Types of Feedback in the Workplace: Your 2024 Guide
When well-executed, certain types of feedback can enrich employees and fuel their performance. Input that encourages productive behaviors and addresses limitations empowers people to give more and grow more.
According to data collected by Harvard Business Review on employee attitudes toward feedback, they are very open to it. In response to being asked what was most helpful in their career, 72% stated their performance would improve if they received corrective feedback from their managers.
HR can take the lead in ensuring high-quality feedback takes place throughout the organization. This article covers what feedback in the workplace is, why it matters, some different types of feedback, and tips for delivering it effectively.
Contents
What is feedback in the workplace?
The importance of providing effective feedback
Cultivating a feedback culture in organizations
The different types of feedback
Effective feedback methods
Tips for providing effective feedback
What is feedback in the workplace?
Feedback in the workplace is the process of offering observations and suggestions that reinforce good behavior and point out improvement areas to help employees enhance their performance.
Leaders should provide ongoing performance updates and guidance to build a well-rounded relationship with team members and keep them on track to success. Effective feedback encourages what employees are doing right and corrects anything that is taking them in the wrong direction.
The importance of providing effective feedback
Using effective feedback methods in your performance management strategy reinforces employee development. The advantages this support builds for the organization include:
- Stronger relationships: Open dialogue about performance creates relationships where honesty and vulnerability are acceptable. Getting comfortable giving and receiving feedback allows people to be open about their struggles, avoid conflict, and feel more connected to each other. Knowing that their strengths will also be acknowledged builds trust.
- Focused work: When employees are aware of how well they are meeting expectations, they can focus on remaining strong or working on what they need to improve. This prevents wasted effort and reduces errors.
- Employee growth: Feedback sessions give employees individual attention and the opportunity to be heard. They also learn how others perceive them and can start understanding themselves better. This type of nurturing environment allows insight from the feedback to sink in and motivates them to push themselves to achieve more.
- Better employee engagement: Taking the time to provide feedback demonstrates that employees have value to offer the organization. Knowing their performance matters can help employees engage more with their jobs. In fact, pulse survey software data from Officevibe showed that 40% of workers will disengage when they hear little or no feedback.
Cultivating a feedback culture in organizations
HR is central to forming the workplace atmosphere, including the cultivation of a feedback culture.
Here are a few ways HR can implement and promote the use of feedback:
- Ensure that feedback mechanisms exist throughout the organization: It may be time to replace an annual performance review structure with an ongoing coaching approach to performance management. When managers have weekly or bi-weekly one-on-ones with employees it creates a natural flow and keeps feedback relevant. There should also be opportunities for employees to provide feedback to each other and leaders.
- Provide training on workplace feedback: Everyone needs to be familiar with the do’s and don’ts of how to give and receive solution-oriented feedback. Some form of instruction for leaders and team members will be necessary. This may involve teaching managers how to coach and explaining how the feedback process works to employees.
- Collect and act on feedback from employees: Allow employees to have a voice in day-to-day operations or for upcoming initiatives through surveys and focus groups. Use their input to create strategies and make improvements. Be sure to point out how their contributions affected the change. A Qualtrics XM Institute study showed that the majority of workers from a variety of roles and industries were willing to do beyond what’s expected of them when they see their feedback listened to and acted on.
- Make feedback a safe process: Employees must feel comfortable receiving and providing feedback. Managers should create an atmosphere that welcomes employees to speak freely and be themselves during feedback sessions. Anonymous feedback methods can give employees added security for expressing authentic responses.
- Encourage public feedback opportunities: Group discussions put feedback out in the open and allow employees to express their thoughts with each other and leaders to strengthen connections. Team and company-wide meetings to celebrate achievements are a great way to share positive feedback with everyone.
HR tip
HR can set an example for the rest of the company by modeling feedback practices. Put feedback systems in place for HR teams and seek out feedback from all employees about HR services.
The different types of feedback
Feedback comes in various forms, and some are more helpful than others. Let’s look at several types of feedback and how they might play out in the workplace:
1. Positive feedback
Positive feedback acknowledges and reinforces behavior that produces desired results. It’s a way to encourage a person to continue applying their strengths while they carry out their responsibilities.
