Are you satisfied with your organization’s performance feedback process? Many might say that they are not satisfied for a variety of reasons. They may feel that although there are benefits to these programs, there is room for improvement. Some may even feel that most participants in their performance feedback process don’t really believe they get much benefit from going through these annual mandatory meetings and that everyone is just “checking the box” that they completed this requirement.
If this is the case in your organization, think about how this perception can be changed going forward. The biggest problem may be in the effectiveness of the performance feedback employees receive. What is needed most is that managers and supervisors provide accurate, honest, and at times candid feedback to their direct reports. This is not something that is always easy to do. Most employees have a natural resistance to receiving critical feedback concerning their performance even if it accurate. However, without addressing this type of performance it is likely that it will continue. This can become an obstacle to the employee’s future growth and development. Most important is how this feedback is delivered and that there is an agreed upon plan to improve this aspect of an employee’s performance. Employees need to feel that they are being supported by their supervisor to be successful in their jobs and careers in the future.
>> Register for the webinar:
Providing Effective Feedback to Employees on all Performance Levels
Managers and supervisors need to think about what is most important to their direct reports in this process. Of course, they want to receive feedback on their performance goals each year particularly those which they worked hard to achieve. However, there is one thing that most employees would consider to be the most important part of the discussion. This is the Career Goals part of the review. Unfortunately, this is often the part of the discussion that there never seems to be enough time to cover to the employee’s satisfaction or even at all. Often it is left till the end of the meeting when there is little, or no time left to discuss. Employees may leave the meeting with a promise to meet at another time to discuss but this just doesn’t typically ever seem to get scheduled.
One way to address this problem is to start the performance feedback discussion with the Career Goals discussion. This will send a strong message to your employees about the importance you place on his/her career and future with the organization. This is something that they will want to discuss with you. This can also change how they feel about the value of your performance feedback process.
In most organizations, a considerable amount of time and effort is invested in their performance feedback process. It makes sense to give some thought about how these existing processes can be changed for the better. The upcoming webinar, Providing Effective Feedback to Employees on all Performance Levels sponsored by HRDQ-U, will help you understand how your performance feedback process can be improved to help your organization get the most out of this critical investment in your employees.
Written by Peter Garber
