Employee Engagement

Here’s an interesting question for anyone reading this: do people respect you because they have to? Or because you’ve truly earned it?

Some leaders think that they automatically deserve respect because of their title or position of authority, but that’s just not true.

In fact, you’re much more likely not to be respected if you have an attitude like that.

Respect is earned over time, and takes an incredible amount of work.

Overview on how to get more respect as a manager:

  • Find ways for your employees to grow
  • Learn to appreciate your employees
  • Learn to handle conflict
  • Be consistent
  • Be truthfull
  • learn to respect yourself
  • Train your self-awareness
  • Communicate Frequently
  • Be Authentic
  • Be vulnerable

Being mindful of all these things to earn respect, managing a team, and keeping up with your own workload can easily become overwhelming.

But being overwhelmed isn’t an excuse to be a mean person.

Many managers think leading with fear will get them respect, and maybe that worked in the past, but that won’t work anymore.

Leading with fear is the biggest mistake you can make, because it does the complete opposite of what you’re trying to do.

  • Fear holds employees back from speaking up
  • Fear disengages employees
  • Fear kills creativity
  • Fear covers up a leader’s insecurities
  • Fear is focused on controlling instead of including

Employees these days are looking for leaders that are transparent, fair, understanding, empathetic, and mindful of them.

Do you take your title and authority for granted? Here’s a pro-tip: you should stop that right away.

Instead, you need to put yourself on the same level as the other members of your team.

Employees want to see you putting in the same amount of time and energy as them. They want to see you play your part in moving the organization forward.

The best leaders are the ones that build their emotional intelligence

I mention emotional intelligence so many times on this blog because I believe in its power so much.

The secret to earning the respect of your employees is to pay close attention to them.

You need to be constantly making sure they’re taken care of and that they have the resources they need to do good work.

The best way to be more focused on employees and pay more attention to them is to build up your emotional intelligence.

Free Email Course: Become a better leader in 11 days and be the type of leader that employees admire and respect.

Why employees don’t respect you

Before we look at ways to earn respect of your employees, let’s look at a few of the reasons why employees don’t respect you.

Are you guilty of any of these?

If yes, then you need to work hard to change your mindset to stop doing these things.

1. You don’t let employees grow

It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.

Steve Jobs

You can’t micromanage employees or limit their creativity. You need to be letting employees use all of their strengths at work.

You’re just limiting your company’s success and limiting the growth of your employees.

This can get incredibly frustrating for employees and they’ll easily lose respect for you if you constantly limit them.

2. You don’t appreciate employees

One of the easiest ways to get respect is by showing respect and appreciation for the work your employees do.

One of the fastest ways to lose respect from employees is to not show them any appreciation and hardly ever give them praise.

The trick is to create a culture of recognition so that even if you’re not around, employees are still getting the praise that they deserve.

3. You don’t handle conflict well

Respect isn’t all about being nice. Sometimes, conflict will come up and you'll be respected by how you handle it.

You don’t have to be mean, but if you handle it quickly and are straightforward, employees will respect you.

Employees will lose respect for you quickly if you avoid conflict or pick favorites and avoid conflict with some people but handle conflict with others.

Avoiding conflict is weak, and will make employees lose respect for you quickly.

4. You’re not consistent

Do you say one thing one day and then the next day, do something else? That’s a very easy way to lose respect from employees.

Do you consistently miss deadlines? Are you consistently late for meetings or absent from certain meetings? I get that leaders are busy, but if you say you’re going to do something, commit to doing it.

5. You’ve lied

This is literally the quickest way to lose respect from your employees.

I can’t think of anything more insulting to an employee than if they find out you’ve lied to them.

Even if it was unintentional, I think if you get caught in a lie, you’re going to have a very tough time earning back that respect.

6. You don’t care about them as people

Without getting too personal, you should be showing some interest in an employee’s personal life.

If it’s obvious that you don’t care about their issues and you only want them to be working hard for you, there’s no way that they can respect you.

How to get more respect as a manager

According to an article in the Harvard Business Review, 54% of employees feel like they don’t regularly get respect from their managers.

Remember that respect is earned over time with a lot of hard work, but here are a few tips you can use to get more respect as a manager.

1. Respect yourself

Before you can think of earning respect from others, you need to respect yourself.

Exercise, eat well, work hard, set high goals for yourself, etc. Make sure you take care of yourself.

You need to respect yourself before others can begin respecting you.

2. Become self-aware

Self-awareness is likely the most important item on this list.

According to one study, self-awareness leads to more respect and increased financial results in a company.

The study explains that there are two reasons why self-awareness is so important for earning respect:

  1. They’re aware of their weaknesses
  2. They’re more likely to delegate those weaknesses to other employees

These leaders understand what they’re good at, and focus on that, while empowering others to help them with their weaknesses.

3. Communicate frequently

Employees want frequent communication with you. They’ll respect you if you’re constantly touching base with them and giving them frequent feedback.

Having consistent one-on-ones will help you set a good pace for frequent communication with your team.

4. Read a lot

Reading a lot will help you understand a lot of the things that your employees are working on or dealing with.

If you can help them with advice or teach them something you learned, your employees will respect that knowledge.

The best leaders read a lot. Reading has incredible effects on how you lead that will ultimately lead to more respect from your team.

5. Be vulnerable

There is a false thought among many leaders that being vulnerable will make you look weak, but it’s the complete opposite.

Being vulnerable, and admitting to mistakes will make you seem more open and transparent, which is exactly what employees want.

Brené Brown, whose TED talk about vulnerability went viral has another talk that perfectly explains why this myth is simply that.

6. Be authentic

Always be authentic with your team.

People can tell when you’re not being authentic, and that can easily lose you respect, so it’s better if you’re just authentic and truthful.

Be transparent with your team. Transparency breeds trust, and trust leads to respect.

Free Email Course: Become a better leader in 11 days and be the type of leader that employees admire and respect.

How do you earn respect from employees?


We’ve all read articles on the “Top 10 Ways” to improve as a manager or the “5 Must Dos” to be a better leader, but we want to try something different this time.

We’re going to share a difficult experience that we had on our real life team, and the medley of solutions we used to overcome it. It worked for us, and we hope you find something in our method that works for you and your team, too.

Vulnerability is key, right? And we feel that as an organization steadfast on putting people at the center of things, it’s our responsibility to share our learnings with you. And oh, there are many.

So, what happened?

Well, what happens on every team?

Human conflict.

Conflict between colleagues, new employees with new ways of working, fast-paced growth, communication woes, power struggles—the whole shabang—all topped with the bitter-sweet cherry of human complexity.

As a manager, you probably already know that this conflict, the infamous “storming phase,” is an inevitability. It is not a sign that you’re failing as a manager; on the contrary, it’s a normal part of team performance and a consequential time for personal growth and development.

This is us

Officevibe Marketing Team


Team: The Marketing Team at Officevibe
Marketing Director: Marie-Christine Côté (MC)
Languages: 2 (English and French)
Number of Employees: We grew from 5 to 15 employees (& counting) in 1 year

First… The four stages of team development

Take a minute to understand what the phases of development, coined by Dr. Bruce Tuckman, actually look like and reflect on where you think your team is currently at.

Illustrated Stages of Team Development

Forming

  • A team is built, people are getting to know their roles and colleagues
  • Team members are polite and focused on their individual tasks

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⭐ Proactive Tip: Managers should facilitate relationship building and ensure roles, responsibilities, and expectations are clear during this stage<

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Storming

  • People get more comfortable and start pushing boundaries
  • Symptoms like competition and lack of trust lead to negative attitudes and resistance to working together

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⭐ These factors could result in conflict. Don’t worry, it’s normal, and if we pushed through it, you can, too!

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Norming

  • Differences begin to resolve with the right tools and clarity, and team members learn to work together and appreciate one another’s strengths
  • Communication improves, feedback can be given and challenges can be made safely and without animosity

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⭐ Things are running pretty smoothly—but there’s always potential to go from good to great.

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Performing

  • Strategies are in place for resolving conflict, and there’s a sense of safety, loyalty and support on the team
  • People work more autonomously with clarity of roles, a shared vision, and shared goals

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⭐ This is where you want to be; your workplace utopia

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T’was a dark & storming month for our high-performing team

The tension on our team was palpable; you could cut it clean with a bread knife. From the outside, everything seemed normal; we all showed up to work, went through the motions, attended our meetings. But, if you looked closely enough you could see—feel—that something wasn’t quite right.

One employee recounts being in the eye of the storm: “We were no longer in sync. Our team was growing quickly and we experienced the typical growing pains that come with that reality. Swim lanes were blurred, processes were challenged and accountability was unclear. Lack of clarity and communication resulted in frustration, but the frank conversations needed to fix this weren’t being had. It was just too uncomfortable.”

The tangible giveaway was that nothing was being delivered.

Our team effectiveness was in the gutter. We were like dogs chasing their tails; we discussed and challenged ideas in circles, but never found the confidence as a team to make any decisions. Who had the final say anyway? No one was entirely sure at this point, and that was a big problem.

Without trust at the base of things, we tend to process and perceive feedback and questions with a much more skeptical lens; one without positive intent.

We were intelligent individuals working toward the same goals and objectives (often arguing the same points), but emotions can act as blinders to the facts.

Radio microphone on air

Our manager weathers the storm: “It wasn’t easy…”

Here, we ask our manager, MC, how she felt during this time, what she noticed on our team, and how she planned to help us fix it.

How did you know that your team was in the storming phase?

The team’s non-verbal communication was terrible, and there was a lot of tension in meetings, which prevented things from moving forward.

Then I heard about conflicts from individual employees, so I felt like there was a lot on my shoulders, which I knew was not sustainable. If we want to build leaderful teams* (where leadership is shared), people need to be able to talk to each other.

*Leaderful Teams are teams that don’t rely solely on the manager for leadership and direction, and don’t need to. On a leaderful team, everyone takes collective and individual ownership for overcoming challenges, implementing solutions, and achieving goals.

Thankfully, I also had hints in the weekly Officevibe feedback, so I knew how my team was really feeling. And our engagement metric for “Relationship with Peers” was low, which is one of the biggest triggers you can have. The team didn’t feel good with each other. On the other hand, the “Relationship with Manager” metric was high, which is good because people felt they could talk to me. But a manager should never be a bottleneck, they should be an enabler.

Learn more about how to track these metrics on your team using Officevibe here

Graph of the Relationship with Peers' Score

Here you can see the drop in our “Relationship with Peers” metric, and the steady incline since then. Notice the similarity between this graph and the forming, storming, norming, and performing one?

Why do you think the relationship between peers is so important?

That’s the base…

From a business perspective, if you’re spending 80% of your capacity trying to understand people and how to properly interact with your peers, you only have 20% left for creativity. You have to create together, but if you can’t talk to one another openly, or listen to each other properly, then you’ll never bring ideas to the table.

From a personal perspective, we come to work to develop ourselves, exchange with people, and be a part of something bigger than us. If you’re not getting along with colleagues, it isn’t fun coming to work, and it definitely isn’t fun working for a team when nothing is being delivered. Ultimately, people want to have an impact.

How did all this affect you as a manager? As a person?

It wasn’t easy. I couldn’t sleep at night; it was a really stressful feeling that the team wasn’t engaged. We had very aggressive objectives, which is ok, but it’s so hard when the trouble is human problems; it’s difficult to have the conversations that need to be had.

I came to work early, read up on emotional intelligence, team performance, spoke to coaches within the organization, and my own manager, who prompted some good reflection.

My biggest fear was that my team would become cynical and that my manager would doubt me. I felt unequipped as this was something I hadn’t necessarily lived yet as a first-time manager. But I was learning along the way.

Where did you start to fix things?

My coach gave me the four stages of team performance to read, so I quickly realized that our team couldn’t perform like an all-star team if we didn’t go through all the four stages. It reassured me that it was normal for us to be here, and when I shared this with the team, it reassured them as well.

Then I worked with a few members of the team to plan an offsite where we could tackle the issues we were having, together.

A team successfully holding 100 tons of weight

Action time! The Meeting That Saved Our Team

The role of manager is tricky because there’s only so much they can actually do for their employees. What they can do is create an atmosphere that is enabling, safe and motivating for their employees to want to put in the work to solve it on their own.

Our manager nailed it. Below are the steps we took to exit the storming phase.

1. Get out of the office

We planned a full-day offsite. It was time to get away from the office, out of the bubble. Taking a proverbial step back while also stepping outside of the space of conflict and tension. Neutral territory, if you will.

2. Build empathy and inclusion

You want to build lines of trust between people not just in relation to work, but based on personal experiences. If you know where someone is coming from you’ll be way more open to them.

MC

On a timeline, we all started by sharing the year we were born, revealing the variation in ages we have on the team. Then we began to build up empathy. We were each asked to add three impactful life moments to the timeline.

The stories we heard were real and raw, some of personal experiences and losses, others that were professional in nature. We all became a little more enlightened about our colleagues that day.

3. Educate and reflect

Having an external reading allowed us to speak more openly about ourselves by looking at it in relation to another team at another company. It helped not make it too personal right away. We eased in.

MC

Next, we read a portion from the book The Loyalist Team to learn about the different team types. By reading the case studies and scenarios presented in the book, we were able to reflect on the current state of our own team, and ourselves as contributors.

It gave us a good benchmark as to where we were at—and really shed light on the team that we weren’t.

4. Take a team assessment

If we weren’t yet a Loyalist team, what were we? To find out, we each took the assessment assigned by the book. The insights and introspection from this exercise really helped us have a more holistic view of where we were at, and kick off something we had all been avoiding for way too long: a real conversation.

5. Talk about it

We went around the table and shared our insights, which eased us in to what eventually became an open and honest discussion. Being able to reference the book instead of ourselves made it easier for people to talk about our situation.

This exercise brought out frustrations, which is good. For example, the notion of ‘challenging ideas’ came up a lot. It made people feel they didn’t have credibility in their expertise, so we discussed how to challenge each other respectfully by seeking to understand someone’s perspective before giving your own. This turns it from questioning into affirming.

MC

6. Create team norms

Just like most organizations have a culture fueled by a set of values, every team likewise has its own subculture. This means that teams need to create their own governing set of values unique to them.

Without team norms, there is sure to be conflict. For example, I might think that arriving late to a meeting is unacceptable, but another person maybe doesn’t think it’s that big of a deal. This means we are starting from bases of work that aren’t the same, with different triggers.

