But speak-up systems in organisations must do more than just exist. Successfully embedding a speak-up system takes careful planning. Critical to this are good communication and an ethical workplace culture built on trust.
Encouraging speak-up in the workplace
Communicating and promoting a speak-up culture requires constant work and commitment. Companies that do this well work hard to reinforce speak-up messages in a variety of ways, incorporating these messages into everyday business activities, and treating speak-up communications like any other internal communications campaign. Success also requires the commitment of senior management who should be seen to reinforce speak-up messages on a regular basis.
- Speak-up policy. Begin with a whistleblowing or speak-up policy that identifies who the system is for, how the system should be used, what should be reported, and who is responsible for making it work. Use simple, reassuring language and emphasise confidentiality and non-retaliation.
- Speak-up and the Code. Incorporating speak-up into the code of conduct helps establish the practice as part of organisational culture. Many organisations also include speak-up as part of the CEO’s introduction to the code. This helps reinforce the message that opinions are valued and senior management takes speak-up seriously.
- Raising awareness. Regular speak-up messages should form part of the internal communications programme. This will involve a variety of techniques from posters with QR codes in key locations such as factories or plants, features in staff briefings, bulletins or newsletters, and dedicated webinars as part of staff training. The whistleblowing policy should be available on the staff intranet or business management system, with a shortcut to the speak-up page. Increasingly, companies are also using mobile apps to deploy their hotlines. Many organisations also include details of the hotline on employee lanyards or ID cards. Not only does this improve accessibility, it reinforces the desire to encourage speak-up.
- Promote the speak-up experience. Employees will trust a system that they see working in practice. Use a variety of internal and external communication platforms to report on speak up metrics and to share anonymised case histories of issues raised through the system, showing how they were addressed and resolved. Focus on what the business learned and how it has improved based as a result. Include real-life speak-up scenarios in eLearning and other training modules on speak-up and compliance topics.
- Training, training and more training. All too often systems fail because concerns are not escalated properly, or investigations are handled insensitively. Training investigators to look after the interests of those who raise concerns and those about whom concerns are raised is not just important, in some countries, it’s a legal requirement. In addition, training line managers to know what to do when they receive a speak-up disclosure and how to deal with employees who find themselves the subject of an investigation can have a significant impact on overall staff morale and wellbeing. Companies should also make sure that staff know how to raise a concern and can differentiate between employee grievances and issues around malpractice and misconduct.
Good communication is a key pillar of effective speak-up. However, if stakeholders lack trust and worry how they will be treated for raising concerns, it will not serve its purpose. Establishing an ethical company culture which promotes trust between stakeholders is therefore vital.
Webinar replay: Embedding an effective speak-up culture within your organisation
Building an effective speak-up culture
What does it take to create the right speak-up culture? Many of the ingredients that contribute to a good speak-up culture are also the essential elements of an ethical workplace culture.
- Tone from the top. An organisation that is committed to operating ethically and openly will be driven by senior leaders who set out clear expectations of ethical behaviour. Employees who hear directly from senior leaders that speaking up about misconduct is encouraged are more likely to do so.
- Trust in management to do the right thing. This is a core tenet of an ethical company culture and one that is equally critical to a speak-up environment. Stakeholders must have confidence that senior leaders and managers will act, and act appropriately, if a concern about misconduct is raised. This will include putting the right training in place so that managers and investigators know how to handle concerns that are raised.
- Employees are supported to do the right thing. Establishing a supportive culture will create a safe environment that encourages speak-up. Providing multiple channels for raising concerns gives staff options to report in whichever way is most comfortable for them. It’s also important that employees know where to direct questions about misconduct if they are uncertain.
- Employees feel confident in raising concerns. This is clearly dependent on senior leaders setting the tone and managers instilling confidence that concerns will be properly handled. This is reinforced by ensuring that whistleblowing policies and processes are clearly communicated with an emphasis on non-retaliation and confidentiality.
- Employees are treated fairly. Speaking-up can be difficult and takes courage, so staff must feel it is worth the effort. This is more likely to happen in a workplace culture where staff feel listened to and know they will be treated properly if they speak out.
Speak-up and culture are intrinsically linked. Through our assessments using the GoodCorporation Business Ethics Framework, we know that the extent to which employees feel able to raise concerns is one of the best indicators of ethical culture. Organisations with a real commitment to encouraging staff to speak up are more likely to identify problems early, address them and so avoid a crisis.
GoodCorporation’s 2020 survey on workplace culture, saw a rise in the number of workers feeling comfortable about raising an issue of poor or unethical behaviour (up from 59% in 2017 to 64% in 2020). We also saw an increase in the number feeling that concerns would be dealt with fairly and that they would be properly protected when speaking up.
Organisations that successfully implement an open-door culture that promotes speak-up will strengthen the relationship and trust between management and staff, leading to greater motivation for staff who feel valued and listened to, and improved risk management.
Guide to the Introduction of Whistleblowing Systems
How to successfully implement a whistleblowing system in your organisation.
