Ignore Employee Feedback, Lose Their Trust: 3 Steps to Rebuild Engagement

2 days ago
4 min read

Six months ago, one of my clients ran their very first company-wide engagement survey. With an impressive 81% participation rate, the results offered a powerful reflection of the culture—one that’s full of strengths, but also deeply in need of change.

One theme stood out with uncomfortable clarity: the leadership team’s consistent failure to address performance issues in real time.

Not only was this the lowest-rated category in the survey, but in a follow-up conversation with my client, she revealed that the issue runs far deeper than discomfort. “They actively avoid it,” she said. “They’d rather terminate someone during probation than give them feedback on how to improve. Even with HR coaching and support, it’s like asking them to commit a crime.”

Let that sink in.

A team of leaders so averse to feedback that they'd prefer to lose talent—and the investment in hiring, onboarding, and training—than have a tough conversation. The cost? Significant. The risk? Even greater.

And, initially, the senior leadership team didn’t want to act on the survey results just yet. They were waiting for an upcoming change in the business structure—one they believed would give more clarity and context. But waiting would have meant doing nothing for twelve months after employees had spoken up.

My client knew the stakes. She strongly advised against the delay, reminding the executive team that trust has a shelf life. “If we wait that long,” she said, “we send a message that the survey didn’t matter. People won’t forget that.”

She was right.

When it comes to sharing employee survey results, I’ve heard a colourful series of delay responses,

including:

“The results weren’t that bad—we don’t need to overreact.”
“Now is not the right time because we’re…” (in restructure, mid-strategy, under pressure, etc.)
“We can’t change any of these ‘big issues,’ so there’s no point communicating anything.”
“Let’s hold off until our new strategy/vision is finalized.”
“There are too many other priorities right now—we don’t have the time.”
“Let’s wait for the next leadership offsite to discuss.”
“We’re not sure what to say yet.”
“Let’s wait until our new CEO/leader starts.”
“We’ll share the results once we have a full action plan.”

To be fair, these responses often come from a place of pressure, not avoidance. Senior leaders are balancing competing priorities, navigating shifting landscapes, and trying to make the right call under time and resource constraints. Acting thoughtfully on feedback does take time. It does require coordination, care, and communication.

But if your organisation chooses to run an employee survey, the follow-through can’t be optional. Surveying your people is a commitment—one that comes with an obligation to listen, respond, and follow through in a timely and visible way.

Because when employees take the time to give honest feedback in a survey—and leaders choose not to act—that trust is eroded.

You only get one chance to do this well. Because the moment your team sees inaction after a survey, they stop believing their voice matters.

“Survey fatigue isn’t the problem. Inaction fatigue is.”

Many HR professionals today know this truth firsthand: it’s not the number of surveys that wears people down—it’s the feeling that their input goes nowhere.

Research supports this:

Culture Amp (2025) found that when organizations share results after a survey, participation in the next survey rises by ~7 percentage points. But when they don’t share results, participation drops.
A 2024 Harvard Business Review study reported that business units whose managers acted on employee feedback had 30% less attrition than those who didn’t.
And when employees believe their input will lead to action, speaking up increases by 24%.

In other words: listening isn’t enough. Responding is what builds trust.

Why This Matters

Australia is currently facing a disengagement crisis. Recent data shows 77% of employees are disengaged at work. And while it’s tempting to dismiss that statistic—especially in profitable times—disengagement doesn’t just go away. It compounds. And it quietly corrodes even high-performing organizations from the inside out.

As Anna Mulcahy, former CEO of Xerox, said:

“Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person—not just an employee—are more productive, satisfied and fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers.”

If your organization is asking for feedback and not acting on it, here’s what you risk:

Loss of leadership credibility
Repetition of the same unresolved problems
Declining trust in HR and leadership
Employees feeling used, not heard
Rising frustration, disengagement, and cynicism

But the flip side?

When you close the loop—when you show that you heard your people and are acting on what matters most—real change happens:

Employees feel respected and taken seriously
Trust grows, because your words match your actions
Psychological safety increases
Priorities become clearer
Teams improve faster because friction is being addressed head-on

And the numbers support it. According to Gallup’s 2020 meta-analysis, organizations with high employee engagement see:

18% higher sales productivity
23% higher profitability
81% lower absenteeism
64% fewer safety incidents
41% fewer quality defects

So, What Do You Do With Feedback?

Here’s 3 simple steps I recommend to guide clients through:

1. Share What You Heard

Transparency is the first trust builder.

Reflect the survey themes back to your people—in their language, not corporate spin. When employees hear their own words echoed back, they feel seen and understood.

And remember: people need ceremonies to gain closure. Even something as simple as a town hall or short video from the CEO saying, “Here’s what we heard,” makes a lasting impact.

2. Decide What Will Change—and What Won’t

Trying to solve everything leads to solving nothing.

Focus on 1–3 top priorities. Be honest about constraints. Let people know what’s possible, and what’s not. Focus beats ambition, every time.

In this client’s case, it’s clear: building a culture of brave, real-time feedback needs to be priority number one.