MC

These norms, or “Team Principles,” are not for the manager to dictate, they’re for the team to build as a unit, so they can see themselves represented in them, creating a sense of shared accountability.

Example: 🐘 Call out the elephant in the room — Communicating challenges, issues and conflicts to one another is for the betterment of the team. Call out what’s causing discomfort, then and there.

Officevibe Marketing's Team Principles

The calm after the storm

Not even a week after this meeting we began to see a difference. The impact it had was amazing.

MC

Finally, we started to call out problems and discomfort on the spot instead of letting issues fester. The “Call out the elephant in the room” principle made it our shared responsibility to confront conflict head on. And so we did.

Working with this courage and transparency brought such great results it became addictive and palpable in the best way. Other teams in the company picked up on our vibe, and began to create their own principles.

Just like that, our team conflict became a success story.

How to build team principles: a manager’s guide

  1. Give everyone time individually (to avoid groupthink) to reflect on what they feel the most important team norms should be.
  2. One by one, let everyone share what principles they believe should be implemented, and why.
  3. Create post-it clusters of recurring ideas to surface the pain points.
  4. Together, choose and agree on the principles that everyone feels best fit the current landscape of the team.
  5. Have a subgroup put them together in the team’s voice and tone with more descriptive action points. For example: Embrace the mindset of feedback as a conversation, not a confrontation.
  6. Finally, have them printed and hung up as a visual reminder.
  7. Explain the team principles at the onboarding stage for new employees.
  8. After a few months, check in with the team on whether they are still using the principles or if it’s time to revisit them. You can use a custom poll for individual feedback with Officevibe, or hold a group meeting.
  9. Repeat! As the team changes and the storm settles on the horizon, do the process again.

Share your story!

We’re all in this together. If you would like to share your team story, please reach out at content@officevibe.com.

A previous version of this page was published on April 18, 2017.

No manager looks forward to firing someone on their team, but it’s an unfortunate reality that many eventually have to face. You may not have thought much about how to fire an employee until you found yourself in the position to do so. It’s a tough task to take on; one manager we spoke with about having to fire someone for the first time shares:

“I was definitely overwhelmed, and my supervisor told me I had to step up and take on the responsibility…I had every reason to let the person go, but it’s a draining experience to fire someone.”

A manager on firing someone for the first time

As one of the more challenging things you’ll do in your role, firing an employee impacts the person you let go, your team, and yes, even you as their manager. We spoke with team managers, employees, and HR professionals to compile real-world advice on how to navigate the termination process. Plus, tips on how to best show up for your team through the loss of their teammate.

How to fire an employee: 6 tips from real life

1. Plan what you’ll say and follow company procedures

Preparing to fire someone means planning the difficult conversation you’ll have with them. Practice different ways of saying the tougher things until you find the right wording. Imagine you are on the receiving end of the information and think of what you would most want to know or hear. If you can, speak with other managers in your network to see if they have any tips or advice. Of course, be mindful of the details you share.

On a practical level, validate your company policy on firing an employee and connect with your human resource department. If you don't have an HR department, it's important to double-check that you're acting in accordance with employment law. Invite someone from HR to the termination meeting if possible to give technical information about severance, their final paycheck, or other details.

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2. Take stock of how you feel

Check in with yourself and process your own feelings about firing this person. Taking time to reflect or write down what’s on your mind helps you separate facts from feelings. It’s natural for you to experience some frustration or even question yourself. A manager who had to fire a new employee for being dishonest told us:

“I was really disappointed…I spent a lot of time training her and I was looking forward to building our team. She seemed like a great fit. Hiring is such a tedious process, and it stings to find out that your judgment might have been off.”

A manager who fired a new hire for dishonesty

Once you’ve tapped into how you feel, you can better manage your emotions when you break the news to your team member. Having a steady demeanor keeps the conversation focused, and helps you adjust to the reactions of the person you’re firing.

3. Get your notes in order

Review your notes from conversations about the employee's performance. If they were on a performance improvement plan, you should have documentation to refer to. Establish a clear outline of what responsibilities or expectations were not met by your employee. Write a termination letter to give them that explains all of this, too.

If you have trouble keeping track of your one-on-one meetings, a software can help you out going forward. Officevibe’s one-on-one software stores your notes, action items, and meeting agendas all in one place. Having a single source of truth for commitments made in one-on-ones makes global reviews, like those required when firing an employee, simpler and more fact-based. 

4. Show kindness and empathy

A little bit of kindness goes a long way for a leader. Once you’ve reached the point of letting someone go, it doesn’t serve anyone to rehash what’s led up to this moment or vent your frustrations during the termination conversation. Asked what advice she’d give another manager who has to fire an employee, a former team lead shared:

“Don’t be a jerk…people make mistakes and getting fired sucks. Try to be as neutral as possible and always be respectful.”

One manager's advice on how to fire someone

Think about what you can say to this person that will be constructive. What can they take with them and apply as they move forward in their career path? If you have nothing kind and constructive to say, just keep it to the facts.

5. Be upfront and specific

Avoid ambiguity when it comes to why you’re firing them. Even if it’s uncomfortable or you’ve already discussed it, name the specific, lawful reason for ending their employment. Clarity is key, because as one person who’s been fired told us:

“I was left wondering what I did wrong and felt like I couldn’t come up with an answer. It gave me a lot of anxiety when I was applying for new jobs.”

An employee's experience of getting fired

Whether someone’s had poor performance, a pattern of problematic behavior or they made one big mistake, don’t assume that they have the same understanding of the situation as you. Explain the reasoning, give them a moment to process it, and answer any questions they have.

6. Give the employee space to speak

If you’re ready to fire someone, you’ve probably tried coaching, goal setting, or other performance development tactics with them. Despite your good intentions, this employee wasn't a good fit for your business and objectives. You undoubtedly have solid reasons for firing them, but be open to the possibility that you could learn something from this moment.

While your company’s HR team might conduct an exit interview, you can also take this opportunity to solicit some honest employee feedback from your departing team member. Ask them if they have feedback or anything else to share with you. You might be surprised by what you hear, and at the very least, you’ve given them the space to share their perspective and get some closure on their way out.

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Tip: If emotions are too high or it feels like there’s a lack of respect, don’t open up a door for someone to say something they’ll regret. Use your judgment in going down this road.

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Supporting your team along the way

When someone gets fired, it can dampen morale and even cause fear for the team they leave behind. As a manager, you want to support your team through this shift so your remaining employees continue to collaborate and perform.

Manage the change and protect team trust

  • Know what you can and can’t share with your team, and consider what information will be most useful to them. Be mindful with your transparency.
  • Address all of your team members together to explain the firing decision to them. Allow time for people to express themselves and ask question. If you can't get the whole team together, send a carefully crafted email to your employees.
  • Make space for people to express disappointment or other emotions. The fired employee may have still been a well liked, valued member of the team.
  • Reinforce your team or company values with your team. Aligning everyone around a shared vision helps avoid negativity and contention from developing on your team.
  • Have an action plan for how you’ll account for the workload the fired employee was responsible for, and give team members a say in who will take on what.
  • Be prepared for productivity to drop in the days following the employee termination, and be flexible with expected output and timelines. Your team might not continue functioning at the same capacity they did with an additional teammate.
  • Schedule a one-on-one meeting with each person on your team to discuss their colleague’s departure and address any questions or concerns.

After a stressful event like that of a team member's departure, people may feel like they need to speak up—but may be unsure if it's safe to do so. The Officevibe software gives employees an anonymous space to voice their concerns, and managers the opportunity to respond while maintaining the employee's anonymity. Plus, you can keep a pulse on how your team really feels with surveys that cover metrics like feedback and relationship with peers. These insights help you take action where it counts, and make one-on-one conversations more meaningful.

Firing someone is a tough thing for any manager to do, and leaves an impact on the team the terminated employee was a part of—including you. Be kind to yourself and to your team members as the dust settles. With the right approach, you can carry out this difficult conversation effectively and show up for your team through the loss.

Feedback is a gift. At least, that’s what many employees say, but is that how they really feel? 

Some employees may not feel comfortable being explicitly transparent with their feedback for fear of retaliation or being labeled challenging to work with.

This is where anonymous employee feedback comes in.

Not only does anonymity increase transparency, it also highlights workplace challenges and initiates more effective two-way conversations. With anonymous feedback, managers can understand more clearly what they need to do to better support their teams.

Let’s take a closer look at the best methods and tools that facilitate anonymous feedback and how they can foster trust and engagement in the workplace.

Benefits of anonymous employee feedback

Employee feedback is essential to the functioning of the modern workplace. While some employees may be more at ease expressing themselves directly to their managers or peers, others may feel less inclined to share their thoughts if their names are attached.

Anonymous feedback allows people to share new ideas or convey anxieties in a judgment-free zone and builds trust between team members.

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Positive effects of anonymous feedback:

  • Anonymous feedback encourages employees to bring up tough topics in a safe environment.
  • Asking for feedback lets your team know that you care about their happiness.
  • Managers can discover issues they didn’t know about, and act to resolve them before they lead to conflict, failure, or turnover.

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1. Creates a safe space for honest feedback

Healthy teams have psychological safety at their core; they champion employee well-being and cultivate an environment of trust and confidence that allow team members to succeed.

Employees may feel more inclined to share their concerns openly when offered the opportunity to collect anonymous feedback. This method allows managers to zero in on some of the issues that may have otherwise gone unnoticed and nudges them in the right direction on how to fix them.

Employees welcome the safety of anonymity because it gives them a chance Employees welcome the safety of anonymity because it gives them a chance to share meaningful information. It gives them agency to express feelings they’d always had but didn’t know how to communicate. The result is greater cohesion within businesses, reduced employee turnover, and better teamwork.

Anonymous feedback encourages trust and connection

Anonymous feedback encourages trust and connection

2. A feedback process builds trust and authentic connections

Employees want to feel supported by their team and their managers. Encouraging your team to share their thoughts (whether anonymously or not) shows that you value resolving their trepidations and genuinely care for their well-being.

Employees may choose to submit feedback anonymously, but as confidence grows and they see how managers react to feedback, employees may begin to disclose their identity, ultimately building employee-manager trust

3. Collect employee feedback with confidence

Anonymity allows for openness in response and will enable managers to feel confident when asking tough questions.

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There are some types of questions that your team members might feel more comfortable answering anonymously, like:

  • Does your team have the resources they need to get their work done on time?
  • Are there team dynamics that need to be addressed?
  • Is a change required for a healthier dynamic?
  • Would this result in productivity and employee engagement?

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3 digital methods for collecting anonymous employee feedback

We’ve gone over the benefits of anonymous feedback, but let’s dive into how you can go about actually collecting this data. 

While traditional methods like a suggestion box in the office may have worked well once upon a time, it no longer serves the increasingly remote modern-day workforce. 

Here are some of the best digital methods for collecting employee feedback:

Feedback software

Feedback apps and software have been gaining popularity thanks to their ease of use and accessibility, especially with hybrid workforces.

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Most tools can be set up with automatic functions that allow you to schedule surveys, questionnaires, polls, or virtual comment boxes, removing most manual legwork from your plate. These platforms will gather your results and generate practical analytics that allows you to store data and track trends over time.

Employee surveys

Anonymous digital surveys allow you to tailor questions for your employees. Managers can ask as many or as few questions as they like and in their preferred format (i.e., yes or no questions, polls, short-answer questions). 

Although helpful for gauging the general sentiment around company culture and collecting feedback, managers may still need to sift through responses and catalog anonymous comments themselves. And unlike many feedback software, the main drawback for most free employee survey platforms is that they aren’t equipped to analyze your collected feedback and provide you with reports to monitor employee happiness and other metrics.

Anonymous email inbox

While you can’t mask your identity through regular email providers, setting up an anonymous inbox allows employees to submit their comments and concerns and preserve their anonymity. A drawback to this method, though, is the manual effort it requires to set up and organize the inbox and collect and analyze comments.

Officevibe anonymous feedback from employee example

Employees can enable or disable anonymity when sharing feedback.

Best anonymous feedback tools

Several anonymous feedback tools exist on the market today, equipped with different functions and features to serve various needs.

Officevibe - Anonymous feedback and Pulse Survey software

While there are many tools out there that have been designed to collect anonymous feedback in the workplace, Officevibe’s easy-to-use platform is one of the most intuitive and accessible ways for employees to be upfront about their concerns in a non-intimidating setting.

Officevibe’s Pulse Survey tool enables you to collect employee feedback without disrupting the workday flow and allows you to start working on strategies to improve engagement.

Employees can discuss areas of concern, highlight what they enjoy about their jobs, and even celebrate a stand-out coworker with the new Good Vibes feature.

Officevibe anonymous survey question sample
Science-driven Pulse Surveys ask your team the right questions to measure employee engagement.

Survey Monkey

Survey Monkey is one of the more popular players in the digital feedback game. The platform offers users pre-set templates for topics ranging from customer service to employee satisfaction and includes different subscription levels to meet individual needs.

Free Suggestion Box

Free Suggestion Box is a free website where managers can create a link to a conversation topic and send it out to employees to drop comments or share ideas. It’s a simple way to solicit feedback, but unlike Officevibe or other more intricate platforms, this anonymous feedback box doesn’t allow managers to observe changes over time.

Poll Everywhere

Poll Everywhere is another tool that offers users some fun options for submitting feedback, including quizzes and word clouds. The live polling function allows teams to communicate ideas in real-time, but some users have noted that the tool caps the number of participants, making it more challenging to get a clear picture of how employees feel.

Peachy Mondays

Another tool on the market used to collect feedback is the UK-based platform, Peachy Mondays. While the solution offers an array of questions to gather critical feedback using up-to-date research, Peachy Mondays require a minimum of 500 users per company, making it less accessible for a smaller organization.

How to get anonymous employee feedback using Officevibe

Officevibe’s anonymous feedback tool allows employees to share feedback with their manager at any given time easily. It gives your team a simple and safe vehicle to express their voice on the many matters of their day-to-day work.

Collect anonymous feedback with surveys

With Pulse Surveys, employees answer a handful of relevant questions once a week, like “My organization’s values are aligned with values I consider important in life,” or “Is the feedback you get specific?” Thanks to an intuitive algorithm, Pulse Surveys shuffle questions so that employees aren’t asked the same thing too frequently, avoiding survey fatigue.

