In many organisations, employee engagement and internal communication are still too often classed...
Creating a Feedback-Driven Culture Where Every Voice Matters
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Creating a Feedback-Driven Culture Where Every Voice Matters
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Insights From Odette Hamilton, EMEA Head of Employee Experience and Engagement at MUFG, Gillian Green, Global Senior Manager People Experience and Culture at SSP Group, and Laura Silcock, People Potential & Talent Lead at Magenta
If you’ve ever wondered what it truly takes to create a workplace where every voice counts, the Organisational Culture Stage at the recent Employee Engagement Summit had the answers. In the session “Creating a Feedback-Driven Culture Where Every Voice Matters,” a power-packed panel shared transformative ideas on embedding feedback into daily life – not as a one-off exercise, but as the heartbeat of how organisations grow, learn, and connect.Bringing together perspectives from global banking, travel services, and social housing, this conversation was more than theory – it was a masterclass in practical culture change. Our panellists explored the fears, frustrations, and breakthroughs that come with building trust and psychological safety at scale.
Odette Hamilton, EMEA Head of Employee Experience and Engagement at MUFG kicked things off with a bold observation: fear remains the biggest barrier to open feedback. In large, hierarchical environments like MUFG, people often hold back ideas or concerns. To address this, she introduced an inspired concept – culture influencers. These trusted team members act as bridges between employees and leadership, surfacing authentic feedback traditional surveys might miss.
Gillian Green, Global Senior Manager People Experience and Culture at SSP Group, painted a vivid picture of the challenge within a fast-paced, frontline-driven business. With 92% of employees in operational roles, time and safety are precious resources. Her advice to leaders was both simple and powerful: show curiosity, be present, and connect feedback directly to performance and inclusion. For Gillian, effective feedback isn’t just about asking questions – it’s about listening in a way that invites honesty.
Laura Silcock, People Potential & Talent Lead at Magenta then brought the story home with Magenta Living’s ongoing cultural transformation. Many employees, she explained, have been cautious about giving feedback for fear it might be held against them. Her team’s solution has been to reframe feedback as a natural, everyday exchange – where transparency and vulnerability start at the top. Leadership, she argued, sets the tone for how safe it feels to speak up.
The panel also shared clever, practical ideas for collecting and acting on feedback. Odette described MUFG’s “open chair” practice, where a non-leader sits in executive meetings to observe and report back, improving transparency. Gillian talked about “shift hurdles” – short, weekly huddles that blend real-time feedback with problem-solving. And Laura highlighted the “Colleague Voice” network, giving employees a real say in shaping strategy, along with the “You Said, We Did” campaign that proves feedback leads to action – or an explained decision when it doesn’t.
As the session wrapped up, one message stood out loud and clear: real feedback cultures aren’t built through surveys or slogans, but through authentic, consistent action. When leaders listen with intent and employees see their input drive change, it sets off a ripple of trust, engagement, and progress.
Tune in to the podcast to listen to the full discussion. You’ll leave with practical inspiration for making every voice in your business matter.
To register your interest for the 2026 Engage Employee Summit click here: https://www.engageemployee.com/engage-employee-summit-registration
