Many workplaces struggle to collect honest feedback from employees due to fears of retaliation or discomfort with written communication. While anonymous surveys exist, they often miss the nuance and emotional context that comes with verbal discussions. This creates a gap where organizations miss valuable insights, and employees feel unheard.

A New Approach to Anonymous Feedback

One way to address this could be through a platform that allows real-time, masked feedback sessions. Participants would join using disguised voices and avatars, preserving anonymity while enabling verbal communication. The platform could offer:

• Live sessions: Zoom-style meetings where everyone appears as generic avatars with modulated voices
• Recorded feedback: Async video messages with masking applied before sharing
• Group dynamics: Multiple anonymous participants discussing topics without knowing who is speaking

This approach might particularly benefit employees uncomfortable with written feedback, managers seeking honest insights, and HR teams working to improve workplace culture.

Implementation Strategy

Starting with a simpler version could help validate the concept before investing in complex features:

1. Begin with basic async video feedback with voice modulation
2. Add live sessions with static avatars and voice masking
3. Eventually incorporate advanced features like dynamic avatars and AI moderation

Key challenges would include ensuring true anonymity and encouraging executive participation, which might be addressed through careful positioning and pilot testing.

Comparison with Existing Solutions

While tools like Loom enable video messaging and Culture Amp provides survey analytics, none combine real-time verbal feedback with robust anonymity. This approach could offer richer communication than text-based anonymous systems while maintaining the safety employees need to speak openly.

By focusing first on validating the core premise that masked verbal feedback provides better insights than written anonymous methods, this concept could evolve into a valuable tool for workplace communication.