Officevibe’s anonymous feedback tool also offers the option for feedback to be turned on or off so that the focus remains on what was said rather than who said it. This anonymous reporting ensures that employees can offer their candid feedback without fear of repercussion.

Respond to direct employee feedback

You can even directly respond to anonymous employee feedback in Officevibe! Turn employee feedback messages into a chat to dive into the nitty-gritty of a topic while employees stay anonymous. Employees can enable or disable anonymity when sharing feedback, depending on their comfort level.

The beauty of the anonymity feature is that it helps employees spark conversations that might otherwise be difficult to broach, like discussions related to their work environment, compensation, relationships with managers and other colleagues, etc. Ultimately, it fosters a company culture of inclusion and consistent communication, essential ingredients to a successful team.

One manager shares her experience using Officevibe:

It shows me things that would be invisible otherwise. I wanted an option where my team could leave anonymous feedback. I was new, and I knew they were not going to give it to me directly because they didn’t trust me yet.

Katelyn Koplan, Operations Manager at Back Office Betties

How to implement an anonymous employee feedback process

Once you’ve collected data from your employee feedback surveys, it’s time to put your money where your mouth is and address the issues or continue delivering on some of the things your team enjoys.

Analyze employee feedback

After your team has submitted their thoughts using the feedback tool, take a moment to review it. Take note of behavioral patterns. Notice low productivity, stress-strained relationships, or low collaboration.

Survey results are broken down into 10 key engagement metrics, including happiness, personal growth, job satisfaction, and relationship with the manager, to help you target areas that may need improvement. As you collect feedback, it will be helpful to refer back to situations and identify recurring pain points on your team.

Communicate feedback with your team

Spend time crafting the best way to present your findings to your team. According to our data, 82% of employees using Officevibe believe their direct manager cares about their opinion, so it’s important to never let feedback go unanswered.

Thanks to the easy-to-read reports, you can apply what you’ve learned and start making data-driven decisions on strengthening relationships, shifting employee engagement, and build strong productivity. 

One of the most effective ways to enhance employee engagement is implementing a feedback loop where you can engage in genuine two-way discussions with your team.

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Here are some other employee feedback examples you can use to get started today!

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Collaboration has improved more than anything. Officevibe gives us the chance as a team to look at scores together in-depth and collaborate on the results – especially if we’re using Custom Polls to survey the actions we’re taking.

Matt Collins, Managing Director at Platypus Digital

When you allow employees to share their thoughts and nurture their concerns, you create an environment of trust, confidence, and mutual respect. Officevibe’s anonymous employee feedback tool helps managers do this with ease and efficiency.

Anonymous employee feedback FAQ

How do I get anonymous employee feedback?

One of the best ways to gather anonymous employee feedback is through specially-developed tools and platforms like Officevibe. 

Officevibe’s Pulse Surveys allow you to ask your team-specific questions weekly and help managers zero in on areas of improvement.

Is anonymous feedback really anonymous?

Most employee feedback software claim to offer users complete anonymity, but Officevibe users can rest assured that their answers will not be displayed; only aggregated results are presented.

Should employee surveys be anonymous?

Every organization operates on its own wavelength, so different methods will work for different groups. By offering people the opportunity to fill out a survey anonymously, you foster an environment of honest communication that values employee outlook.

Is anonymous feedback effective?

Anonymous feedback allows employees to share ideas in a safe space without fear of repercussions. This open feedback process encourages people to start discussions on important subjects they may not feel comfortable broaching in a public forum.

How do you deal with negative feedback anonymously?

While employees must feel able to voice their opinions freely, it’s important to remember that mutual respect is a key pillar of a solid and productive team. Managers should consider all comments to improve employee satisfaction.

Work looks a lot different than it did a year ago, and many teams have had to navigate change, big and small, in this time. From adjusting work methods, to adapting to shifts in business strategy, and striving to maintain work-life balance, managers have had their work cut out for them. Today, employee accountability in the workplace has become very important for team performance.

To create workplace accountability, managers must set clear expectations – and trust their team to deliver. With more remote work and distributed teams, that element of trust is especially crucial. Yet…

17% of employees don’t feel that their organization trusts them to contribute to its mission.

Officevibe’s Pulse Survey data

And employees tend to respond similarly to this question as they do to questions about how much they enjoy work, and whether they feel a sense of accomplishment. Set the tone for your team to get everyone feeling that sense of responsibility and motivation.

What is employee accountability in the workplace?

Employee accountability means meeting deadlines, hitting targets, and otherwise getting the job done. And accountable employees manage their workload according to team objectives, proactively seek help when they need it, and take responsibility when they make mistakes.

When teams have a culture of accountability, they prioritize their initiatives to align with business objectives and collaborate effectively together. On top of that, team members face failures together, without pointing fingers, and actively apply their learnings moving forward.

An accountable workforce is made up of driven employees and high-performing teams. You can see workplace accountability in action when people know what they need to accomplish and are empowered to get there independently. In an accountable company culture, mistakes and failures are acknowledged and embraced, contributing to a culture of learning and growth.

Accountable employees have a clear understanding of:

  • Their role within their team
  • The responsibilities they hold
  • The expectations they have to meet

Accountable teams have a common understanding of

  • How their work contributes to company goals
  • The output they’re responsible for
  • The targets they’re striving to achieve

How do you build employee accountability?

If you have underperforming employees, you might be tempted to check in more often and make sure they’re on the right track. But when employees don’t feel trusted or empowered to take charge of their own work, it impacts motivation, employee engagement, and morale. Yet…

1 in 5 employees do not feel they have enough freedom to decide how they do their work.

Officevibe’s Pulse Survey data

When you clearly establish the job that needs to be accomplished, it gives employees the freedom to figure out how they get there on their own. With a little bit of coaching and a healthy amount of trust, you’ll quickly see a boost in personal accountability and ownership.

How to hold employees accountable:

  1. Meet with employees individually to clearly outline their roles and responsibilities. Use one on one meeting software to discuss the behaviours, tasks, skills, and output of their role.
  2. Once everyone’s roles are clear, set clear, measurable smart goals with your employees so they have something meaningful to work towards.
  3. Have regular, structured one-on-ones with employees to monitor their progress, give constructive feedback, and revisit their goals when needed.
  4. If you see someone’s productivity dropping, meet with them to discuss it. Approach them with curiosity and ask questions to open up the conversation.

4 strategies to build accountability in the workplace (with examples)

So, how do you build team accountability in the workplace of today? Use the following strategies to create alignment, commitment, and clarity, so everyone is responsible for their part.

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1. Get team members familiar with each other’s goals

Once you’ve structured clear roles and responsibilities for each team member, make them accessible to the group. Even better, have your team share their individual goals with each other. The more visibility everyone has, the more your team can leverage their individual strengths and collaborate effectively.

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For example: Host a meeting where everyone can take turns presenting their role, their responsibilities, and how they see themselves developing. Have team members share their individual goals and how they connect with the team’s objectives.

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2. Involve employees in setting team goals

Have a meeting and present your team with the key results they’re accountable for meeting, and any constraints they have in terms of resources, personnel, timing, etc. From there, you can work together with employees to set goals that will help them hit their targets. This will help foster that sense of collective purpose, commitment, and responsibility that supercharges team performance.

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For example: You’ve been given an ambitious target to hit for the next quarter from your boss, and you’re nervous that this will make them feel like they’re set up for failure. First, meet with your team and present the end goal. Then, have a group brainstorm on different ways you can get there. Can you break it into monthly or bi-weekly targets? Or divide your team into sub-squads where each is accountable for a piece of the pie? Encourage them to see this as a challenge (the good kind).

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3. Have your team plan their own initiatives

hands with key of accountability

In the same way that employees want the freedom to determine how they do their work, they also want a say in what they work on. But…

1 in 3 employees do not feel they’re appropriately involved in decisions that affect their work.

Officevibe’s Pulse Survey data

With clear goals and objectives (that they helped set), your team is empowered to determine the actions that will take them there together.

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For example: Say you’re managing a team of web developers, and you have a goal to increase traffic to your website in the next quarter. Meet with your team and discuss different paths that will get you there. Do they want to decrease the site’s loading time? Or collaborate with the design team to improve the user experience? Maybe render it more mobile-friendly? Assess each option based on effort vs. impact, and decide together which one(s) you’ll work on.

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4. Address issues with team engagement

Accountable teams have accountable leaders. Open up lines of communication so that you can keep a real-time pulse on how your employees feel. The better you understand your team’s engagement and pain points, the better you can spot where clarity or accountability is lacking. Turn these into talking points for the whole team, to hold employees accountable and get them involved in implementing solutions.

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For example: Using a software like Officevibe's engagement tool helps you understand your team’s needs and track trends in their engagement. Employees can share anonymous feedback, and you can respond directly in the app to turn it into a two-way conversation. Keep track of employee feedback, team engagement, and 1-on-1 meetings all in one place – any time, from anywhere. All of this helps you be there for your team, no matter how busy you are.

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Accountable employees form high-performing teams

Accountability and high performance go hand-in-hand, and your team relies on your leadership to help them get there. Support your team by setting them up with a clear destination for success, and the tools to forge their own path.

Why do good employees leave?

You’ve hired a team of superstars. They’re finally experiencing what you believe to be a good sense of flow.

Everything seems normal, when out of nowhere your employee hands in their resignation. You’re stunned, and not sure where you went wrong managing their retention.

Sounds familiar? 

From toxic team cultures to lack of opportunities for growth or distrust in the organization, there are many reasons why a good employee may choose to leave your team.

According to a recent study done by Deloitte, 22% of employees say dissatisfaction with their manager was a top reason to look for a new job. 

Talent 2020: Surveying the Talent Paradox from the Employee Perspective

With the right set of tools and a team culture built on trust, collaboration, and communication, you can help employees feel happier at work and reduce the likelihood of them leaving.

Signs and symptoms: How to spot employees on the run 

The good news is, you don’t need to play the role of detective to spot the signs and symptoms of dissatisfied employees. Just look out for these three red flags.

Challenges in adapting to change

When your company goes through any kind of change- whether it is something minor like a new process, or bigger like shifting to remote work, it's important to watch out for good employees who fail to adapt. 

When this happens, you may notice more carelessness in their work, higher absenteeism, less engagement than usual in team meetings, or less interest in taking on work they once enjoyed. They may seem annoyed or frustrated with everything. 

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If you notice changes in behavior in one of your employees, do the following:

  • Make time to connect. Whether it's for a Friday team coffee or regular team status update, this will help you notice changes as they happen.

    👉 Look out for changes in verbal cues, like how they speak to their colleagues, or non-verbal cues, like a lack of expression on their face. 
  • Gather feedback from your team after any organizational change. Find out how they’re coping. You can do that using Officevibe to create an anonymous custom survey.

    👉 Ask questions specific to your situation, like “Our team just merged with the accounts team. Is there anything you’re concerned about?”

    Let your team answer on a sliding scale, or in text-based feedback, you can then respond to.

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Screenshot of Officevibe's Custom Poll

Use Officevibe to build your own custom survey and learn more about how your team is feeling!

Lack of interest discussing career goals:

If there’s one thing we know for sure, it's that engaged employees will regularly be looking for ways to build their careers and advance within your organization.

Think about a recent career conversation with a given employee.

How did it go? Did they ask questions about opportunities, or are they demonstrating general apathy about their growth?

If you’re noticing a lack of interest in discussing their career with you, it might be because they’re in the process of checking out. Remember, the best conversations make the best work happen!

If you think this is happening, it’s time to develop your manager's empathy muscle. Do you understand the challenges your employee faces in their day-to-day? Your employee may be feeling apathetic because of a lack of - or too many - challenges in their role.

By getting to know what these challenges are, you can start to remove some barriers in the way of motivation.

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Doing the bare minimum

They used to love taking on new projects, pitching new ideas, and taking on stretch projects. But your once-superstar is now doing the bare minimum! What’s happening? 

If you notice your employee happily coasting rather than reaching like they used to, try bringing it up in a 1-on-1 with them. 

1-on-1s, like those in Officevibe, give you the time to connect. Try saying things like:

“I’ve noticed you’ve been less interested in taking on projects you used to enjoy. I just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing”.

What you can do to prevent good employees from leaving

The best way to prevent people from leaving is to create a culture on your team that is so good, it makes it hard for them to say goodbye. We’ve got some action-packed tips to help you create a culture fueled by trust, safety, and open communication.

Make sure every team member’s skills are being used  

 “I keep an Excel sheet of all the projects my team is working on and make sure that the work is equally distributed across my employees and that those projects match their personal  growth interests”

Shane, People Manager 

Shane says that on his team, the most engaged employees are the ones who feel like they are being stretched in new directions while working on projects that excite and motivate them, based on their skill set.  

According to the Deloitte study mentioned above, 42% of respondents who have been seeking new employment believe their job does not make good use of their skills and abilities. 

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To make sure your employees are consistently developing their skills:

  • Set time aside each week for your employees to learn, whether it be for a formal lunch-and-learn, or independent learning through online courses. 
  • Practice mentorship and coaching whenever possible. When your employees have a problem, rather than solving it for them, coach them on how they can solve it themselves.

    👉 Ask questions like,  “What have you already tried?” or “What would you do if all your roadblocks were removed?” This will help them with their development. 

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Always leave time to meet and connect

“If you don’t leave space for connecting with your team, you might be the last one to know if a crisis is happening and by the time you realize, you may have already lost your top performer.”

Alina, Engineering Manager

Alina explains that no matter how busy work gets, she always listens to new ideas and keeps her virtual office door open for meetings.

While you may feel the pinch for time when thinking about scheduling 1-on-1s or virtual team meetings, the time it takes to recruit and onboard someone new will be much greater, so don’t wait until it hurts. Make sure team meetings are an integrated part of your team culture.  

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To make sure you’re always focusing on connection:

  • Create space for real talk with your team. This will give your employees the opportunity to raise any important points to you.

    👉A tool like Officevibe's employee engagement platform provides that opportunity through anonymous feedback, shared 1-on-1 agendas, and engagement reports you can share and discuss with your team.

    These tools are designed to make employees feel heard and understood.
  • Hold space for quality conversations with your employees, beyond just status updates. Use our one on one meeting guide to help draw inspiration on how to do this in your 1-on-1s.

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Sharpen your communication skills

“Whenever I send an important message to my team, I first read it out loud and ask myself, how might this message be received by my team? Are there assumptions in my head that aren't being explicitly put into words?”

