Employee Engagement

If the employment exodus we’re witnessing across nearly every industry has taught us anything, it’s the importance of employee engagement and retention on the well-being of an organization. How do we ensure that talented, committed individuals feel seen and supported in their roles?

It starts with: employee feedback.

Employees bear witness to the ins and outs of company life. They can often provide keen insight into how organizational policies or processes roll out in reality and offer practical solutions that can help you, as a leader, foster the kind of working environment where your people thrive. So we’ve put together 8 progressive ways to get employee feedback so that you can make it work for you!

1. Use employee satisfaction surveys

Employee satisfaction surveys are a superb way to gather large amounts of feedback from the entire company. However, if you want to collect valuable feedback from your team, you'll need to develop your survey questions.

Employee engagement survey best practices

Craft a survey that will draw out genuine feedback from your people. Try integrating some of the following employee engagement survey best practices to help you connect more authentically with your direct reports.

• Use targeted questions to address specific topics instead of broad, overarching questions. Employees will be more likely to carefully consider targeted questions and provide honest answers, while general questions often encourage the employee to give generic responses.
  
• Avoid leading questions that softly promote a particular answer. For instance, "Do you agree that attention to detail is essential in your work?" will likely prompt a specific reply (yes) without actually getting any additional feedback.
  
• Send out employee surveys regularly. Too few surveys and your employees will view them as a formality; too many will feel like an additional burden. While timing depends on the company, a survey at the beginning of every quarter may be a good starting point.

Monitoring completion rates when you collect employee feedback

Using tools like Officevibe to conduct surveys also offers valuable insight into the current corporate mood. These tools help you collect, understand and report on your employee survey results. They can help you identify the total percentage of people that completed your employee engagement surveys, which provides invaluable information for designing better surveys in the future.

If many employees start the survey but don't complete it, the lack of engagement may be due to its length or complexity. But if you have many employees who don't even bother starting the survey, this may indicate that issues are brewing with the current employee culture.

The importance of anonymous feedback

But one of the largest hurdles to collecting feedback is getting honest answers. This can largely be attributed to intimidating structural power dynamics where employees may fear retaliation from management or believe that their feedback won’t be taken to heart unless it’s anonymous.

Two reasonable solutions to increase employee engagement with surveys are to highlight that they're a way of getting anonymous feedback. Also, outline the reasoning behind the survey to improve the employee experience and get more feedback.

By making it clear that managers and team leads will listen to the received feedback, you can shift the corporate culture to a more open-ended conversation between employees and their supervisors.

2. Monitor your eNPS score with Pulse Surveys

An employee net promoter score (or eNPS) is an excellent way to measure employee mood. It divides employees into three groups: detractors, promoters, and passives, and weighting the number of detractors against the number of promoters.

The higher your score, the better your overall employee experience and motivation. Companies with high levels of employee engagement report an eNPS of around +50.

You can use online survey tools like Officevibe to measure your eNPS by gathering specific feedback from employees. The survey tool then divides your employees according to their answers and calculates your eNPS automatically.

These Pulse Surveys are excellent indicators of the overall company disposition and can pinpoint potential concerns. While Pulse Surveys can consist of simple number ratings, adding an open-ended question or two can encourage employees to provide constructive feedback.

3. Leverage team and one-on-one meetings

While surveys are ideal for gathering feedback from the entire company, it's still vital to have regular feedback sessions between employees and supervisors. These meetings help collect feedback pertinent to a particular team, department, or process.

When obtaining feedback during one-on-one meetings, the most significant challenge is that most employees may have reservations about how their managers receive their comments. A good way of shifting this perception is to have performance reviews where both parties share feedback openly and honestly.

Team meetings can also encourage honest employee feedback, as team members will feel that they have support from their colleagues.

When collecting employee feedback, remember that timing and receiving feedback with grace are essential to building trust and honesty. Holding regular team meetings and implementing suggested changes shows employees that they have their manager's support, which encourages more positive results in the future.

4. Conduct stay interviews

Stay interviews are similar to exit interviews, except that you hold them with current hires instead of former employees. As with an exit interview, the focus is on culture fit, job benefits, the overall company, and what it could do to improve.

A stay interview is an effective tool to discover what employees like about the company and what they would like to see change for them to stay on indefinitely. These interviews, when conducted regularly, can assist with monitoring trends, both with individual employees and across the business as a whole.

5. Don't discount a traditional suggestion box

It can be tempting to rely exclusively on high-tech surveys and solutions to collect employee feedback, but conventional methodologies are always available.

An employee suggestion box is a useful tool to gather informal employee feedback without fear of retaliation. Many employees like to provide feedback but may feel too intimidated to offer it directly. This anonymous method only works if you place the suggestion box in an easily accessible yet private place where employees can discreetly submit their comments.

Though this traditional method has simplicity on its side, it lacks the ease and convenience of a digital tool that has the capacity to automatically collect, analyze, and track this essential feedback and data over time.

6. Talk to managers

Most teams tend to be more honest and forthcoming with their direct reports than higher-level supervisors. If you're trying to create an open corporate culture, you may get better employee feedback from supervisors than direct reports, who might be uneasy with the feedback process.

Comparing manager and employee feedback can also help identify potential miscommunication or misunderstandings between employees and management. If managers are only reporting positive news while team members are frustrated about their office environment, it's clear that there's a disconnect that needs to be addressed.

7. Start on the right foot with new employee surveys

Let's not forget about that good old way to collect employee feedback: chat with new employees! These surveys or conversations monitor an employee's initial expectations of their job and of the business and how those feelings may change in the initial three months of employment. If you decide to spread these informal surveys out, consider adapting the questions to meet the employee's workplace journey.

Pro tip: Employee onboarding is incredibly important, but hard to get right. Check out our employee onboarding guide to ensure your new hire is properly integrated into your office culture.

8. Keep an eye on review sites

Review sites aren't just about monitoring customer satisfaction. Sites such as Glassdoor and Indeed are sources of candid feedback from former and current employees.

Businesses can register on these same sites as employers, allowing you to receive alerts whenever someone mentions your institution. However, it's important to note that reviews may have a negative bias, especially from disgruntled former workers. As with most reviews, these sites can be insightful for identifying overall trends instead of focusing on a single incident or complaint.

Start collecting employee feedback

Surveys and direct messaging are potent tools for gauging employee perspectives and discovering potential concerns.

Tools like Officevibe can take a lot of the time and guesswork out of seeking feedback. It can simplify the feedback loop, making it easier for employees and managers to communicate and receive useful and productive feedback. Not only does Officevibe help start conversations, but it also allows for long-term monitoring that results in long-term retention and higher-quality, motivated workers.

Combined with some traditional methods, you can create an open-door environment where employees are comfortable enough to offer honest feedback to help you identify and combat potential issues in the workplace.

When people are happy with their job and work environment, productivity skyrockets, and organizations achieve extraordinary things. It’s no accident that the most successful businesses are often those who make employee engagement and satisfaction a top priority.

Common sense tells us that employees who love their job and work environment will be more productive than those who don’t. But how do you assess team morale, fix team issues and get everyone working in harmony?

Now usually managed by software, employee engagement surveys provide an excellent feedback loop between employees and managers. And even if a lot of the work is done for you in-app, there are still some best practices to follow when using employee surveys.

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15 best practices for employee engagement surveys

Best practices when conducting employee engagement surveys

The considerable benefits of using employee surveys are, at times, overlooked. Yet they are the most straightforward tool to allow managers to understand issues of concern to their team members. And employees get to voice their opinions through anonymous employee surveys.

However, not all employee surveys are created equal. To get the most from your employee feedback software, you need to understand best practices and use them to your advantage. Here are some tips to help you build an employee survey process that produces optimal results.

1. Inspire leadership buy-in

Employee engagement surveys can only succeed if senior managers are on board with the process. Inspired leaders should lead by example and demonstrate that they have bought into the concept of employee engagement surveys.

Once leaders are aligned with the goal of greater employee happiness, the survey flywheel can spin Getting alignment around the objective of better employee experience, the power of surveys can really take off. The real benefits of feedback surveys occur when you achieve a continuous improvement loop — something company leaders accomplish when they view engagement surveys as part of their long-term vision.

There is good reason to integrate employee surveys into your management strategy. They give a glimpse into the realities of your people's work experience in a way like none other. Leadership and executives get relevant data to inform their decision-making and gain an additional competitive edge.

2. Make regular employee communication a priority

Traditional annual employee surveys have value, but they suffer from low frequency. Getting feedback once a year is not enough for either employees or managers.

The most successful businesses are those who understand that regular communication is not just important but essential. Employee engagement surveys are a great way to achieve this.

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Officevibe employee engagement surveys help managers and leaders measure engagement levels on their team and track trends over time. Officevibe measures 10 metrics and 26 sub-metrics of engagement with easy-to-read reports, making engagement data accessible and actionable.

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There are many ways teams can communicate to good effect. These may include one-on-one meetings, leadership round tables, goal-setting programs, and exit interviews. They all provide valuable information that managers can leverage to gain greater insight into team sentiment.

3. Surface core employee issues with the right questions

Henry Ford once said, “if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.” Sadly, many organizations do precisely this when choosing employee survey questions.

Best practice tell us to avoid asking questions out of routine. Instead, word your questions to uncover issues hidden beneath the surface. For example, you may have a general question such as:

Are you happy with your job?

Analysis of the answers may show that this question produces only yes/no answers that give no new insights. Asking this question again and again, is unlikely to be helpful. A better idea would be to replace it with a question that demands a more detailed answer, such as:

What would make you happier in your job right now?

These questions work best if employees are confident their feedback is anonymous and private. They may be more encouraged to raise concerns that managers might not otherwise know about with this greater sense of security.

4. Prioritize survey questions about behaviors

Employee feelings are critically important, and you certainly want to understand emotions within your team. However, direct questions about feelings are not always the most helpful and may make others feel uncomfortable.

A question like “how do you feel about your manager?” may invoke an emotional response. Yet the answer may provide little insight into what’s wrong with the relationship or how to fix it.

You can reap much more valuable feedback by focusing instead on behavior-based questions, such as: “are you happy with the frequency of feedback received from your manager?”

This more focused question can yield insights you can action right away to improve the relationship.

5. Commit to following up with action

💡 The value from employee engagement surveys doesn’t come from gathering information. It depends entirely on how you use that information.

Once you’ve collected feedback and analyzed the survey results, it’s time to act. Create a plan to address the issues raised and implement this as quickly as possible. For your engagement loop to thrive, employees need to see that feedback does make a difference.

6. Share survey results and actions with your employees

Taking action based on employee feedback is not enough. They need to see you taking feedback seriously. 

Employee surveys are a great way of building trust between managers and employees. But to maintain this trust, you need to be open with employees. Share the results of feedback surveys (both good and bad) and demonstrate your actions as a result.

When team members see their feedback translated into action, they will be more likely to participate in future feedback surveys.

7. Make the connection between employee feedback and action clear

When you take action due to employee feedback received, it should be crystal clear to your team members that they’ve made a difference. It’s easy to assume that employees can connect the dots for themselves, but that’s not always the case.

A connection that seems clear from the manager’s 30,000-foot viewpoint may not be so apparent at ground level. You need to ensure that both the cause and the effect are apparent.

You can do this through presentations at team meetings, email messaging, or any other communications method that works for your organization. The extra steps to communicate may take a little effort, but you will reap considerable dividends.

When employees see their input leading to direct action, they're inspired to contribute further in the future.

8. Act in a timely manner

In larger organizations especially, bureaucracy can slow things down. Employee feedback can get lost in the cogs of the machine. If action is ever taken, it happens much further down the track.

This delay makes it hard for employees to see the connection between their feedback and the resulting course of action. It may seem as if their concerns are not worthy of attention, so they will be reluctant to put forward ideas in the future.

That’s a real shame, especially when you can easily avert the issue.

Officevibe can help you get real-time feedback that surfaces problems quickly. You will get weekly feedback that covers the 10 key metrics of employee engagement, alerting you to issues as they arise.

If the company is equally timely in dealing with the matter, team morale will receive a significant boost.

9. Reward employees for their participation

We all have too much to do and not enough time to do it. Busy employees may be reluctant to spend some of their valuable working time filling in a survey. They may ask themselves, “what’s in it for me?”

That’s a valid question, so make sure you have a good answer! That can be as simple as messaging employees to thank them for their participation. If you can show them that their feedback is valued and acted upon, that’s even better.

Anything you can do to reward employees for participation will encourage future feedback.

10. Make employee feedback safe and anonymous

Your employees must feel they can give honest feedback without fear of reprisal.

That’s why Officevibe’s Pulse Survey tool provides anonymous feedback by default.

Team members need to be confident that responses are anonymized. But that’s only half the story. They also need to know their data is safe from compromise, too.

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11. Use benchmarks with care

Benchmarks allow you to compare responses from your team with industry norms. That can be very helpful to managers, giving valuable insights.

However, be cautious in how you present benchmark data to your team. It should be realistic in any comparison. People may feel you are judging them unfairly if say a small company benchmarks against a large competitor with greater resources.

