7 Real-life Benefits of Anonymous Suggestion Boxes

Considering launching a suggestion box in your workplace but aren’t fully convinced whether it’s a good idea?

Then, I’ve got you covered. 

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly what sort of benefits you can expect from launching a suggestion box strategy in your company. 

But let’s get something straight first…

Your employees do want to speak up and share ideas with you; they just lack a platform to do so.

Let me prove this to you with some data:

According to this source, for example, 41% of employees have left their job because they felt they weren’t listened to. But the ironic thing about it is that even if a company encouraged employee feedback, 20% of employees still would not share their ideas or opinions with their employers.

There is a reason for that, too, though. 

55% of employees complain that management only asks for feedback at in-person meetings. As I’m sure you’ve noticed already, not all employees will feel comfortable sharing their ideas in front of everyone. Many wouldn’t have done so even in a 1-on-1 meeting…

(One reason might be that 17.1% of employees admitted having doubts about confidentiality when sharing feedback.)

In other words, even though they do want to speak up, companies fail to provide them with the means to do so. 

Well, this is exactly where anonymous suggestion boxes come in. 

So, what is a suggestion box, exactly?

Well, I’m almost sure that the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the term – suggestion box – is something like this:

And the funny thing is, today’s modern suggestion boxes aren’t far from that. They just utilize a bit more sophisticated ways to collect employee feedback. 

But they’re still systems that allow employees to submit ideas, suggestions, feedback, or even their concerns to the management.

The only difference between traditional, physical suggestion boxes and those we use today is that the process happens almost entirely online. 

Here’s an example of a suggestion box (created with our suggestion box software – Suggestion Ox):

RECOMMENDED READING: How to Set Up a Suggestion Box in the Workplace

But there are two types of suggestion boxes, actually…

The above definition focused on explaining suggestion boxes in more generic terms. However, we should also cover two types of those boxes, as they both deliver slightly different benefits to organizations. 

#1. Anonymous suggestion box

As its name suggests, this box focuses on collecting 100% anonymous feedback. 

What it means is that not only employees are not required to provide their names when submitting the box. The system will not even record any information that could lead to identifying who they are. 

So, the system won’t record their IP address, location, nothing. Whatever feedback they provide is absolutely confidential and anonymous. 

Important to remember: To run an anonymous suggestion box, you need to use dedicated software. A platform that’s built from the ground up to ensure complete anonymity of participants. 

Unfortunately, most usual feedback collection platforms, such as survey software, may still record some personally identifiable information (PII) about respondents and, thus, do not provide such complete anonymity.

RECOMMENDED READING: How to collect completely anonymous employee feedback

#2. Generic suggestion boxes

At first sight, these suggestion boxes differ very little from the anonymous boxes I mentioned above. They offer the same functionality and capabilities. 

However, there is a major difference between them. Generic boxes record the respondent’s personally identifiable information (PII), making it easy for organizations to determine the author of the feedback. 

You are perfectly fine with using either of the two types. However, from experience, I can attest that employees are more likely to offer candid feedback when they know they’re doing so completely anonymously. 

With all that in mind, let’s check out what you’ll get by launching a suggestion box in your workplace.

7 benefits of having an anonymous suggestion box in the workplace

#1. Access to the best ideas

Personally, I think this is one of the biggest benefits of anonymous suggestion boxes. It’s what these boxes are for, after all – To provide employees with a platform to share their ideas, suggestions, concerns, and so on. 

But there is another aspect to this. By focusing on collecting anonymous feedback, you allow employees to share ideas regardless of their rank, position, or department. You also break a psychological barrier associated with the fear of being judged for your ideas. 

Unrestricted by such barriers, employees become more creative and innovative. 

And indeed, more open to sharing even the seemingly most crazy ideas. 

#2. Direct access to your employees’ thoughts, impressions, and experiences

When we talk about ideas, we usually think of something that helps companies operate better, increase sales, and so on. And naturally, any such input from employees is priceless. 

