What if it were your job to listen?
For our Workplace Chaplains, listening is a key part of their role.
Meet Scott, one of our Chaplains who serves in British Columbia. Scott makes weekly visits to the companies he serves, where he engages with around 200 employees. As a Workplace Chaplain, Scott’s role is to provide a safe and confidential space for employees to discuss whatever ‘it’ is that matters to them.
Scott loves hearing people's stories and his compassionate heart – along with his many years of experience as a missionary and pastor - suit him well for our BetterIt Workplace Chaplains ministry.
Here’s how Scott describes his role as a listener…
“Someone once told me they would like my job because all I do is walk around and talk to people. I agreed. I never lift a box or clean the floor. I never write a line of code or saw a piece of metal.
So, what do I do? I listen. I listen for what they are saying. That’s easy. Then I try to do something much harder. I try to listen to what they are not saying. I try to watch the way they say it, especially if there is a new intensity when they start talking about their father or mother, their boss or their brother.
Yes, most conversations stay safely on the surface where the water is calm and the breeze light. But sometimes when I know them well and I ask again how they are feeling, they put their toe in the water and tell me something a little more significant. And then? Then I slow down, sometimes ask one more question, sometimes just quietly let them know I appreciate them and it’s safe to tell me more if they want to.”
Everyday Interactions
Scott’s words give us a glimpse of the heart behind chaplaincy — a ministry of presence, listening, and care. But what does that look like in the day-to-day moments of the workplace?
Often, workplaces are busy, noisy, and full of deadlines — but they’re also full of people with very real needs, hopes, and struggles.
- One employee finds strength in simple encouragement. Each week, she asks her chaplain for a few words or phrases she can carry with her — reminders like “Keep looking up” or “God is enough.” They may seem small, but for her they’re lifelines, often written on scraps of paper and tucked away for the week ahead.
- Another employee regularly asks for a listening ear as she thinks through her relationships. She doesn’t want someone to tell her what to do — just a safe space to consider her options, and the reassurance that she isn’t alone in facing delicate situations.
- One employee regularly asks her chaplain to pray for a situation she is facing, often inviting her chaplain to pray for her right at her work station, or in a quiet corner of the production facility.
- Then there are those who simply need someone to hear them. One long-time worker put it plainly: “I always feel better after we talk.” Sometimes the greatest gift isn’t advice at all, but the presence of someone who listens and cares.
Again and again, these small interactions -- a prayer whispered in a quiet corner, a note scribbled on a scrap of paper, a conversation that eases a heavy heart –- remind people that they matter. That they are seen. That they are not alone in their story.