People in FM
Silence Isn’t Neutral: How Samsic UK Is Building a Culture Where Every Voice Matters
Giving employees a voice is not just a nice‑to‑have — it’s a strategic lever for loyalty, innovation, and retention. But how do you actually get people to speak up, especially in dispersed teams, such as cleaning and security.
Cleaning and security provider Samsic UK has learned that listening isn’t enough - you need to create psychological safety, build inclusive structures, and prove that feedback leads to action.
A company’s culture and values need to be shaped accordingly to give people the confidence to speak out, to feel that their ideas and feedback will not just be heard, but listened to, understood and considered, and above all that they will not open themselves up to bad feeling or derision.
If such a shift can be achieved, changing culture and giving employees a voice can have a major impact on staff loyalty, retention, morale, as well as employee and client engagement.
Samsic UK’s HR Director Andrew Safo-Poku Jnr looks at how a company can create such a culture, so that everyone finds their voice, and enjoys the benefits it can bring, not just for employee wellbeing but also for company success.
Giving employees a voice is a strategic decision, often part of a move towards becoming ‘people centric’ with a bottom-up culture. Samsic UK has taken concrete steps to create that voice-to- action culture. For example, an Investors in Customers (IIC) internal survey campaign has been launched, while frontline teams can see how past feedback has led to real improvements, such as the introduction of Wagestream (early pay access), expanded apprenticeship opportunities, and employee recognition schemes. Such activity was backed up with
printed materials, visual
storytelling, and local champions to build trust and participation across Samsic sites.
It may be that the decisions are taken at a high level, but it is the frontline staff who are the foundation. By giving them a voice you are appealing to their hearts and minds to become more involved in the business.
However, in promoting a ‘voice-to-action’ model, the challenge is creating the psychological safety that emboldens people to feel confident to talk, knowing that their comments will be treated seriously and that they won’t open themselves up to ridicule.
Open communication is key. Surveys can act as a barometer for employee sentiment, unlocking people’s thoughts, positive and negative, and provide action points for progression. By telling your people that you want to hear their voice from across the whole business, you are empowering them to speak out, sometimes with hugely positive outcomes.
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The aim is to encourage people to speak up with ideas, highlight issues or things that need to change and encourage them to have a strong input into the company’s actions, business decisions and employee welfare.
A framework for open dialogue is required, which can, in turn, instil confidence and reassurance that people will be heard, listened to without judgement, and any necessary actions taken.
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