Ways To Give Tough Feedback For Employees [ What Is, Uses ]

One of the many ways for a company to be aware of how people see and think about their business is by asking for feedback from random customers, guests or clients, employees or staff, and/or attendees of their events that are conducted.

A feedback, even if it is a negative one, should be considered as a motivation instead of considering it as a discouragement. Indeed, negative feedback is often connected to criticisms or condemnation of different kinds of people, but the negativity somehow benefits the company in order to make better choices, decisions and come up with a better plan on how to conduct the events, training, seminars, and other activities in the near future.

There are different kinds of feedback forms, but when these forms are compared with one another, they all have the same purpose. And that purpose is to give information which are based on the perception of an individual. As you have noticed, people sometimes give the same feedback about the same matter, and there are some who have different perspectives. That is because people look at things differently, which we can all conclude that we all have different perspectives in life. Which means we see things based on our own understandings and based on our observations.

What Is an Employee Feedback?

Feedback for employees are comments or remarks regarding their overall performances. This feedback also serve as an individual guide in order to know what areas are needed for them to change, develop and improve. With feedback, they will be able to find ways on how to carry out their own strategies and techniques in attaining the expected result of the management.

This feedback are documented using feedback forms, and are compiled in order to see if employees have made some progress in improving themselves after a specific period of time. This is done by reviewing feedback from past performance appraisals.

Feedback is not always negative. There is also positive feedback that is given if the expected result from whatever event or activity is obtained. For employees, positive feedback is given if they have successfully completed the task required and have complied all requirements that are necessary for submission.

Positive feedback boosts employees’ self-esteem and self-confidence. However, there are some situations when employees do not strive harder due to the contentment of their performance. Thus, resulting this to poor performances in the future.

On the other hand, negative feedback often affect employees’ current and future performances most especially when these are not conveyed accordingly. Only few employees or applicants consider negative feedback as their motive to aim better and to beat their past results.

When To Give Feedback To Employees

Feedback is usually given after the event or activity is conducted. An example for this is when a performance appraisal for employees has taken place. In order to know what the employees think about the appraisal and for them to give their insights and experiences, a performance appraisal feedback form is given.

The feedback regarding the appraisal is beneficial not just for the company, but also for the employees. For companies, they will be informed if there are certain parts of the appraisal were not carried out accordingly. This also helps them to be aware of the areas that the employees find too difficult to accomplish.

Finding out uncertainties regarding the appraisals, company management will be able to improve the process or the flow of their appraisals for the convenience of their employees. But of course, goals that are too easy will lose the essence of the appraisal, and too difficult will be too challenging for the employees to attain. That is why the management should conduct a thorough planning with the team in establishing attainable goals before conducting performance appraisals for the employees.

For employees, the feedback that they will be giving also benefit them since they will be given a chance to be heard. In this case, feedback forms are used as a bridge to connect and build understanding between the employers and the employees. These forms also help in building self confidence to each and every employee in order for them to defend themselves and stand up for what is right.

They could file a complaint form if the management is pushing them too hard without considerations of the individual’s capabilities. There are few companies who find their appraisals or training more effective if, and only if they give strict rules or policies regarding their applicants’ performances. Because they want to make sure that their employees obtain a top level of performance.

There is nothing wrong with this. But what’s wrong here is that due to the company’s obsession to be on the top of all business industries and to have the highest performing team, they are forgetting about the welfare of their employees.

It is not right for the employers to abuse their power or authorization in handling or managing their employees. They will still be held liable for whatever happens to their workforce, unless the employees sign a liability waiver form regarding the training or activities held by the company. By signing a waiver form, employees confirm that they are fully aware of the consequences that they might encounter.

Performance appraisal is also known as performance evaluation. The appraisal or evaluation of an employee or applicant is documented according to the results from the conducted training programs. And for the training programs to be effective, the company should assess them with training assessment forms.

Another example of giving feedback to employees, is the provision of customer feedback forms. Customers are also given the chance to express their thoughts and opinions regarding the services that were offered to them. With customer feedback, the performance of an individual employee is also evaluated by assessing their way of satisfying the needs and wants of the customers.

How To Give Tough Feedback Without Offending Employees

Giving feedback to employees is really tough and not going to be that easy. The reason for this is because employers handle employees or applicants with different personalities every single day. And giving feedback to individual requires a lot of effort sometimes since there are some of them who gets offended, and some who do not wish to admit their faults. Now, here are few ways on how to give tough feedback to your employees without offending them.

• Know who you are dealing with. Schedule a one on one communication with the employees or applicants in order to know more about how each individual act and react. Conduct an interview assessment first in order to make this scheduled interview effective and see if interview questions are reasonable enough to ask. Remember that interview questions should not offend anyone.

• Create a strategy or a technique. After knowing more about each employees or applicants from the one on one interview, by now you have figured out ways on how to handle each one of them and you have gathered ideas or ways on how to give feedback in any way to individuals.

• Know what to give first, whether positive or negative. Some employers would prefer giving positive feedback first before the negative ones. But the tendency of this is that employees or applicants often forget the positive ones after they have received negative feedback about their performance. It actually depends on you which ever one you give first, but it will be better if negative is given first, followed by the positive instead of the other way around. The reason is because negative feedback lessens or breaks an individual’s motivation, and giving negative feedback last will make them remember only a little part of the positive ones. But if positive feedback is given after, the individual will be able to build confidence towards it without disregarding the negative ones.

• Be professional. When you have tried your very best in giving feedback just the way it should be, but employees still find it offensive, do not lose your grip. Be professional instead, and stick to the purpose, which is to deliver the information to the employees or applicants in a calm and collected manner. Let them understand that the reason for your provision of feedback, whether positive or negative, is to help them improve to be qualified for their job application with the specific position.

These are few ways on how to give feedback that are considered as tough to individual employees or applicants. To sum this all up, what you are to do first and foremost is to observe how employees or applicants interact by conducting a one on one interview with each of them.

Second is to come up with ideas from your interview evaluation on how you will deliver your information or feedback without offending individual employees/applicants. Third is that you should be able to know how to lay out information and decide on what will you start with, whether the bad news or good news. Last, but never the least is to retain your professionalism even if things did not turn out well.