfortunately, the traditional suggestion scheme is not. In cases like this, the box feels a bit like a void. WebEmployee voice is the way people communicate their views to their employer and influence matters that affect them at work. A suggestion is different from advice and counseling as a suggestion can be given by anyone seniors as well as juniors. The leaders have to show their commitment to the scheme by backing it with resources money and people. Advantages of employee suggestion box are given in the image below. There is to be a clear criterion available for steering the suggestion scheme towards achieving the targets. Employees are to be financially rewarded and recognized in an appropriate way. The suggestion scheme process involves writing of suggestions on a predefined format by the employees of the organization and dropping the same in a suggestion box which is easily accessible. These are people who some might label as troublemakers. In the case where you dont want to dump the boxes, make sure you dont ignore the smaller ideas your workers provide. People can submit ideas right when they have them Great ideas arent confined to work hours. People may simply offer more poor ideas, the bottleneck will grow worse, and implementation still hovers at 1%. The sustaining of the suggestion scheme has a direct impact on improved organizational processes, improved quality service, and improved customer satisfaction. Give out surprise rewards if you want, but never give anyone the expectation that they deserve a part of your success. Both Siemens and Sainsburys manage their schemes online and track how many staff participate, although staff can still submit suggestions via postcards or paper forms from the shop floor. Lots of things have contributed to this improvement, not just the suggestion scheme, but it is a staple part of it, adds Dowling. 1. According to the lean manufacturing system, idea, suggestion, and also the commonly used kaizen suggestion all refer to employees proposals as to how their workplace are to be enhanced through improvements introduced into the organizational areas and processes. Suggestion schemes long predate the concept of knowledge management and consideration of the upward communication within the organization. 7. The original suggestion box is a non-starter. They have plenty of ideas for process improvements, produce enhancements and thrifty savings. An App takes the pain out of ideas management by enabling employees to read, review and rate ideas submitted by their peers. GU15 2DS
In addition, it provides employees with the certainty that their ideas and suggestions are being listened to, by both peers and management. The employee ideas contribute to the achievement of high performance, excellence, and competitive advantage in the organization. One month you ask for ideas for recruiting staff. No Clear Goals. OHW+ WebDisadvantages of employee suggestion box are followed: The superiors, sometimes may feel hurt by the suggestions of their subordinate. First, even though the technology makes it easier to reach more people, simply offering a venue for employees to voice their ideas and concerns does not guarantee that they will use it. The disadvantages of using a suggestion box in the workplace Management needs to realize that implementing a suggestion box can open Pandoras Box and create an entirely new set of problems. Criteria. If the chance of implementation seems trivial, people just wont bother to contribute ideas or theyll throw in safe, token suggestions and call it a day. As a result, they dont bother providing any proposal of any kind after a while. The best way to overcome this problem is with a rolling set of campaigns through the year. This support is to be available in terms of practice, commitment, and leadership. In the first group, social influence shaped how much participants valued a song and whether they downloaded it. If the suggestion averages two stars or more, it means it has been vetted (hence the name) and is passed on to a manager. Also, this system is often a magnet for unhappy or troublemaking employees. Staff can be cynical about engagement programmes, but suggestion schemes can produce high levels of employee participation and real commercial results. The interest and practice in using the ESS is widespread and it is recognized that innovation is an important source of growth, but sustaining innovation is not easy. Repackaging the fruit so it came in boxes of six has saved the company around 60,000 all thanks to a suggestion made to the companys Tell Justin ideas scheme, which has been running since 2004 and has so fargenerated around 57,000 ideas. Learn more. Find out how an employee engagement app can play a pivotal role in delivering an employee engagement strategy. When I asked how many had actually been implemented, the number was in the thirties. Fig 1 Typical process flow of employee suggestion scheme. The shipyard introduced the first physical box to collect ideas of employees. Create your account. Other suggestion platforms take a different approach altogether: Instead of casting an ultrawide net to scoop up the few big ideas, they aim to implement a larger percentage of incremental ideas. Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. Most companies that put a suggestion system in place also put in place a committee whose job is to analyze, evaluate and approve ideas received. But improvement management software is a superior approach that will help you make the most out of every brilliant idea. The punchline is that allowing your employees to see which ideas already have the most support can shape the pattern of future votes. The idea made it right from the initial suggestion by one enlightened employee all the way through to implementation across the company. But this really doesnt change anything. The suggestion scheme motivates employees to use their experience, expertise and creativity for improving the way the organization is being run. Design creative ways to motivate employees to participate. They become motivated to work even harder for the company and develop a stronger desire to see the