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As a specialist in whistleblower hotline services, I have seen the positive impact that embracing a speak-up environment (and offering true reporting channel choice) can have on an organisation's culture.
In this article, I will highlight why whistleblowing hotlines are crucial to the successful implementation of an organisations’ whistleblowing policy.
The importance of choice
Offering true choice of channel is the most effective way to allow colleagues to make a report in the way which is best suited to them. Providing online channels need’ needs replacing with ‘colleagues to make a report in a way which is best suited to them, and providing online channels need not come at the cost of a top-of-the-line anonymous employee hotline service.
It is not particularly costly to include a phone hotline as part of your whistleblowing service. But the reputational and financial cost of a disclosure not being made, either because the reporter is not able to or is uncomfortable doing so via the available avenues, could be significant.
Accessibility
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) is a key business topic at the moment, and it is important to remember that many organisations will have people within their employee base or wider supply chain who may struggle with literacy. For these individuals, their only way of speaking to an organisation may be by voice.
Furthermore, 37% of the world’s population have never used the internet.
If the focus of your whistleblowing avenues is both written and online based, you may be excluding a whole demographic from making valuable reports.
The value of conversation
Statistics support the importance of a hotline to a successful whistleblowing process.
Our recent Benchmarking Report shows that people feel more comfortable being named when they have spoken to a call handler.
Named reports enable a more thorough investigation and a greater likelihood of a positive outcome for both reporter and organisation.
You are 50% more likely to get a report of bullying, harassment, victimisation or racism via a hotline call than via our web portal. That’s because whistleblowers are more likely to discuss emotional issues via a hotline service.
Our call handlers each have at least 25 years’ experience at handling difficult conversations and sensitive subject matters. We facilitate empathetic and investigative conversations.
We’re not alone in thinking so…
At Safecall, we receive regular feedback from our clients praising our reporting system, the most significant of which is directed towards our hotline.
Prospective clients also understand the value of the hotline we offer, and it is often a key factor in their decision to choose us as their provider.
Beyond this, we are now beginning the process of partnering with competitors.
They realise their lack of hotline provision is hurting their ability to reach some potential whistleblowers. This shows that despite the increased utilisation of online reporting systems, there is still a huge appetite for a hotline.
A summary
We are passionate about enabling organisations to protect their reputation and improve their culture by supporting whistleblowers.
Ensuring they feel enabled and confident in making a report is one of the most important decisions an organisation can make.
While some people may prefer to fill out an online form and take the time to gather their thoughts, others may want to speak to someone directly.
Choosing the right partner to support you in that is paramount.
It’s not easy to run a market-leading hotline. It is a high effort operation. But one which we wholeheartedly believe in and view as central to our whistleblowing offerings.
Need more whistleblowing or workplace investigation advice? Call us on +44 (0) 191516 7720