So think carefully about the benchmark data you want to share, focusing more on the positive than the negative.

For example, if your employees outperform their peers in competing companies, you should undoubtedly congratulate them on their achievements. But if they are underperforming, be careful how you share the news. Rather than focus on the negative, use the opportunity to demonstrate what's possible.

12. Encourage senior managers to lead by example

Starting to measure employee engagement is a big change for most companies. Managers will look to their leaders to see how they should adapt to this innovation.

Because of this, senior managers must lead by example. They must show that employee feedback takes priority in their world by:

• Formulating plans of action based on the feedback received
• Implementing these action plans promptly
• Keeping employees in the loop regarding progress

This initiative will signal that feedback is to be taken seriously and acted upon as a priority.

13. Create a positive feedback culture

Your employee engagement survey must be a valued element of the company's processes to succeed. That means creating a robust culture that accepts regular surveys as the right way to do business.

These surveys are best integrated into a system that includes annual performance reviews, one-on-one meetings, informal feedback, and other appraisals. Together, these will give you a holistic view of how employees feel—and what issues you need to address.

14. Conduct exit surveys

When employees leave your organization, it’s essential to know why. Was there something amiss that you need to address? The best way to find out is by conducting an exit survey. Simply ask leaving employees to answer questions regarding their reasons for leaving.

These provide perhaps the most honest employee feedback you will ever receive. Analyze them carefully and compare them with your employee engagement survey results. You may be surprised at how much you can learn—and how much you can improve employee retention.

15. Schedule employee engagement surveys regularly

You will get the best results from feedback surveys when you schedule them regularly. As the cycle continues, you benefit from a process of continuous improvement.

Better still, giving feedback becomes a routine procedure for employees. Once offering their thoughts and opinions becomes an accepted part of their role, they will share more often and more willingly.

You will get more engaged employees, and senior leaders will gain greater insights.

Better engagement, better outcomes

When you start measuring employee engagement and implementing these best practices, you will find that internal feedback is potent for improving company culture.

Find out what kind of employee engagement survey is best for your team and start putting the theory into practice. Then when the employee survey results are in, take action.

You may be amazed at the results you achieve!

Employee satisfaction survey questions may not seem like a priority in your business, but they have a more critical role than you might think. After all, your success depends on having a happy team that’s motivated and productive.

To achieve that goal, you need to measure and understand employee engagement and satisfaction. And there’s no better way to do that than with employee surveys. An employee satisfaction survey acts as a bridge between leaders and their teams, delivering a high-level view of how people really feel.

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The importance of asking the right questions in your employee satisfaction survey

You have to ask the right questions for employee engagement and satisfaction surveys to work. Asking the right questions surfaces details and issues that might otherwise be missed; allowing you to understand how your team members feel. Equipped with that information, you can address problems and make your organization a stand-out employer.

Begin by creating a set of queries covering all aspects of employees' relationships with the company. Follow with curiosity to drill down into potential problem areas.

30 questions you must ask in your employee satisfaction surveys

So what employee satisfaction survey questions should you ask, exactly? Well you’re in the right place to get all the answers. Because here at Officevibe, we have access to a wealth of data on the subject.

Based on this information, we’ve identified 10 key categories of questions relating to employee

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Each day, around 30,000 Officevibe users worldwide answer an engagement Pulse Survey. Our engagement survey is composed of 122 questions that are designed to measure 10 key components of employee engagement. Below, we take these 10 categories and share examples of helpful questions to ask for each.

Relationship with manager

The employee-manager relationship is the cornerstone of team satisfaction. Get this right and you will be well on your way to success.

Here are just a few examples of employee survey questions to ask:

• What’s your day-to-day like working with your manager?

• Do you feel like you get enough feedback from your manager?

• How would you rate your direct manager’s ability to manage a team?

Employee recognition

Everyone wants to feel that their work is valued and recognized, yet this factor is easily overlooked in a busy team.

Here are some ways to get employee feedback on this important topic:

• How do you prefer to receive recognition? Privately, or are you comfortable being acknowledged in a group setting?
  
• Do you receive praise often? Or not enough?

• Do you feel like the recognition you receive is genuine and useful?

Employee feedback

Everyone in your organization should have the opportunity to give and receive feedback. It's the only way that issues needing attention can be given the focus they deserve.

Here’s how to check if your feedback system is on track:

• Do you feel like you have the opportunity to share feedback?
  
• Would you prefer to receive more or less feedback from your manager?
  
• Do you find employee surveys helpful?

Personal growth

When employees feel they are growing professionally, you reap many dividends. Your team members are happier, but they are also developing skills that may turn them into future leaders and managers.

Here are some questions to check your score on this key matter:

• Do you feel you have the flexibility to decide how to do your work best?
  
• Do you have the opportunity to grow within our organization?
  
• How challenged are you by the work you do in your day-to-day?

Team alignment

If your team members are pulling in different directions, productivity will suffer. Tensions within the team may rise, too. So it’s important to keep everyone aligned on the main missions.

Here are some queries you can use to achieve that:

• Do you feel connected with our workplace culture?
  
• Do our organization’s values inspire you?

• Do you feel like our management team makes employees feel valued?

Employee satisfaction

Naturally, you want employees to feel proud of their work. A high job satisfaction level across your team means you have a solid foundation for growth.

Here are some questions to ask to make sure employee satisfaction stays top of mind:

• Do you have all the resources you need to succeed in your job?
  
• How would you rate the level of employer-employee relationship?
  
• Do you feel like there's an opportunity for career growth here in this organization?

Relationship with peers

Whether they collaborate in an office or work remotely, team members need to get on well with their colleagues. Just one bad peer-to-peer relationship can tank a team’s effectiveness.

Here are some questions to give you insights into employee sentiment:

• Can you count on your peers when you need a hand?

• How comfortable are you communicating with your peers?

• How would you rate the level of trust amongst your peers?

Wellness

As an employee yourself, you can imagine how much employee wellness can factor in company success. Employees that report healthy work-life balance are less stressed, more focused, and fulfilled in their job. They are motivated to work toward goals and collaborate with others. A company that pays attention to employee wellness will reap the rewards in the long term.

These questions will give you the insights you need.

• How would you rate your work-life balance?
  
• Do you have access to the wellness programs you need to lower stress levels?
  
• How reasonable do you feel your workload levels are right now?

Happiness

At the end of the day, what you are really seeking is happy employees. If team members feel good about their job, compensation, and future prospects, you can safely say you’ve cracked it!

Here’s how to find out if you are on track:

• Do you enjoy what you're currently working on?
  
• How would you rate the level of positivity in your work environment?

• Do you feel like your job utilizes your strengths fully?

Ambassadorship

One of the bonus benefits of high job satisfaction is that your people will act as ambassadors for your company. That’s free positive publicity that can add value to your bottom line.

So it makes sense to use these employee satisfaction survey questions to assess your progress in this respect:

• How do you feel when you say what organization you work for?
  
• Do you have a clear understanding of the company objectives?
  
• Would you be happy to be a customer of our organization?

Tips for getting the most from your employee satisfaction surveys

Not all employee satisfaction surveys are created equal. Here are some tips on how to get the most from them:

Tips for getting the most from your employee satisfaction surveys:

• Clarify your objectives: know what you want to achieve with the survey before you start
• Keep surveys concise: avoid overwhelming employees with too many questions
• Ask open-ended questions: give team members a chance to express themselves freely
• Share results with employees: ensure that everyone feels involved by sharing the outcomes
• Follow up with action: turn survey results into insights that are executed upon quickly
• Survey regularly: sentiment changes over time, so you need to stay up to date with current feelings
• Offer anonymity: employees will give more open and honest feedback if there’s no fear of repercussions

How to measure employee satisfaction with Officevibe

Employee satisfaction surveys can deliver a wealth of valuable information you can use to improve morale and optimize relationships in your team. But how do you put all of this into practice?

Ah, that's easy! Officevibe makes it simple for you to conduct team surveys, assess your company culture and get the answers you need. Our easy-to-use platform eliminates guessing, giving employees a safe place to provide feedback and be honest about their feelings.

The Officevibe Pulse Survey Tool asks your team the right questions to measure engagement and satisfaction. You get illuminating survey reports that show you what actions will have the biggest impact.

Time to survey your team!

Asking the right employee satisfaction survey questions can significantly impact your organization. Your team gets heard—and you get all the information you need to make ongoing improvements in the employee experience.

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The sooner you start implementing employee satisfaction surveys, the sooner you will see improved employee morale and other positive results. So why delay? Start taking the pulse of your team and find out how to get on the fast track to tremendous success.

Feedback is an essential tool to help employees understand their role and overall performance. Managers can use feedback to identify areas of improvement by using constructive employee feedback to correct mistakes or reward exceptional performance using positive feedback.

Both constructive and positive employee feedback are necessary for a healthy working environment.

Understanding how to provide positive feedback is the first step in empowering employees to put their best foot forward and feel accomplished every day.

The benefits of positive employee feedback

Positive feedback helps reinforce behaviors and actions that have a beneficial impact on the employee, team, and organization. It's vital to building an encouraging, thoughtful work culture and a determinant of the overall level of happiness in the workplace.

Positive feedback helps motivate employees and shows them that they and that that do are valued. The list of benefits of positive employee feedback is ample, including improving productivity, upping employee engagement, and fortifying workplace relationships.

Promotes engagement

No matter how well-intentioned, negative feedback — or feedback perceived as negative — can sting. While it's a vital tool for correcting problematic behavior, it can also result in employees avoiding managers who appear too critical.

Positive reinforcement makes people feel good and can create a stronger connection between employees and management. And employees are looking to make that connection,

More than one quarter of employees don't feel like the feedback they receive is frequent enough to help them understand how to improve. And 22% are unsatisfied with the frequency of feedback coming from their direct manager.

Officevibe survey data

Employees who feel they can engage with management are often more likely to raise potential workplace concerns or problem areas within the business.

Supports a high standard of work

Having clear standards aligned with your organization's core values allows employees to engage with the type of behavior and work quality they expect from the company. Positive feedback lets employees know that they're on the right path and will encourage them to put in the extra effort to generate high-quality work.

Is cost-effective

A high turnover rate can be devastating for a business. It results in decreased productivity and reduced morale, but it also costs significantly more to hire a new employee than to retain an existing one.

Providing positive feedback improves employee performance, saving teams the additional cost of hiring new workers. It can help reduce costs and raise profits, and even a small change in employee engagement can lead to huge gains for the company.

Employees are 3.6 times more likely to strongly agree that they are motivated to do outstanding work when their manager provides daily (vs. annual) feedback.

Gallup, How Fast Feedback Fuels Performance

Reduces attrition

If a particular workplace gains a reputation as being a negative and highly critical place, it's less likely to attract the best talent or retain the talent it has. Positive feedback is important because it creates a trusting, open environment that is a pleasure to work in, making employee retention easier.

Encourages desired behaviors

Praise makes people feel good and want to repeat the behavior that prompted the praise. A combination of positive and negative feedback can effectively shape employee participation and promote specific behaviors. If you want to encourage your team to work harder, rewarding the extra efforts of a few team members can promote harder work in the entire team.

Positive feedback examples for employees

Giving feedback requires good communication skills to work. However, framing positive feedback as sincere, meaningful, and appreciative can pose a challenge, so planning ahead is vital. Having a few positive employee feedback examples on hand can ensure that managers deliver high-quality employee feedback that motivates employees and gives them the recognition they deserve.

Leadership

Some employees show strong leadership skills, rising to the occasion when their team needs them the most. Encouraging these skills can even prompt these individuals to consider a leadership role in the future.

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Positive feedback examples for leadership include:

• I admire how you guided the team through this challenging project. It's reassuring to know that the team has someone like you who they can rely on that will encourage them to excel.
• We've seen notable improvements in employees' performance since you took over the team's leadership. Everyone seems to be more engaged and ready to work, and we look forward to seeing what you do in the future.
• Great job working as a leader in the team. Your proactive approach and strong leadership capabilities show you're set for more leadership roles in the future.

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Performance

The secret of effective feedback is to reward employees whenever you see them doing a good job. It can be highly motivating to hear genuine admiration for their work without waiting for a performance review.

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Here are some positive feedback examples when it comes to performance:

• I'm impressed with how quickly you completed all of your tasks. You did them quickly, and you also paid attention and avoided potential mistakes, showing that you're capable of excellent work on future projects.
• We appreciate your insight into this unexpected problem. Your ability to synthesize solutions and take risks helped us avoid a severe crisis, and we're very happy to have such a talented and intuitive person on the job.
• Thank you for your consistent hard work. It's reassuring to know that we have such a reliable member that gives all of their tasks the attention and care they need while still prioritizing the essentials.

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Teamwork

Focusing on an employee's good qualities in teamwork will produce more consistent results and improved productivity.

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Here are some examples to show these individuals that you notice their skills:

• Thank you for keeping your team in the loop during the last project. It allowed everyone to make informed decisions and ensured that we met all our deadlines and targets. We can't imagine the team without such a strong team player.
• Your handling of the conflict between your team members was admirable. You kept your cool and helped mediate the situation without it escalating any further. You're a vital member of this team, and we appreciate your team spirit.
• We've noticed that you've really stepped up as the contact point for the team. You keep everyone on the same page regarding targets and help struggling team members accomplish their tasks. Your helpfulness and organizational skills have helped this team thrive.

