"People need to see and understand that I will answer any of their questions. There is nothing they can't ask me that I won't address. I want them to see me as open and honest."
This statement from a CEO we work with captures a growing mindset in leadership: transparency and openness are central to building trust.
Yet it also highlights a common misconception gaining traction in workplaces – that anonymity in employee feedback is merely a temporary measure, a stepping stone toward achieving “true” psychological safety. Accompanying this perspective is one that implies that if anonymity is necessary, there must be something fundamentally wrong with the organisational culture.
However, viewing anonymity as a temporary fix misses the complexity of organisational life. What people feel they can or can’t say – and who can speak openly – is woven deeply with power dynamics, social conditioning, and relational factors that can’t be transformed overnight.
The Complexities of Speaking Up
When feedback is only considered valid if it’s tied to a name, we risk silencing valuable insights. This isn’t just about fear of career repercussions; it extends to social factors that keep people from speaking up.
Self-censorship can arise from concerns about embarrassment, both for oneself and others, as well as uncertainties about how those in positions of authority will receive feedback.
Even the most committed, open CEOs may not have the personal, trusting relationships with all employees necessary to encourage candid feedback. Facing a senior leader who feels unfamiliar can naturally temper the willingness to be open.
Complicating this further is the fact that those who find it easy to speak up often find it hard to imagine what it’s like not to have a voice or the confidence to use it. For them, the experience of withholding feedback feels foreign, making it challenging to understand the barriers others might face.
This difference in experience can unintentionally create blind spots in leadership’s understanding of what’s needed to support authentic dialogue.
To foster authentic voice and support collective sensemaking, leaders need a range of approaches – and anonymous feedback options must be part of the mix.
When anonymity is an option, employees are freer to speak their minds, uncovering the diversity of opinions, frustrations, and experiences that often remain hidden in name-attached cultures.
Anonymous feedback thus allows leaders to access the complete, unfiltered insights that reflect the realities of organisational health and engagement.
Anonymity Is An Essential Component of Inclusion and Trust-Building
Anonymity isn’t simply a “stepping stone” on the way to safety; it’s a critical tool for inclusion.
By allowing all employees to share freely, regardless of position or relationship, anonymity enables leaders to hear from everyone on an equal footing, even those who may lack close, trusting relationships with the leadership team.
Far from diminishing trust, anonymity can strengthen it by showing that leaders are committed to hearing all voices – not just the ones they might expect or want to hear.
By providing anonymous feedback channels, leaders signal that they’re genuinely interested in understanding the full landscape of the organisation.
This approach demonstrates that leaders value the authentic feedback that anonymous channels allow, helping to surface difficult truths or concerns that, if left unspoken, could affect the organisation's long-term health.
It's A Cornerstone for Collective Sensemaking
In an ever-changing workplace, continual dialogue with employees is crucial for establishing adaptability and resilience.
Anonymity facilitates this ongoing exchange by enabling leaders to gather and interpret patterns, trends, and insights over time. This dynamic feedback loop gives leaders a nuanced understanding of emerging challenges, allowing them to respond proactively and effectively.
By embracing anonymous dialogue, leaders foster a process of collective sensemaking that equips the organisation to adapt to complexities and build resilience in the face of change.
It's About The Perspectives
Organisations have many ways to foster meaningful dialogue, and anonymous feedback options don’t have to be limited to any one platform.
When running “ask me anything” sessions or town halls, for instance, incorporating anonymous options can encourage employees to contribute questions or feedback they might otherwise hold back.
Tools like Slido (among others) can be effective in these settings.
What matters most isn’t the method but the commitment to recognising and overcoming the barriers to open communication.
As a leader, you need diverse perspectives; how you get them is less important.
How Harkn Supports Inclusive and Transparent Dialogue
At Harkn, we understand that fostering a culture of trust and inclusivity is complex and requires a range of listening approaches. Our platform provides leaders with tools to empower both anonymous and open feedback, allowing organisations to gather unfiltered insights while reinforcing transparency and accountability.
Harkn isn’t here to replace the work leaders are doing but to support it, giving them the means to listen, adapt, and act on real-time feedback continually.
We're dedicated to helping organisations thrive in today’s ever-evolving landscape by facilitating an inclusive dialogue where every voice matters.
I understand that writing about anonymity in this way may seem self-serving because of what we do. However, the reality is that we do what we do because anonymity is so crucial.
To me, it's significant that the number one question employees ask us at every single company we work with is, "Is it really anonymous?". Would that be the primary concern if people felt they could speak freely?
And, it isn’t just about providing a safe outlet (as important as that is); it’s about creating a pathway to understanding the workplace’s true complexity, and it’s a call to empower leaders who genuinely want to tap into the collective understanding, knowledge and experience of their people.
That's what will help them create an adaptable and resilient organisation.
The workplace today requires a nuanced approach to listening, one that recognises and respects the voices that make up its foundation.
At Harkn, we’re deeply committed to helping leaders amplify and act on those voices, making sure they’re heard, understood, and valued in a way that builds a healthier, more connected workplace.
