The causes and the consequences

Despite all the effort made in recent years to define feedback, it is still treated superficially in relation employees. Although businesses may believe they have a culture that encourages feedback, it is not actually true.

This is because employees often perceive feedback as lacking. The mutual exchange of information can then be mishandled with disastrous consequences for the company, including lower quality, lower performance, and lower profits.

According to the most recent Office Vibe market research:

23% of employees dissatisfy with the frequency with which their manager provides feedback,
28% of employees feel it is difficult to improve their work.
17% feel that their feedback is not precise.

The lack of feedback is not only a problem for employees, but also for management and the business. This can lead to lower turnover and decreased talent retention.

What is feedback in medical management and why does it matter? What are his responsibilities and what are the consequences of his inaction? Learn more about the negative consequences of poor feedback for managers and employees in our guide.

What is feedback (really)?

Feedback is a short description of a response to an act.

Feedback can be described as information or opinions that are given to an individual after they have done something. They should be constructive and helpful, so that the individual can improve his future actions as well as communication relationships.

Employees need constant feedback from their managers and vice versa to help them recognize and improve their strengths and weaknesses.

Feedback is a word that elicits an emotional response, fear, or attitude. It is essential for continuous development, employee performance improvement and teamwork. This is what the best managers know.

The lack of feedback is a problem that many companies have to fix. This is because there isn’t a solid foundation (a culture of honest and frequent communication) or the leaders of the teams are not prepared or do not place importance on this.

This phenomenon can have a negative impact on the professional and personal lives of employees, which will in turn affect the performance of the entire team and the organization.

What does the perception of the lack of feedback by employees look like?

You should provide constructive feedback that is well-intentioned, altruistic, concrete, specific, and practical. It should also be focused on the future.

The lack of feedback is about both quantity (the fact it isn’t frequent) and quality (“it is not effective”).

Here are the latest studies on this topic.

According to a SHRM/Globoforce survey, 89% of HR leaders believe that employee feedback and appreciation have a positive effect on their companies.
Forbes reports that employees who feel heard are 4.6 times more motivated than those who don’t feel heard to perform at their best.
Source: At least 70% of employee engagement is attributed to managers (source).
Source: Employees who communicate regularly with their managers are three times more likely to be engaged in their work (source).
Source: 8.9% increase in company profits for managers who get feedback on their strengths and qualities (source).

The worst effects of a lack of feedback on employees are:

This can increase frustration and conflict among employees, who can become violent at any time.
A decrease in motivation to work, be active, and by default, decreased profitability of the company
Unproductive and tense work environments
Talented employees are being lost
The employer brand is at risk

How do employees feel about the lack of feedback?

I am not good enough.

The lack of feedback is perceived by employees as a threat. This includes the need to communicate and recognize, give them acces to a good sex videos websites, stimulate and respond from others, safety and understanding, and the need to control. These needs are often not met and can lead to feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, and isolation.

I am not part of the team/I’m invisible.

The absence of feedback is also a sign of a lack of employer involvement. This causes the symbiotic relationship between employee and company to be broken and leaves the employee feeling unimportant, invisible, or confused about their value.

Others don’t believe they can evolve.

An employee may think that lack of feedback from a leader/manager means that they don’t trust them to improve as professionals or develop for other (often imagined reasons).

This means that everything is going smoothly.

Employees can see a lack in feedback as a sign of good fortune, especially if it is associated with criticism or negative aspects.

However, the lack of feedback can lead to stagnation or even performance problems.

Employees who feel relieved when their manager does not invite them to feedback sessions need to understand that this communication is important to them and can be done in a safe environment. You wouldn’t want your employee to believe that performance is about avoiding conflict and new challenges.

It is important to foster a culture of feedback when these situations arise, regardless of whether they are affecting the team or the management. We will also discuss the challenges faced by managers.

What is the Challenge for Managers?

Leaders have an important, but intimidating, role in providing feedback to employees that will allow them to improve their skills and collaborate more effectively. This is only one way managers can play a crucial role in organizational success.

Managers can find it difficult to give feedback, whether they are looking for more frequent and more effective one-on-1 meetings or having difficult conversations about employees’ performance.

