Honest feedback helps steer employees. It gives them the information they need to hone their skillsets and continue to grow in the right direction professionally. After all, an employee can’t know if he or she is doing a good job (or a not-so-good job) without some sort of review or evaluation.
Despite the benefits, giving honest, constructive feedback can be difficult. Yes, employees love to hear praise, and good news has its place. But sometimes an employee will also need to hear negative feedback. As long as it is constructive and well-delivered, honest feedback has its benefits.
The benefits of honest feedback
Even though it’s tough, keep your feedback honest for the following reasons:
- Too much positive feedback doesn’t help anyone. If you sugarcoat everything, issues won’t be resolved and your employees can’t improve their skills. Ultimately, your end product will suffer.
- Knowing what needs work leads to improvement. If employees don’t know what’s broken, they can’t take steps to fix it.
- Insufficient job evaluation leads to employee turnover. Give your employees the feedback they need to do their jobs well. It creates a more positive environment for everyone.
How to give constructive feedback
The good news is that delivering honest feedback doesn’t need to be confrontational or stressful if you know how to do it the right way. Try the following:
- Speak with a purpose. Tell the employee why the issue you are discussing is important. It will give the employee context for the discussion and how he or she should apply your feedback and advice.
- Base your feedback on your own observations. Don’t rely on what other employees have told you. When you open the conversation, do not finger point or speak in generalities, as this immediately puts the employee on the defensive (e.g., “I hear you have not been meeting your deadlines lately.”). Instead, tell the employee what you have observed and be specific (e.g., “I have noticed you did not complete your report by the deadline last week.”).
- Be direct. Don’t cloud the conversation with other topics. Get to the point and let the employee know exactly what the issue is to avoid confusion.
- Express concern. Be kind and sincere when delivering feedback. Let the employee know that you are concerned about what has happened because you believe in the strength of his or her skills and abilities (e.g., “You are a good worker; I am concerned because I want to help you stay on track.”).
- Don’t do all the talking. Maintain a two-way discussion and let the employee state his or her case. Listen to the employee’s response: he or she may offer valuable information about how to resolve the issue.
- Offer suggestions and support. Tell the employee you want to help him or her excel. Offer suggestions for improvement and ways you can help.
Help your employees grow!
Are you ready for the discussion? Follow these steps, take a deep breath and go for it! Have additional questions? Contact our expert team of recruiters today for more information!
