Information about reactions to a product, a person’s performance of a task, etc., used as a basis for improvement.
THE ISSUE
Did you know that 38% of employees report that they don’t feel appreciated at work, according to a recent study done by Office Vibe? Employee appreciation, despite what common trends may appear to be, isn’t built around perks, office happy hours, or pseudo-culture that seems to be dominating offices today, but rather around the active engagement of growth and success both personally and professionally.
One of the most constructive ways to boost employee appreciation is through feedback that allows your employees to not only succeed and meet expectations, but go above and beyond through their existing skill sets. In the same study, Office Vibe found that 40% of workers are actively disengaged when they receive little to no feedback, while 65% of employees said they would prefer to receive more feedback. Even more surprising is the fact that a vast majority of managers know that they don’t give enough, with only 58% of them believing they provide sufficient feedback.
But, what does accurate and constructive feedback actually entail? It isn’t micromanaging or the act of being a hovering supervisor, it’s about providing meaningful and helpful suggestions that will allow your employees to actively succeed in the workplace. When dealing with the incoming generation of workers, millennials, only 19% reported that they received regular feedback while only 17% of those individuals reported that the feedback given was meaningful.
However, active engagement from managers and supervisors is an issue found across the board in multiple generations of workers. “Gallup found that only 21% of millennials and 18% of non-millennials meet with their manager on a weekly basis. The majority of employees say they meet with their manager as infrequently as less than once a month (56% of millennials and 53% of non-millennials),” according to Gallup’s latest report, How Millennials Want to Work and Live.
THE SOLUTION
The process of giving meaningful feedback isn’t just praise and recognition, it’s actually the exact opposite. According to a survey that polled 900 global employees, 57% of respondents said that they would prefer corrective and constructive feedback compared to the 43% that reported that they prefer praise and recognition.
Even more staggering were the findings on employee outlook regarding receiving feedback from a peer or superior. 72% of workers said that they believed their performance would improve with an increase in frequency of corrective feedback from their manager and 69% of employees said they would work harder if they believed their efforts were better recognized by individuals within their organizations.
However, it’s essential to understand that the delivery method of constructive, and even negative feedback, is equally as important as the feedback itself. 92% of respondents in a recent study, agreed that negative feedback, when delivered appropriately, is effective to improve overall performance.
In order to actively engage your employees while also ensuring their ultimate personal and professional success, maintaining routine and meaningful feedback procedures can help boost employee morale and overall desire to “do good” for your organization. The road to proper feedback is a path that engaged employees will be open and receptive to while also providing feedback of their own on how to make the process better.
Stats On the Importance of Feedback within the Workplace:
- 69% of employees say they would work harder if they felt their efforts were better recognized.
- A study of 530 work units with productivity data found that teams with managers who received strengths feedback showed 12.5% greater productivity post-intervention than teams with managers who received no feedback. (Source)
- 92% of respondents agreed with the assertion, “Negative (redirecting) feedback, if delivered appropriately, is effective at improving performance.” (Source)
- When asked what was most helpful in their career, fully 72% said they thought their performance would improve if their managers would provide corrective feedback. (Source)
