Stakeholder Buy-In: The Key to Employee Listening That Works

Manulife John Hancock’s Global Wealth and Asset Management segment has been working to create an environment where their colleagues feel heard, connected, and valued. For them, retaining colleagues isn’t just a box to check—it’s a commitment to align talent strategies with real colleague needs, from career advancement to psychological safety and inclusion. They partnered with our team to implement Assess360 as a complement to their annual engagement survey—gaining richer, actionable insights into colleagues’ needs and experiences.

Muhsinah Nuriddin, Director of DE&I, and Doug Jackson, Global Head of HR, recently shared how they secured stakeholder support for their multinational, multiyear initiative to better understand colleagues’ day-to-day experiences and create a culture where people feel safe bringing their authentic selves to work.

Uncovering a Plan of Action from Colleagues’ Daily Experiences

Traditional surveys often capture a single snapshot in time, but most of them don’t capture the nuances of everyday experiences. While historical data and trends can provide important insights to guide an organization’s response to colleague feedback, a closer look at day-to-day experiences would help them develop informed strategies tailored to the specific needs highlighted by colleagues’ feedback.

Manulife John Hancock needed more comprehensive data provided by Seramount’s Employee Voice Sessions (EVSs), where colleagues can share honest opinions about work culture, career growth, and leadership. Using this listening technology enabled the Wealth and Asset Management team to understand not only what colleagues felt but also why—painting a more detailed picture of colleague needs and experiences.

Securing Stakeholder Support to Supplement Standard Surveys

Rolling out a large-scale engagement initiative in a global segment with more than 9,000 colleagues comes with hurdles. To secure buy-in for this new colleague feedback mechanism, it was important to align the value of this initiative to the work of their collaborators.

Securing executive buy-in was a critical first step—it set the tone for other stakeholders to see how important this work is for organization-wide success. Muhsinah and Doug also collaborated with essential departments such as communications, DEI, HR partners, talent management, and legal. For example, involving the legal and risk teams early in the process ensured that colleague data was protected while gathering the honest, anonymous insights they needed. Balancing the various laws, cultural norms, and time zones for each of their geographic regions required flexibility and proactive alliances to ensure colleagues felt seen and heard, no matter where they worked.

Using Employee Voices to Drive Meaningful, Lasting Change

Listening to colleagues is only the first step—implementing their feedback is where real change happens. Manulife John Hancock used Assess360 insights and recommendations to outline action plans addressing specific colleague concerns, including career growth and workplace culture. Sharing next steps and progress through town halls, newsletters, and follow-up listening sessions demonstrated that colleague feedback was heard and acted on. This helps their most important stakeholders—9,000+ colleagues—trust that leadership’s commitment to positive change isn’t performative or shrouded in secrecy.

Muhsinah and Doug were very intentional about communicating the critical need to enhance Manulife John Hancock’s colleague feedback cycle. It was important to ensure people understood this was not an attempt to replace the global engagement survey. Each stakeholder group has unique concerns and responsibilities, so engaging them effectively requires a tailored communication plan and a clear explanation of how each group will contribute.

Manulife John Hancock’s journey demonstrates that building an inclusive workplace where colleagues feel like they belong is a long-term commitment that requires support from all levels of the organization. Here are some takeaways HR and talent leaders can learn from their journey:

1. Prioritize Senior-Level Support: Securing executive backing makes engagement a strategic priority and sets the tone for company-wide buy-in.
2. Embrace Cross-Team Collaboration: Engaging departments beyond HR or DEI—such as communications, IT, and legal—ensures that everyone plays a part in driving engagement.
3. Identify and Respond to Colleagues’ Specific Needs: Colleagues need to see that their voices lead to real change. Consistent follow-up through communication channels reinforces that feedback isn’t just collected; it’s valued and acted upon.

Watch the full conversation with Manulife John Hancock to learn how they secured support from key stakeholders and how Assess360 can help you retain top talent.