Feedback from your employees is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but a crucial part of building a strong and successful organisation. Workforce expectations are changing, and as a leader, you are responsible for both listening to your employees and acting quickly on the feedback you receive.
With advances and innovations in the AI space, the way you can collect and take action on employee feedback is also changing. On the latest episode of the Reshaping Finance podcast, Steve Saah, executive director of permanent placement at Robert Half, shares how AI-powered listening tools are moving us from periodic surveys to a new era of real-time, actionable insight.
Moving past traditional surveys: The power of continuous listening
Conventional feedback methods like annual surveys or the occasional employee poll only capture a snapshot of employee sentiment.
‘Unlike traditional surveys, AI enables continuous listening and real-time insights that uncover hidden patterns leaders might otherwise miss’, Saah explained.
AI tools like natural language processing and sentiment analysis sift through feedback from multiple channels, like open-ended survey responses, emails, chat messages, performance reviews, and even exit interviews, allowing you to interpret employee sentiment at a scale and depth that was unimaginable a few years ago.
Using AI tools is also about detecting subtle signals that can easily be missed, such as recurring mentions of burnout or concerns about recognition, which might otherwise slip through the cracks in manual reviews. That feedback is crucial for making changes that can move the needle on employee satisfaction rates.
‘AI could quickly detect recurring themes from those employee feedback surveys that might be missed in a manual review … that immediate feedback would enable leaders to address it much faster than may otherwise be possible’, according to Saah.
Insights gathered using AI tools must lead to action
AI-powered listening is only valuable if it creates action. ‘The [data] patterns can tell quite a story, but what you do with that story is what matters most to your people’, Saah said.
The insights you gather can help you move beyond generic leadership responses. For example, consider a scenario where using an AI tool has enabled you to identify limited career development opportunities within a specific department. In that case, you can respond by launching a targeted training programme, which could reduce employee turnover and strengthen morale.
But collecting data is only part of the story. Building trust with your employees is essential when adopting AI listening tools. ‘Transparency and consent aren’t optional, they’re foundational. Employees need to understand what’s being collected and why’, Saah emphasised.
Your organisation must clearly communicate what data you will be gathering, as well as how that data will be used and who will have access to it. Employees must also be given the option to opt out — a key part of that transparency.
Personalised interventions over a one-size-fits-all approach
A significant advantage of AI tools is segmentation, which allows you to target responses to the needs of specific teams, departments, or demographics instead of rolling out broad, company-wide fixes.
‘AI helps leaders move beyond one-size-fits-all by tailoring responses to the unique needs of each team,’ Saah said. For example, sentiment analysis might reveal that one team needs more flexibility, whilst another is looking for mentorship opportunities.
As leaders, it is crucial to remember that AI is a tool and not a replacement for human empathy. Although technologies like natural language processing can detect tone and emotion, the human touch will always be an essential aspect of successful AI adoption. As Saah highlighted, ‘you can’t just rely on AI insights, you need emotional intelligence to ensure empathy and cultural awareness in your response’.
AI tools can support your efforts to amplify unheard voices within your organisation, enabling a deeper understanding of your people. Still, it’s up to you to listen, interpret, and act with authenticity and purpose.
As we move forwards with AI adoption and integration, the organisations that succeed will be those that combine continuous, AI-powered listening with a commitment to transparency, empathy, and real action. That is how we go from insight to impact and build workplaces where every voice is truly heard and valued.
Listen to the whole conversation on leveraging AI to act on employee feedback on the Reshaping Finance podcast.
Additional resources:
AI-powered employee listening: Turning feedback into action
18 questions to ask in your next employee engagement survey
The Next Frontier of Finance: Taking AI from Theory to Implementation
Essential AI resources for practical use
Re-defining finance for a sustainable world