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Noticeable effort

It's easy to coast along and meet expectations. Some employees are willing to go the extra mile, and encouraging this behavior with positive feedback shows others that you notice and reward hard work.

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Here are some ways to provide feedback that recognizes strong efforts:

• You put so much effort into this project, and your determination inspires the rest of us as well. You're an asset to the team, and your focus helped us go beyond our original goals.
• Thank you for your passion and commitment during this project. While it didn't work out the way we expected, your hard work allowed us to learn valuable lessons that we can apply in future projects.
• We noticed that you put in a lot of extra work during the past couple of weeks, and it's yielding impressive results. Your dedication is an inspiration to the rest of the team, and we look forward to seeing what you can do in the future.

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Communication

Good communication can bring teams together and help them exceed expectations.

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Foster an attitude of camaraderie and open communication with positive employee feedback examples:

• I noticed that you went above and beyond in keeping everyone informed of the situation this week. Your check-ins ensured that everyone knew their role and responsibilities, allowing us to overcome these challenges.
• Thank you for always providing reports and regular check-ins in a timely manner. They help me coordinate with other teams and stay on track during the project.
• Your strong communication ability and positive attitude helped the team come together this week. It would have been easy for some details to slip through the cracks, but your efforts helped us catch and handle potential mistakes before they became problems.

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Taking the initiative

Taking the initiative is a positive behavior that can be tricky to encourage. Most employees are reluctant to take risks due to potential negative consequences, and regular feedback can help strengthen employees' confidence.

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Some feedback examples of how to inspire your employees to take more initiatives are:

• You demonstrated an admirable amount of initiative by taking proactive action on this project. Thanks to your problem-solving skills, we could avoid potentially costly mistakes.
• Good work on taking on the additional responsibilities last week. It helped us kickstart this project, and we're set to finish it in record time. Thank you for your efforts.
• Thank you for bringing the team together on such short notice to handle the problem today. I wouldn't have been able to call a meeting myself, and it's reassuring to know I have a potential leader I can rely on to take the reins when necessary.

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Managing conflict

Conflict can be a driver of change and growth if managed correctly. Employees that can mediate and resolve conflicts effectively are invaluable in improving team productivity and promoting change in the organization.

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Here are some examples of how to manage change and conflict with grace:

• I appreciate you stepping in to solve the conflict between the team today. Your ability to compromise helped us move past the issue and allowed us to meet our deadline.
• Thank you for cooling down the argument between your team members. By getting everyone on the same page, we were able to identify a new solution to the problem and exceeded our original goals.
• You're doing an amazing job relating to your former peers after your last promotion. It can be tough keeping lines of communication open, but you've navigated your new responsibilities like an expert.

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Customer support

The core goal of most businesses is to acquire and retain customers. Having employees that are customer favorites can be a bonus.

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It's good to have some positive feedback examples to keep them motivated:

• We received great feedback from your last client, who said that your expert advice was exactly what they needed to make a smooth transition to our product.
• Thank you for putting in the extra effort with the last client. They can be tricky to manage, but your patience and willingness to compromise ensure that they'll be loyal customers for years to come.
• You've received the top customer satisfaction rating for several months in a row. Your empathetic approach clearly works wonders, and we'd love you to share your strategy with the team.

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Personal development

Most employees want to develop and grow as part of their careers. It's important to note these development milestones by giving feedback and encouraging employees to continue by providing support with positive feedback and constructive criticism.

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Here are some examples of how you can acknowledge professional development and expertise:

• I'm amazed that you could master that skill in such a short time. Your ability to receive feedback definitely played a role, as did your determination to succeed.
• I noticed that you put in extra work to get up to speed with the new system. It's always good to see employees show initiative and study independently, but we're also happy to provide any additional training you may need.
• Your transition from shy intern to confident leader is inspiring and a huge motivation to the rest of the team. We look forward to seeing how you'll continue to hone your skills in the future!

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New employee

New hires tend to feel overwhelmed or insecure during their first couple of weeks in a new office. By giving new employees positive feedback, you help foster a company culture of supportiveness that can help new workers relax and boost their confidence, leading to positive outcomes in the future.

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Support new team members with feedback examples like:

• I know that you're still settling in, but the team has already noted your willingness to help and eagerness to learn. You're well on your way to becoming a critical team member.
• Thank you for sharing your insights into our onboarding process. We always appreciate employee input, and your advice helped us combat some flaws in the system.
• Good job speaking up in the team meeting this morning. It can be intimidating for a new member to provide feedback, but your confidence and positive energy mean that you'll fit in with the rest of the team in no time.

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Best practices for giving positive feedback to employees

Giving employee feedback can be a challenge, but following a few simple principles can ensure that you give effective employee feedback during your feedback conversations.

Be specific

You want to reinforce good habits, so be sure to identify what the person did well. Vague feedback can feel insincere and make the employee feel unnoticed.

Give real-time feedback

Don't wait until the next meeting; identify and reward good work with positive feedback as soon as you see it happen.

Provide actionable feedback

If you're providing corrective feedback, guide the employee with usable ideas. It's easy to say you don't like how they do a task, but saying how you want a task done is significantly more effective.

Be genuine

Employees can tell if you're giving positive feedback simply to improve morale. While our employee feedback examples are a great baseline, you should still do your best to tailor your feedback example to the situation and person involved.

Stay compassionate

Some people view constructive feedback as negative, so it's vital to stay kind during the session and consider the employee's situation and feelings.

Let others know (if appropriate)

If you believe that an employee did something truly amazing, it may be worthwhile to acknowledge their contribution publicly. However, ensure that the employee is comfortable with the recognition before proceeding, as unwanted positive feedback may lead to potential conflicts.

Positive vs. constructive feedback

The main difference between positive and constructive feedback is that positive feedback acts as a motivational tool to enhance employee engagement with praise. Constructive feedback is a tool to address negative behaviors by providing actionable insights into how to address these issues.

Using negative feedback appropriately

Just like there's a time and place for positive feedback, there is that for negative. However, since negative feedback doesn't always land as comfortably as the latter, it is even more important to understand this type of feedback and how to deliver it appropriately.

What is negative feedback?

Negative or corrective feedback refers to identifying and correcting mistakes or wrong behaviors. Employees regularly make mistakes, but it can be tough to change their behavior until they know they're doing something wrong.

Using criticism effectively

Effective employee feedback may often require some form of negative commentary. If the employee fails to meet the company's organizational values, they need to receive negative criticism and actionable methods to correct their mistakes.

Many constructive employee feedback examples contain the "feedback sandwich," where you provide feedback after noting a positive aspect of the employee's work. This helps the employee take the feedback without getting defensive or affecting their job satisfaction.

The positive feedback loop

A positive employee feedback loop is when a company uses its employee feedback channel to improve its internal structure and workplace satisfaction. It leads to better business outcomes as employee engagement and productivity increase. Obtaining and taking note of employee feedback is often invaluable and should be a core value of any business. Most workers will provide informative feedback when related to their work.

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A modern employee feedback software like Officevibe can help you activate a feedback loop like a pro. Use it to automate and organize how you collect anonymous feedback from your employees, no matter your team's size or location.

Quantifiable results and reporting take the guesswork out of identifying your team's pain points. When you can clearly see the areas where your employees are disengaged, you can address them before they choose to work elsewhere!

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Peer feedback loops are gaining more and more attention from savvy business leaders—and no wonder. Because in recent times, we’ve seen a radical shift in the way people work.

Not so long ago, working in an office-based team environment was a given for most white-collar roles. Now many people spend much less time in the office or may even work remotely full-time.

There are many advantages to this new approach to work, but managers need to be aware of the downsides, too. Employees may feel isolated and disconnected from their colleagues with less human interaction.

Communication becomes transactional rather than interpersonal. As a result, the all-important team spirit may suffer without a means to provide feedback.

This is a growing challenge for organizations of every size.

According to Officevibe’s employee feedback data, over a third of employees feel they don’t receive enough recognition for their efforts. They say their achievements go unnoticed, with feedback focusing mainly on the negative aspects of their work.

Fortunately, there is a solution. Implementing a peer feedback loop is a proven and effective way to address this problem. A peer feedback loop helps rebuild the community spirit and allows employees to share with their colleagues.

Creating constructive peer feedback loops in your teams

What does a peer feedback loop look like

You may already be familiar with a manager/employee feedback loop, which facilitates two-way communication between team leaders and members. A peer feedback loop works similarly but connects colleagues within a team.

With a feedback loop in place, employees can share their ideas, opinions, wins, and suggestions with others on their team. Greater recognition of their efforts leads to greater motivation, higher engagement, and improved productivity.

Team members continuously give each other feedback so that everyone can learn and improve. It's a great way to nurture trust and collaboration, replacing isolation with a feeling of belonging.

A simple example of a peer feedback loop would be a weekly team meeting, either in person or over video. Employees are encouraged to acknowledge any small wins achieved by colleagues during the week in the discussion. This regular positive reinforcement helps to build team spirit and keep everyone motivated.

10 Ways to build a constructive peer feedback loop culture

In the modern, evolving workplace environment, you need to be proactive in creating an environment where your peer feedback loop can thrive. That may sound challenging, but it's not as hard as you might think.

How you get employee feedback makes a difference. So here are 10 simple suggestions for encouraging better peer-to-peer communications across your organization.

1. Define a feedback process for your team

Although using an informal peer feedback process may sound tempting, it's the least effective approach. Inevitably, some employees will make their voices heard, while others keep their thoughts and opinions to themselves.

A peer feedback loop can only work effectively if everyone on the team feels empowered to contribute. Contribution is much more likely to happen if you define a straightforward process for your team to follow.

There are many different ways to implement feedback loops. You might choose an informal approach, where team members discuss matters in conversation or through an online chat group.

A less formal technique works, but the unstructured nature means you may not get the most value from this approach. You can miss out on much of the helpful feedback that a more organized system can bring.

A better alternative is to create a dedicated feedback channel, using a solution such as Officevibe's employee feedback tool. This makes it easy for you to gather feedback from employees wherever they are located. Using quick Pulse Surveys, you can collect actionable insights and follow up with open-ended questions. Because employees can express their opinions anonymously, you get honest feedback that gets straight to the point.

2. Educate your team

There's no point in investing time and effort in creating a peer feedback loop if no one knows how to use it. That's one good reason why an intuitive feedback tool makes a great choice.

But whatever system you use, take the time to show your team how to take advantage of the opportunity. Explain why you want more feedback—and why it's vital for them to share opinions and suggestions with colleagues. Show that the system is not just another drain on their time but a real chance to enhance teamwork and increase job satisfaction.

Most importantly, show them how to get better at giving and receiving feedback. Teach your team what's of value and what to avoid. Give examples of good employee feedback, plus advice on what they should avoid. A little education will go a long way towards improving the results.

3. Make constructive feedback a key priority

A peer feedback program aims to improve how team members work together. But, of course, this is hard to achieve if the environment turns into a culture of criticism and blame-shifting.

So remember to build your system to prioritize constructive feedback. People need to understand that the goal is not to point fingers but rather to find solutions together.

Team members must feel safe both raising concerns and being the subject of feedback.

4. Get the balance right

While constructive feedback is the 'holy grail' you aim for, it's not the whole story. Inevitably, the issues raised will run across the entire spectrum from very negative to highly positive.

You need to ensure that all this feedback is taken into consideration. While those negative concerns may be troubling, you can't afford to sweep them under the carpet. So work on getting the balance right—encouraging constructive criticism while also accounting for less-than-positive feedback.

5. Ensure that managers engage, too

Peer feedback loops, of course, are all about team members communicating with each other at the same level. But managers still have a pivotal role in making the process work. It's a team effort where everyone needs to be involved.

All feedback loops begin and end with management. From defining the process at the start to ensuring that feedback is acted upon at the end, managers play a crucial role in ensuring that peer feedback loops succeed.

6. Be creative

Your peer feedback system needs to be a natural fit for your organization. Even when using automated tools to manage the process, you may want to make changes. Be creative in your implementation, adding features that work for your team or subtracting those that don't.

For example, you may find that creating a 'Feedback Friday' routine is an effective way to promote employee engagement with the feedback system. This is an excellent way for employees to end the week positively, sharing their insights and ideas with colleagues before the weekend break.

7. Encourage honest feedback

Sometimes peer-to-peer feedback will raise negative concerns regarding how the organization or management operates. That's OK…everyone should feel able to give honest feedback on any issues that arise.

The management team should always be open to considering whatever issues arise—giving feedback and getting problems out into the open means they can be tackled and resolved. That's always better than allowing issues to fester—or simply hoping they will go away! Employees also need to be open to receiving feedback, even if it's not always what they want to hear.

8. Aim for continuous improvement

The great benefit of using a loop system is that it makes continuous improvement possible. So fixing a problem may just be the start of the change process. With the help of peer feedback, it may be possible to turn a negative into a positive asset for the organization.

