The New Rules of Employee Listening: What Actually Works in 2025
For years, employee listening strategies relied on annual surveys and feedback channels that checked the box—but often missed the mark.
According to the “The Heard and the Heard-Nots” report by The Workforce Institute at UKG and Workplace Intelligence, 74% of employees report they are more effective at their job when they feel heard, but 86% feel that people at their workplace are not heard fairly or equally.
In 2025, the bar is higher. With hybrid teams, multigenerational workforces and pressure to move fast on cultural and operational decisions, companies are redesigning how they gather insights and act on them.
As human resources (HR) leaders across industries rethink what meaningful feedback looks like, they’re leaning on real-time input, honest conversations and mechanisms that don’t just capture sentiment but expose misalignment, build trust and reinforce clarity around priorities.We asked members of the Senior Executive HR Think Tank to share the specific changes they’ve made and what’s actually working.
“We’ve established ‘Pulse Champions’ within teams to facilitate regular, open discussions.”
Feedback Needs to Be Real—and Timely
“We’ve established ‘Pulse Champions’ within teams,” says Britton Bloch, VP of Talent Acquisition Strategy at Navy Federal Credit Union. These team members host regular open discussions and roundtables, offering safe spaces where employees can speak freely. The feedback is then aggregated into key themes and shared with leadership.
What makes this work? It’s decentralized but structured—embedding listening into the workflow instead of outsourcing it to an annual form. These Champions act as informal culture barometers, helping HR catch issues early and elevate actionable insights.
“Middle managers often have the most unique perspectives in the company and deliver creative solutions.”
Don’t Overlook the Middle
Lori Landrum, Manager of HR and Marketing at Heights Tower Service, emphasizes the power of listening to middle managers. “We stood up a joint operations team for our middle managers across the company,” she shares. These are the people translating leadership’s goals to the front lines—and vice versa. “They often have the most unique perspectives in the company and deliver creative solutions to business and employee challenges.”
By giving this group a focused platform for feedback, her organization tapped into a well of operational insight and practical solutions. It’s a reminder that listening isn’t just about morale—it’s about strategy.
“The modern workforce demands a continuous listening strategy.”
More Channels, More Context
According to Laci Loew, Fellow and HR Analyst at Global Curiosity Institute, companies must adopt a continuous listening approach. “The modern workforce demands a continuous listening strategy characterized by real-time feedback loops and diverse communication channels,” she says. Tools like pulse surveys, focus groups, mentorship relationships and digital platforms must be paired with a culture of psychological safety and transparency.
The takeaway? Listening tools are only as good as the culture they operate in. Without trust, feedback stays shallow. With it, leaders can catch sentiment shifts in real time—and respond accordingly.
“Employees don’t just want to be heard. They want to know their work drives impact.”
Focus on Clarity, Not Just Sentiment
Michelle Arieta, Founder of Polaris Pathways, makes a critical point: “Employees don’t just want to be heard. They want to know their work drives impact.” In her consulting work, she’s found the biggest unlock by asking: “Where is misalignment slowing down execution?”
Her team uses manager-led roundtables framed around real work, not just feelings. That shift surfaces gaps in clarity and confidence, helping leaders address the friction that impedes performance. In an environment of change, that kind of insight is priceless.
Tips for Effectively Gathering Employee Feedback
- Embed listening in daily operations. Use “Champions,” manager roundtables or informal huddles to consistently collect feedback.
- Prioritize real-time over one-time. Supplement annual surveys with short, ongoing tools that reflect what’s happening now.
- Listen across levels. Don’t just ask senior leadership and junior staff—make sure middle managers have a seat at the feedback table.
- Build trust to get honesty. Feedback only becomes actionable when employees believe it’s safe to be candid.
- Act fast and communicate often. Close the loop by sharing what you heard, what you’re doing and what comes next.
Beyond the Suggestion Box: Today’s Best Ways to Get Employee Feedback
In recent years, the vast majority of employees have felt uncared for; according to Gallup, less than 25% of workers in the U.S. strongly believe their organization cares about their well-being. Listening to employees can go a long way toward showing them that they’re cared for, and effective listening practices can help a company make significant strides in improving employee satisfaction, engagement and performance.
The most successful HR teams in 2025 aren’t just listening more—they’re listening smarter. By shifting from reactive to real-time, from centralized to embedded and from generic to strategic, they’re creating cultures where feedback leads to forward motion.
As this group of HR Think Tank leaders shows, modern listening isn’t a form to fill out—it’s a function of trust, clarity and action. For companies that get it right, the payoff can be better performance, stronger alignment and employees who know their voices matter.
