7 Considerations for Suggestion Box Programs
Years ago, I worked for a company that was faced with a financial challenge. They needed to cut $1M from their 
The thinking was, we needed help and who better than the company employees to offer guidance. Let them tell us how we can do this. And the employees did – to the tune of adding significant revenue. That’s right, what started out to be an expense-cutting exercise ending up making the company millions of dollars.
The other day, someone asked me about suggestion boxes so I can’t resist sharing the story and what I learned along the way about implementing a suggestion program. Here’s the list:
- Have a purpose. A suggestion program needs to serve a purpose within the company. It needs to tie to a business goal. For example: The suggestions must either reduce costs or improve revenue. This sets a clear expectation for the program as well as saying it will not be a substitute for communication and feedback.
- Get leadership buy-in. Like so many company programs, if senior leadership doesn’t embrace it…it’s toast. And when it comes to suggestion programs, they need to review the suggestions. Their acceptance is essential. Once the program purpose is defined, use it to get their buy-in.
- Get employees on-board. A suggestion program is not an anonymous gripe box. Make sure the purpose of the program is clearly communicated. Because if employees think their suggestions are going into some abyss then they won’t use it…and the program becomes worthless.
- Put someone in charge of it. A good suggestion program takes time and coordination. Designate someone to collect suggestions, answer questions about the program, and follow-up with submissions. Having a designated representative also adds credibility to the program.
- Recognize and reward good suggestions. If someone shares a good suggestion that meets the purpose of the program and aligns with a business goal – reward them for it. If an employee saves the company $25,000 … the thank you should be reflective of it. Not with a $5 Starbucks gift card or a $25 Amazon gift certificate. No offense to these companies, but that hardly seems fair. Give rewards that align with the benefit of the suggestion.
- Have a sunset clause. I think one of the reasons that suggestion programs get a bad rap is because they get stale. A suggestion program does not have to become a fixture within the company. Consider giving the program a sunset clause (i.e. ending date). That way, the program can be evaluated and improved upon the next time you want to use it.
Lastly, companies should think about reimagining the physical suggestion box concept using technology. There’s got to be a way to electronically capture the ideas. It would make getting ideas and evaluating them a lot easier.
While the concept of suggestion boxes might be a bit old skool, I think they can have some new life in them. Have you used suggestion programs before? Share your experience in the comments.
Image courtesy of Robert Smith
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