More than a Third of Employees Don't Feel Comfortable Speaking Up at Work

Here’s why that matters—and what to do about it

More than a third of employees say they don’t feel comfortable sharing feedback at work.

Let that sink in for a minute.

That means in many organizations, a significant portion of your workforce is holding back—not sharing concerns, offering ideas, or telling you what’s really going on.

But when employees don’t speak up, the problem doesn’t go away. It just gets more expensive, more complicated, and harder to fix.

What’s Really Behind the Silence?

In most cases, it’s not that employees don’t care. It’s that they’ve learned—consciously or not—that speaking up isn’t worth the risk.

That can look like:

• “Last time I gave feedback, nothing changed.”

• “I don’t want to be seen as difficult.”

• “My manager doesn’t handle feedback well.”

• “It’s just easier to keep my head down.”

  
  

Over time, silence becomes the safer option. I've been there before. Have you?

What It’s Costing You

When employees hold back, you lose more than just input.

You lose:

• Early warnings about issues before they escalate

• Ideas that could improve processes or performance

• Engagement, because people stop feeling ownership

• Trust, which quietly erodes over time

  
  

And eventually, you may lose the employee altogether because they don’t feel seen, heard, and valued.

If You Want More Feedback, You Have to Make It Safer

Telling employees “My door is always open” isn’t enough.

Creating a culture where people actually speak up requires intentional action.

Here’s where to start:

1. Normalize Feedback (Don’t Treat It Like an Event)

If feedback only happens during annual reviews or when something is wrong, it will always feel high-stakes.

Instead:

• Build it into regular conversations

• Ask simple, consistent questions like:

  • “What’s getting in your way right now?”

  • “What’s one thing we could do better?”

The more routine it becomes, the less risky it feels.

2. Train Managers to Respond Well (This Is the Big One)

Most breakdowns happen here.

If a manager gets defensive, dismissive, or overly reactive (even one time) that moment sticks.

Coach managers to:

• Listen without interrupting

• Avoid explaining or justifying right away

• Thank the employee for sharing

• Follow up, even if the answer is “we can’t change that right now”

Employees don’t expect perfection—but they do expect respect.

3. Close the Loop

Nothing shuts down feedback faster than silence after it’s given.

If employees share input and never hear what happened next, they’ll assume it didn’t matter.

You don’t have to implement every suggestion. But you do need to communicate:

• What you heard

• What you’re doing about it (or not—and why)

This builds credibility.

4. Offer Multiple Ways to Share

Not everyone is comfortable speaking up in the same way.

Create options:

• One-on-one conversations

• Small group discussions

• Anonymous surveys

  
  

Different channels make it easier for different personalities to engage.

5. Model It at the Top

Leaders set the tone.

When leaders:

• Ask for feedback

• Admit mistakes

• Show they’re open to input

…it signals that it’s safe for others to do the same.

If leaders aren’t modeling it, employees won’t believe it.

Final Thought

Most organizations don’t have a feedback problem. They have a safety and trust problem.

And until employees believe it’s safe and worthwhile to speak up, you’ll only hear a fraction of what’s really happening inside your business.

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If you'd like some help conducting a survey, stay interviews, or with other strategies to encourage the voice of the employee, reach out to leslie@influencehrconsulting.com.

#voiceoftheemployee #employeefeedback #psychologicalsafety #employeeretention #employeeengagement #hr