Ariane, Team Lead

Any manager, newly-minted or seasoned, can benefit from developing their communication skills. 

Feeling like your manager is not communicating their expectations or that important information is being held back can be such a frustrating experience as an employee.

Sadly, it can lead them to look for work elsewhere. 

According to Deloitte,

“66% percent of those who plan to leave their job feel that communications have been ineffective.”

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Flex your communication muscles by: 

  • Being inclusive with your language. Say what you need in the simplest, most direct way possible. 
  • Repeating important information more than once and through different channels - think Slack, email, and verbally in a team meeting. It takes communicating a message 7 times for someone to start processing the message. 
  • Listen actively and recap what you’ve heard so they know you understood. Respond to their concerns with phrases like “I understand what you’re saying” or “that must be challenging for you”.  
  • Measure how your team feels about your communication using Officevibe’s employee pulse survey tool.

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What you should do if they leave

As a manager, you should always be thinking about contingency plans.

For example, if your top performer were to leave tomorrow, what plan would be in place to manage the work that only they know how to do?

What would the impact of their departure look like? Who could replace them? This is where succession planning as a manager comes in handy.

If you’ve not yet done this activity for your team, now is a great time to start! 

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To keep your team calm in light of a colleague’s departure, make sure to: 

  • Speak to your team directly: Schedule a meeting right away with your team to let them know that you are there to support them through the transition.

    They may feel nervous, or worse, inspired by their colleague’s decision to leave. Make sure you’re connecting with them to get a pulse on what they’re feeling and to answer any questions they might have. 

    👉 Be very clear about the next steps and how you’ll help manage the impact of the departure. Give visibility on how you’ll help reprioritize work, when recruitment will start, and what the plan forward is. 
  • Find out why: If possible, schedule a 1-on-1 with this employee and ask questions about why they’re leaving.

    They may or may not feel comfortable sharing, but any feedback or insights you can get can be used to help you move forward as a manager.

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No matter how great a manager you are or how wonderful your team culture might be, you can’t stop everyone from leaving.

Celebrate their success, and make sure you acknowledge the impact and contributions they have made to the team.

At the end of the day, wish your employee well and send them off on a positive note as you never know when your paths will cross again!

Too busy? We got you

You can save the image below (drag to your desktop or right-click and save) with the main and most actionable points from this article, and/or send them to your email.

Key points from the article: Make sure your employees are able to use most of their skills, Continuously, set time aside for your employees to learn and develop themselves professional, Always make time to meet and connect with your team,.Create spaces for real talks with your team, sharpen your communication skills. Listen actively and recap what you’ve heard so they know you understood.

Get the key points

Effectively communicating feedback to employees is one of the clearest tell-tale signs of good leadership. Not only does feedback help employees develop professionally, but it also allows entire teams to succeed and achieve collective goals.

Employee feedback can be a part of a more formal structure — like during planned performance review meetings or one-on-one sessions with a manager. That said, some of the most impactful employee feedback occurs spontaneously.

So, when exactly should feedback be given? And how can managers ensure feedback is as constructive and helpful as possible? Read on to find out!

Why employee feedback matters

Giving employee feedback is critical for team success; it makes effective communication come to life and is at the core of continuous performance management. Gallup reports that 80% of employees who receive weekly feedback feel more engaged

But why is employee feedback so impactful? Approach feedback as a management tool to lead teams in the right direction. Feedback is a means for managers to intervene, focus attention, and guide employees in their performance. It shows care and dedication toward their teams. Of course, feedback doesn’t just serve managers — it’s a great employee asset, too. When employees share their own thoughts and experiences, it helps their leaders and peers better understand what’s working well for them and see areas of improvement they may have missed.

Like with all forms of communication, feedback is an art. But it’s possible to navigate the intricate feedback process with ease. In this article, we outline the steps to giving great feedback and provide important tips with real-life positive and negative feedback scenarios to help you master delivery. 

But first, let’s ensure we’re clear on the three types of feedback.

Types of employee feedback

Feedback lives on a spectrum! It comes in different forms — from encouraging positivity through constructive feedback to the insightful guidance of constructive feedback. By understanding the different types of employee feedback, managers can more effectively steer conversations with their teams in the right direction.

Positive feedback

Let’s start with the most pragmatic type of feedback — positive feedback. Providing positive feedback is crucial in maintaining healthy relationships with team members. Positive feedback acknowledges stellar employee performance and strong contributions to team efforts, showcasing major technical and soft skills improvements. Positive feedback can also celebrate employee achievements and milestones, like work anniversaries. Not all feedback conversations need to be tough for them to be impactful.

While there is no limit to how frequently you can communicate positive employee feedback (because who doesn’t love hearing that they’ve done something well), there should definitely be a minimum of it. Reinforcing real-time positive feedback is a great way to connect with your employees and deepen engagement.

Constructive feedback

Unlike positive feeding, providing constructive feedback (sometimes called negative feedback) can feel a little bit trickier. The approach must be more delicate, thoughtful, and practical. Managers and employees both need to remember that the aim of constructive feedback is not to discourage but to support professional development, including:

  • Address performance issues
  • Sharpen skills and knowledge
  • Improve interpersonal communication
  • Boost team collaboration

Delivering constructive feedback might feel harsh, but it is ultimately solution-driven, and it’s possible to do so without demoralizing teams. As a leader, it's crucial to guide employees in improving for future opportunities, whether about new projects or team collaboration. This type of feedback is necessary to foster an accountable work environment and empowered employee experience.

Continuous feedback

Sometimes, neither positive nor negative situations require feedback. Routine feedback can be a means to nurture support and understanding and build a bond between employees and managers alike, between moments of praise and constructive criticism.

Regular feedback involves consistent communication, creating dialogue, reflection, and improvement opportunities. Regular feedback helps employees stay aligned with expectations, gain clarity, and track their progress over time. It’s more than just about “checking in” — it’s part of building a culture of continuous feedback and open communication, cultivating a supportive and development-focused environment where employees feel valued, seen, and encouraged to succeed.

Now, let’s dive into our 26 positive and constructive feedback examples!

Manager having a one on one with a team member
Provide authentic feedback to show your employees that you support their professional development.

Positive feedback examples: Highlighting and reinforcing success

Letting employees know they’ve done an excellent job, whether completing a spectacular report or a presentation, can be a rewarding experience. Who doesn’t love to give or receive praise?

However, how managers give employee feedback is important. Positive feedback should be genuine and personal. If positive feedback is vague without referring to specifics, employees might feel like managers aren’t paying attention or are trying to hit a compliment quota.

Employee feedback examples for acknowledgment of effort

Example 1: Positive reinforcement when an employee takes the initiative

“Thank you for your extra efforts on [name a specific project or task]. You did an amazing job, and your commitment has not gone unnoticed. Keep up the good work, and let me know how I can continue to support you on future projects.”

This positive feedback is effective because it’s specific and lets employees know that their efforts are being recognized.

Example 2: Positive reinforcement when an employee contributes to meetings

“I really liked the comment you made during yesterday’s team meeting. It was a great contribution to the discussion. Your positive attitude is felt throughout the department!”

This example lets employees know that their thoughts and opinions are valued and that they are actively contributing to a creative and dynamic work culture.

Employee feedback examples that recognize improvement

Example 3: Recognizing when an employee improves on specific skills

I wanted to let you know that I have noticed how much you have developed your [name the specific skills]. I know it can be challenging to overcome or master [name the skill], but we can feel your drive to succeed.”

This positive feedback recognizes an employee’s commitment to sharpening their skills. It reinforces positive behavior and can boost morale.

Example 4: Recognizing when an employee demonstrates increased productivity

“We’ve noticed how focused you are lately and how well you manage your time. You’re producing tremendous work; keep it up!”

This positive feedback reinforces performance. Employees who feel their hard work is being recognized will be more motivated to keep up the pace.

Employee feedback examples that celebrate achievements

Example 5: Celebrating when an employee reaches a significant milestone

“We just wanted to congratulate you on hitting your first-year ‘workaversary’! We’re lucky to have had you on the team for the last 12 months.”

Positive feedback isn’t only about recognizing when an employee hits their targets. Recognizing years of service and expressing gratitude for everything they’ve contributed to the company thus far is extremely important.

Example 6: Goal achievement recognition when an employee exceeds expectations

“Thank you for your extra efforts on [name a specific project or task]. You did an amazing job, and your commitment has not gone unnoticed. Keep up the good work, and let me know how I can continue to support you on future projects.”

These types of positive employee feedback examples let team members know that their extra efforts are appreciated and contribute to the collective well-being and success of the company.

Employee feedback examples for recognition of teamwork

Example 7: Providing great peer collaboration acknowledgment 

“I just want to say that the team feels your collaborative spirit and willingness to support your peers. Thank you for making working as a group that much easier. We’re lucky to have you as a colleague!”

Acknowledging when employees work well with their peers encourages teamwork and reinforces the importance of supporting one another through the ups and downs.

Example 8: Providing positive cross-functional collaboration feedback 

“I got feedback from the other department on the success of the project you were part of. You made the best out of the opportunity to work with teams we don’t always have the opportunity to work with. You represented our department so well.”

Recognizing positive cross-functional collaboration reinforces the value of interdepartmental teamwork. It’s an important reminder that every employee in the company is part of the same wider team.

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Need more inspiration to empower your team members? Browse these 16 positive team feedback examples for even more ideas for reinforcing success.

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Constructive feedback examples: Specific performance feedback and improvement suggestions

Impeccable communication skills are crucial to providing constructive employee feedback. These conversations may be challenging but ultimately lead to a happier, more inclusive company culture.

The more you dwell on an issue, the trickier it will be to overcome it. Resentments may arise, leading to decreased peer collaboration and dips in employee engagement. Managers allow employees to review their actions by nipping the issue in the bud.

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Pro-tip for remote teams: While providing in-person constructive feedback might not be an option for distributed teams, tricky conversations are best had through a video call over an email so that your employees can read your body language and tone. The less that is left up to interpretation, the better.

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Employee feedback examples addressing performance issues

Example 9: Providing constructive criticism when an employee fails to meet deadlines

“I want to talk to you about your work on this last project because your delay impacted the team. I know you worked hard to complete your part on time, and looking back now, we can spot the roadblocks more easily. I’d love to see you be more proactive in spotting them before they impact your delivery next time. How can we make it easier for you to raise the flag on these things?”

This constructive feedback doesn’t blame the employee for failing to meet the deadline. Instead, the managers take it upon themselves to see how they can help them.

Example 10: Providing an employee with time management suggestions

"I've noticed that you’ve been having some challenges meeting deadlines or replying to clients promptly lately. I know we've been in a bit of a crunch these past few weeks, but my door is always open if you need help reprioritizing certain tasks. The team is always here if you need a hand.”

This example doesn’t judge the employee for struggling with time management. Here, the manager offers the support of other team members to help reach broader goals.

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Psst! Make dealing with underperforming employees easier with concrete steps to address poor performance.

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Employee feedback examples to enhance skills and knowledge

Example 11: Providing feedback when an employee is missing a critical skill

“You excel in so many areas of this job, and your contributions are invaluable. However, we notice that you could benefit from further developing your [name of skill]. We would happily provide you with additional resources to master this skill.”

This constructive feedback example is supportive and solution-oriented. The onus doesn’t fall on the employee for not mastering the skill. Instead, it becomes a collaborative goal between the employee and their manager.

Example 12: Providing continuous improvement suggestions to an employee

"We are so impressed with your employee profile and level of proficiency when it comes to [name of skills]. We have noticed, though, that the industry standard for your role is to be more familiar with [name of software]. With a little additional training, we know you can be an expert quickly. We would be happy to sign you up for a  training session.”

This feedback example is helpful because it’s specific and allows your employee to grow professionally within the industry. It shows that the organization is willing to invest in their future.

Employee feedback examples to encourage better communication

Example 13: Providing an employee with feedback on communication style

“I appreciate your autonomous work style. But it could be valuable to provide more visibility to the rest of the team so that they can adjust their tasks and schedules accordingly.”

Feedback conversations like this one let employees know that while they may work well on their own, no person is an island, and other team members need to be made aware of deadlines and updates (without being judgmental of their personal work style).

Example 14: Providing an employee with feedback on collaboration

“While I appreciate your dedication to [name the project], it might be helpful to check in with the rest of the team more frequently so that we can adjust deadlines if you need more time. We would be happy to assist you on the project if you feel like you need additional support or resources. Your colleagues have valuable insights to contribute to this project.”

This example piece of employee feedback gently lets a direct report know that they can always rely on their team members for support and that their colleagues are there to provide their expertise.

Professional feedback examples: Goal setting and skill development recommendations

One of the best ways to keep your team members around for the long haul is to help them set goals and nurture their career development plans. As a leader, it’s your role to ensure your employees’ goals align with broader company objectives to be able to grow together.

Two main goal-setting frameworks help encourage personal and professional development:

  1. OKRs (objectives and key results): This framework offers a great way to tie employee goals directly to company objectives. The key results component makes tracking the employee's progress over time easy.
  2. SMART goals: This framework is most useful when setting personal development goals — like working towards a new hard or soft skill — that help employees constantly improve and grow in their roles. Its descriptive nature allows employees to set detailed, relevant, measurable goals to drive them and their team forward.

Like positive or constructive feedback, you can provide feedback on goal setting and professional development shortly after a situation or challenge arises. If you work remotely, book a quick sync to let your colleague know that while you appreciate their work ethic, you feel there is room for improvement in a particular area.

It’s important to note that goal setting and professional development feedback should be realistic, achievable, and tailored to the employee’s skills and motivations.

Employee feedback examples to align individual goals with company objectives

Example 15: Offering guidance when employee goals are misaligned

“I would like to review your tasks and priorities. I have noticed that you are excelling at [Projects 2 and 3], but [Project 1] is a top priority for the organization. Do you feel like you have all the tools and resources to work on [Project 1]? Do you think there is work you could delegate to stay more aligned with what has to be done first?”

This piece of constructive feedback is direct but still highlights the employee’s strong performance on other tasks. It provides guidance and clarity on organizational values and goals.

Example 16: Offering guidance when employees should focus on key performance indicators (KPIs)

"We have just learned from the executive team that we will be shifting gears on some of our KPIs this quarter. We will need you to refocus on certain projects that are aligned with current company goals. I know that in the past, these types of tasks have been more challenging for you, so please let me know how I can best support you."

