We Have Read About And Experienced How Dreadful Annual Performance Reviews Can Be For Employees (And Managers)!
But the reason why employees dread reviews is not that they don’t want it, but because they don’t get enough of it. Yes, you read that right.
82% of employees really appreciate receiving feedback, regardless of whether it is positive or negative. And 65% of employees want more of it.
So the problem really isn’t getting performance reviews done once in a while – the real task at hand is making sure it’s given as often as possible. Employees want feedback as it helps them understand where they stand and how they can improve. This is more so the case with the new generation of workforce. 27% of workers say that the feedback they receive helps them work better. Without feedback, employees can seem lost or worst – can develop assumptions against the management.
Lack Of Communication Creates Mistrust
Feedback is one of the most important parts of an employee’s journey of growth. Employees love receiving feedback, and it helps them get a better sense of how they are faring at their jobs. The nature of this feedback does not matter more than the need for it to actually happen. Without regular feedback, employees are twice as like to be actively disengaged. Research suggests that 43% of highly engaged employees receive feedback at least once a week compared to only 18% of employees with low engagement.
When managers ignore their employees for long periods of time, employees start to wonder about what possibly might be going on in their boss’s minds. This might even make them terrified when they are suddenly called upon for a one-in-a-blue-moon-review. If employees wait too long to actually hear about their performance, they are most likely to assume that they are not doing well.
Bosses need to pay more attention to their employees and interact as often as possible. This can have a lasting impact on morale and motivation. Who is giving the review actually matters less than how often the person actually communicates with the employees. The scary part of reviews is not what the manager is going to say, but the fact that they are not genuinely interested in the well being of their subordinates.
Communicate As Much And As Often As Possible
Managers often fail to see the huge opportunity they have to develop their employees. And this can be as simple as catching up once a week to discuss projects or project statuses. Monthly one-on-one’s, weekly planning sessions and collaboration across the team through tools can be used as ways to express interest in employees.
Communication should also be made transparent and across levels, and not just a feature during performance reviews. Organizations should create a culture of feedback where everyone has a platform to share their thoughts and contribute towards small steps to growth. Everyone should be encouraged to share more feedback with each other. This will ensure transparency and honesty, leading to an open and honest culture.
Workplace feedback is one of the most underutilized tools to improve workplace culture. Ensuring regular feedback can make performance reviews less nerve-wracking as continuous communication makes it more effective. The sooner steps are taken to improve this situation, the easier it would be for companies to truly look after their employee’s needs and retain them in the long run.
