BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

More From Forbes

Edit Story

Only 14% Of Employees Are Inspired By Their Performance Reviews

Following

Most companies have a process of providing feedback to employees on an annual or semi-annual basis. Unfortunately, a recent Gallup research shows that only 14% of employees strongly agree that the performance reviews they receive inspire them to improve. It’s key to train leaders to provide meaningful and timely feedback, especially if some team members are working remotely.

Even when some conversations may be held throughout the year, this one annual instance is the most important one because they usually communicate salary increases, promotions, or improvement opportunities. Unfortunately, these sporadic feedback sessions are used to summarize events that happened in the past, in the last 6 or 12 months. These performance reviews barely help the employee improve or change behaviors.

The problem is that, whatever they did right or wrong, it was months ago. It frustrates employees because there is not much they can do to change, the results, feedback is too late. This frustration correlates with increased levels of anxiety, depression and disengagement, with a tremendous negative impact on performance right before and after the evaluation, mostly for everyone, and increasing experiences like the imposter syndrome.

Leaders could avoid their negative impact simply by improving one-on-one conversations and making them more empathetic.

  1. Do them more often and closer to the particular event that needs to be highlighted. Performance is not based on one single activity, but on a series of activities, results and behaviors that can hardly be evaluated in just a one-hour session. Feedback needs to be part of their day-to-day, to help the employees improve on a daily basis, not an unusual event that creates unease.
  2. Make it look more like a conversation where two adults express their views and concerns, questions arise, and both agree on what can be done. Anyone can initiate it, at any time, with any objective. It can be planned, or simply initiated when there is an opportunity to connect. Employees can, and should, offer feedback to the leader too.
  3. Do not set the review for criticism but for discussing ways to continue growing.
  4. Do not communicate just a ranking or a numeric evaluation. Discuss what can be done to get better, and ask the employee what they think they need.
  5. Be open to discussing any issues, even personal matters. In case you feel like you cannot handle it, make sure you guide the employee to find extra help.
  6. Start the conversation with questions more than demands. A positive approach is using “appreciative inquiry.” This method developed by Dr. David Cooperrrider at Weatherhead School of Management encourages clients to begin by naming and building upon what is going well.
  7. Ask for help when needed. If you feel uncomfortable during or after a specific conversation, you can always contact a coach to help you dig deeper into the issue, or even recommend the employee to do the same. Time management, anxiety, lack of confidence, or imposter syndrome may be difficult topics to address and it is not fair to ask leaders to be able to deal with everything.

Understanding employee challenges and concerns is vital. That’s why leaders should organize periodic meetings to check-in one-on-one, especially in hybrid teams and in times of uncertainty. When working face-to-face, a leader can determine how an employee feels by looking in the eye or paying attention to new behaviors. In remote work, though, employees’ feelings can be harder to perceive. Therefore, coaching sessions should be even more often than when working in the same office. Leaders have to build an environment where they can ask questions, offer continuous feedback, and receive questions and concerns.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedInCheck out my website or some of my other work here