Employee feedback examples like this can be tougher to deliver but are necessary to keep the organization running smoothly. This message is firm but supportive and lets the employees know they have a team backing them if they need extra support.

Employee feedback examples to help set SMART goals

Example 17: Offering guidance to help employees improve their goals

“I noticed that you set a new SMART goal in our dedicated platform. I have some ideas on how we can help you achieve it. Let’s book some time to review where you are with this goal and where you can dedicate more of your time and energy.”

These types of constructive employee feedback examples acknowledge a person's work toward achieving their long- and short-term goals. It’s supportive and lets employees know the company is dedicated to seeing them succeed.

Example 18: Offering guidance when employee goals are vague

“I really like the initiative you took to review this goal. Acknowledging what is realistically achievable within our established time frame is important. Let’s work together to reach this part of the goal and see how we can further develop it in the future.”

Employee feedback examples like this show your team members that adaptability is an asset. Just because the goal can’t be achieved within a specific time frame due to external factors doesn’t mean they can’t achieve it in the future with a little support.

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Looking to supercharge your goal-setting approach? Check out our best SMART employee goal-setting examples for more inspiration.

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Employee feedback examples that encourage professional development

Example 19: Suggesting employees pursue professional development opportunities

“I noticed that you expressed interest in taking on a more senior role and the responsibilities that come along with it. I love the initiative and would be happy to help you work on some key skills necessary to succeed in the role.”

It’s important to help employees reach their goals. A leader should nurture employees' drive to succeed and give them the tools to do so. This type of example exemplifies the supportive nature of a good leader.

Example 20: Encouraging employees to consider networking and mentorship

“Based on our previous conversations where you expressed interest in being paired with a leader in the industry to shadow their work, we would be happy to enroll you in the upcoming mentorship program offered by the company. This is a great networking opportunity to learn more about the field.”

This example is helpful for employee development because it showcases to your direct report that you have been listening to them and taking their opinions to heart. It shows your employee that their growth is important to you.

Simple feedback examples: Supporting employees through challenges

Challenges will arise in any and every industry. Some of these challenges may be out of a manager’s control, but a good leader always puts the interests of their employees first and works diligently to ensure these roadblocks can be overcome. During tough times, a leader must be able to deliver feedback that offers support and guidance and helps identify potential roadblocks. It's equally important, however, to recognize employee efforts at overcoming adversity through creative problem solving and perseverance.

The best way to address challenges with your team members is to provide feedback as swiftly as possible when the situation is fresh in everyone’s minds. Deliver your thoughts and feedback in a genuine but supportive way to not discourage your employees from seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Employee feedback examples identifying roadblocks

Example 21: Supporting an employee facing obstacles in completing a task

“Thank you for all the work you've already done on this project. I could tell you’ve hit a bit of a wall trying to complete the next part. How can I help you overcome this roadblock? Are there any specific resources I can offer you?”

Constructive employee feedback examples like this do not diminish a person's work on a project but offer a supportive hand on crossing the finish line. In this example, the employee is being empowered to reach their goals with extra guidance.

Example 22: Supporting employees through teamwork challenges

“I sensed the tension in our planning meeting yesterday, and I want to be sure that we address it before it impacts our productivity or happiness. We’re all working towards [name a shared goal] here, and it’s okay if we have different ideas than your colleagues on how to get there. What were you feeling in the meeting? What are your main concerns? Let’s meet with [name of colleague] to work towards a collaborative resolution.”

This example acknowledges and validates the employee's feelings while collaboratively searching for a way to reach common ground with other team members.

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It's normal to hit a roadblock occasionally, but there are ways to overcome them and even prevent them altogether. Read about the four most common roadblocks for high-performing teams and how to circumvent them.

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Employee feedback examples offering general support and guidance

Example 23: Providing resources to help the employee

“I know this project has evolved rapidly since we first drafted the brief. You’ve been doing a great job, but I just wanted to send you a few resources and documents that may help in the last leg of the project.”

This example is effective because it recognizes all the work the employee has already done on the project but offers assistance in a supportive and non-condescending tone.

Example 24: Providing coaching or mentoring to assist the employee

“Your skills have grown exponentially since your last performance review. You have really taken our feedback to heart, and we see tremendous potential for a senior role. If you're interested, I would happily serve as your mentor to help get you there.”

Employee feedback examples like this one reference specific actions and offer additional guidance without imposing on the employee.

Employee feedback examples that celebrate resiliency and problem-solving

Example 25: Providing employee adaptability and flexibility recognition

"I know this project has been more challenging than anticipated due to external delays. Your willingness to complete it on time does not go unnoticed. I admire your resiliency."

While it's important to celebrate the big wins, acknowledging employee resiliency is crucial in keeping engagement high. The desired outcome may not always be achieved, but this type of feedback recognizes valiant efforts.

Example 26: Providing employee initiative and proactivity recognition

"You really thought outside the box to ensure we delivered this campaign on time. I would not have devised this strategy, and I commend your creativity. Keep it up!"

This piece of feedback is effective because it celebrates the employee's creativity and problem-solving abilities. It can go a long way in boosting employee motivation and engagement.

Best practices for delivering employee feedback

Feedback shouldn’t be arbitrary. For it to be useful and impactful, it has to be focused on what a person did (as opposed to who they are) and the outcome of their actions. Read on for our best practices for delivering employee feedback.

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Numbers don’t lie! According to Workleap Officevibe Pulse Survey data, 17% of employees say that the feedback they receive isn’t specific enough. Let’s fix that.

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Focus on specific patterns of behavior and actions

It can be easy to overlook the actionable steps following a feedback conversation, but employee feedback must be applicable in the future for it to be worth sharing. The goal of giving employee feedback should always be to help the other person improve. Managers should remember the 3 essential components of effective feedback:

  • Behavior: What the employee did and how they did it.
  • Outcome: Results from the employee’s behavior and the impact.
  • Next steps: Suggestions on moving towards improvement.

Providing feedback is an ongoing process that helps direct reports thrive in the workplace, but knowing how to give feedback can be challenging — especially when it’s negative or constructive criticism that has to be shared. A great feedback framework is the Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) model, which suggests giving context to the situation, identifying the behavior to be discussed, and sharing the impact that this behavior may have had.

Provide frequent and effective employee feedback

In the fast-paced modern workforce, managers must create a feedback system with their teams that goes beyond their annual performance review. Frequent check-ins and coaching have proven to be a game-changer for intrinsic motivation, employee engagement, and improved employee experience. We suggest reading more about the feedback loop method.

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Officevibe Pulse Survey data shows that 25% of employees feel that the frequency of feedback they receive is not enough to help them understand how they can improve. Clearly, there’s room to improve!

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Don’t be too one-sided: Make feedback a collaborative opportunity

Feedback should be a two-way conversation where managers and employees work collaboratively to uncover and apply learnings to future projects. This is where leadership can shine — as the role of a manager can transform into that of a coach and mentor, creating a culture of ongoing employee development and mutual support.

Managers may gain even more insights on the best way forward by being open to an employee’s take on the situation and willing to hear them out. How can one ensure that? Always follow feedback delivery with an open-ended question and allow time for dialogue.

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Discover positive feedback loop examples! It’s a great mechanism to facilitate continuous improvement at work and spark healthy two-way conversations that give managers and employees the feedback they need to succeed.

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Encourage employees to ask for manager feedback regularly

While it’s crucial to provide employees with feedback, it’s equally important to receive employee feedback in return so that everyone can feel that their ideas, opinions, and concerns are equally valued.

Managers should encourage employees to speak up and share their perspectives. A great way to do this is by ensuring employees can reflect on situations and come back with things to share. Pulse Surveys are also great ways to ask employees for feedback safely and anonymously.

Using technology to create a better feedback culture at work

Delivering employee feedback, whether it's positive, constructive, or continuous, should always aim to nurture employee growth. When offered in a genuine and timely manner, feedback can help identify and overcome blockers, ultimately improving employee engagement and boosting job satisfaction.

At the end of the day, it's important to remember that a true feedback culture is a two-way street. Employee feedback tools like Workleap Officevibe help managers establish open lines of communication between employees and leadership, allowing employees to share their thoughts and suggestions in a safe, judgment-free space.

By taking cues from good feedback examples to tailor your own messages and making feedback a part of your company culture, you too can foster a happier and more positive employee experience for the entire organization!

Congratulations, you’re now a manager! Taking a step up the management ladder might seem intimidating, but it means you have the chance to grow both personally and professionally.

Know that if you’re feeling pangs of imposter syndrome, it's completely normal. Keep in mind that you earned this position!

Becoming a manager is a big change, and with this change comes an exciting challenge. While some challenges are specific to new managers, most will follow you through your entire career.  If you’re a first-time manager, new experiences will encourage you to grow and ultimately help you develop into a great leader. If you’re an experienced managerit’s important to learn new things considering how fast the workplace is changing.

Success often has much more to do with perseverance than it does with a person’s innate qualities. That isn’t to say talent doesn’t matter, just that it only goes so far without sacrifice and effort.

Fast Company

In order to help you prepare for every situation, here is a list of the 12 most important management challenges with tips to overcome them:

1. Getting to know your team and their pain points

New managers require time to get to know everyone. Discovering your team's unique skill set, personality, struggles, and goals is a process. Task yourself with learning about each of your employees - trust us, it's time well spent.

The more you get to know each employee, the more you’ll develop effective trust leadership skills that resonate.

Set up recurring 1-on-1 meetings with each member of your team to thoroughly get to know employees as people, not just “workers”. A good team leader sets up intentional quality time to build relationships, develop open communication, learn about their personal and professional aspirations. This will help you shape your leadership style while understanding what each employee needs in order to set expectations and objectives.

Team meetings are helpful for building camaraderie, but people might not feel comfortable voicing concerns or pain points publicly. Your 1-on-1 time is a chance to listen to issues. It’s also an opportune time to think about potential solutions, create a plan of action with each employee to overcome hurdles.

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Pro Tip: At Officevibe, we built a one on one software to help managers improve the quality of their conversations so they can build better connections with their employees.

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2. Shifting your mindset from contributor to leader

In your previous role as an employee, your main focus was on accomplishing your tasks and helping your team reach objectives. Now, your mandate is to help others reach their goals, by nurturing their growth and strategizing from the sidelines. You can help them understand “what” needs to be done and “why”, but “how” to do it (i.e. the actual execution of the work) is up to them.

Great leaders, focus on setting up the right path for employees. They detail out the appropriate tools and resources for support. As tempting as it may be to jump in and show the team how it’s done; it’s even more important for the team to know that they have a manager who keeps track of their progress. Let them know that they can look to you for guidance during times of complexity and conflict.

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PS: We developed a toolbox full of resources, tools and exercises to help you navigate your new role. From how to hire and onboard new employees to how to promote team performance!

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3. Pressure to perform as a manager

New and experienced managers often feel pressure to perform. Since you’ve been given an incredible opportunity, it's human nature to want to demonstrate your value to the organization and team.

Remind yourself that you were chosen for this position for a reason. You deserve to be there. Becoming a leader is a learning process, and you will learn the most from the experiences you gain along the way.

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Pro Tip: Set clear expectations with your boss, and more importantly, with yourself. Take time to plan properly and set yourself up for success.

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In case you missed it: If you’re a new manager and want a comprehensive guide to help you transition smoothly to your new role, we’ve got you covered.

4. Building your Emotional Intelligence

One fundamental leadership skill that will distinguish yourself from a good manager to a great leader is Emotional Intelligence. Building self-awareness, having the ability to empathize with team members, and understanding how to regulate emotions (especially when the pressure mounts) will put you in the best position to support your team. Bonus: it will also give you a competitive advantage: companies need mindful leaders.

It’s your responsibility to oversee the emotional wellbeing of your team. Know that developing your soft skills is imperative. In fact, soft skills are now considered an essential component for great leadership. The workforce has shifted perspective from regarding these as “soft skills” to “power skills”. Robust people-skills enable managers to overcome management challenges, and identify the human undercurrent. Being able to pinpoint the emotional needs of each employee is a noteworthy skill.

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Pro Tip: Thankfully, soft skills and Emotional Intelligence can be learned. Sign up for our email course to help you build up your EQ with fun and simple homework to apply in your day-to-day.

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5. Shifting from the details to a birds-eye view

Individual contributors focus on nitty-gritty details associated with a daily task or project. You may have developed perfectionist tendencies as a result. Now you’re a manager, so you’ll have to go through the (sometimes) uncomfortable process of letting go. As enticing as it may be to give your input on every-little-thing, the role of a manager is to nurture your team’s strengths and develop within their role. Simply put, your job requires you to execute less on details and more on the bigger picture of the organisation.

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Pro Tip: Avoid becoming a micromanager. Keep a holistic mindset. Check in with your team to see how things are going and if you can help. Be consistent with your organizational culture. Know that your job is to provide direction based on larger business objectives.

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Yellow shape and blue shapes illustrating the management challenges

6. Managing your time

After succeeding in your old role, it can be difficult to schedule your days when your new responsibilities no longer include executing on tasks. Time management is an important skill for you to develop not only for yourself, but also for your team. Reminder: your team comes first.

It’s up to you to prioritize projects, tasks, and initiatives for your team based on strategic business objectives, but you also need to set aside time for your own development. That might look like working with a coach, reading up on management techniques, or speaking to other leaders about strategies and approaches they’ve used to manage employees successfully.

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Pro Tip: Set aside dedicated time in your agenda for employee “office hours”. Whether it’s done remotely or in an office, reserving this block of time reminds your team that their needs are your priority.

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7. Setting clear goals and expectations

Providing clarity is one of the most important skills to develop as a new manager, and it’s not always easy. Each employee requires a clear understanding of the company’s mission as well as their team’s objectives. This helps to frame how their individual contribution and goal-setting has an impact.

Help employees understand what’s expected of them, by meeting with each team member individually. This is a time to explore active listening to ensure that all respondents understand how they add value. Give your team the space to ask questions and reflect on their strengths and expertise which will shape their input. These discussions promote accountability and foster leadership.

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Pro Tip: Monthly 1-on-1 meetings are a great way to make sure you and your employees are on the same page. Use this time to set goals and action items, then follow up in the next meeting. Check out our one-on-one meeting templates for agenda ideas.