Aim for a culture focused on ongoing innovation and improvement to make this happen. After all, why settle for good when something can be great or even fantastic? It's no accident that companies famous for their creative cultures—such as Apple and Google—are among the most successful in corporate history.

9. Create actional feedback

Raising concerns or suggesting ideas is not enough. A peer feedback loop won't achieve anything unless you take real action as a result.

So design your process so that the feedback suggests actions, and get on them! Get this right, and you will greatly accelerate the program's success. Actioning small change will have far more impact than a big idea that never sees the light of day.

10. Repeat the process regularly

The true value of peer feedback is revealed when the process becomes a regular part of the organization's routine. That's when you start to see exponential improvements in performance and results.

So design your feedback program to be an integral part of your business processes. That way, you will see a huge return on the time and money invested.

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Peer-to-peer feedback nurtures trust and collaboration

Companies that deploy peer-to-peer feedback loops can achieve transformational results. The outcomes you can achieve are tremendous in proportion to the effort required to set them up.

A well-designed system will help to nurture trust among employees, giving them a valid option for expressing their views and being heard. It's also an excellent team collaboration tool that can produce innovative ideas that change how you work. Who knows what imaginative concepts your team might come up with!

Employee recognition in a remote work environment

We know that the recent dramatic changes in the way we work are unlikely to reverse anytime soon. Working remotely has become accepted as a legitimate and productive option.  

The benefits for both employees and companies are enormous, but there are challenges, too. Employees working remotely need to feel that their contribution is acknowledged and recognized. And making this happen is getting easier, thanks to new tech innovations.

For example, Officevibe is launching a new feature called Good Vibes, aimed to restore the human connections needed to thrive in the remote-first era of work. 

After completing a Pulse Survey, anyone on your team can now share positive memories with colleagues. Better still, they can do this using delightful cards that humanize the connection.

Good Vibes makes it easy to highlight actions and traits worthy of celebrating. It also surfaces little wins, good deeds, and kind words that may otherwise go unseen.  

Good Vibes employee recognition feature in Officevibe is one example of how emerging technology helps organizations create effective peer feedback systems. As a result, you can now reap the benefits of remote working without sacrificing that all-important team spirit. As we advance, smart businesses will leverage peer feedback loops to gain a real competitive edge. 

Business leaders are responsible for ensuring employees can bring their best selves to work every day. But they can’t do that without giving performance feedback. Unfortunately, performance reviews are often too irregular or vague to be valuable.

You can keep your employees from joining these statistics by providing regular and specific feedback. Keep reading for guidance to make the most of your next performance review and improve overall performance management.

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The importance of giving feedback to employees

It’s human nature to want to know whether we’re doing a good job and how we can do our jobs better. Employees may feel like they aren’t performing at the top of their game but not understand why. Others may feel unstoppable but unappreciated because no one ever tells them “nice work” or “way to go.”

Providing employees feedback is how managers put gas into their fuel tanks in the forms of recognition, empathy, guidance, and the chance to be heard. When employees know their leadership invests in them, they are more engaged, loyal, and invested in return.

💡 The numbers may surprise you. Knowing the statistics on the importance of employee feedback lends real insights to back your next move.

Official employee performance review process

For many employers, performance management takes the form of an official performance review, held at regular intervals like once a year, once a quarter, or once a month, although annually is traditionally most common.

In performance reviews, managers highlight achievements and improvement areas during the last period. They may reference the employee’s work, attendance, deadline adherence, time management, problem-solving skills, and communication skills, usually using a quantifiable grading system.

Although commonly the only performance evaluation given to an employee, this formal performance review process is not always sufficient. According to our Pulse Survey data on feedback, 32% of employees wait at least three months before getting manager feedback.

We’re not saying official performance reviews are pointless. When managers provide timely, relevant feedback outside of the annual review, they encourage employee growth and create a culture of open communication.

Make the most of annual performance reviews

A manager can make the best use of a formal assessment by being prepared and getting specific. Preparation for performance reviews may include tracking employee performance with regular notes and seeking improvement points from the other leaders around them.

It’s essential to ask other managers and team leads for their perspectives because they may have noticed something you missed. Ask questions like:  

• How well do they communicate?
• What company processes are they following or not following
• What do you admire about them?
• How could this employee improve in your eyes?

You’re fishing for specific examples that you can reference in the performance review.

Your employees won’t know what to do with vague feedback like “You don’t communicate professionally.” But when they encounter something like “Avoid using profanity in the future as you did with this client at this time,” the expectations are clear.

When we prepare, we get specific. When we get specific, we identify actionable growth opportunities for our employees.

Pro tip: Learn from others' mistakes. Read 7 mistakes managers make when giving annual performance reviews so you can avoid them the next time around.

Providing performance feedback outside of official performance reviews

Managers will benefit from not letting annual reviews be the only time they offer employees feedback. One-on-one meeting conversations, informal chats, and team chats outside of the official employee performance review provide the chance of a productive discussion without the pressure of a formal performance evaluation.

Before the meeting

Before meeting with an employee one-on-one or for an informal chat, an employer should check in with them. If the employee has an off day or is dealing with significant personal stress, they will probably not be open to receiving feedback.

A meeting with an employee can quickly move in the wrong direction if they are not in a good state of mind. Before the meeting, a manager should ask the employee whether now is a good time for them or whether another time would be better.

Likewise, feel free to move meetings you have already scheduled if you are not in the proper mindset. Your employee will understand and likely appreciate that you want to ensure a positive, productive conversation.

One-on-one meetings

Meeting with an employee one-on-one is a great way to provide monthly or weekly feedback. Face-to-face meetings are often more productive than emails or voice calls.

Sitting with an employee eye to eye (even over a video chat) offers a more personable experience. The simple act of showing up and sitting down with an employee shows them that you are willing to take the time for them in your busy schedule.

Face-to-face meetings prevent miscommunication. Have you ever sent a text message and then realized it could come across in a completely different way than you meant it? The same thing can happen over email or even over the phone.

🌳  One-on-one meetings don’t have to be at the office. Moving the discussion to a neutral location like a park or café can encourage honesty from both parties and facilitate a more candid conversation.

Informal chats

You don't always need to schedule feedback discussions in advance—sometimes arise that are best addressed at the moment.

Brief, informal chats with employees allow leaders to address performance issues with immediate feedback. When we wait for those formal reviews, we miss out on opportunities like this. Real-time feedback can curb minor issues before they become problematic.

Managers will also benefit from positive informal chats. Stopping by to offer congratulations for an employee’s accomplishments puts gas in the tank by boosting confidence and engagement.

Team meetings

It may benefit a manager to offer feedback in a group rather than one-on-one. When managers give feedback to a group of employees, they don’t single out anyone, and the group gets to move forward as a team.

Offering feedback to a team also creates accountability. Each team member is more likely to follow through with a change if the other members strive toward the same goal.

Instant messaging

Although full reviews and detailed feedback are best delivered in person, instant messaging platforms allow employers to easily and quickly offer support and guidance.

Instant messengers are especially helpful for sending quick affirmative feedback, like “Great job on that last assignment” or “This client appreciated your hard work yesterday.” These messages may seem small, but they have a significant impact.

What should be included in an employee performance feedback discussion?

When leaders discuss an employee’s performance, a balanced conversation will offer the most valuable feedback. Even the “rock star” employee wants to know how they can challenge themself to improve.

Positive feedback

Sometimes, leaders forget the importance of positive feedback, but it is just as vital as its counterpart. An employee who hears only critical feedback will likely feel invalidated and unmotivated.

High-performing employees also need their props. If a person struggles with self-doubt, take extra care to highlight when they are modeling positive behaviors and producing quality work.

Negative feedback

Managers may avoid giving negative feedback because it’s tricky, but employees can’t grow if they don’t know where to improve. The key is to be constructive.

Critical feedback should aim not to tear an employee down but to build them up.

Constructive feedback

Managers build up employees through well-positioned feedback. Think constructive, not destructive, and use measurement-oriented rather than vague language.

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Destructive feedback is observational. Constructive feedback is actionable. It doesn’t just point out a problem; it also offers solutions to that problem.

When managers offer their direct reports constructive feedback, they encourage employee engagement over detachment.

Learn more on how to give constructive feedback to employees

How to deliver negative performance feedback as constructive feedback

As a manager, it's your role to help your employees develop professionally and contribute their best efforts towards the common team goals. That means establishing a dynamic where feedback can flow freely and employees are open to critique to implement positive change. Feel free to check out these employee feedback examples to help you navigate different situations you might face as a manager. Delivering constructive negative performance feedback is more than softening the blow.

Follow these best practices next time you need to give negative feedback and want to do it constructively.

Do it in private

Sometimes, leaders make the mistake of talking to an employee who is not meeting expectations in the presence of other employees. If you’ve ever been criticized in public, you understand that this practice is toxic to employee satisfaction and positive company culture.

A manager should always provide feedback to an employee in private unless they address an entire team of people, even if it’s positive. Some of us feel just as awkward with public praise as we do with public beratement.

Empathize

Managers and employees alike are human beings who respond with strong emotions when they realize they’re not meeting expectations.

The employee may seem defensive, but this is a normal response. Instead of interpreting defensiveness as defiance, leaders should consider how they might react in that position and approach the situation with empathy.

Be direct

Effective employee feedback is direct with clear expectations and concrete examples that offer solutions.

Offer solutions

An employee's performance won't improve through vague directions like ''You need to work faster'' or ''That wasn't good enough.''

Managers can offer actionable feedback by referencing past behavior or specific past work with examples of how to do better.

For example, ''That wasn't good enough'' may become ''These types of assignments require more detail than you included here. Let's look at a good example together.''

Don’t lecture

Most people don’t respond well to being lectured. Offering feedback should be a two-way street, where the employee feels comfortable expressing their own experiences, opinions, and struggles.

Managers can turn lectures into conversations by giving their employees time to process information before continuing, asking them follow-up questions, and letting them contribute to growth solutions.

How to get feedback from a performance review

How do employers know when they have performed an effective performance review? How do they know which leadership skills they need to improve to offer the best feedback?

They ask their employees.

In general, employees know what helps them improve performance and what does not. One of the best ways to get employee feedback is through surveys. Employee surveys allow anonymous, on-point, and consistent feedback — so you always have a pulse on how your team is fairing.

You can ask questions on everything from the latest company announcements or how they feel about receiving feedback. It's an insightful way to capture regular feedback to know your people better and make sure you're on the same page!

By offering them a chance to provide feedback, managers can better address employee needs and encourage a company culture of trust and loyalty.

Anonymous employee feedback

When employee feedback is anonymous, managers can focus on self-evaluation on how to best offer guidance to their employees without the risk of internal tension.

A direct report may even bring something up anonymously that they would have otherwise kept to themselves. These issues are often especially vital to address as they are the ones that eat away at company morale because no one feels comfortable talking about it.

Use employee feedback survey results to guide the conversation

When employees have a safe space to give an employer a performance appraisal, they feel appreciated and heard. They are likely to take more initiative in changing company processes that may be hindering their performance.

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If you are a business leader who wants to improve communications between managers and employees, Officevibe's Employee Feedback Tool is the perfect solution. Modern managers use it to dig deeper into performance issues through regular employee feedback surveys and follow-up questions. Plus, the tool allows employers to collect employee feedback regardless of the number or location of employees.

Improve communication with remote workers, allow anonymous feedback, and easily track all of it in one place with Officevibe.

In any organization, a happy and motivated workforce is critical to success.

Common sense tells us that employees who love their job will be more productive. Job satisfaction also means fewer problems with absenteeism, employee retention, and employee relations. On the other hand, a workforce that feels neglected and disconnected from management will be dispirited and unenthusiastic.

And it’s only a matter of time before this leads to problems that hurt bottom-line profits and damage team morale.

So how can you avoid this latter scenario and ensure that your team members feel respected and encouraged? The simple answer is to make good use of employee feedback loops.

What is an employee feedback loop?

A feedback loop is a management mechanism that facilitates continuous improvement. Within an organization, encouraging regular, two-way communication between managers and employees, feedback loops help to eliminate issues and frustrations.

Managers give continuous feedback to employees on performance-related matters, allowing team members to fix issues and level up quickly. Employees can voice their views to management, making this an effective two-way process. The result is a greatly-accelerated improvement that leads to outstanding results.

It's no wonder that so many of today's leading companies consider employee feedback systems integral to their success.

The importance of employee feedback systems

Today's business world is highly competitive, so businesses need to gain an edge over rivals. A positive feedback loop helps you facilitate improvements in every aspect of your business.

A recent study by Officevibe underlines the real need for better employee feedback. We discovered that

Sentiment like this can not only hurt your bottom line but impact team morale, too.

Those numbers should frighten any management team.

Fortunately, though, it's easy to turn things around. Our stats show that 69 percent of workers would work harder if their efforts were recognized. And engagement would improve a whopping 30 times over if managers recognized employee strengths.

Read more about the differences between employee feedback and peer feedback loops.

