When you hire a new member of staff you get an extra pair of hands; their brain comes free, or so the saying goes. But how many employers are really aware of the huge talent bank that exists among their staff, or how to go about unlocking its potential?

Staff suggestion schemes, to which employees contribute ideas for saving money or improving business processes, have been around for years.
Some firms still offer cash rewards for good ideas that are implemented, while others use their schemes to create a more inclusive culture where staff feel they are playing a key role in an organisation that values their opinions.

"That can be a stronger motivator than any financial reward," says Anthony Denatale, operations manager at IdeasUK, the association of suggestion schemes.

Research carried out by business psychologists YSC tallies with that thinking. CEO Gurnek Bains says: "The blueprint for business success today is about achieving happiness, motivation, and performance at work for you and your organisation. People do not want to feel like cogs in a machine, even if the business is successful; they want to feel they are engaged in something worthwhile and where they can make a difference."

The problem for some business leaders, he explains, is that by opening up the lines of communication and inviting staff input, they feel that they are not in control. "In fact you are empowering people; creating a context for them in which to perform, and space for them to do that, and an empowered workforce is good for the business," he says.

A study carried out by communication consultancy Crystal Interactive has shown that by overlooking the value of staff input, many organisations are also missing an opportunity to reduce staff turnover. Founder Ray Elmitt says: "People will leave a company if they feel that their opinion doesn't count, so not only are directors failing to capitalise on ideas that could save them money and improve their business operations, they also face higher recruitment costs."

So how do employers facilitate better lines of communications between themselves and their staff? Crystal Interactive claims its new brainstorming technology can boost internal communications by allowing employees to feed their ideas directly to bosses at company conferences and workshops.

Staff can give their views freely, positive or otherwise, and have their questions answered, while the boss keeps a finger on the pulse of employee opinion and gets a wealth of fresh ideas that could reap benefits for the business. 

Elmitt insists that organisations that fail to encourage their staff to have their say are missing a trick.

"Take retail, for example, where you have senior executives who are not in customer-facing roles, but consider themselves to be experts on the psychology of the average customer, and sales assistants who speak to these customers every day," he says.

"Who is really in the best position to find out what customers like, or don't like, and convey that feedback to the business?"