But there is another aspect of the feedback you could be receiving through a suggestion box. And that feedback relates more to your employees’ experiences, impressions, and emotions regarding their jobs and the workplace. 

In other words, a solid suggestion box program can help you understand your employees’ perspectives on many aspects of the organization. This, in turn, could lead to identifying and eliminating various problems, improving processes, and even elevating the overall work environment. 

#3. Boost in morale and engagement

This benefit is based on simple psychology: Having a voice and also seeing those suggestions implemented or at least considered makes employees feel valued. 

And when employees feel valued, their morale increases and they become more engaged at work. 

How does this relate to suggestion boxes? Well, for one, having an active suggestion box program in place will continuously remind employees that the organization values and seeks their input. 

When employees see their suggestions taken seriously and potentially implemented, they feel more connected to their jobs and take more pride in their work. 

#4. Improving employee retention

It’s a fact: Retention is one of the things HR people have on their minds all the time. And I do mean it:

After all, in the UK, 30% of employees leave to join another organization after one year (source.)

(image source)

In the US, the national average employee turnover rate (2023 data) is at 47.2% (source.)

Turnover rates in Canada increased to 15.5% in 2023 (source).

Naturally, many factors can affect a person’s decision to leave the company. However, it’s also known that when employees feel heard and concerns addressed, they are more likely to feel engaged and remain with the company. 

And that’s where suggestion boxes help. They provide employees with a channel to express concerns and suggestions. 

Secondly, these suggestions often reveal issues that contribute to employees’ leaving. By identifying and addressing those issues, you can actively prevent many employees from feeling disengaged and deciding to go elsewhere.

#5. Empowering quiet employees

38% of employees openly classify themselves as introverts. 

Naturally, the actual number might even be higher, particularly if we consider people who do not consider themselves introverts but are. 

Then, some people are naturally shy and prefer not to share their ideas in the open. 

But it doesn’t mean either of those groups doesn’t have interesting input or suggestions.

They do. 

However, their ideas will remain hidden unless you provide them with a channel for doing so. 

And again, this is where anonymous suggestion boxes help immensely. They allow introverted or hesitant employees to share their ideas, concerns, and insights without the pressure of face-to-face communication. With a suggestion box, someone who’d never speak up or share their ideas publicly has a channel they could use to communicate those ideas to you. 

#6. Providing safe means to shed light on illegal or dishonest practices in the workplace

No one wants to be labeled a whistleblower. 

Of course, it’s a noble thing to report dishonest behavior in the workplace, and help prevent it from happening ever again. 

But often, there is a price for doing so. 

A report called Whistleblowing: An Inside Story, revealed with full force the consequences of whistleblowing in the workplace. 

It showed that for the majority of whistleblowers, their personal position within the organization actually worsened. What’s worse, 7% – 10% had to resign after just one attempt to report dishonest or fraudulent practices. 

(image source)

Unsurprisingly, employees who witness unethical or illegal behavior may fear retaliation if they report these issues directly. 

Workplace whistleblowing software allows employees to report such behaviors without revealing their identities. They don’t have to worry about any form of retaliation since their identities are protected and unknown to anyone receiving their feedback. 

#7. Boosting trust

I know that this may sound grandiose but it’s true: Trust is the foundation of the entire company’s culture. 

After all, trust is what fuels communication, teamwork, collaboration, and productivity and affects the person’s commitment to the job. 

(image source)

Naturally, many factors affect trust in the workplace, one of which is the management’s commitment to transparency and responsiveness. 

Coincidentally, this is what a suggestion box can help with. 

You see, by openly asking for, embracing, and acting on employee feedback, management demonstrates exactly that commitment. 

Having a suggestion box program running communicates to employees that the management listens to and values their voice. And in doing so, it enhances the trust between employees and the company. 

And that’s it…

These are the seven biggest benefits of using suggestion boxes in the workplace. 

Hopefully, these convinced you that your organization does indeed need a suggestion box. 

Good luck.