How to implement an employee feedback loop system

The way you set up your feedback loop has a huge impact on the outcomes you can achieve. So it's well worth making an effort to get this right. Here are some tips to help you:

Ask for employee feedback

The first step in implementing a better improvement process is to ask for employee feedback. Yes, it's possible to do that manually—perhaps using emails and spreadsheets.

But that's not only slow and clunky; it's a sure-fire recipe for failure. You'll end up with a wealth of data that may be difficult to interpret and understand. Plus, why do things the hard way when there's a much easier option?

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Today's technology has made manual feedback systems outdated and irrelevant. Organizations worldwide know they can get exponentially better results using software specifically designed to improve employee performance.

For example, Officevibe's Employee Feedback Tool automates and organizes how you collect employee feedback, regardless of the team's size or location.

💡Quick Pulse Surveys give you real-time feedback, while open-ended follow-up questions allow you to probe deeper. Plus, team members can share anonymous feedback anytime without the risk of blowback.

Analyze employee satisfaction

Once you've gathered the data, you need to analyze it and draw your conclusions. Review your employee survey results and determine which areas are most in need of attention. When you start using employee feedback loops, you will probably discover several 'quick wins' that produce significant results for minimal effort.

That's a productivity bonus, but remember that all issues raised deserve your focus. Be sure to take everyone's concerns into account to create a workforce that's happier across the board.

Turn constructive feedback into action

Once you're clear on what needs to be done, it's time to act.

If a number of employees raise the same concern, then you need to review processes and procedures. Are the complaints justified? What can you do to ease these concerns? Fixing a single problem worrying many people will lead to a considerable boost in team morale.

If an issue relates to a particular employee only, it's time to sit down and have a one-on-one discussion. Often you will find that a big frustration can be easily resolved.

Remember that these sessions should be a two-way process. Of course, the manager needs to give feedback to the employee, suggesting areas for improvement. But listening is just as critical. The team leader needs to be in tune with how employees feel and be responsive to new issues.

Rinse and repeat

While any improvement is good, continuous improvement should be your goal. The compounding effect of an ongoing feedback loop produces fantastic results. The result is that your investment in an employee feedback tool will pay handsome dividends.

To achieve this goal, you need to schedule regular surveys and feedback cycles. Book these on your calendar, or automate the process so it can't be overlooked.

Positive feedback loops

We all know that positive reinforcement is the best approach to encouraging improvement. With this in mind, structure your employee feedback loops to focus on the affirmative rather than the negative. Fortunately, there are many ways you can do just that.

Learn from feedback examples

Discussions with employees can be sensitive, so you need to handle them with care. But there's no need to reinvent the wheel when figuring out how to handle these conversations. You can use our employee feedback examples to give you a headstart.

Try Sandwich Feedback

🍔 A great way to deal with these conversations is to use the 'sandwich feedback' approach. You begin and end the meeting with positive reinforcement of the employee's strengths. In between, you sandwich in the need for improvement in specific areas.

Encouraging employee engagement

Active employee engagement is the foundation of a healthy, happy workplace. When your team members engage voluntarily, you know you are on the road to success.

Employee feedback loops help team members to feel heard and understood. Plus, the process of continuous improvement leads to a happier work environment. So implementing a feedback loop leads directly to improved employee engagement.

Integrating your feedback system

The employee feedback loop is an integral part of the internal communications system in the most successful organizations. It encourages employees to engage more often, thereby accelerating the process of improvement.

Demonstrating responsiveness

Employees need to feel that their opinions are not just heard but actively listened to and responded to. So it's essential to show your teams how their feedback makes a difference—improving the organization for the benefit of everyone.

Implementing customer feedback into the employee feedback loop

There are many different stakeholders in your business, and how they think and feel is important. When you combine their views and take action accordingly, you can achieve amazing things.

Customers and employees have different needs and expectations, which may be contradictory. While clients want lower prices, your workforce seeks higher wages. And where customers want to be your number one priority, workers will feel the same way.

So it's of value to integrate both custom and employee feedback to get a 360-degree, bird's eye view of what's essential to your organization. Feedback loops play a key role in making this happen without letting customer satisfaction or employee concerns fall through the cracks.

The best employee feedback system

Now that you understand what a feedback loop is—and why it's important—you are in pole position to take full advantage of what these systems offer. But what are the characteristics of a first-class feedback loop setup? Here's what makes the best options stand out:

Leveraging technology

The fast-paced development of today's tech is transforming how organizations manage employee feedback. Today's tools are easy to deploy and simple for employees to use—encouraging engagement making all the difference.

Extensive reporting

There's no point in collecting tons of data unless you know how to put it to good use. That's where modern feedback loop tools excel.

They turn raw data into actionable insights that you can execute right away. Managers can drill down and get an accurate picture of employee sentiment with access to granular information.

Anonymous feedback

Team members may be understandably nervous about passing negative feedback up the ladder. They may fear this will have consequences for their career or even cost them their job.

Yet, it's vitally important that managers accurately assess how employees feel. They need to know both the good and the bad. That's where anonymous feedback channels help you knock things out of the park. They allow you to surface critical issues that might otherwise go unnoticed and unaddressed.

Create your employee feedback loop today

The conclusion is clear. Employee feedback loops have an essential role to play in today's organizations. Whether you have a small team or a global workforce, you need the insights they deliver and the motivated workforce they produce.

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So how do you put the theory into practice? Actually, that's easy…and you can even get started without spending a cent. Sign up for the Officevibe Employee Feedback tool for free and discover the benefits for yourself.

A lot has changed in business in the last few decades. Yet a happy and motivated workforce is still one of the critical indicators of success. When you deploy positive employee feedback loops to your advantage, you'll be able to reap maximum rewards from the skills, talents, and experience of your hard-working teams.

One of the largest productivity killers is the mismatch between a team's goals and its manager's expectations. And when it comes to establishing effective workplace communication, there are two sides to the coin: feedback from managers to employees and feedback from employees to managers. Having two-way communication can open up many opportunities to make your team more productive and improve employee engagement.

We've put together a list of 12 relatable employee feedback examples for managers so that you can better identify the next time you need to address any concerns.

Why upward feedback is vital for managers

Nobody wants to hear negative feedback, no matter how constructive or accurate. However, since over 37% of employees say that they don't feel close to their manager, and 64% would like better feedback, upward feedback is essential for a company's growth.

Employees feel valued when their opinion matters. This feeling of value leads to higher motivation and participation and improved overall productivity. Many managers may not even know there's a problem, so by ignoring or disallowing critical feedback, they'll only find out about the issue when it blows up in their face.

That said, the power dynamic between employees and managers can make giving managers feedback a potentially fraught and dangerous thing to do. A manager that is less willing to listen may directly contribute to a toxic work culture that negatively affects everyone involved.

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The ability to give and accept feedback provides a clear understanding of potential problems and the overall performance of the entire team.

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12 examples of employee feedback for managers

Providing feedback to your manager in front of a mirror is easy, but executing it in real life can be more intimidating. We've compiled a list of common office grievances and employee feedback examples to discuss how to raise these issues with your manager.

1. The need for guidance

Some managers are highly hands-off, which can be a bonus for self-motivated employees but may also cause a potential lack of guidance and a feeling of uncertainty.

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One way to approach this would be:

I know you're busy, but could we maybe schedule more regular check-ins to ensure I'm on the right track for this project? Once I have a better idea of your expectations and the initial learning curve for the overall project, I think I'll be able to handle things independently.

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This type of interaction shows that you're willing to be proactive and independent while indicating that some potential communication issues might exist.

2. The micromanaging boss

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the micromanaging boss makes employees feel like their manager doesn't trust their skills, expertise, or judgment. Some teams may even think that they should let the manager do all the work since they want to have their hand in it all anyways. As a result, they start feeling demoralized and disengaged from their work.

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Possible ways to handle this include:

I appreciate your insights and instruction, but I think I'd learn more and perform better if I could figure out the goal and how to get there on my own.

While I enjoy the feeling of accomplishing my assigned tasks, I've started spending more time writing reports than focusing on my projects. Could we possibly switch to a weekly or monthly reporting schedule instead?

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3. The need for clear direction

Sometimes, a manager may assume that the team understands the expectations for a given project and so does not provide all the necessary details. This lack of direction can impact work performance from other team members and slow down a project. Often, the team makes mistakes that they could avoid if they only had clear goals.

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A good way to get a better sense of direction would be:

Thanks for trusting the team enough to let us freely approach this project and its goals. While working on the project, I noticed that I was unsure which goals were most important. Could you please provide some more clarification on which goals we should prioritize?

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4. Not getting recognition from management

Nothing is worse than putting your all into a project and not getting any recognition from senior leaders or peers.

Employees who feel unappreciated will often disengage from projects and do the bare minimum to avoid getting fired. In contrast, those who receive rewards for their performance feel an excellent boost to morale.

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If you feel your manager isn't providing enough employee recognition or positive feedback, try to bring it up in the following manner:

You had some great insights about our team performance on the previous project, but I noticed that many team members checked out early. Maybe we could start the meeting by providing more recognition to the whole team before moving on to improvements? It could help boost morale and get everyone interested and excited for the next project.

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5. Feeling burned out

Burnout stems from several factors, but a major contributor is too much work for one employee to handle. Your manager should try to keep track of how much every team member works per week. However, they may have many other things on their plate as well.

It's important not to shy away from sharing that you're feeling overworked.

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A way to indicate that may need a bit of breathing room would be:

After evaluating my current tasks for the month, I don't think I am able to take on an extra task. I currently spend 25 hours per week on [x] and an additional 10 on [x]. Taking on more work would cause my existing work to suffer, and I wouldn't be able to perform as well as you'd need me to on the new task. Could we perhaps meet to discuss adjusting my workload for optimal performance?

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6. Work-life balance concerns

Many managers assume that their employees have the same priorities as themselves, leading to work-life conflicts.

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Constructive feedback examples include:

I admire your drive to get our work done, and I appreciate your hands-on approach. But it has started bleeding into my personal time. Could we maybe schedule a meeting to develop a more efficient "during working hours" path forward?

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7. Resolving intra-team conflict

Inevitably, every group setting will eventually see some conflict. While problem-solving skills and strong leadership skills can minimize the friction, your manager still needs to know about it.

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Start the conversation with:

Recently, our team has had some conflicts that have affected our performance and ability to work together. What would you think about instituting a manager-led resolution process that leverages your authority and leadership ability to guide us to the best course of action?

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8. Employee favoritism

Employee favoritism can decrease morale, reduce employee participation, and even foster a hostile work environment.

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You may wish to bring the matter to human resources, but if you feel confident about your relationship with the manager, this might be a good place to start:

I was looking forward to improving my skills by working with a new client. Could you provide some feedback on why I wasn't chosen?

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9. Words of encouragement

Just like employees, managers appreciate being seen and appreciated. From team leaders to senior managers, all managers love receiving positive affirmations. By developing a relationship with their employees, they are more likely to respond positively to feedback in the future.

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You can thank your manager privately or publicly, using something similar to this:

Thank you so much for recognizing our team's recent accomplishments on the last project; we couldn't have done it without your direction and guidance. We look forward to tackling the next challenge and taking our performance to the next level.

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10. Giving constructive feedback in a timely manner

Approximately one in four employees feel that they don't receive adequate-enough feedback on their work to help them improve and grow. Managers are often overwhelmed with work and can't provide timely feedback to their employees.

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If you only see your manager during your performance review, you might raise the subject this way:

I understand that you have a lot on your plate, but it would boost team morale if we had more frequent constructive feedback sessions. That way, we can fine-tune our performance and exceed our current productivity.

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11. Getting insights for growth and development

If you've gotten stuck in a role and don't see any opportunity for advancement, it may be time to schedule an upward feedback session.

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If you're putting in the effort but not seeing the results you expect, consider starting with:

I'm passionate about my current work, but I would like additional opportunities for development and growth. Can we meet to discuss my potential and what you think I might be able to do to advance further in the company?

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12. Concerns about time management

Having too many or too few tasks in your workload can hurt your ability to produce high-quality work. Of course, that affects your morale.

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Start the conversation with:

I've noticed recently that my work is suffering because I can't allocate enough time to do each task properly. Can we schedule a meeting to identify which tasks need priority and develop a more equitable schedule for the entire team?

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Best practices for giving feedback to managers

Giving unwanted feedback can have negative consequences, so it's vital to prepare your talking points and input before the conversation. Feedback for a manager is much the same as a manager giving effective employee feedback and reaps many similar benefits. 

Here are some ways to ensure that you provide effective feedback to your manager and get the positive results you expect.

Ask if your manager wants feedback

Some managers may still believe in top-down management and may not want to receive feedback or want you to share feedback based on management decisions or style. If that's the case, you might way to bring up the issue with HR, as it can have a negative impact on your career development and professional growth.

And sometimes, it's just a matter of timing! Managers can be especially busy, try your best to find the right time to approach the subject. Ask them beforehand if now is the right time to talk, or if you could schedule time in the near future to chat.

Lead with facts

Effective employee feedback should be neutral and focus on specific examples. While you want to provide honest feedback, you don't want to come across as critical or harsh, as this will make receiving feedback almost impossible. Always make it clear that you're talking from your own experiences and that you're aware that you don't have the complete picture.

