By definition, transparency is the quality of being seen through or being easy to perceive or detect.
Think of a clear, transparent pane of glass. You can easily see and understand whatever is on the other side of it. Now, apply that same concept to communication at your workplace. Although senior leaders can’t share absolutely everything, all the time, how much healthier and successful would your company be if transparency was naturally woven into its culture?
Transparency promotes honest, open two-way communication at all levels of an organization. Once your leaders establish an environment of transparency, it will naturally cascade down throughout your company. Equally important, it will also spread upward and laterally. Team members throughout your company will feel comfortable sharing their ideas and expressing their opinions, without fear of repercussion.
It all comes down to trust.
Transparency positively impacts employee engagement, as it results in people having clearer ideas of what is expected of them. They also feel that their opinions matter and that their contributions are valued.
- Honest communication breeds trust. When employees trust their managers, they feel more comfortable raising concerns and asking questions. This allows minor issues to be addressed before they mushroom into bigger problems.
- Transparency also strengthens accountability. When people know that others will know about their decisions and openly see the results, they’ll think twice about being careless, have greater pride and ownership in their work, and be less likely to blame others unfairly because everyone knows exactly which and how much input they and their coworkers have had.
How to Foster Transparency
Company leaders who are open and honest themselves set the tone for transparency throughout their company. Directors, managers and HR personnel should be direct and frequently share their thoughts and feelings. They should also openly recognize and praise employees – because what gets acknowledged also gets repeated.
Other key steps to fostering transparency include:
- Starting with your recruiting process: Set a tone of transparency right from the start by weaving it into your job descriptions, hiring process, job offer and negotiations, and orientation and onboarding.
- Setting clear expectations: From the abovementioned recruiting process and throughout each employee’s tenure at your company, make sure everyone clearly understands their role, priorities and goals – and how they contribute to your business success.
- Giving employees a real voice: Speaking of voice, give transparency more than just lip service. Use pulse surveys, as well as town hall, smaller group and one-on-one conversations to gather input in real time.
- Acting on employee feedback: Don’t let data gathered from your engagement efforts gather dust on a shelf. Analyze it and then act upon it. Let people know how they have impacted positive change within your company and see exactly where, when and how it is happening. Response to negative feedback is equally, if not more, critical.
From your recruitment strategy through workforce staffing and development, count on PrideStaff Modesto to help you create a winning culture of transparency. Contact us today to learn more.