Types of positive feedback
1. Praise and recognition: This is a verbal commendation for what an employee has done that has been successful and benefits their team or organization. It can be offered privately and individually or publicly to acknowledge one person’s or a group’s accomplishment.
Example: “Your attention to detail is exemplary. Spotting the error in this data spared us many hours of wasted time.”
2. Performance-based feedback: This is specific feedback on achievements offered during a one-on-one meeting or a formal performance review.
Example: “You have exceeded my expectations for how quickly you would learn your new role. Your diligence and willingness to ask questions shows me that you will continue to expand your knowledge and abilities.”
Impacts of positive feedback on employees
Not surprisingly, positive feedback has a positive effect on employees. Its impacts include:
- Improved employee engagement when people see that their efforts are noticed and appreciated. According to a Gallup study, 67% of employees who believe their manager knows their strengths are engaged with their work
- Enhanced productivity because employees understand what they need to do to meet the expected standards
- Stronger organizational culture as people feel supported in their growth and development.
HR tip
Remind leaders to tie employees’ positive actions to organizational goals and values. Make clear how their specific efforts are serving the company’s mission.
2. Constructive feedback
Constructive feedback uses observations and advice to focus on improvement areas that will help someone grow and move forward. It’s centered on the work rather than being a judgment of the individual.
Example: “This project deadline is fast approaching, but you haven’t been informing me of your progress. It would be helpful if you gave me an update every Friday morning. Is this feasible for you, or do you have another idea that might work better?”
Constructive feedback delivery methods
There are many techniques for delivering constructive feedback, such as the following:
- Peer reviews
- Peer-to-peer conversational feedback
- Performance appraisals
- 360-degree feedback
- Coaching and mentoring sessions
- Goal setting and tracking
- Team building exercises
- Professional development plans
- Online surveys and feedback forms.
How to give constructive feedback
HR should guide managers on how to communicate constructive feedback. Here are a few tips for ensuring successful constructive feedback:
- Use a specific observation to describe which behavior or skill needs to be improved
- Remain objective and don’t blame the employee or allow your personal feelings about them to affect the way you word the feedback
- Suggest actionable solutions for how an employee can improve
- Ask the employee what type of support they need to increase their knowledge or change their behavior
- Assert confidence in the employee’s ability to overcome the weakness.
3. Negative or destructive feedback
Negative feedback is sharing corrective thoughts about unsatisfactory behaviors in a disparaging, accusatory tone. It’s admonishing someone for their faults without offering support.
It’s common for negative feedback to be confused with constructive feedback because both are meant to challenge and redirect someone. However, they are, in fact, opposites. Negative feedback is destructive and tears a person down by focusing only on their flaws. Constructive feedback intends to uplift someone to learn from their mistakes and improve their situation.
Examples of negative/destructive feedback
Certain aspects of negative feedback differentiate it from constructive. Listed below are the characteristics of negative feedback with examples:
- Lack of specifics: “Your presentation was terrible. Get it right next time.”
- Personal attacks: “You looked ridiculous when you made that joke during the presentation.”
- No recognition of the positive: “The report is a complete disaster.”
- Overgeneralization: “You never do anything the proper way.”
- Failure to provide solutions or guidance: “You need to figure out how to do better.”
- Failure to encourage growth: “If you can’t do this simple task, you’re a lost cause.”
Impacts of negative/destructive feedback on employees
Strictly negative feedback can put a stop to certain unwanted behaviors in the workplace, such as harassment, but it typically isn’t received well.
Some of the ways destructive feedback will have a negative impact include the following:
- Lack of improvement: Research done by doctoral candidates at Harvard Business School discovered that negative feedback from colleagues rarely leads to improvement. Instead, the employees in this study adjusted their roles to get away from critical colleagues and form networks with people who offered more positive input.
- Fatigue: A Journal of Organizational Behavior study revealed that employees who receive negative feedback from their supervisor feel personal shame. This leads to emotional exhaustion at the end of the workday.