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Officevibe's employee Pulse Surveys help you see the whole picture of how your team is really doing. Each week, employees are prompted to answer 5 questions (anonymously, if they like) so that managers get real-time feedback from direct reports on the regular.

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Find mutual goals

Make sure that you're on the same page and focus on things that are important to your manager. Use a feedback conversation to identify common goals and strategies and leverage employee and managers feedback to focus on mutual interests.

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Positive feedback framing as morale-booster

A great way to provide constructive criticism is the feedback sandwich:

• Start with praise for positive behavior.
• Bring up the actual concern.
• Finish with another positive statement.

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Agree to disagree

Sometimes, your feedback to your manager may meet with resistance, especially if you're giving negative feedback. Know when to step back and understand that you and your manager likely do not have the same perspective on an issue.

Phrase feedback as a question

By phrasing feedback for managers as a question, you show empathy by putting yourself in their shoes. The question forces the manager to consider the feedback and perhaps find a solution-oriented answer.

Should employees give honest feedback to managers, even negative feedback?

In an ideal world, yes. Two-way feedback has many benefits and is extremely important for both managers and employees alike. However, in the real world, some managers may not appreciate unsolicited feedback or any negative criticisms of the manager's performance.

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It's best to use your judgment and always ask your manager if they want to hear what you have to say or if now is the right time before delivering feedback — especially if your manager feedback consists mainly of negative feedback.

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Using the right tools for employee feedback for managers

Constructive feedback is an important component of a successful company, but giving feedback to managers can become challenging due to power dynamics and corporate culture. Gone are the days of anonymous feedback boxes in the front lobby. 

Officevibe's employee feedback tool allows for anonymous feedback to reduce the impact of power dynamics and improve the employee experience of giving positive and negative feedback. Not only does the platform enable employees to share feedback easily, but it also automates the way managers can collect and organize feedback so that they can address it promptly.

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If you want to have maximized efficiency, rewarding performance from employees, and boosted company morale, Officevibe's complete employee feedback software is sure to meet your needs.

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1 in 5 employees is unsatisfied with the frequency of feedback from their direct manager. And almost 30% of employees wish they had more peer feedback.

Providing feedback is important because it makes employees feel like they're a part of something greater. When employees feel like they're a part of the company, they become more engaged with its vision and values.

Giving and receiving feedback is an essential part of fostering this engagement. Effective communication builds solid relationships, retains top talent, expands and retains customer base, and elevates your employer brand.

Why is employee feedback important?

Employee feedback is important because when given constructively it:

• enables ongoing development
• helps identify and removes blockers to reach targets and objectives
• strengthens the relationship between manager and employee, as well as peer-to-peer feedback
• makes employees feel supported in their role

All in all, these benefits and more contribute to overall positive employee engagement. 

In turn, on an organizational level, employee feedback is important because it directly impacts both human resources and key performance indicators like employee retention, employee morale, company culture, and skills building. 

Let's zoom in on each of these further. 

Increases employee retention

Did you know that providing employee feedback can directly impact your company's employee retention rate?

Your employees will appreciate it when you give them healthy positive and negative feedback. They are more likely to invest their time and abilities to grow your business and even decline job offers from other companies!

And with the battle for talent these days, all leaders can understand how losing employees and hiring a replacement is expensive, often costing companies thousands per hire. 

Turnover and unfulfilled positions contribute to lower employee engagement. When overworked, people feel tired, dissatisfied, and risk burnout—all predicators to leaving a job. You can see how it can quickly turn into a dangerous cycle. 

Enhances employee morale

Fact: Happy, satisfied employees who show a positive attitude at work have high morale and impact overall team morale. In contrast, those dissatisfied with their environment display lower levels of confidence.

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Read more on how to tackle low employee morale.

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You can influence your employee's morale by providing positive feedback. If a person knows that they're doing an excellent job at work, they are more likely to feel emotionally at ease and less pressured.

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Boosting your employee morale can have a tremendous impact on your ROI. Happy employees are more productive and engaged.

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Build a positive company culture

A positive workplace culture raises teamwork, performance levels, and efficiency. In turn, your employees are undoubtedly more satisfied with their jobs.

Creating a positive workplace entails a lot of trust and honesty. Implementing an effective employee feedback process can help you create a work culture where your employees thrive.

With the help of your team, ask your direct reports what would help them live out the company's core values. Ask their feedback on what could help the organization improve overall work processes and policies.

Create a highly-skilled workforce

Continuous learning supports your people's career development (aka a significant factor in engaging and retaining them).

Training programs also improve your company's bottom line. Upskilling accelerates your employee's abilities, creativity, and innovation. As a result, you can deliver more services, develop more products, and eventually earn more profits.

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Support your learning and development initiatives with actionable feedback. If your employees aren't learning and benefiting from the training, there's no reason to do it.

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What are the benefits of employee feedback?

Providing employee feedback is vital because it helps clarify expectations and helps people learn from their mistakes. But giving and receiving feedback can be challenging.

Above all, it's important to stay objective and respect the other person to benefit from the conversation. 

Giving feedback to employees

Feedback helps make your employees feel more confident in their performance and more committed to showing positive behavior. By making them aware of their skills and strengths, you give them a sense of value in the workplace – the key to employee success.

Providing employee feedback also helps your workforce develop their careers.

According to the article from Netsuite's Barnyard, much of Gen Z has been conditioned to expect immediacy. Managers can avoid giving vague feedback by sharing it immediately after a project instead of waiting until the following performance review.

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With the right technology and resources, you can establish an employee-driven feedback culture where people are free to exchange feedback with their colleagues and superiors.

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Getting feedback from employees

Receiving employee feedback is the quickest way to improve your leadership.

When you take time to hear your employees' constructive feedback, you'll gain insights into precisely what is happening within your organization at all levels, which can help you make informed decisions. 

Feedback also helps you prevent workplace conflicts before they happen

As a manager, you need to lead the right conversations in the workplace. When conflicts arise, explain that gathering feedback is to discuss, not debate or take sides.

When your employees handle feedback effectively, it can foster a culture where disagreements are handled openly and directly while also being sensitive. Honest communication is key to smooth working relationships.

Types of employee feedback

There are three main types of employee feedback:

Positive feedback

Positive feedback emphasizes your employee's strengths and accomplishments.

When you provide positive feedback, the goal is to reinforce positive behavior at work. It can also enhance employee confidence. 

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Example:

Congratulations on the client presentation today. I love the case studies you've included from our long-term clients. The slides looked impressive too.

I'm looking forward to your next presentation. Keep it up!

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Negative feedback

Negative feedback highlights behaviors that need to stop to prevent poor work performance or discourage negative impact on the team. 

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Example:

I want to talk to you about your tardiness for the past few days because it affects the team's productivity. We would all appreciate it to see you come to work on time again. How can we make that happen?

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Constructive feedback

Constructive feedback is given to an individual to pinpoint areas of weakness, followed by strategies to address shortcomings.

It is helpful to provide specific examples that your employees can follow with constructive criticism.

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Example

Your work on tasks A & B was good. I know you couldn't finish project X. Let's chat to rethink your deliverables and goals. What do you think? 

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💡 See our top 15 employee feedback examples.

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How to ask for employee feedback

Now that you know the benefits and the types of employee feedback, it's equally crucial to understand how to ask for employee feedback properly.

Below are strategies for receiving feedback gracefully:

Ask your team for feedback

When asking for feedback, use open-ended questions like 'How can I improve our weekly team meetings?

Or try asking specific questions like 'Do you need my help to prepare the monthly sales report?' 

Pro tip: Encourage honest feedback from hesitant employees. Officevibe's feedback tool allows team members to anonymously share their questions and ideas with their managers. Managers can reply to the feedback from the direct reports.

 Ask for regular feedback

The primary reason people struggle with giving and receiving feedback is not lack of proficiency but frequency.

Don't wait for the scheduled performance appraisal to ask for feedback.

Be proactive and check in with people promptly, especially after reaching a particular milestone. Or even in the middle of a big project. 

Frequent check-ins allow you to answer issues quickly before it becomes more significant. 

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Consistent feedback also fosters more openness that forges closer work relationships.

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📝 Need a little help establishing comfortable grounds for feedback? Dive deep into your communication habits and find out how to improve during your one-on-one using our free discussion on team member/manager meeting template.

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Don't forget to say 'Thank You' after you receive feedback

Receiving feedback sometimes can be hard to accept, especially constructive criticism. But always think that it's to your advantage to hear such things for your own good. 

Giving honest feedback is not easy, so you need to appreciate them when they come by.

Employee feedback loop

Put your feedback into action by having an employee feedback loop.

Include the action items discussed in your last feedback with your staff and follow up on your next meeting.

To have a successful employee feedback loop, remember to keep it objective. Practice active listening to gain a complete picture of the situation.

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Lastly, meet in person to make the feedback more personal and transparent. When you meet face-to-face (even if virtually), you can clarify points and notice nuances that won't be possible when receiving feedback via email or chat.

Why employee feedback matters

Employee feedback is important because it impacts the manager-direct report relationship and organization. 

To have an effective employee feedback system, it's essential to know the benefits and the different types of feedback and when to use them. 

Finally, asking for employee feedback and having feedback loops in place is crucial to having a good working relationship with your staff, vital to your company's success. 

Envision a team of highly-motivated, dedicated employees who regularly contribute fresh ideas that take your business to new heights. This picture might be a current reality or one you're working towards, and it's certainly one that can be maintained when you enter real-time employee feedback into your leadership mix. 

Real-time feedback paves the way to build more engaged, productive teams. In this article, we'll dig into real-time employee feedback, break down the benefits, and show you how easy it is for it to work for you and your teams.

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What is real-time feedback?

Real-time feedback is a performance management system that focuses on continuous improvement rather than evaluation. Real-time feedback isn’t the same as performance reviews, they supplement them by adding a constant communication cycle. The more immediate, actionable feedback helps employees grow and develop week by week.

When using this feedback process, you shift the emphasis from critical evaluation towards ongoing improvement. And it applies to everyone involved: manager and their people.

Employees get regular insights from their managers on what they are doing well and the areas where they can improve. And managers get insights into the employee experience and challenges where they can jump in to support. It all leads to a better employee experience and encourages progress and connection. 

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Compound employee growth

Interest compounded daily produces astounding results compared to interest compounded annually in the financial world. Similarly, real-time feedback greatly accelerates employee growth and leads to impressive, ongoing development. 

In the fast-moving business world, you can’t afford to be one step behind. Using real-time employee feedback keeps you at the forefront of employee development,  giving you a vital competitive advantage that makes a real difference on your bottom line. 

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Why real-time employee feedback is important

Employee feedback is very important in all of its forms. Real-time feedback is essential because it gives you a snapshot view of your team's pains and sentiments.

How are you supposed to celebrate accomplishments or provide guidance when met with challenges if you can't keep a pulse of what's happening on your team?

Establishing an environment that fosters real-time feedback with your team will help you lead confidently.

The need for real-time feedback is only becoming more necessary as we enter new ways of working. Real-time feedback can solve distributed or remote team challenges like feelings of disconnect among team members or decreased team oversight. By gathering of-the-moment insights on how your people are doing, and what they need to be happy in their roles, you can set the whole team up for success.

Real-time feedback is only effective if given often 

The frequency of feedback has become a significant issue in the workplace. According to the latest Officevibe's Pulse Surveys, almost a quarter of employees are unsatisfied with the frequency of feedback from their manager. Worse still, 28% of employees report that feedback is too infrequent to help them improve. 

That’s a major issue, but it’s only part of the problem. Team leaders, too, are concerned with improving performance management processes and delivering better employee feedback. They understand this is critical to creating a productive employee base. 

Real-time feedback systems accelerate the pace of feedback. Everyone gets a chance to voice their concerns and make their feelings known on a regular basis.

Make the most of your team

By deploying a consistent feedback system, you can nip employee issues in the bud and promote greater harmony. The instant nature of this solution helps you head off problems and capitalize on individual strengths as they materialize. 

Employee engagement will be enhanced, too. Everyone wants to feel heard, and real-time employee recognition encourages two-way communication to strengthen the team.

The result is more motivated employees who enjoy their work and are inspired to contribute as much as possible.

Now that’s the kind of improvement we’re looking for, right?

How to get real-time employee feedback

So the benefits of real-time feedback are clear. But how do you implement such a system in practice? 

The good news is that implementing instant feedback is easier than you might expect. All you need are the right tools and procedures.

How to implement a real-time feedback system

Not so long ago, implementing real-time feedback was a formidable challenge for any organization. But thanks to innovative new software, it’s easy for any organization to implement an effective and productive system.

For example, Officevibe's employee feedback tool makes it simple to automate and organize how you collect feedback from employees. 

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Regardless of your team's size or location, you can use Pulse Surveys to give you insights into employee performance. You can also ask open-ended questions to probe deeper, while team members may share their real-time feedback anonymously.  