3. Act Visibly and Quickly

Don’t wait for the perfect plan. Start small and make progress visible.Host a training. Launch peer feedback circles. Set expectations for probation feedback conversations. Celebrate early wins. Movement builds belief.

A Final Word to Leaders

The ability to lead through feedback isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s a necessity. Avoidance may feel safer in the moment, but it silently chips away at your culture, your performance, and your reputation.

Leadership is about courage. And courageous leadership starts with listening—and doing something with what you hear.

Your people are watching. You’ve asked them to speak. The question now is:

Will you respond?

Six months ago, one of my clients ran their very first company-wide engagement survey. With an impressive 81% participation rate, the results offered a powerful reflection of the culture—one that’s full of strengths, but also deeply in need of change.

One theme stood out with uncomfortable clarity: the leadership team’s consistent failure to address performance issues in real time.

Let that sink in.

A team of leaders so averse to feedback that they'd prefer to lose talent—and the investment in hiring, onboarding, and training—than have a tough conversation. The cost? Significant. The risk? Even greater.

My client knew the stakes. She strongly advised against the delay, reminding the executive team that trust has a shelf life. “If we wait that long,” she said, “we send a message that the survey didn’t matter. People won’t forget that.”

She was right.

When it comes to sharing employee survey results, I’ve heard a colourful series of delay responses,

including:

“The results weren’t that bad—we don’t need to overreact.”

“Now is not the right time because we’re…” (in restructure, mid-strategy, under pressure, etc.)

“We can’t change any of these ‘big issues,’ so there’s no point communicating anything.”

“Let’s hold off until our new strategy/vision is finalized.”

“There are too many other priorities right now—we don’t have the time.”

“Let’s wait for the next leadership offsite to discuss.”

“We’re not sure what to say yet.”

“Let’s wait until our new CEO/leader starts.”

“We’ll share the results once we have a full action plan.”

But if your organisation chooses to run an employee survey, the follow-through can’t be optional. Surveying your people is a commitment—one that comes with an obligation to listen, respond, and follow through in a timely and visible way.

Because when employees take the time to give honest feedback in a survey—and leaders choose not to act—that trust is eroded.

You only get one chance to do this well. Because the moment your team sees inaction after a survey, they stop believing their voice matters.

“Survey fatigue isn’t the problem. Inaction fatigue is.”

Many HR professionals today know this truth firsthand: it’s not the number of surveys that wears people down—it’s the feeling that their input goes nowhere.

Research supports this:

Culture Amp (2025) found that when organizations share results after a survey, participation in the next survey rises by ~7 percentage points. But when they don’t share results, participation drops.

A 2024 Harvard Business Review study reported that business units whose managers acted on employee feedback had 30% less attrition than those who didn’t.

And when employees believe their input will lead to action, speaking up increases by 24%.

In other words: listening isn’t enough. Responding is what builds trust.

Why This Matters

As Anna Mulcahy, former CEO of Xerox, said:

“Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person—not just an employee—are more productive, satisfied and fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers.”

If your organization is asking for feedback and not acting on it, here’s what you risk:

Loss of leadership credibility

Repetition of the same unresolved problems

Declining trust in HR and leadership

Employees feeling used, not heard

Rising frustration, disengagement, and cynicism

But the flip side?

When you close the loop—when you show that you heard your people and are acting on what matters most—real change happens:

Employees feel respected and taken seriously

Trust grows, because your words match your actions

Psychological safety increases

Priorities become clearer

Teams improve faster because friction is being addressed head-on

And the numbers support it. According to Gallup’s 2020 meta-analysis, organizations with high employee engagement see:

18% higher sales productivity

23% higher profitability

81% lower absenteeism

64% fewer safety incidents

41% fewer quality defects

So, What Do You Do With Feedback?

Here’s 3 simple steps I recommend to guide clients through:

1. Share What You Heard

Transparency is the first trust builder.

Reflect the survey themes back to your people—in their language, not corporate spin. When employees hear their own words echoed back, they feel seen and understood.

And remember: people need ceremonies to gain closure. Even something as simple as a town hall or short video from the CEO saying, “Here’s what we heard,” makes a lasting impact.

2. Decide What Will Change—and What Won’t

Trying to solve everything leads to solving nothing.

Focus on 1–3 top priorities. Be honest about constraints. Let people know what’s possible, and what’s not. Focus beats ambition, every time.

In this client’s case, it’s clear: building a culture of brave, real-time feedback needs to be priority number one.

3. Act Visibly and Quickly

Don’t wait for the perfect plan. Start small and make progress visible.Host a training. Launch peer feedback circles. Set expectations for probation feedback conversations. Celebrate early wins. Movement builds belief.

A Final Word to Leaders

The ability to lead through feedback isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s a necessity. Avoidance may feel safer in the moment, but it silently chips away at your culture, your performance, and your reputation.

Leadership is about courage. And courageous leadership starts with listening—and doing something with what you hear.

Your people are watching. You’ve asked them to speak. The question now is:

Will you respond?

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