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8. Giving and asking for regular feedback

Feedback might seem like an intimidating topic to talk about. Whether you’re giving it, or on the receiving end, it’s important for you to know how your team feels about your management style. Knowing our individual strengths and pain points helps us identify how to move forward as a team and boosts personal development. Consequently, you’ll boost employee engagement and productivity.

Keep employees engaged while you continue to grow as a leader. It’s important to create strong feedback loops where you give and receive feedback on a regular basis.

Not only will this instil a growth mindset across the board, it builds a strong sense of trust and openness between you and your employees.

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Pro Tip:  Use an employee feedback tool like Officevibe to collect and respond to employee feedback on a regular basis. Giving employees a safe space to share their thoughts anonymously will help you have conversations you otherwise might miss. That’s why 84% of employees who use Officevibe trust their direct manager.

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9. Encouraging productivity

As a manager, one of the keys to your success is to make sure your team is productive and performing at their best.

This can be a challenge because team members may have different needs and work in different ways. Some employees prefer working in the afternoons, some in the morning, others require specific instructions, while others like to have more autonomy.

It’s important for you to create an environment that’s conducive to everyone’s productivity. Try to find out which ways work best and adjust accordingly.

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Pro Tip: Host short daily meetings where everyone runs through their tasks for the day to the team. This promotes visibility in a remote work environment, and encourages employees to set clear intentions and goals for the day.

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10. Hiring for your team

Hiring someone new and introducing them to the team is a big decision. Don’t be shy to ask other managers or people from the HR team for help and advice.

It’s important that you look at possible candidates from an all-encompassing perspective. Personality and values are as important as past experience. Look at your candidates as unique and dynamic individuals, and think about what they’ll bring to the team beyond their direct skill set.

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Pro Tip:  A great way to hire someone is by asking them to perform a work sample test. Give them a small project and a clear deadline, see how well they do and base your criteria on your team principles. Allow your team to give their input and communicate how they feel this person would contribute in the long term.

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11. Letting go of an employee

Letting someone go from your team is a tough decision to make. Keep communication open with your team to make sure that they can recover from the loss. Put contingency plans in place to compensate for the gap that will be created in your team and their workflow.

Transparency is important when addressing your employees about a termination. Be as open and honest as you can and encourage each employee to ask questions. Be mindful of concerns they may have and stay within the integrity of your team principles.

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Pro Tip: Set up a time to address the termination with each employee. Discuss how you plan to move forward as a team. Encourage employees to voice their questions and concerns, maintain open communication to instilling approachability and humility.

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12. Delegating and asking for help

It’s part of the process as a new manager to feel a level of pressure about having all the answers. Did you know? It’s totally okay if you don’t. In fact, it’s encouraged. Every manager had to start their leadership path at some point and felt as though they needed guidance. Don’t be afraid to ask and seek advice when you need it.

Be vocal to your HR team about learning and development training that you may not know is available to you. Reach out to mentors, people you admire in your industry. These conversations are golden opportunities that will help you and your team succeed.

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Pro Tip: Find a mentor. Look for someone with experience as a manager. Introduce yourself and explore if their mentorship is right for you.

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Don’t miss this: We developed a toolbox full of resources, tools and exercises to help you navigate your new role. From how to hire and onboard new employees to how to promote team performance!

FAQs on how to overcome management challenges

Why is effective communication important for managers?

Effective communication is crucial for managers as it ensures clear understanding, promotes collaboration and minimizes misunderstandings or conflicts within the team. It allows managers to convey expectations, provide feedback, and build strong relationships with their employees.

How can managers improve their communication and conflict-resolution skills?

Managers can enhance their communication and conflict-resolution skills by actively listening to their team members, being open to feedback, practicing empathy, and using clear and concise language. They can also invest in training programs or workshops that focus on communication and conflict resolution techniques.

How does company culture influence the success of a manager?

A positive company culture fosters a supportive and motivating environment, which can positively impact employee morale, engagement, and productivity. Managers play a crucial role in developing and maintaining a positive company culture by setting the right tone, promoting teamwork, recognizing achievements, and aligning organizational values with employee behaviors.

What steps can managers take to develop and maintain a positive company culture?

A4: Managers can develop and maintain a positive company culture by clearly articulating the organization's values, leading by example, fostering open and transparent communication, promoting employee recognition and appreciation, and encouraging a healthy work-life balance.

Why is continuous learning and professional development important for managers?

Continuous learning and professional development enable managers to stay updated with industry trends, new management techniques, and evolving workplace practices. It helps them enhance their skills, expand their knowledge, and adapt to the changing needs of their team and organization.

Why is managing diverse teams and promoting inclusivity important in the workplace?

Managing diverse teams and promoting inclusivity creates a more innovative, engaged, and high-performing work environment. It allows for different perspectives, experiences, and ideas to be shared, leading to better decision-making and problem-solving. It also fosters a sense of belonging and equality among employees.

How can new managers leverage the company's mission to overcome common challenges they face?

New managers can leverage the company's mission by integrating it into their management approach. By aligning team goals with the mission, they can inspire their team members, foster a sense of purpose, and motivate them to overcome challenges.

When new managers emphasize the connection between their team's work and the company's mission, it can help in building a cohesive and engaged team, leading to better problem-solving, collaboration, and ultimately, success in navigating the challenges of their new role.

What strategies can new managers implement to improve employee engagement?

New managers can implement several strategies to improve employee engagement. They can establish clear goals and expectations, ensuring that employees understand how their work contributes to the overall success of the team and organization.

Additionally, they can create a sense of psychological safety, where employees feel comfortable expressing their opinions and ideas. Moreover, providing regular feedback and recognition, fostering a positive work-life balance, and promoting a culture of inclusivity and diversity can significantly enhance employee engagement.

What resources or tools are available to help managers navigate these management challenges?

There are various resources and tools available, such as blogs, online courses, industry publications, workshops, and mentorship programs, that can provide valuable guidance and insights on effective communication, conflict resolution, positive company culture, continuous learning, professional development, and managing diverse teams. Explore Officevibe's manager essentials blogs for content covering all of these topics.

You want to stay connected with your team, and understand what’s going on for them. But when you’re building a team, your team is growing, or you’re facing a new reality together, it can be hard to keep up and have meaningful conversations. These go-to questions to ask your team every month will help take a load off your shoulders to make sure you don’t miss anything important.

Having better communication structures helps you focus your attention on listening, taking action, and accomplishing your to-do list — without your team’s needs falling by the wayside. Ask the right questions to your whole team, and to each team member, using this handy database.

6 questions to ask your team every month

Maintaining ongoing communication with your team gets you more aggregate feedback on how people are feeling. You can even use an anonymous engagement survey (like the one in Officevibe) for this purpose. Whether you hold a meeting or send out an email, be sure to ask the following questions.

Product shot of the Pulse survey feature in Officevibe
Officevibe's employee Pulse Survey software

1. How can I be a better team leader?

Why you should ask your team this question

  • It will give employees confidence to speak up and offer proactive advice.
  • It shows you are committed to being open and self critical for their benefit.
  • By listening to these answers, you’ll keep growing as a manager.

Follow up questions

  • If you all could design the perfect manager, what are some of their characteristics?
  • If you were managers, how would you do things differently?

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Pro tip: It can be intimidating to ask your team these types of questions. It puts you in a vulnerable place, but this is an essential leadership quality. Approach this with an open mind and a willingness to grow as a manager, and you’re sure to get some valuable insights.

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2. What can we do to improve our product (or process)?

Why you should ask your team this question

  • 21% of employees report that if they had a game-changing idea for their organization, they wouldn’t feel comfortable to share it (Officevibe Pulse Survey app data).
  • The team will feel empowered to explore their creative ideas, and motivated to pursue them.
  • It’ll reinforce the bond between the team’s efforts and the company’s success.

Follow up questions

  • Which of our current processes is the most in need of an update? Are there any of our processes that should be retired?
  • Are there any totally new and wild ideas any of you have for new products? I’d love to hear them.

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Pro tip: When you hear an amazing idea, let your team member know what you think. Share it with the right people or connect the employee with them directly, and always give credit where credit is due.

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3. What can we do to improve our team culture?

Why you should ask your team this question

  • It shows that work is about more than accomplishing tasks.
  • You’ll boost employee engagement and show people you care.
  • It could surface any issues that may be distracting your team.

Follow up questions

  • How important is company culture for everyone when it comes to doing their jobs?
  • What would be your ideal work culture? What do you think is blocking us from that?

4. What team building activities can we do together?

Why you should ask your team this question

  • Stronger teams mean better teamwork, which results in superior outcomes.
  • The more employees know about one another, the more they’ll be able to help each other do better work.
  • Helps build up connections on remote or distributed teams.

Follow up questions

  • How much time can we dedicate per month to team bonding and maintaining human connections?
  • Do we want to schedule a recurring time slot for team building exercises?

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Pro tip: The success of team building activities can rely on external factors, like whether you work on-site or remotely. Take the reality of your team into consideration when you’re planning these types of events.

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5. What (or who) is missing from our team?

Why you should ask your team this question

  • 26% of employees say they don’t have access to non-material resources such as training, support, or data, that they need to do their work properly (Officevibe Pulse Survey data).
  • It will help guide you as a manager both with recruitment and team development.
  • Solutions could be simple, but employees might not bring things up if you don’t ask.

Follow up questions

  • What is the level of urgency associated with these skills or resource gaps?
  • How might we fill in these gaps with the resources we currently have available?

6. What else can I do to better manage our team?

Why you should ask your team this question

  • It helps you spot things you might not have otherwise noticed.
  • It will make sure people have what they need to work effectively.
  • Employees will feel more connected to decision-making and strategic direction.

Follow up questions

  • Does anyone want to pitch in on further developing and/or implementing some of these ideas?
  • Are there opportunities for collective leadership from the team to fulfill some of these needs?

6 questions to ask each employee every month

The individual employee-manager relationship is special. Asking questions in one-on-ones helps you get a monthly checkup on how people are doing. This is a great way to show you care about their personal progress, and be empathetic to hearing about their challenges.

1. What’s one thing you did recently you are proud of?

Why you should ask your employees this question

  • It’s an opportunity to see a trajectory of their progress.
  • It will motivate employees to keep striving forward.
  • It builds pride and confidence in the employee.
  • You’ll get added insight into what they find important.

Follow up questions

  • Did you expect to be so proud of how your work came out? If not, isn’t it amazing to surprise yourself?
  • What’s something you’ve learned from this achievement that you see yourself applying going forward?

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Pro tip: Giving meaningful employee recognition is an essential part of management that too often gets forgotten. The answers you get to this question help you learn more about what’s important to people, so you can give recognition where it will mean the most.

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2. What were your biggest challenges this month?

Why you should ask your employees this question

  • 1 in 4 employees don’t feel their manager is aware of their pain points (Officevibe Pulse Survey data).
  • It can show them areas where they can focus on improving their skills.
  • It gives you a better idea of what types of work challenge them.

Follow up questions

  • What’s your biggest learning from facing this challenge?
  • How might we catch these obstacles together in advance?

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Pro tip: Challenges aren’t always easy to articulate in person, but an anonymous feedback platform like Officevibe can help employees voice their challenges more comfortably.

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Screenshot of an anonymous message in Officevibe
Anonymous employee feedback in Officevibe

3. What’s one thing that, looking back, you would have done differently?

Why you should ask your employees this question

  • It gives employees the opportunity for self-reflection and being accountable.
  • It helps them create a roadmap to avoid mistakes going forward.
  • They’ll be more confident to try doing things differently and experimenting.

Follow up questions

  • At what point did you realize you should have done things differently? Was there anything you could have done to help you react faster?
  • Was there any reason you didn’t speak up at the time? I’m always eager to hear your concerns, even if that means work needs to be put on pause.
  • Is there any ongoing work that you feel might also be off track?

4. What can I do to make next month more successful for you?

Why you should ask your employees this question

  • It teaches people to plan ahead and anticipate where they might need a hand.
  • It shows them that they can ask you for whatever guidance they need.
  • Employees will get more of the support and resources they need going forward.

Follow up questions

  • Should we set goals for you, or plan action items related to this?
  • How will we know we’ve accomplished what we set out to do?

5. Are there projects that you want to be involved in?

Why you should ask your employees this question

  • 1 in 3 employees don’t feel appropriately involved in decisions that affect their work (Officevibe Pulse Survey data).
  • Employee autonomy helps people feel a deeper connection to their work.
  • Involving employees in decision-making lets them know you value their opinion, and care about their development.

Follow up questions

  • I didn’t realize you wanted to be involved here. How do you see yourself contributing to the project?
  • It might be too late for this one, but can we be more proactive to find similar opportunities for you coming up?

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Pro tip: You won’t always be able to get everyone working on all the initiatives they’d like to. But showing that you’d like to try will help people speak up when they see opportunities they want to pursue. The more this happens, the more everyone will find their place.

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6. Are there projects that you’d rather not be involved in?

Why you should ask your employees this question

  • You open up a space where they can freely express any areas they’re feeling disengaged.
  • It’ll keep job satisfaction high by preventing people from getting stuck with too many tasks they don’t like.
  • It lets the employee know they are free to express themselves, and it’s safe to do so.

Follow up questions

  • I’m glad you shared this. Is there anything I can do to help you find your place on this project?
  • Was there something I missed when I thought you’d be a good fit here?
  • How can we get you working on initiatives that are more suited to your strengths going forward?

A good manager asks, a great manager acts

When asking your team or individual employees questions, remember, it doesn’t stop with their immediate answers. You’ll always want to take notes and follow up. When you follow through on the employee feedback you get, it shows you’re committed to creating the conditions for great work.

Too busy? We got you.

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Takeaways from the 12 most important questions to ask your team every month

There are loads of benefits to having engaged employees. When people are engaged at work, managers see better performance, increased productivity, and lower turnover. That said, only 32% of employees (full and part-time) reported feeling engaged at work. Maintaining high engagement is a manager’s priority — so how does one gauge their team’s engagement levels?

Employee engagement surveys are the answer. They’re a great way to measure employee engagement, going straight to the source for answers and providing objective clarity on whether any steps need to be taken to drive engagement. But while managers can prepare and send out the best engagement survey imaginable, collecting data is only one part of the equation. Employee survey results are only effective if you analyze them properly — because then you'll know what are the right actions to take!

If you’ve ever thought to yourself: Hey, I know how to create a great survey. But how do I analyze employee data properly? Well — this article is for you. Here, we focus on analyzing employee engagement survey results — how to interpret results, communicate them to the right stakeholders, and prepare an action plan to boost engagement.

