How employee surveys can support difficult conversations in the workplace

Written in collaboration with Stribe 

 

Difficult conversations at work are… well, difficult. 

Whether it’s addressing performance concerns, handling workplace conflict, or discussing sensitive topics like mental health or wellbeing, these conversations can feel awkward, tense, or sometimes even confrontational. 

 

It’s no surprise that many people avoid them altogether. 

 

Employees worry about saying the wrong thing. 

 

Managers don’t want to upset their teams. 

 

And HR often gets stuck in the middle, trying to navigate tricky conversations while keeping everyone happy. 

But here’s the thing – avoiding difficult conversations never makes a problem disappear. 

 

That’s where employee surveys come in. 

 

Beyond collecting feedback – regular anonymous surveys help lay the groundwork for healthy and productive discussions in the wider workplace. 

Regularly seeking feedback from your team creates a culture where speaking up feels safe and feedback is healthy. 

Keep reading, and we’ll show you how you can use employee surveys as a practical tool to make difficult workplace conversations a little easier. 

 

 

If you’ve ever put off a difficult conversation at work, you’re not alone. 

Most people would rather sit through a painfully awkward Zoom call with their camera stuck on than tell a colleague their behaviour is causing problems. 

And it’s not just employees - managers struggle too. 

No one wants to be the bearer of bad news or risk making a situation worse. 

So instead of having honest conversations, people stay quiet, hoping the problem will fix itself. 

Spoiler – It never does. 

The real issue? 

Workplaces aren’t always set up for open, judgment-free conversations. 

Many employees worry that if they speak up, they’ll be labelled as ‘negative’ or ‘difficult.’ 

Managers fear that delivering tough feedback will damage relationships. 

And in some particularly unhealthy workplaces, the unspoken rule is to ‘keep your head down and get on with it’ - even when something is off. 

But avoiding difficult conversations doesn’t prevent problems. It buries them. And the longer they’re ignored, the bigger they grow. 

 

 

 

Silence in the workplace shouldn’t be taken as a sign that everything is fine – it often means that people don’t feel safe speaking up. 

When employees keep their thoughts to themselves, whether it’s frustrations about workloads or concerns about leadership, small problems can fester into major issues. 

By the time HR hears about them, it’s often too late. 

This is where regular employee surveys can be super helpful – by creating a foundation for a culture where open conversations and raising concerns are normal, expected, and safe. 

 

Here’s how: 

Regular pulse surveys send a clear message – it’s safe to speak up here. 

 

And when employees see their feedback is not only welcomed but acted on, they begin to trust that their voice matters. 

 

Really interestingly, this also helps performance at work too – Google’s Project Aristotle research found that psychological safety (i.e. the belief that you won’t be punished or embarrassed for speaking up) is a key ingredient in high-performing teams. 

 

Many employees hesitate to raise honest, frank feedback because they’re worried about how their team or manager will react. 

Anonymous surveys give them a way to speak up without fear of repercussions, making it easier to surface real issues before they escalate. 

 

It’s easy to dismiss one employee’s complaint as an isolated issue, but when surveys reveal patterns, it’s harder to ignore. 

Data-backed employee insights help HR and leadership teams focus on the right problems rather than making assumptions. 

 

 

It’s simple – difficult conversations in the workplace become easier to tackle when people feel safe to speak up. 

Focus on specific challenges versus vague questions, and always use a mix of rating scales and follow-up questions to gain qualitative and quantitative feedback. 

For example: 

Question: “On a scale of 1 – 10 how comfortable are you giving feedback to your manager?” 

Follow-up: "What would make giving feedback more comfortable for you?" 

 

Transparency is so important to building trust in employee surveys. 

Share survey findings and your plan of action. And acknowledge the pain points sincerely – people want to feel heard, not dismissed. 

 

You can use survey insights to frame discussions, which is especially helpful for leading conversations based on data rather than personal feelings or opinion, and without singling anyone out. 

For example: 

“We noticed from the survey that many people feel their workload isn’t manageable. Let’s talk about how we can work together to change that.” 

 

Collecting feedback is just the first step – what really matters is what action you take. 

Your employees will only keep sharing if they see that their input leads to action. 

One survey won’t fix everything, but ongoing check-ins show employees that their voices matter, building trust and making honest conversations a natural part of workplace culture. 

 

 

Stribe is award-winning employee survey software built to create happier, healthier teams. 

Aimed at giving employees a stronger voice with easy-to-use surveys, Stribe helps organisations achieve business goals that enhance the wellbeing and culture of their teams. 

By working with Stribe, you’re able to gather employee insights that truly matter, and create positive change for your people.