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The feedback tool does the hard work for you and integrates smoothly into everyone’s day-to-day. You can understand the employee experience instantly with user-friendly, straightforward reports and share survey results easily with your team.

What is the best way to get feedback from employees?

Having the right software is undoubtedly an important step, but it’s only part of the picture. You’ll see the real results when you also create an environment that encourages everyone to participate and make the most of the tools and opportunities.

The best way to encourage employees to give feedback begins with a feedback-positive culture in your team.

Everyone on the team needs to feel they can be candid about issues affecting them. They must also be open to receiving feedback, while managers should demonstrate that everyone has a voice that counts. 

It’s OK for everyone on the team to be open and curious, and accepting negative feedback is important, too. There’s always a way to turn such insights into positive action that helps the whole team move forward. 

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Techniques for gathering feedback

Here’s a practical list of techniques you can use to gather feedback from your teams:

• New employee surveys: send new hires a survey during their first 30 days to assess their initial feelings about the company and their job
• Employee engagement surveys: collect a large amount of feedback, with the flexibility to cover everything from job satisfaction to retention
• Pulse surveys: a quick and easy way to poll opinions and find out what’s the mood across your organization (e.g. Officevibe’s Custom polls)
• Employee suggestion box: a tried and trusted way to collect ideas and bring issues to management’s attention
• Stay interviews: conduct interviews with happy, engaged employees who are staying put in their current jobs to understand what's behind their satisfaction.
• Team leaders: managers should have their finger on the pulse of what’s working and what’s not, so conntect with them to gain insight
• Exit interviews: departing employees are more likely to be honest about the root cause of their exit, so be sure to make the most of this unique oportunity
• Review sites: many people will be reluctant to share their job experience with their employers, but will tell their story on sites such as Glassdoor

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Real-time feedback vs annual performance reviews

Real-time feedback is not intended to replace the traditional annual review but rather to enhance it. The two methods work hand-in-hand to produce exceptional outcomes for everyone.

While performance reviews meetings are common practice, they are far from perfect. ​​A lot can happen and change in a year, especially for growing teams. Because of recency bias, annual reviews can focus on events within the last month or two. Significant projects from earlier in the year may be forgotten or given insufficient emphasis.

Real-time employee feedback fixes the problem by creating a continuous communications loop between employees and managers. Issues can be resolved as they arise instead of being kept quiet for up to a year.

Balanced performance feedback

Fortunately, real-time feedback systems capture key data throughout the year, giving both the manager and the employee a balanced view of the preceding 12 months. This helps the manager see the big picture and accurately assess the employee’s strengths and weaknesses.

Another advantage is that performance reviews can be conducted faster. Team leaders have all the information they need at their fingertips, making it easy to assess, summarize and provide appropriate feedback. 

So when you combine the power of real-time feedback and annual performance reviews, you get a multi-dimensional perspective on the employee experience. 

Real-time employee feedback loop

By now, you can undoubtedly see how such a system can transform employee relationships in your business. 

But if you’re still on the fence, here’s another major advantage to consider: You will also create an incredible real-time employee feedback loop. 

Employees receive ongoing feedback from managers, which they can use to improve. And in turn, can then offer their feedback to managers so that the organization can improve, too.

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Over and over again, you will:

1. Gather feedback
2. Analyze the data
3. Decide on improvements
4. Implement changes
5. Repeat!

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A snowball of improvement

Can you see how powerful this loop is? You will be going way beyond regular performance management, creating a snowball of continuous improvement instead. Every circle around the loop makes your organization more efficient and productive than ever before. 

You can implement the feedback loop on an informal basis or use an automated feedback tool. Or get creative with ideas like instating a ‘Feedback Friday’ routine that gives everyone a specific day of the week when they are encouraged to share their thoughts and opinions, whether good or bad. 

Combine this with the power of real-time feedback software and you have an unstoppable improvement process.

What's the ideal real-time feedback frequency?

If you aim for continuous feedback, you’ll find that employee performances will soar. Regular feedback makes employees feel valued and enhances their motivation. When every team member will receive critical feedback quickly, you’re helping them to do better and more meaningful work. 

With Officevibe, for example, you can send a Pulse Survey to your team on a regular basis—weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. You can experiment to find the frequency that is best for your organization. It’s always a good idea to discuss this with your team members and find out the best fit for them. That way, you’ll get a system optimal for all.

So it’s time to move away from thinking only about periodic performance reviews. Instead, focus on ensuring that employees, managers, and HR teams are always in the loop. We put together a number of employee feedback samples to help get you started!

Create a stronger team

Your employees are your most valuable asset, and it makes sense to take good care of them. Thanks to real-time feedback, performance management no longer has to be a top-down process that’s always behind the curve.

Instead, you can create a cutting-edge system that keeps your employees engaged and motivated. Your managers can share feedback with the team effectively while also benefiting from more input from employees. 

The result is not just an improvement in each employee’s performance but a better learning experience for everyone. 

Discover the power of real-time feedback

The best way to find out what real-time employee feedback can do is to try it yourself. You can begin with a small investment and minimal disruption to your regular routines. With the help of a tool like Officevibe, you will turn better employee communications into a competitive advantage. 

Start for free today and you could see significant improvements within weeks. There’s no limit to what you can achieve with happier employees, more informed managers, and more productive teams.

You want to know how your team is feeling about their current work reality once and for all. Totally normal. All managers, like you, who deeply care about their people and their employee experience do.

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In this article, learn about:

• The top 10 research findings on distributed teams
• Ways to know how your distributed team is really doing
• How to take action with your distributed team

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While so many organizations shifted to remote work, leaders have been urging for ways to stay connected to their people in this new reality of working together while being apart.

A research quest

The shift to this new world of work has had many positive and negative impacts. And I spent the last quarter of 2021 conducting a lengthy research project to understand the challenges of distributed work. During this research, I had the privilege of hearing several real-life stories from team members and managers. During my interviews, they confided in me, sharing how they experienced the shift and its impact personally and professionally. It was by far the most touching, inspiring, and insightful research project I’ve conducted in the five years I’ve been with Officevibe.

My product team and I also needed to understand what makes a distributed work environment a successful one (and why) to help our clients succeed in this new work dynamic. And so, I combined my interviews with a literature review to find out all I needed to know. In all, I read up (for days on end!) on lessons from teams who had been working remotely way before the pandemic hit and on what several experts had to report from their studies on remote and distributed work.

My brain was full of insights and rich findings by mid-November. I was ready to report back to my team.

If I had to summarize our research findings in a tweet, I would say:

It’s that simple (well, not really, but I’ll break it down below). All in all, at the heart of my research findings, are our ties, bonds, and relationships with one another. These are the keys to solving most of the problems and challenges with distributed work.

Top 10 research findings on distributed teams

Here are the top 10 findings of my research:

1. We now bring our whole selves to work

"Your day is not your work day; your day is your life - and you work in between your life."

This quote is from one of my research participants. I think it says it all: the good old "work-life balance" saying is out the door.

In general, many of us are content with new freedoms to integrate work with our personal lives — some calling it “the best of both worlds, now having the flexibility to be true work nomads and to work how and when we work best.” For others, lines between work and personal life remain blurry even almost two years in. In all, this new flexibility can be both positive and negative.

As people navigated unprecedented stress these last two years, balanced childcare and homeschool, worked from living rooms, and quieted barking dogs and agitated children, something changed: work became more human. We stepped into each other’s personal spaces, and having people to talk to become a way to manage it all.

Did you know that one in five have met their colleagues’ pets or families virtually, and one in six have cried with a coworker?

2. Cross-team collaboration is hard

Connections within the immediate team are good, while connections and ties across teams aren’t so great. This is cause for concern for the future as relationships are among the most critical employee engagement factors.

3. Keeping a strong sense of belonging will be a key challenge for the future

The sense of belonging to the organization and its mission is simply not what it used to be, and we see the repercussions of that with the Great Resignation. My research interviews and literature review revealed that this would also be a long-term challenge of distributed/remote work. There’s a lack of process for building relationships and communication funnels within the organization remotely, severely affecting the sense of belonging to the organization and its mission.

4. The way we onboard new employees must change

Redesigning the onboarding process is key to succeeding in the distributed work model. Unsurprisingly, it must have a strong focus on building an internal network of organizational connections, within AND outside the immediate work team.

5. Human emotions are deluded by screens

Remote work has made people, their emotions, and work less visible. This affects relationships in the workplace and has a negative impact on well-being, employee engagement and performance, and opportunities for development and career advancement.

6. Generational clashes will feel stronger

We must be on the lookout for generations entering the workforce and for generational clashes ahead. Some younger workers are worried that senior staff will be reluctant to return to the office, leaving them without guidance and unable to build contacts and social capital.

7. Gender equality in the workforce might see some setbacks

One particular worry is that hybrid work patterns might intensify gender inequality. The fear is that it could reinforce existing disparities in the labor market. There is also a concern that women who chose remote work for the long run will pay a career penalty as old habits of presenteeism reassert themselves with a partial return to the office in the hybrid model.

8. Communication, communication, communication

Communication is the #1 problem for distributed teams: good communication is at the heart of collaboration and trust. Together, they form the essential elements of solid work relationships, one of the pillars of employee experience.

As such, defining clear and inclusive communication & collaboration principles is key for teams to succeed in this working reality.

9. Nothing will take the place of in-person interactions

One thing’s for sure: in-person human connections create ever-lasting bonds, and no number of virtual meetings, games, or conversations can ever replace that. That’s why thoughtfully investing in moments for teams to come together for in-person workshops, bonding experiences, and strategy sessions (when possible) will be a budget and coordination challenge for sure. However, they're critical in creating company ambassadors, driving engagement and performance, and mitigating employee attrition.

10. We're craving for connection

There’s a common thread through my research findings: Our internal network and these meaningful connections hold a heavy hand in solving some of the downsides of shifting to distributed/remote work.

We’re craving for connection.

With the drastic reduction of social interactions, spontaneous run-ins, and human touch, we all miss so much from our old in-office life; we’ve had to find ways to develop and nurture these connections while being apart. What’s encouraging, though, is that the team members and managers I spoke with during my research now feel very optimistic about the transition. They rose together from the challenges and succeeded in making it through the shift feeling stronger and more connected than ever before.

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Let’s remember this.

Many organizations and teams successfully worked remotely long before the pandemic hit. Distributed work has been proven to be possible and effective for many. The right conversations and rituals just need to be put in place for all of it to work. Ultimately, many of the same considerations that apply in an office work environment also apply to a remote setting, and it’s just a matter of implementation.

As a leader, you’ll for sure need to be deliberate in creating a remote-first culture. You can do this by asking your distributed team members for their input about what they need to be successful on a regular basis, and by sharing distributed work best practices for creating new rituals and habits.

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As I mentioned above, team/organizational principles are a success factor of distributed work – the action of collectively defining and communicating clear and inclusive communication & collaboration principles is a must in making remote teams work. Many of my research participants talked about how communication over Slack and emojis have in many ways become substitutes for in-person conversations. Never have they been more present and important! Discussing this as a team is vital to avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary stress.

Embodying the company culture and values is also a success factor – all of it needs to translate into concrete actions and behaviors, encouraged and practiced by managers and team members daily. Team members need to feel that they belong to a team and organization through rituals that combine face-to-face and virtual.

Last but not least, uncovering every team member’s strengths, ensuring members know who they can lean on for what, and creating a space to do this with courage and vulnerability is crucial to building a highly engaged and performing team. It was true before, and it’s even truer now as we work apart.

Now back to our burning question…

How’s your team doing? Has their employee experience improved with the shift to distributed work, stayed the same, or gotten worse?

Almost two years into remote working, how has your team culture evolved and adapted? What’s working, and what’s not?

What if it isn’t a black and white answer? It’s all in the details and nuances, and you’ll need to ask questions to pull these out.

So, how do we go about getting answers to these questions? Worry no more. I will give you my professional advice as an Employee Experience Expert that I hope brings your team to a glorious age of distributed work.

Ask questions. But how you ask will determine what you’ll uncover.

An idea was born after spending a few months conducting this research and presenting it internally to our Officevibe teams. How might we make it fast and straightforward for managers to get answers to all these questions?

Everything starts with knowing what and how to ask. To help, I’ve personally designed a custom survey template for distributed teams to help managers get the answers they need.

What is Officevibe? With our Pulse Survey results and anonymous feedback conversations, we provide signals by giving you visibility into what’s working well within the team and their employee experience, and what isn’t. It’s what our rotating 122 Pulse Survey questions are all about.

But the secret to real change is not to stop there. You’re just scratching the surface if you are.

What’s the purpose of measuring something if we don’t do anything with the results?

That’s what your next steps are about—making sense of the information you get from Officevibe with the help of your team by digging deeper to understand what’s behind these signals. And the very best way to do that is through your one-on-one and team discussions.

Running remote one-on-one and team discussions like a pro

Common challenges of distributed teams are many. While some solutions make sense for most, nothing can ever replace the impact of involving your team in understanding the issues and committing to solutions together.

Here’s a framework you can use to dig into your Custom Survey results with your team members.