- Lower morale: Employees who feel hurt or angry from negative feedback will have decreased morale about their jobs and the company. They will be less motivated to perform well, especially if they haven’t been inspired or supported to learn how to make improvements.
4. Coaching feedback
Coaching feedback is a hands-on approach in which the coach acts as a guide for the coachee’s self-directed development. The coach practices active listening, poses reflective questions, and collaborates with the coachee to plan strategies for better success in their role.
Examples of coaching feedback
Coaching feedback should not be used to manage or for situations that don’t require extra support. However, there are various scenarios where coaching feedback works well.
Here are a few examples:
- A manager notices that an employee is repeatedly coming to work late and putting less effort into their tasks. The manager can initiate coaching sessions to find out why the employee is struggling and what kind of support they need to get back on track.
- A new hire has no experience with the company’s software system. An experienced employee can be assigned to understand where their learning curve is and provide insight on maximizing the software for their role.
- An employee aspires to move into a supervisory role. Their manager can coach them on which capabilities and experience they need to acquire and help them find opportunities to do so.
- An HR business partner or external coach can work with an executive who wants to develop new behaviors that will help them grow as a leader and better support the organization.
Effective feedback methods
Implementing a feedback strategy is challenging without a framework in place. Following a feedback model can ensure that effective feedback is taking place uniformly throughout the company.
Here is a brief overview of five feedback in the workplace models you can consider:
SBI Model
The Situation-Behavior-Impact model can be used for both positive and constructive feedback and has three concise stages:
- Clarifying the Situation in detail.
- Objectively describing the observed Behaviors.
- Explaining the Impact of the behavior (positive or negative consequences).
STAR Model
The Situation-Task-Action-Result model delivers factual feedback focused on behavior. Its components include:
- Situation/Task: Explaining the context of a situation or task.
- Action: Providing details about how a situation was handled.
- Result: Describing what the action achieved and why it was effective or ineffective.
AID Model
The Action-Impact-Desired Outcome model is appropriate for poor performance or misconduct situations. It’s centered on the behavior, not the person, and works through three elements:
- Action – Providing specific examples of what was done or not done.
- Impact – Explaining how the action affected the situation.
- Desired outcome – Proposing what can be done to change or improve behavior.
Feedback Sandwich Model
The Feedback Sandwich Model’s goal is to balance the positive and negative sides of feedback. It begins with acknowledging strengths. The middle section is for pointing out improvement areas. Then it ends with another affirmation. This makes the feedback specific, but it softens the criticism and comes across as more supportive.
GROW Model
The Goal-Reality-Options-Will model takes a more coaching/mentoring approach to feedback by guiding employees through the following steps:
- Goal: Defining their aspirations.
- Reality: Identifying their current state and what resources are available.
- Options: Exploring different scenarios for achieving the goal.
- Will: Committing to a plan and accountability for reaching the goal.
Tips for providing effective feedback
HR needs to take on an advisory role in encouraging feedback throughout the organization and be equipped to offer assistance and guidance.
Here are some tips to know and share on how to offer effective feedback:
- Be timely with feedback: Feedback is most helpful when it can be provided on an ongoing basis or soon after a situation that needs attention occurs.
- Be selective about where to give feedback: Positive feedback can be shared informally within just about any workplace context. It can be a brief mention individually or through public praise and appreciation. On the other hand, constructive feedback should always be shared in a more secluded setting. This should be one-on-one for an individual and in a small group setting for team feedback.
- Set the right tone for feedback: Maintain a neutral, professional tone for feedback sessions. Don’t offer feedback if you feel caught up in anger or frustration. Be friendly but don’t act too casual or comical when giving out any type of feedback because you can seem insincere.
- Ensure there is mutual understanding: Give the employee opportunities to participate in the conversation and feel heard. Before the meeting ends, summarize the main points you discussed with the employee. Find out if they acknowledge the feedback and understand the next steps.
To sum up
Employees need to know what they’re doing well and what they’re doing or lacking that’s holding them back. Employees can thrive when managers communicate meaningful feedback and organizations build a healthy feedback culture.
HR should be the backbone of this crucial aspect of performance management by encouraging the right types of feedback and providing support for leaders in their feedback endeavors.
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