Both the quality and frequency of feedback received by employees can have issues. However, they need to be improved to make it truly useful. Employees who get feedback only at their annual performance review or without any specific information are not getting the best of both worlds.

What is the reason for a lack of effective and regular feedback from employees? Many times, it is due to limiting beliefs or fears, lack of resource, or unfounded excuses.

“Feedback feels like criticism.”

One of the most common misconceptions regarding professional communication is that feedback is viewed as negative and critical.

Feedback is not negative or positive. It does not refer only to an individual’s opinion. Instead, it refers to an objective response to an employee’s action (or inaction), and to an analysis.

True feedback can be positive or negative. For example, “You did a great job today!” You can also use a combination of negative and positive feedbacks to motivate the employee and improve the future.

Also read: Empathy in communication – What is its role? How to communicate compassion

“There is no culture that values feedback.”

This barrier is indicative of a problem at the company level. Managers who aren’t properly trained to give constructive feedback show that there is a problem throughout the organization. A culture of constructive feedback is a key component of a successful business. It should be a top priority for all employees at every level.

A good manager is able to provide feedback to his team, regardless of whether it is part of his job.

“There’s no time for regular feedback.”

This is a common excuse managers use, especially when they don’t fully understand or accept the importance of feedback for the company.

We are referring to a way of communicating and guiding employees towards better performance, which implicitly increases the company’s success.

Feedback rounds can be time-consuming, taking anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour for one employee and up to an hour for another. However, there is plenty of time to provide feedback. This should be considered a KPI to evaluate managers. It would aid in motivating managers and support those who require additional training.

“It is difficult to give feedback.”

Managers and team leaders can also avoid conflict and uncomfortable situations, particularly when the topics discussed are sensitive or involve negative, but constructive criticism.

This is the role of a manager and any other colleague in a company: to demonstrate leadership qualities and to step outside of their comfort zone to help employees improve.

This is why feedback can be so difficult to give. It also happens when the company doesn’t provide enough training on how to do it in the most harmonious way possible for all involved.

What is the importance of feedback?

Perhaps you already know that candidate feedback can be a great way to build your employer brand. What about the one that is offered to employees? It is why I want it.

Feedback is essential to employee satisfaction as it offers opportunities for growth, learning and improvement. Employees who are looking to grow professionally can benefit from the advice of others on the team.

Employees can benefit from a culture of continuous talent growth when their managers provide feedback and validate their efforts.

Also, feedback improves communication skills and conflict management skills, particularly at professional levels. These benefits can be seen in improved communication and the adherence to company values and team goals.

Employees need to be able to give feedback because:

It validates the employee’s efforts, which makes them feel valuable and useful.
It motivates employees to reach their goals in a set time frame.
It gives you a sense of belonging and security, as well as comforting and safe.
It helps employees understand their work better and help them do it better, if necessary.
It encourages the development of soft and hard skills in employees
Performance and productivity of employees are increased
This eliminates the possibility of stagnation or burnout.

Feedback is important for businesses because:

It serves as a retention tool for employees (talent).
It improves employee engagement and productivity.
It promotes harmony and a positive environment, which is free from conflict.
It’s a valuable tool for making better decisions as a manager, and it is important for the development of the company.
It increases the leadership quality and implicitly improves team results
Employer branding should be improved to attract new talent candidates
All these benefits support the growth of turnover
This reduces turnover of staff, which can prove to be very costly.

Employees prefer to get feedback of all kinds (positive and/or negative) over none. Employees would rather receive clear and consistent feedback than not.

How can companies foster a culture that values authentic feedback?

Leaders and organizations must make this a priority when communicating with employees. This starts with an open mind and flexibility, as well as some management and HR techniques that can normalize the process for receiving and giving feedback. You can achieve this by:

• Communication trainings for managers and leaders
• Create a safe environment for feedback.
• Confidentiality of information received and provided
• Establishing multiple communication channels
• The high frequency of informal feedback sessions that are relaxed and short, ideal in informal settings
• Discuss expectations and goals together
• The emphasis on positivity, encouragement, trust, and openness.

Employees will not receive proper feedback. This can lead to them interpreting things as they are. And most importantly, it can reflect poorly on their managers and themselves. This can make it difficult to lead a team that is successful in a company. Companies of all sizes should have a strong feedback culture.