There Is a Better Way to Give Employee Feedback

It seems fairly universal that most employees face their annual performance with an underlying sense of dread. Little do many employees know that managers often feel the same anxiety and worry over digging into a year’s worth of feedback in a single session. Department managers need to consult with the human resource manager to make sure they have filled out all the appropriate paperwork and are approaching the employee feedback meeting according to protocol.

If you are trying to find a better way to help your managers and their employees, there is a better way.

Why Are Formal Periodic Reviews Falling Out of Favor?

For decades and decades, companies have used periodic reviews to connect with employees and let them know how they are doing. You probably know from experience that this method puts unnecessary stress on both the employee and their manager. There are many reasons that this long-standing approach to employee engagement is used less and less. Take a look at the top 3 reasons why you might consider moving on from this type of employee evaluation:

1. They Are Time-Consuming to Organize. Research in the January 2017 Adobe survey reported that managers spend an average of 17 hours organizing a periodic employee review. Even worse, employees report that their periodic review had no effect on their work.
2. The Anticipation Is Stressful and Distracting for Employees. Annual performance reviews are so stressful to millennial workers that nearly 60 percent surveyed state that they would prefer to search for a new job with a company that did not have periodic performance reviews.
3. They Create Negative Fallout by Dredging Up Old Issues. One out of five millennial workers admits to having cried after a performance review. These types of reviews carry the risk of alienating valued employees since they cover material over such a large span of time. The rest of the year might have been filled with stellar productivity and results, but to hear about some ancient misstep can be demoralizing.

Why Is the Industry Moving Toward On-the-Spot Employee Feedback?

According to Gallup, only 14% of employees strongly agree their performance reviews inspire them to improve. In other words, if performance reviews were a drug, they would not meet FDA approval for efficacy.

Following are just a few reasons that on-the-spot employee feedback is essential to cultivating a happy and productive workplace:

• Employee Assessment More Effective in Real-Time. When given feedback right away, employees can act on that feedback, making the necessary corrections. Also, with the right approach, employees feel less worry and resentment over meaningful and actionable feedback.
• Positive Feedback Is Welcome as Often as Possible. Positive reinforcement helps managers nurture a positive working relationship.
• Regular Observations Can Help Boost Collaboration. Employees feel more like a they are part of the team when a manager regularly brings them up to speed on important matters that can help them improve. Polite, genuine, and well-framed comments that serve to improve the department can have a positive impact.

Are You Ready to Introduce On-the-Spot Employee Feedback to Your Organization?

At ABR Employment Services, we understand that the field of staffing and HR is complicated, at best. If you need any help finding new ways to help your management team navigate these choppy waters, contact us.