Managing the Confidential Channel

Whether you're using #hush-hr or a custom private channel, this guide covers how to manage sensitive anonymous feedback — from first triage to closing a conversation.

Channel setup

1. Open the HushAsk App Home tab in Slack
2. In the Configuration section (admin only), select your HR / Confidential channel from the private channel dropdown
3. Only members you explicitly invite to that channel will see messages routed there

Once it's configured:

• Invite HR staff, HR leadership, and relevant executives
• Do not invite managers of the teams most likely to send feedback
• Document who has access in your HR system of record

What admins see

Every message arrives as an anonymous post with HushAsk branding and action buttons — sender identity is protected throughout. Two action buttons:

• Reply to Employee — sends an anonymous reply to the employee's private message thread
• Close Conversation — marks the thread as resolved and removes active routing

What employees can do before a reply

Until an admin sends the first reply, the employee retains full control. If they edit the original message in their private message with HushAsk, the post in your triage channel updates automatically. If they delete it, it is retracted. Once a reply has been sent, edits are no longer synced.

Triage workflow best practices

1. Acknowledge within 48 hours — use "Reply to Employee" even if you can't act immediately. A simple acknowledgment matters. The reply appears anonymously in their private message thread.
2. Close when resolved — click "Close Conversation". Note: the HR route does not sync to Notion.
3. Never attempt to identify the sender — even if you suspect who sent it. Doing so violates the trust HushAsk was built on, and may have legal implications.