How to Launch a Virtual Suggestion Box Program at Work
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
In our previous post, we discussed how effective a virtual suggestion box can be at work. It can give your managers and senior leaders an opportunity to listen, creating an ongoing channel for feedback. Simply put, a virtual suggestion box can get the conversation going.
What are the best practices to implement a virtual suggestion box?
As with everything, you need to develop a clear communication strategy and plan to launch your suggestion box program. Just because it’s there, doesn’t mean people will use it.If multidirectional feedback isn’t a core tenet of your organization, a suggestion box is a great first step. Discuss the benefits of a suggestion box with senior leaders. As with any new program or product, you need to go through the four Ps - Purpose - People - Process - Price
Purpose: Set clear objectives
Define, with senior leaders and managers, what the suggestion box is for. What problem are you solving? WHY now? Consider these possibilities:- Do you want to improve efficiency?
- Are you trying to identify safety issues?
- Are you hoping to get new ideas from frontline workers to streamline services?
Establish Metrics
This is part of your purpose/strategy. When you provide a space for people to share their feedback, what do you expect, and, what do they expect? Metrics can be measured through participation, implementation, operational impact and employee sentiment.- Participation: Submission volume, department and role distribution, and participation rates should all be measured. How many ideas are shared? What is the distribution like? Who has the most to say, and why? Are most employees participating or are certain demographics participating?
- Implementation: Implementation rate, time to first response, and time to resolution are all ways to measure impact.
- Operational Impact: What ideas have been cost-effective? Have ideas changed operations, frontline workers, streamlined processes?
- Employee Sentiment: Do employees feel heard and valued? Is there an increase in wellbeing at work? (These can be measured with employee engagement surveys and pulse surveys.)
People
Who? Who is your target audience? Whose work will be impacted? Who is in charge of responding to comments and suggestions? Who can make decisions based on suggestions? What are the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved? With a high volume of participation, what can you expect the response time to be? If these parameters aren’t established, you can get an HR department flooded with feedback and nowhere to go.Processes
What is your communication plan? What tools and systems are required? Does everyone have access to the virtual suggestion box? What should your employees expect after providing feedback? Will feedback be public or private?
*With CustomInsight’s Online Suggestion box, there’s an option to let people request a direct reply to their submission (they remain anonymous). And there is an option to post replies to a shared place where all employees can see it.
Promotion and Price
How much does the suggestion box cost? How will you market it? What promotion materials will you use?As with all new programs, we recommend that bigger organizations pilot and adjust, starting with one team or department, then scaling once the process is refined.
Ready to Gather Actionable Feedback?
Discover how our online suggestion box and feedback tools can transform your organization's culture.
Schedule a Free Demo TodayHow to manage Suggestion Box Submissions:
You’ve opened the gates and the ideas have flooded in, we hope! So, how will HR and your organization leaders manage the submissions.Prioritize
Collect and categorize ideas. If there’s a flood of feedback regarding a certain issue, consider starting there. Likewise, we recommend prioritizing a few immediate improvements. This can help build momentum and show your employees that you are listening.Safety first! Any issues regarding safety, harassment, and grievances must be addressed immediately. Ideally, your organization has different channels to deal with issues like this, but if something comes up, it is your legal and moral responsibility to address it right away.
Evaluate Feasibility
Some people might recommend a bring-your-pet-to-work day, a cafeteria overhaul, or half-days on Fridays. Others might come up with ideas on how to improve customer service. Some ideas are simply not feasible. But it doesn’t mean you ignore them. Someone from your team must address all issues. And the ideas that emerge that align with company goals can be analyzed for their cost-effectiveness and resources the organization has.Document and Communicate
Communicate changes implemented based on feedback. Recognize contributions in meetings, in the company newsletter, in your organization’s intranet platform. When you act on feedback, it shows accountability.At CustomInsight, we have worked with tens of thousands of organizations over the past 30 years to help them engage and develop their staff, and, in turn, succeed. Start by listening. Implement a virtual suggestion box program and create a space of genuine feedback. Show your employees that their ideas and opinions matter.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
How to Launch a Virtual Suggestion Box Program at Work
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Tuesday, March 3, 2026