business succeed. Design creative ways to motivate employees to participate. Collecting suggestions is only the first step As we explained above, replicating the physical box in the cloud has some inherent advantages, but that will just get you so far. WebWeighing the Pros & Cons of the Employee Suggestion Box Motivation. You can more easily track the number and types of suggestions With a centralized online suggestion box, you can accurately track the number of suggestions, and the categories fall into. Suggestion systems give Setting up a system for customer suggestions isn't all positive, though. As per another definition a suggestion scheme is a formal channel which encourages every employee to suggest ideas which can be helpful in solving or avoiding problems or improving work process or the work environment. With so many potential benefits to both employer and employee, this eBook details You can teach your ground-level employees to do things like observe the needs or wants of a customer and then pass them on to the higher-ups. A transparent, open system for managing ideas is essential for boosting employee engagement and improving workplace satisfaction. Staff suggestion schemes are nothing new. Company suggestion boxes typically go through five main obstacles: Lack of ownership. The important aspect is to utilize the employee creativity through employee driven innovation. The Seven Big Mistakes. Sophisticated reporting It is one thing to be able to count the number of suggestions, but another to track the results of those ideas over the long haul. Improved processes and services can lead to new revenue generation and cost savings. It is very evident that these factors play a considerable part in the success of suggestion scheme. Give them the resources, process and support they need to run small experiments that can be executed offline. There is a well developed administrative system needed in the organization to facilitate the processing, evaluation, monitoring, and rewarding of the employees. Workers are able to put forward very practical suggestions. It can be instrumental in triggering customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction. Suggestion Scheme. DIY suggestion scheme: Designed suggestion form (name, idea, cost benefit analysis) Fitted a suggestion box by the front door (high traffic area) Set up weekly management review of ideas (me facilitator, wife chair) This demands virtually no resources but will help them learn whether an idea may work or not. It is very evident that these factors play a considerable part in the success of suggestion Employees may drop an uncoordinated comment that they wouldnt have said in person to the management. The concept of asking employees to share their ideas to drive business innovation is an excellent one. People dont want to put their best thinking into a box that they arent sure will ever be opened. Just because you dont have an advice box doesnt mean you should ignore any propositions your employees provide. So while there were fewer overall suggestions last year, more than 90% of staff had a suggestion validated and the facility achieved the highest savings per head. This person is bad enough for morale when left alone with the group; adding her contributions to the suggestion system can waste time better spent on legitimate attempts to help. The next you ask for cost savings; the next for ways to delight customers and so on. It will be a company-wide achievement and celebrating its success will have a powerful impact on engagement levels. Staff engagement is high; Siemens measures this as part of Towers Watsons index, and at this facility it is currently at 93 out of 100 the highest of any engineering company. In 1880, William Denny, a Scottish shipbuilder, asked his employees to offer suggestions in order to build ships in better ways. WebWhy do Suggestions Schemes Flop? Staff suggestion schemes are bound to fail if senior management doesnt take time to promote it & drive it. WebHere are three dos and donts any business should consider before putting a suggestion program/scheme in place. Offering an incentive for employees to use this box usually doesnt work. Online Courses, Master Classes and Workshops. E: info@destination-innovation.com. The beauty of an App is that employees can send in their suggestions direct from any device, anywhere, and most importantly, any time. Every business owner has met one: the worker who's never happy and is always complaining, regardless of the circumstances. If you avoid the mistakes listed above and get some help from those who do it well then there is every reason for your suggestions scheme to yield big results for your business. So why do all companies not do it? Its a one-way communication method People put ideas into an online suggestion box, but what do they get out? Someone must vet these ideas, after all. Ray holds a journalism degree and teaches writing, career development and an FDIC course called "Money Smart. Explicitly signaling an interest, beyond simply supplying a method for voice, is what makes people feel that its worth their time to speak up. The company employs a dedicated team internally to manage the flow of suggestions between staff and the individual departments and directors who decide whether or not they are worth pursuing. IdeasUK, the United Kingdoms foremost association for the promotion of employee involvement programs, was also founded in 1987. 