How to discuss the team’s remote work experience in a team meeting

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Discussing results around team culture and values:

• Take a moment to discuss what came out of the Custom survey and list what’s working well and what’s not, perhaps using a whiteboard tool like Miro.
• Then, move on to brainstorming: discuss what you need to continue doing and what you need to start doing moving forward to improve team culture and dynamics. Some areas may require more reflection and adaptation. You can put these in a “parking lot” section of your brainstorm board and discuss them in a later meeting as needed.
• Vote and commit to one to three things you want to do as a team to improve your culture. You can add these to your team principles or even make it a team goal in Officevibe!

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Discussing results around issues the team has experienced working within the team, across teams, or higher up within company guidelines, and work relationships.

• Discuss the issues and find common patterns with the team.
• Solicit your team’s advice about how they would address these issues.
• Commit to one concrete action you can take as a first step and assign a person responsible for making it happen (could be you as the manager or one of your team members)

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🌟 BONUS: If you are using my Custom Survey template, bring back some of the high-level findings from questions 2 and 3 (be careful in respecting anonymity) to get the conversation started.

Discuss your team rituals and tools at a quick round table. These questions can spark conversations:

• What would you change to improve our remote team experience?
• In what area do you think a new tool or software could help the team?
• What would you recommend if you had to choose our communication frequency/model?
• What are the best channels for communication?
• What are your expectations on response times?

How to discuss your team member’s remote work experience in a one-on-one meeting

How about dedicating your next one-on-one to discussing how your team members feel about the distributed work context?

Officevibe makes it super easy for you to plan and run your virtual one-on-one meetings. An added plus is that the meeting agenda is collaborative, so both you and your team member can add topics you’d like to cover in the one-on-one. What’s more, the agenda is shared, making it easy for both of you to prepare ahead of time.

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Here are some talking points to get you started. They’ll help you follow up on your Custom Survey results easily and in a conversation-like fashion.

• Tell me a bit about how you feel in our distributed work context.
• How do you feel personally about our team culture?
• What’s your advice for me when it comes to supporting you and the rest of the team in the work that needs to be done?
• Are you able to prioritize your work? If not, what’s getting in the way? How can I help?
• Do you ever feel that you need to work overtime to accomplish your work? Why?
• What practices do you think we follow that allows you/don’t allow you to disconnect guilt-free?

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A work in progress

I know I’ve covered a lot of ground in this article and that some may feel overwhelming to you. That’s OK. It’s very normal—our research on distributed work shows that the shift to distributed work has put a lot of weight on managers’ shoulders. Employees are feeling less connected to their peers and organization while remote. Now more than ever, the responsibility has fallen on the manager to bring a sense of community and belonging to each team member and drive and sustain culture. That’s a lot, on top of all your other gazillion responsibilities as a manager.

Remember this: no one expects you to be perfect. What matters most is staying connected to your team. Your best bet? Lead with empathy, care, and curiosity. The rest will come naturally!

At Officevibe, we like to see this new world of work as nothing more than a work in progress. Nothing needs to be perfect right at this moment. We’re all figuring it out as we go, and the beauty of it is that we’re doing it together.

Ask your team the right questions consistently and frequently. Dig deeper and work on solutions together. Embrace this process as you navigate the year and its different moments (busier times, more stressful months, holidays and celebration periods, changes in the organization, etc.). Implement a process that makes the work easy to generate positive shifts with your team. That’s the Officevibe method.

A company's success depends in large part on employee engagement. When employees feel engaged, they produce their best work and contribute to a positive corporate culture. They invest themselves and their futures in the company for which they work.

Energy, passion, and commitment drive an engaged workforce toward higher employee satisfaction and resilience, better productivity, and more innovation.

According to Gallup's 2021 State of the Global Workplace Report, only 20% of employees worldwide feel engaged at work, down from 22% in 2019. Leaders must tackle this downward trend by building more engaged workforces.

As a manager, part of your role is to recognize the importance of employee engagement and help your team members discover (or rediscover) their inner strength, happiness, and enthusiasm. Let's look at why employee engagement is so critical, how it's measured, and what you can do to promote engagement in your employees.

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Six reasons why employee engagement is important

Disengaged employees may not feel like themselves at work. They may contend with fatigue, stress, loneliness, sadness, and even anger.

On the other hand, engaged employees tend to be happy at work, feel valued by leadership, work with authentic energy, and find more satisfaction in their daily tasks.

Let's look a bit more closely at the primary benefits of employee engagement:

1. Productivity

Productivity isn't about how many hours your employees work in a day. It's about the quality of that work and the employee experience.

According to Gallup, business units with high employee engagement levels enjoy 18% more productivity.

It's not surprising that elevated employee engagement leads to increased productivity. Disengaged employees struggle to feel invested and often spend much of their days waiting to clock out.

Employees who are engaged with their work feel invested in the business and their contributions to it. They work with more motivation and energy and produce higher quality work.

2. Employee satisfaction

High productivity works hand-in-hand with high job satisfaction. An engaged employee feels connected to and fulfilled by their work.

Satisfied employees find support and belonging within the company's culture, feel valued and valuable, and feel celebrated when they go above and beyond for the business.

They enjoy a healthy work-life balance and show up with consistent enthusiasm, driving positive business outcomes and low employee turnover.

3. Employee retention

Human resources personnel and business leaders benefit from improved employee retention because their workforces are engaged.

Our data report, The state of employee experience, from here on out, looks at Officevibe Pulse Survey data from 2019 to 2021 to examine the many elements of employee experience and retention.

Roughly 30,000 Officevibe users take Pulse Surveys every day. Just over half (53%) of them reported that they have recently looked for other professional opportunities.

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Employees hunt for new jobs for many reasons, but you can improve employee retention by increasing employee engagement. People stick around when they find pride and satisfaction in their jobs or careers.

4. Brand ambassadorship

By boosting employee engagement, you can quickly turn employees into steadfast brand ambassadors. Engaged and motivated employees who believe in the company's mission are keen to share their enthusiasm with others.

Just as employees cannot thrive without support from leadership, a successful business cannot succeed without the support of its employees.

Both customers and potential new hires trust the opinions of your current employees. Increased employee engagement means more word-of-mouth exposure, social media marketing, and great employer reviews that attract future talent.

5. Company culture

The entire company culture benefits when leaders increase employee engagement. In other words, when you use employee engagement strategies, you encourage higher morale on your team.

Your employees will want to support the company and each other. They will naturally develop an empowering workplace culture that you can strengthen using strategies like clear communication and regular recognition.

6. Customer satisfaction

When employee engagement is high, your workforce will approach your customers with a positive attitude. In contrast, low employee engagement can result in poor customer service.

Consider the last time you ate at a restaurant and had a clearly disengaged waiter serving you. Perhaps they were sluggish, bored, or distracted. Did you feel inclined to return to that restaurant any time soon? Probably not!

Customers can tell the difference between an engaged and disengaged employee. An engaged waiter is excited to see you, offers helpful menu tips, and makes you eager to return.

As a manager, when your employee engagement is high, your employees will bring those positive vibes to their customer interactions. Simply put, happy employees mean happy customers, leading to increased company success.

How do you measure employee engagement?

You can use several strategies to measure employee engagement effectively.

The key is employee communication. Give your employees the opportunity to communicate with you on a regular basis through surveys, one-on-one meetings, and interviews.

Employee surveys

Employee surveys provide invaluable information on how your team feels about their experiences as part of your staff.

You can measure employee engagement using surveys that prioritize important metrics, such as these 10 employee engagement metrics.

One-on-one meetings

Using what you learn from your employee surveys, you can conduct one-on-one meetings with each team member to celebrate accomplishments and address concerns.

Use one-on-one meetings to dig deeper into what's keeping each employee from being engaged.

💡 Click here for some essential tips on conducting successful one-on-one meetings from Officevibe.

Stay or exit interviews

Leaders conduct exit interviews when an employee leaves the team to learn more about their experience and to discuss some of the reasons for parting ways with the organization.

You can also use stay interviews to learn about possible issues before they result in the loss of a valuable team member. Use these stay interviews regularly to connect with your team and improve staff retention.

Employee Net Promoter Scores (eNPS)

A Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a single question you can ask customers and employees to measure loyalty. It reads, "How likely are you to recommend...?" and asks the respondent to choose a rating on a scale of one to 10.

The employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) model proves very effective in measuring employee engagement.

Three strategies to improve employee engagement

We've established that employee engagement, important for so many reasons, is an essential consideration for company and team leaders.

Maintaining employee engagement is not a one-and-done affair. To continue benefitting from higher employee engagement, you must put in the work long-term.

Let's get into the actions you can take to improve employee engagement in your workforce.

1. Build development plans

Officevibe's Pulse Survey data tells us that 73% of employees believe they could receive more explicit goals from leadership. An engaged workforce knows precisely what their employer expects and what the business is working toward on a company and team level.

When you build a professional development plan for each employee, you support the employee in their growth by providing clear goals and expectations. Use one-on-one meetings to establish personal goals and the required steps to reach them.

When building an employee development plan, remember to consider each person's:

• Personal and company-related values
• Personal and company-related goals
• Education and mentorship opportunities
• Support and communication needs
• Physical wellness needs
• Mental health needs

According to our Officevibe Pulse Survey data, 26% of respondents feel that their organizations do not care about their mental health. By considering not just what proves best for the business but also what's best for the employee, you show that you care and are willing to offer help.

Every developmental plan will look different, which is why it's so important to include the employee in the conversation. For some great advice on conducting these one-on-one meetings, check out this Officevibe article about the GROW coaching model.

2. Build connections on your team

Showing your workforce that you care goes a long way towards improving employee engagement. Build connections on your team by providing a work environment where your employees feel valued and they belong.

Provide or help your employees find the resources to address physical and mental health issues. Encourage employee communication on these topics so that you can foster an inclusive culture of mutual respect.

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You can also build connections on your team by letting employees participate in business decisions. An engaged workforce is invested in the company's success and wants to help establish and reach company goals.

Finally, encourage employees to give each other feedback.

According to our Pulse Survey data, 28% of respondents wish they received feedback from co-workers more often.

3. Give meaningful employee feedback

Disengaged employees often report infrequent feedback from company leaders. Our Pulse Survey data tells us that only 25% of employees feel that the frequency of the feedback they get from managers is sufficient to help them grow.

Effectively engaging employees means providing valuable feedback on a consistent basis. Highly engaged employees thrive on constructive feedback that provides actionable steps for improvement.

Employee engagement initiatives that get results include strategies for effective employee performance feedback.

Although the feedback sandwich model is not recommended, be sure that your feedback also includes opportunities for employee recognition. Your team members want and deserve praise when they do a good job or stay late to complete a project.

Give your staff props when props are due to improve employee engagement.

FAQs about engaged employees

Are engaged employees less likely to quit?

According to Gallup, businesses with the lowest employee engagement have a 43% higher turnover rate than those with the highest employee engagement. It's easy to understand why this is.

When you successfully engage employees, your workforce will be more invested in the business and more passionate about the work. That's why employee engagement, important for many other reasons, proves essential for retaining employees.

Employee engagement improves when team members feel heard, appreciated, and treated fairly. When employees feel ignored, underappreciated, or unfairly treated, they're not motivated to stick around.

Are engaged employees more productive?

Yes, to increase productivity and business success, leaders must consider employee engagement. Your employees will produce better quality work more efficiently when they feel engaged at work.

Gallup data tell us that businesses with the highest employee engagement benefit from 18% more productivity, 23% more profitability, and 81% less absenteeism compared to companies with the lowest engagement.

Employee engagement encourages more collaboration between workers, leaders, and staff. Employees understand what they are supposed to do and how to do it. They actively engage with organizational drivers, resulting in more production and innovation.

Are engaged employees happier?

Employee engagement may not be synonymous with happiness, but these concepts are intertwined all the same. Employee engagement encourages a positive employee experience.

Will engaged employees exude happiness every single day for eight straight hours? Not likely—but they will likely be happier overall in their personal and professional lives.

Engaged employees:

• Maintain a comfortable work-life balance
• Tackle work difficulties like stress head-on
• Feel valued at work
• Find joy in using their unique skillsets
• Find fulfillment in their jobs

All of these aspects of effective employee engagement garner happier employees.

Using the right employee engagement software

Improving employee engagement can prove daunting for direct managers and other business leaders. As a leader, you understand why employee engagement is essential to your business strategy. Still, you may be wondering how you're supposed to manage all the tasks that go into keeping a workforce engaged in addition to your regular workload.

Luckily, today's technology-driven world includes services that make employee engagement easier. Automated platforms like Officevibe's Employee Engagement Solution provide all of the tools you need to measure and improve engagement and organizational performance.

Officevibe's solution allows employees to answer weekly Pulse Surveys and provide anonymous feedback to you and other company leaders. Our system produces easy-to-read reports with actionable insights to help you address tough issues and find new solutions.

Our Employee Engagement Solution can help you gather and interpret your company's engagement data. Officevibe offers solution-driven data to help you improve engagement for your current and new employees, improve employee loyalty, and build a stronger, more connected company.

Officevibe is simple to start and easy to use. Your team will thank you for it. Reach out to us today.