Recruiting employees is a difficult enough battle, but it is only half the battle. With multiple factors at play affecting employee satisfaction and turnover, HR leaders must stay on top of workplace culture to retain their talented employees—or else risk losing them to competitors.
Research has shown that employees want to grow, with 76% searching to improve their career opportunities. If they don’t find it at their current company, then they are sure to find it elsewhere as 86% of employees report “they would change jobs if they were offered more opportunities for professional development.”
While there are many ways for employers to offer career development for workers, one easy way to encourage career development is through a strategy that many managers regularly implement: providing employee feedback.
The Feedback Advantage
According to research from BetterWorks, 53% of employees who receive feedback “see an internal path for career advancement” versus the 17% who are able to see a path without the presence of feedback.
Over half of employees report positive outcomes from feedback, which is a welcome perception, but there is still room for improvement. Within the same BetterWorks report, 64% of employees described the performance review process as a waste of time—only 19% fully disagreed.
With so many employees not reaping the positive impacts of feedback, it is crucial for HR leaders to ensure that managers are properly trained and well-equipped to provide employees with an experience that is constructive and supportive of the employee’s goals.
Overcoming Feedback Pitfalls
Although employee feedback is common among various professions, it isn’t always performed in a way that feels productive for the employee. Here are three major pitfalls to train your managers to avoid:
- Vague Feedback: Performance discussions must be specific. Comments such as “good job” are positive, but they lack the details that help the employee identify what was done well and how they evolved their skill sets. Train managers to give specific examples.
- Negativity and Lack of Empathy: Keeping performance reviews too negative will quickly demoralize the employee. Even in cases where they have a lot of room to grow, these workers still need empathy. Teach managers to use phrases that show they understand the challenges the employee is facing. Also, promote the “sandwich” method by starting with a positive, addressing the improvement area, and then ending with another positive comment.
- Too Much Feedback: It may seem helpful to provide as much constructive feedback as possible, but it can also be overwhelming for the employee. Instead, emphasize to managers that it is best to prioritize the most critical areas for improvement with a focus on one or two actionable items per feedback session.
Mastering the SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact) Framework
The SPI Framework is a great way for managers to provide constructive feedback in a way that is both clear and absent of criticizing personal attributes, leaving little room for a defensive reaction. As managers learn how to address areas of improvement, guide them through these three steps:
- Step 1 – Describe the Situation: Managers must first set the context behind the reason for the feedback. This helps employees understand the timing of their behavior.
- Step 2 – Highlight the Observed Behavior: Next, managers should focus on the specific behavior that occurred and avoid generalized statements about the employee.
- Step 3 – Explain the Impact: Finally, managers can address how the behavior affected members of the team in a way that encourages employees to reflect on the occurrence and work to improve.
Putting It All Together
Here’s an example of how the SBI framework can work during an employee feedback session:
“During last week’s project (Situation), I noticed that you ran late when submitting your assignment (Behavior). This made it difficult for team members to complete their portion of the project as they lacked all of the necessary details (Impact).”
Role-Playing for Feedback Success
Some managers might be prepared after listening or reading about feedback strategies but role-playing and practice scenarios will benefit all participants. Especially since managers may have to navigate sensitive situations, role-playing provides a safe space for managers to build confidence and practice their skills without causing any conflict with their employees.
When setting up these practice scenarios, it is best to start simple. Start with straightforward scenarios before gradually moving on to more complex and sensitive situations.
During these training sessions, place an emphasis on constructive critique with a goal of improvement—not perfection. This will ensure managers feel safe making mistakes within the training, which will then encourage them to seek improvement.
Fueling Retention
Retaining top talent requires more than just competitive salaries—it demands a culture of continuous growth and development. Feedback is a powerful tool that, when used effectively, can foster career advancement, boost employee satisfaction, and improve overall workplace morale. As employee feedback becomes a cornerstone of professional development, organizations that prioritize it will be better positioned to thrive.