Engagement surveys: A tool for employee feedback analysis

Before diving deeper into employee engagement analysis, let’s first understand the importance of employee engagement surveys and how their insights can serve managers. 

Engagement surveys are tools to measure employees' engagement, satisfaction, and overall happiness at work. They can take the shape of online surveys, self-evaluations, or even open-ended questions during one-on-one. Their purpose is to gather feedback from employees and their own perspectives regarding work — about their experiences in their role, with their colleagues, and within the office culture. 

A crucial asset to continuous performance management, they also generally drive more honest, open communication between managers and employees. 

How can employee engagement survey results benefit managers?

The collected employee survey responses can help managers see (or uncover) what’s going well or needs improvement, so managers can make better-informed decisions to improve engagement and job satisfaction. 

There are infinite ways engagement survey results can provide clarity. Here are seven important benefits:

  • Help with trend identification

Seeing the trends is a cornerstone for understanding how employee engagement levels are moving. If an employee engagement data analysis is done routinely, results can also reveal patterns across individuals, teams, or departments over a period of time. Are we seeing peaks or lows? Is this new or recurrent? Are there any events or circumstances that correlate with trends?

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Hot tip: Here, technology comes in handy! Did you know you can use AI-powered analysis tools to make uncovering feedback or topic trends much easier?

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Reveal participation rates

Sometimes, the answers employees provide — or lack of — reveal an understanding of engagement levels. Happy and committed employees fill out engagement surveys. If there’s low participation, this might indicate disengagement from employees. A lack of survey results can provide indirect answers to the broader engagement question.

Provide an objective lens via statistical analysis

Data, when well dissected, is clear and objective. Even if an organization thinks its employees are highly engaged, numbers might show otherwise. An employee engagement survey statistical analysis helps provide managers with a factual understanding of engagement levels across their employees so they can make decisions based on facts, not assumptions.

Provide a subjective lens via sentiment analysis

The results from open-ended questions or in-person discussions that are part of engagement surveys allow managers to evaluate the emotional layer of feedback. By understanding the sentiments, positive or negative, the right interventions can be tailored.

Create a strengths and weaknesses assessment

No company gets everything perfect all the time. Employee feedback helps build a case for what is effective for sustaining employee engagement and what is possibly hindering it. Managers can then better prioritize the biggest strengths to capitalize on and the biggest weaknesses to address.

Enable departmental comparisons and correlation analysis

When engagement survey data is collected and analyzed over time across several teams, comparisons can be made to better understand if there are any department-specific trends and factors that influence engagement levels. Managers can take a cue from teams with higher engagement levels.

Help HR finetune demographic breakdowns

Breaking down engagement survey results by demographic variables such as age, gender, race, or tenure can provide deeper insights into employees’ unique experiences and perspectives — which is a great asset for HR, helping design engagement strategies that address diversity and inclusion issues.

Survey data interpretation: How to make sense of results

Now, to the crux of the matter: understanding employee engagement survey results isn’t as simple as reading a one-layered score. To really get the most out of engagement data, managers should consider the scores of both metrics and sub-metrics to assess any fluctuations or trends.

Numbers need to be contextualized as certain factors can impact results. Managers should always consider the following before landing on their interpretation:

Employee survey data interpretation: Five considerations

1. Timing

The timing of employee engagement surveys can majorly impact the results. One primary timing factor is frequency. An annual or quarterly survey feedback analysis provides a less targeted understanding of engagement trends over time. This gets even trickier if the employee survey questions are different each time. The lack of consistency will make it harder to directly cross-compare what drives engagement (and what doesn’t).

Seasonality can also play into survey results. Managers might see a higher alignment score earlier in the year when business strategies are fresh in everyone's minds. Or, motivation could trend down toward the end of the year, when employees are finishing up projects and looking forward to the holiday season. 

Managers can arrive at a more accurate understanding of engagement levels by trying to be proactive in how often engagement surveys are planned and considering timing when looking at engagement survey results.

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When timing could skew results

Imagine sending an engagement survey during the peak of summer, when many employees are out of the office on vacation. The absence of key employees’ answers might impact the accuracy of survey results, making it harder to determine how engaged employees actually are.

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2. Industry

Like so many business metrics, there are industry benchmarks for employee engagement. A high engagement score in one industry can be significantly lower in another. So, when interpreting survey results, it’s important to consider what engagement scores similar organizations in the same industry typically see before making a judgment. Knowing the appropriate employee engagement benchmarks from an industry perspective will help managers better interpret their own employee engagement survey results.

3. Business size

Like industry factors, employee engagement benchmarks can also vary based on business size. After all, comparing employee engagement survey results for a business with a dozen employees to one with a workforce of a thousand employees would be unreasonable. Whether measuring engagement within a startup or a large corporation, comparing employee engagement scores of a business to ones of a similar size helps managers know if they’re within the norm of competitors.

4. Company context

What’s happening within a company at any moment can also heavily influence engagement survey results, as the workplace climate directly influences how employees feel about their work. When teams succeed and hit targets during a high sales season, employees are more likely to be engaged. On the flip side, engagement might naturally take a hit if a lot of pressure is going on, be it due to a structural shift or change of administration.

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Consider the timeline of events 

Let’s say an engagement survey is sent out amid a company high (like bonus season). Results might show high engagement. A few months later, another survey is sent out — but this time during a company low (for example, a failed product launch just occurred). Results might be lower. It’s important to consider workplace events, as they can influence employee engagement, and might not reflect the validity of ongoing engagement strategies.

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Beyond company context, community or global events can also impact engagement. Gallup's State of the Global Workplace Report found that employee engagement dropped by 2% from 2019 to 2020 worldwide, correlating to events relating to the pandemic.

5. The highest and lowest engagement level metrics

Sometimes, less is more. When conducting an engagement survey analysis, dissecting every single comment, response, or data point would be inefficient — this is both a time-consuming and unfocused approach. By prioritizing selected employee engagement metrics, managers keep their attention where it should be and avoid getting lost in the noise. 

Within those selected metrics, the highest and lowest metrics and the areas of most rapid shifts should be looked at first. Those usually indicate the biggest opportunities for improvement. Good data is about quality, not quantity.

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Engagement surveys are not managerial impact assessments

When analyzing employee engagement survey results, it can be hard not to take some things personally — particularly if the results are less than stellar. Managers need to remember that their team’s engagement scores do not automatically reflect their skills. Rather, they’re benchmarks acting as a jumping-off point to build effective action plans.

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How to build an action plan from employee survey results

A proper employee engagement survey data analysis provides managers with key insights into the current state of employee engagement within their organizations. But the work doesn’t stop there! The next step of the process is to build an action plan based on your survey results. 

Here’s the step-by-step to building an engagement-boosting action plan:

Step 1: Communicate the survey results

Once an employee engagement survey results analysis has been conducted, managers should share the results with their team. This is crucial for building a culture of trust and transparency.

Tip #1: Be selective and specific. Select a few key data points to share to avoid overwhelming employees with information. This keeps everyone’s attention on the right things and the presentation focused. Highlight only the scores or fluctuations that should be prioritized and their interpretations.

Tip #2: Start a conversation. Sharing survey results is an opportunity to drive engagement within a team — so seize it! Make room for questions or comments, so employees can share additional perspectives on what might be contributing to the results. They might contribute to ideas for improvement that weren’t thought about before.

Step 2: Create new goals based on survey insights

Once managers have had a chance to review the survey results with their team (and hopefully have great discussions), the next step is to create action items. These take the shape of engagement goals, which will steer the engagement tactics part of the action plan. Some good questions to ask for setting engagement goals:

  • What pain points and blockers are the team facing?
  • What are some concrete ways we can improve in those areas?
  • What's enabling our success?
  • How can we encourage and promote those factors?

Tip: Don’t try to do everything all at once. Decide on one to three key areas or metrics to prioritize setting goals as a starting point. Otherwise, you’ll dilute your efforts.

Step 3: Involve employees in building the action plan

Employee engagement action plans will only be successful if managers can get their teams on board. One of the best ways to get their buy-in is to involve them in the building process. Invite employees to help set the next steps. Brainstorm ideas and collaborate on setting the engagement goals everyone can work towards. Encourage team members to take ownership in co-creating more engagement and check in regularly on how they're progressing.

Step 4: Activate the plan and its recommendations for improvement

Once you share and discuss the survey results with your team and set engagement goals together —  it’s time to formalize the plan and implement it! Here’s how:

  1. Assign responsibilities: Define who’s responsible for each action item (engagement goal). For example, an HR manager could set up the calendar with engagement activities, like workshops, and an IT lead could set up new feedback tools to improve engagement survey data collection in the future.
  2. Set timelines: An effective goal is time-bound, so each action item should have a realistic timeline. Deadlines also set a sense of importance and urgency. For example, the aim could be to select the new feedback tool within a month, followed by a two-month implementation period.
  3. Allocate resources: Budgets, resources, tools, or even training might be required to achieve the action items. Are the engagement workshops going to require more time from HR? Is there a cost to acquiring a new feedback tool? Managers need to have eyes on this.
  4. Communication progress: Keeping employees informed by sharing milestones, blockers, and general progress is crucial for transparency. Open communication is also key for ongoing feedback, which feeds into monitoring progress. An employee could have valuable insights that might spark a really useful engagement strategy adjustment.

Monitor progress and adjust: All good plans must be flexible and ready to be adjusted depending on what’s working and what’s not showing to be as effective as initially anticipated. Tracking tools, team feedback, and ongoing review conversations are all great ways to monitor progress.

Tip #1: Select the right key performance indicators (KPIs) to track improvement: Choose KPIs that align with your engagement goals — metrics like employee satisfaction scores, retention rates, productivity levels, and feedback from Custom Surveys.
Tip #2: Create a routine for benchmarking results over time: The more regularly managers measure and benchmark engagement levels over time, the more precise are progress insights. Make routine building super easy with Automated Pulse Surveys.

Employee engagement survey results: More than a score

Employee engagement survey results don't just help managers know how engaged their employees are — they provide key insights into what contributes and detracts from that engagement. 

Hopefully, this article has provided insights to help you in your engagement analysis (from current employee engagement survey results to future ones). Remember, feedback can be a gold mine for engagement when properly leveraged. Collecting data is one thing, but building engagement plans becomes a breeze once you know how to properly analyze them and communicate your findings.

And that's how you drive a happier, more engaged, and all-around more productive team.

As the nature of our jobs and the environment of our workplaces shift, it's essential for managers to keep a pulse on how their team is feeling and how satisfied employees are in their day-to-day.  In this article, we’ll unpack what actually makes employees feel a sense of job satisfaction and offer budget-friendly strategies for managers to keep employee job satisfaction and motivation high on their teams. 

5 key contributors of job satisfaction: 

A sense of purpose and meaning 

Keeping your employees engaged and satisfied in their jobs means helping them feel connected to the work they do, inspired and motivated by a mission, and able to build a sense of purpose and meaning in their day-to-day. 

In a recent study, employees who felt a sense of meaning and significance from their work reported feeling 1.7 times greater job satisfaction and were 1.4 more engaged.

Respectful relationships and a sense of psychological safety

Some of the best memories we make at work come from the relationships we build with mentors and friends. While it may seem like a challenge for remote workers, there are ways to initiate strong bonds and a safe space for employees to be themselves. Employee job satisfaction and employee engagement derive from an inclusive, blame-free environment where employees can learn from one another and grow within a network of friendships and mentorship.

Healthy and productive work environment 

As many employees shift to remote, their relationship with their work environment changes. How are employees feeling about their new “homemade” offices? How are they feeling away from their workplace and colleagues? Here's an interesting job satisfaction statistic: 

76% of employees are satisfied with their level of comfort in their physical workspace 

Moreover, 66% of employees say their work environment allows them to work distraction-free. These are great questions for managers to ask their team on a continuous basis. You can do that using our simple pulse survey tools. 

Role clarity and growth opportunities

Employees need to understand exactly what is expected of them to bring the most value and see their impact. Beyond understanding what they are meant to do now, work with your employees to set up career goals and milestones so they see their opportunities to grow.  

Fair compensation and authentic recognition 

Today’s employees see work as so much more than a paycheck. It offers a sense of purpose, community and belonging. Although, for employees to feel satisfied and engaged in their jobs they need to feel that they are being paid and valued fairly for the work they do. We ask thousands of employees how they feel about the way they are valued in their company: 

  • 44% of employees do not believe that they are paid fairly when taking into account their efforts, skills and experience
  • 32% of employees do not believe that the way pay is determined in their workplace is fair. 

You can survey your employees using these same questions and many more to really understand how they’re feeling about these sensitive topics. These insights will help guide discussions in 1-on-1 meetings.

 12 Strategies to increase job satisfaction

  1. Be realistic with your expectations
  2. Recognize good work
  3. Focus on the long term
  4. Communicate communicate communicate
  5. Care about employee well-being
  6. Offer opportunities for learning
  7. Give frequent feedback
  8. Measure engagement frequently
  9. Don’t emphasize perks
  10. Foster relationships at work
  11. Provide a clear career path
  12. Empower employees

1. Be realistic with your expectations

Our Officevibe pulse survey finds that only 26% of employees feel that they could maintain a healthy work/life balance. As a leader, your responsibility is to make sure employees aren’t feeling overworked or overwhelmed. It’s important to be mindful about how you assign tasks, despite ambitious team and workplace objectives. 

How do we do it? Check in often on how employees feel about their work-life balance by specifically tracking their Wellness and Work-life Balance levels with a tool like Officevibe. When these metrics are low, take time to dig into the issues and discuss solutions with your whole team.

2. Recognize good work

Our Recognition Hub is a great place to start brainstorming how to authentically recognize employees for the work they do. People need to feel seen and appreciated, but the physical distance of remote work sometimes works against this. Managers must remember to take time to celebrate even small wins and offer positive feedback.

Our research found that 63% of employees feel like they don’t get enough praise. This job satisfaction statistic reveals a huge opportunity for leaders to step up and make their employees proud of their work. 

How do we do it? Set up a Slack channel dedicated to giving public team and individual praise. Be specific about what you’re celebrating (think about the task, project and the impact your employee had).

3. Focus on the long term

To drive motivation and employee job satisfaction, teams need visibility on the long term vision and strategy of the company. This will help employees connect with the goals and understand how they will contribute to achieving them in the long run.