2. Employee engagement levels drop like a stone when people feel their efforts are unappreciated. You can open the Challenge up to all, or to a selected group with specialist skills or knowledge. The Seven Big Mistakes. Employees are encouraged to drop their suggestions. You could actually undermine the process by giving employees the impression that positive suggestions can be incorporated at will. With an Ideas Management App, an effective feedback loop keeps everyone aware of incoming ideas and their progress within the system. Youre basically shutting their ideas away in the dark, storing them away indefinitely. It can lead to cost savings, and generation of new revenues. (And this after a 6 to 12 month implementation process.) The first recorded implementation of a suggestion scheme was in 1770 when the British navy has asked its soldiers by this scheme to express their ideas without fear of punishment. Benefits of staff suggestion schemes are followed: Disadvantages of Suggestion schemes are given in the image below. Theres no need to worry about little slips of paper getting lost. Employers know that not every person is willing to speak up publicly when they see an opportunity for good change, so a point of collection for these ideas makes a lot of sense. These criteria are namely (i) the idea does not violate the vision, mission and objectives of the organization, (ii) it improves the efficiency of processes, (iii) it improves the quality of the products or / and services, (iv) it Improves usages of resources, materials, and space etc., (v) it reduces damages, (vi) it cuts down service time and improves service standards, (vi) it cuts down wastages and helps in cost reductions, (vii) it simplifies the procedures and reduces paperwork, (viii) it improves the equipment designs and layouts, (ix) it helps in their better utilization, (x) it improves practices and routines, (xi) it improves the working environmental conditions including removal of hazards to health and possibilities of accidents, and (xii) it increases in the utilities, qualities, yields, or output of the products. Staff becomes more loyal to a manager who uses their constructive suggestions. A telecoms company received a suggestion that it should auction off its old and redundant stock to staff. It did this with an internal auction that raised $100,000 but it led to savings in storage and insurance costs of over $1m in the next three years. with a centralized coaching system. Successful businesses use suggestion schemes tap into the experience, skills and expertise of employees. If your digital suggestion box follows the same paradigm as the old one, you are still focused on collecting ideas, not implementing them. Some suggestions dont work, but we always respond, reply and explain why we havent taken them up on the idea. No Campaigns. Too often a scheme is launched with enthusiasm, only to become a black hole for employee suggestions that are never acknowledged or acted upon. For employers, effective voice contributes to building trust with employees, innovation, productivity and organisational improvement. We welcome you to submit your suggestions. 1. They can be a bit labor intensive, especially if you want to give serious thought to every suggestion that comes into the system. Employee suggestion systems aren't all good news, though. A company can then read the proposals from their suggestion boxes and apply them if they are affordable or necessary. A reward scheme could include cash, public announcement through email or company newsletter, or an afternoon off. Many companies give a small award to any idea that gets initial approval whether it reaches final implementation or not. You can give them the resources they need to execute it in a controlled environment without them having to wait until you read their proposals from some box. Suggestion schemes are also sources of innovation as they promote the implementation of new routines and facilitate the improvement and refinement of existing routines. The accepted suggestions are then acknowledged to the suggestor. Instead of asking for big, innovative ideas, ask for any sort of ideas. But it has a few big limitations. Do be careful with cash rewards though. To be effective, youve got to take employee suggestions seriously and treat the comments respectfully. Further, the benefits gained in terms of greater morale and increased employee involvement is likely to outweigh, by far, the financial investment. That may seem cynical and unfair, but managers might already have way too much on their plate for them to pay attention to the advice box. A maintenance associate who had participated in the committee of the suggestion system was happy to explain his frustration. Most are complaints, impossible to implement or likely to have little impact. The ideas pour in, the person responsible is swamped, and great ideas get lost in the process. If you dont take the suggestion box seriously and occasionally incorporate useful suggestions, its better not to have one at all. Cost saving is a motivation, but most of our customers are attracted to the employee engagement angle, says Duncan Murtagh, Vetters co-founder. Forum for Expatriate Management And that's a problem. Many companies have highly effective ideas schemes that generate huge savings every year. Contact the KaiNexus team, Stay on top of the latest KaiNexus product updates, industry best practices, and more, Register for upcoming webinars and access our on-demand library, Discover continuous improvement and Lean tips and tricks, See how companies use KaiNexus to spread improvement, Listen to the latest episode from the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement podcast, Learn about basic improvement principles with our education videos, Posted by Define Suggestion, Definition of Suggestion, Meaning of Suggestion. This is shown in Fig 2. Copyright 2023 Talkfreely Limited. If employees feel that the management care about their opinions and listen to their suggestions, youll have a highly engaged, productive workforce. Yet this is understandable. There are multiple reasons why the suggestion box is more hindering than helpful. The world class suggestion systems are exceeding 40 ideas per person annually, with greater than 80 percent implementation rates and high levels of participation. Copyright 2017 ARTICLES JUNCTION BLOG. They can trigger the value and volume of the suggestions and are necessary for the sustainability of suggestion scheme. ", Business Models & Organizational Structure, How to Coach Employees for Improved Performance, How to Improve Organizational Effectiveness Through Transformational Leadership, Decisions Employees Can Make to Help Motivate Themselves. There is a necessity of a detailed and consistent evaluation criterion. 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