"I kept everything to myself. I thought it would pass. It's good to be able to talk, to be listened to without judgment, and above all I feel heard for the first time in months.
- Anonymized testimony collected on our hotline.
Overcoming isolation protects mental health at work
Every day on the Pros-Consulte helpline, our psychologists hear confidences like this one. Stories that often begin with the same sentence:
"I didn't know who to talk to about it."
These words, collected behind closed doors, reveal the loneliness of employees faced with malaise, doubt or disengagement.
There's a before and an after to the moment when we speak.
Before: control, the mask, the fear of being misunderstood.
After: having put down what's weighing us down, to move forward.
Many employees in difficulty hide their unhappiness, not expressing it.
For fear of judgment, fear of the consequences, but also because they don't know who to talk to. As a result, the unhappiness grows and grows, and when it is revealed, it's sometimes too late: burn-out, resignation...
Active listening doesn't solve everything.
But it does open a breach: one where a person finally feels recognized, understood and heard.
And it's often at this point that the rebuilding begins.
Active listening: a strategic prevention lever
Providing access to a helpline and psychological support is not just a humanistic act, it's a strategic lever for preventing psychosocial risks.
A genuine social climate indicator
Anonymous confidences offer a sincere view of how employees feel.
They reveal problems that are often invisible in internal surveys:
- fear of talking to your superior
- loss of meaning at work
- feelings of injustice or isolation
By analyzing the reasons for calls (anonymously), HR can adjust its QWL actions on a real, human and concrete basis.
A tool for loyalty and commitment
To feel listened to is to feel recognized.
A company that values listening sends a strong message:
"Mental health counts as much as performance."
And this recognition builds trust, commitment and long-term loyalty.
Examples of confidences
When they receive confidences on the helpline, the psychologists listen, guide, orientate and bring out solutions to improve the quality of life and working conditions.
Management secrets
"My manager doesn't realize how much work I have to do. I'm afraid to say no to him".
Faced with these stories, tools for better communication and assertiveness can be given, to re-establish the exchange with the manager.
Confidences on exhaustion
"I'm exhausted, but I can't stop, otherwise everything will fall apart."
These are situations in which listening can quickly lead to medical help, before burn-out.
Confidences on the loss of meaning
"I don't know why I do this job anymore. I no longer find satisfaction in my work"
These words reflect a loss of meaning at work. By exploring the reasons for this loss of meaning with the psychologist, the employee can find new sources of motivation in his current position, or choose to follow a new path.
When being listened to soothes
In some cases, the simple fact of being listened to, without judgment or interruption, is enough to soothe.
Psychologists agree that talking is the first step towards feeling better.
But for this word to exist, it is necessary :
- a secure, confidential setting,
- professionals trained to listen and analyze work,
- and a company that recognizes the value of psychological support as an integral part of its HR policy.
How HR can reinforce this culture of listening
Listening to employees in difficulty is essential; making it a corporate culture means turning help into a collective strength.
Active listening is not necessarily a natural reflex in organizations: it has to be learned, structured and cultivated.
HR and QWL managers play a decisive role in establishing a genuine culture of listening.
Here are 5 concrete ways to achieve this.
1. Train managers to listen
Local managers are often the first to notice weak signals. But without training, they don't always know how to react to an emotion or a complaint.
Training in active listening and RPS prevention enables managers to adopt the right reflexes: reformulation, non-judgment, detection of emotional signals. This makes it easier for them to adopt a supportive stance and provide guidance.
Discover our psychosocial risk prevention training courses
2. Creating spaces for expression about work
Work-related discussion forums (WDFs) are simple but powerful tools for encouraging employees to speak out. Discover the ANACT kit: Mettre en place et animer des Espaces de Discussion.
They enable employees to talk about their actual activity, the obstacles encountered, the tensions, but also the successes.
For HR and managers, this means :
- establish a regular time for collective discussion,
- define rules of confidentiality and respect,
- facilitate these exchanges or have them facilitated by a trained person.
3. Offering confidential and professional listening facilities
Some words require a neutral, protected space, outside the hierarchy.
The company can provide teams with psychological support, for example, through the presence of a psychologist in person, or through an external helpline. Employees can then express themselves freely and confidentially.
These systems help to defuse situations of distress and direct employees to the right resources.
4. Enhancing the value of the spoken word in corporate culture
For companies, it's much better to value the spoken word than to fear it. A company that listens is a company that learns.
Enhancing the value of speech can be achieved through :
- Regular, benevolent feedback rituals: schedule individual feedback sessions, start a team meeting with a "work climate" round table discussion, etc.
- Follow up on what has been said: when an employee shares a difficulty, it's important to get back to them to tell them what has been heard, decided and, where applicable, why certain changes cannot be made.
- Valuing those who have spoken out: highlighting initiatives arising from internal suggestions, thanking people for internal communications...
By valuing the spoken word, the company sends a strong message: "What you experience counts, and what you say has an impact."
5. Measure and adjust
Listening cannot be decreed once and for all, it has to be evaluated. To do this, HR can use qualitative and quantitative indicators:
- participation rates in discussion forums,
- employee satisfaction with the quality of managerial listening,
- Anonymized data from listening devices.
These systems make it possible to manage a real listening strategy, integrated into the QWC policy and the prevention of RPS.
Conclusion: making listening a strategic strength
Confidences gathered in the shadows are powerful keys to understanding.
They show what really goes on in employees' day-to-day lives.
And if the company agrees to hear them, it gives itself the means to prevent, adjust and transform.
A company that listens is not just a more humane enterprise: it's a more lucid organization, capable of anticipating crises before they occur. Active listening is the key to mental health in the workplace and sustainable performance.
Would you like to set up a psychological hotline or train your managers in active listening?
Contact a Pros-Consulte expert today to build a listening system tailored to your organization.