How do we do it?  Show your team that you value their input by asking them to share feedback on the strategy for the upcoming months. Ask what they agree with, what they would do differently, and what they would add. This helps them feel part of the bigger picture. 

4. Communicate, communicate, communicate

Constant communication is key for both building relationships and ensuring that important work information does not fall through the cracks. 

To create a culture that enables open and honest communication, lead by example. This means communicating your feelings so others feel safe to communicate theirs and providing constant visibility on the information you have. 

How do we do it? Frequently check-in with your team on both a personal and professional level. We do team “Monday morning Check-ins” to learn about everyone’s weekends to stay connected and have weekly “Team Updates” to keep everyone aligned on important news and the business objectives. 

  5. Prioritise employee well-being

Showing employees that you genuinely care about their well-being is one of the most effective ways to increase employee job satisfaction. Whether that means motivating employees towards achieving a fitness milestone or encouraging them to disconnect when they are feeling the early signs of burnout.

How do we do it? Encourage peers to check in on one another and take time in your 1-on-1s to chat on a meaningful human level before jumping into work discussions. Before you can have satisfied employees you need healthy and happy employees. 

6. Offer opportunities for learning

When employees stop learning, they eventually look elsewhere for stimulation. Managers, allow employees to hone in on their skills by attending conferences and webinars, or encourage them to teach others via Lunch and Learns. Keep a mindset of curiosity and learning high! 

How do we do it? Schedule time to speak with your employees about their development and what they want to focus on. Give them concrete information of the learning resources and job training available for them to grow their skills. 

7. Give feedback often

Employees crave feedback on how they can be more efficient, work smarter and perform better. They’ll value the time you took to share the feedback, or especially when it’s constructive. To be sure that your feedback is properly phrased and well-received, take a look at our Manager Toolbox filled with templates and frameworks for giving better feedback. 

How do we do it? Feedback is at the core of our culture and our product. Our 5 best practices can help guide you towards constructive and healthy feedback sessions.

8. Measure engagement frequently

Whether you use pulse surveys, eNPS, or another employee survey solution, the key is to host these frequently. Annual surveys won’t cut it anymore, you need to take a much more agile approach to improve your company’s culture.

How do we do it? Officevibe is the easiest way for managers to measure employee engagement frequently. It’s a completely turn-key solution that collects, analyzes, and suggests ideas for improvements. You can start right now for free

9. Don’t emphasize perks

Perks often give workers joy and convenience, but they don’t prove to retain people. Extrinsic job satisfaction will never be enough to retain employees, although one perk that can go a long way is flex time.

How do we do it? Let employees self-organize and create working schedules that work best for them. Demonstrate that you trust them and want them to find value in life outside of work. 

10. Foster relationships at work

Having positive relationships at work is a key proponent of overall employee job satisfaction.  Encourage employees to bond about commonalities outside of work to build strong trustworthy relationships that fuel better collaboration and team trust. Business runs better when people work better together. 

How do we do it? We book time every second Thursday from 4-6 pm to unwind together over Zoom, play a team game, or simply see where the conversation takes us. The goal is to intentionally make time to connect as people!

11. Provide a clear career path

To increase employee satisfaction, help employees plan for the long term. This shows them that you’re committed to their success and you’re willing to invest in them. The more you can work with your employees to map out their career goals, the more satisfied they’ll feel.

How do we do it? Set mentorship meetings. Use our goal setting framework as a base to learn how employees want to develop and then set meaningful goals together.  

12. Empower employees with autonomy 

Employees feel satisfied when they feel a sense of autonomy to achieve work that they can be proud of. This means striking a balance between guiding employees and trusting them to make their own decisions. 

How do we do it? Give clear direction then step back. This means learning how your team can apply their strengths and letting them put them to work on their own. 

Keeping a pulse on employee job satisfaction is important, especially in remote settings and in times of high change. By applying these strategies, you’ll create a ripple effect of employee engagement, motivation and meaningful overall job satisfaction.

Imagine this: You've loaded the office with work perks — bean bag lounge space, free lunches, and casual Fridays. Everyone seems thrilled and the office is now a joyous place of gathering. And you’re hoping this will rev up everyone’s engine to produce great work. But a few months in, you notice that, while everyone enjoys these perks, overall productivity hasn’t budged, and some projects are still lagging. 

This scenario highlights one common misconception in many workplaces: Making the mistake of equating employee happiness with employee engagement. Yes, while happiness is about contentment, it’s often momentary. Engagement, on the other hand, is about long-term commitment and sustained investment in one's work.  

Think your organization has confounded these two concepts? Don’t worry. Most leaders have been there, too. The good news is that understanding this distinction can lead to better decision-making (and better organizational outcomes because of that).  

Let’s dive in. 

The happiness vs. engagement dilemma 

Happiness is a great objective for your employees and teams—don’t get us wrong. Who doesn't love seeing their team smile? However, relying solely on happiness as a metric for success can be a trap. A happy employee might enjoy the perks of a job, but without engagement, they might not be fully invested in their work. An employee can love the free snacks but still feel undervalued in their role, unclear about their tasks, or disconnected from the company’s mission. 

According to Gallup’s robust State of the Global Workplace report, only 23% of employees worldwide are actively engaged in their jobs — even if over 35% report feeling happy. This discrepancy reveals that happiness level isn’t a reliable indicator of engagement and productivity, as many employees lack a deep commitment to their work despite their well-being. 

Why does this distinction matter? Engaged employees are more productive, innovative, and loyal. They bring their best selves to work and drive the company forward. HR professionals, alongside their managers, must look beyond surface-level happiness and cultivate genuine engagement above all since this directly impacts overall success. 

Defining employee engagement and happiness

Employee happiness and engagement are often confused, but they are distinct concepts.  

Happiness at work might mean employees enjoy their environment or have great relationships with their colleagues — but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re committed to their roles or feel connected to their company’s mission.  

Engagement, on the other hand, involves a deeper emotional commitment to the company that motivates employees to give it their all.  

Employee happiness Employee engagement 
State of contentment and well-being at work. 
Examples: Enjoying perks, having friendly colleagues, working in a pleasant environment. 
 
Impact: Short-term boost in morale, but doesn’t necessarily lead to improved performance or commitment, 
Emotional commitment to the organization, its values, and its goals. 
Examples: Employees taking initiative, going the extra mile, and showing enthusiasm for their tasks and responsibilities.  
Impact: Leads to increased productivity, collaboration, innovation, and retention. 

Is happiness enough? The pitfalls of measuring happiness alone

Measuring happiness alone can be misleading. Happy employees may appreciate perks like free lunches or casual Fridays, but if they lack things like employee recognition, feedback, or growth opportunities, then their engagement will suffer.  

Happiness alone provides an incomplete picture — which can lead to missed opportunities for meaningful improvements. Without considering other key engagement factors, like personal growth and job satisfaction, companies risk misinterpreting the overall health of their workplace culture. 

The importance of measuring engagement 

Employee engagement is the golden metric for business success because it snowballs into so many other performance metrics. It’s the emotional anchor that helps employees feel invested in their work and nurtures a sense of purpose. When employees are engaged, they’re more likely to go the extra mile, collaborate with their teammates, and contribute innovative ideas.  

All these things lead to better business outcomes—from higher customer satisfaction to increased revenue. Companies with high employee engagement see a 23% increase in profitability and a 78% reduction in absenteeism

Let’s use a context example. Imagine an engaged employee in a marketing team; that employee won’t just complete their tasks efficiently but will also actively seek ways to improve campaigns they're working on and achieve better results (even if they weren’t asked to do so). They’re motivated by more than just a paycheck — they’re driven by a desire to contribute to everyone’s shared success. It’s that kind of dedication and commitment that sets engaged employees apart and highlights why engagement is so critically important. 

It’s worth noting that performance aside, engaged employees are more likely to stay with the company, too — reducing turnover costs and contributing to a sustained positive workplace culture. 

Other metrics to consider

Beyond just happiness and engagement, understanding the full employee experience requires looking at a few other key metrics: 

Job satisfaction: This goes beyond basic happiness to include how content employees are with their job roles, responsibilities, and daily tasks. It reflects whether they find their work meaningful and aligned with their skills and interests. 
 
Ask employees:  

  • "How do you feel about your current job responsibilities and tasks?" 
  • "Do you find your work meaningful and aligned with your interests?" 
  • "Is there anything about your role that you would like to change or improve?" 
     

Workplace culture: The environment and ethos of the organization play a huge role in employee experience. This includes company values, traditions, social interactions, and the overall atmosphere at work. A positive culture fosters collaboration and motivation. 
 
Ask employees:  

  • "How would you describe the work environment and culture here?" 
  • "Do you feel that the company values align with your personal values?" 
  • "What aspects of our workplace culture do you enjoy the most?" 
     

Employee morale: This metric captures the general mood, confidence, and outlook among employees. High morale often translates to higher productivity and lower turnover. It reflects how employees feel about their work environment and their place within it. 
 
Ask employees:  

  • "How do you feel about coming to work each day?" 
  • "Do you feel supported and appreciated by your colleagues and management?" 
  • "What can we do to boost team morale?" 

Professional development: Opportunities for career growth and skill development are crucial. Employees want to know they have a future in the company and that their skills are being enhanced. This includes training programs, mentorship, and clear career progression paths. 
 
Ask employees:  

  • "Are you satisfied with the opportunities for career growth here?" 
  • "What skills or areas would you like to develop further?" 
  • "Do you feel you have clear career progression paths available to you?" 

By considering these metrics and asking the right questions to prompt employees, managers can gain a more holistic view of their team’s true engagement levels and find out where they can provide more support.

How to measure engagement

To accurately measure engagement, it's important to use a comprehensive approach that goes beyond simple happiness surveys. Here’s an easy step-by-step guide to keep in your back pocket! 

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A guide to measuring engagement 

Step 1: Conduct regular pulse surveys 

  • Frequency: Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. 
  • Focus: Ask about workplace satisfaction, engagement levels, and areas for improvement. 
  • Pro tip: Keep surveys short and focused to ensure higher participation rates. Questions like "What recent accomplishments are you most proud of?" or "What obstacles are you currently facing?" can yield valuable insights. 

Step 2: Hold one-on-one meetings 

  • Frequency: Bi-weekly or monthly. 
  • Focus: Discuss personal goals, feedback, and any concerns. 
  • Pro tip: Use this time to provide constructive feedback and recognize achievements. Start with questions like, "How are you feeling about your current projects?" or "What support do you need to reach your goals?" 

Step 3: Use 360-feedback 

  • Frequency: Annually or bi-annually. 
  • Focus: Gather feedback from peers, subordinates, and supervisors. 
  • Pro tip: Ensure anonymity to get honest and useful feedback. Ask questions such as, "How effectively does this person collaborate with the team?" or "What areas of improvement would you suggest?" 

Step 4: Monitor key metrics 

  • Frequency: In-real time thanks to data analytics tools 
    Focus: Track productivity, absenteeism, and turnover rates. 
  • Pro tip: Use these metrics to identify trends and address issues proactively. Consider questions like, "What patterns are we seeing in absenteeism rates?" or "How do turnover rates correlate with engagement survey results?" 

Step 5: Foster open communication 

  • Frequency: Daily 
  • Focus: Create channels for employees to voice their opinions and suggestions. 
  • Pro tip: Implement an open-door policy and use digital tools for anonymous feedback. Encourage dialogue with prompts like, "What changes would improve your daily work experience?" or "How can we better support your professional growth?"

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The role of managers in driving engagement

Managers are the MVPs of employee engagement. We’re not just saying that—research shows that managers account for 70% of the variance in employee engagement. Their daily interactions, feedback, and support can make a serious difference for the rest of their teams. 

Here's how you can drive engagement effectively with your own team: 

  • Personal growth: Offer chances for skill development and career growth. Ask, "What new skills are you excited to learn?" 
  • Ambassadorship: Check how proud employees are and if they’d recommend the company. Ask, "Would you tell a friend to work here?" 
  • Recognition: Make sure you’re giving props often and meaningfully. Ask, "Do you feel recognized for your work?" 
  • Feedback: Give regular, useful feedback. Ask, "Are you getting the feedback you need?" 
  • Relationships with peers: Encourage strong bonds among teammates. Ask, "How’s your connection with your coworkers?" 
  • Relationships with managers: Build solid rapport between managers and employees. Ask, "How’s your communication with your manager?" 
  • Happiness: Monitor your overall happiness at work and home. Ask, "Are you satisfied with your work-life balance?" 
  • Wellness: Support physical and mental health. Ask, "How can we help with your well-being?" 
  • Job Satisfaction: Check satisfaction with pay and benefits. Ask, "Happy with your job benefits?" 
  • Company alignment: Make sure everyone’s on the same page with the company’s mission. Ask, "Do you get and support our mission?"

Don't just focus on perks: Invest in meaningful engagement

While we love little moments of extra love and support, like free lunches, they don’t address the core drivers of engagement. 

Here are some actionable engagement ideas to keep in mind: 

  1. Build personal development plans: Collaborate with employees to set clear, achievable goals that align with their career aspirations. Offer opportunities for training and development to help them grow. 
  1. Practice regular feedback and recognition: Implement a system for regular feedback and employee recognition. Celebrate both small and big wins, and ensure feedback is constructive and frequent. 
  1. Create mentorship programs: Pair employees with mentors to provide guidance, support, and insight into career development. This fosters a culture of learning and growth. 
  1. Provide flexible work arrangements: Allow for flexible working hours or remote work options. This shows trust in employees and helps them balance work and personal life effectively. 
  1. Look into well-being initiatives: Invest in wellness programs that address physical, mental, and emotional health. This could include gym memberships, mental health days, or stress management workshops. 
Officevibe dashboard

The key is to strike the right balance between happiness and engagement activities. To truly engage employees, invest in meaningful initiatives that foster personal growth, recognition, and a strong sense of purpose first — and leverage perks as complementary assets! 

Beyond happiness: Fostering true engagement 

In the quest to build a thriving workplace culture, it's crucial to look beyond surface-level happiness. Real engagement comes from creating an environment where employees feel recognized, valued, and challenged. By measuring and investing in engagement rather than just happiness, organizations can unlock the full potential of their workforce, leading to higher productivity, lower turnover, and overall business success.  

Remember, it’s not just about keeping employees happy — it's about engaging their hearts and minds.

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