There are a number of tools in the Leadership Toolbox, like mentorship, smart decision-making, risk assessment, employee retention, and good communication. But there is one extremely important tool that might be overlooked. It’s one you need to start using right away because it could help change your workplace for the better. That tool is employee feedback. 

It’s easy to see why employee feedback can get overlooked. After all, how many employees actually feel comfortable giving feedback to their managers? It’s a delicate balance. 

As Harvard Business Review notes, employees generally react more strongly to negative feedback than positive. The key is to foster an environment where employees feel safe to give their honest opinion. You want your team to be connected within an environment that encourages communication. The question is: How do you do it? 

First…Why Employee Feedback is SO Important 

We could go on and on about the benefits here, but we’ve boiled it down to four essential advantages of consistent employee feedback. 

No. 1 – Builds Positive Company Culture: According to Linkedin, regular and consistent company feedback reduces the space for conflict. This means that when you are engaged in a consistent, honest feedback loop, you begin to construct a culture of trust. This is vital in any company. 

If your team cannot trust one another or you as their leader, conflict is all but guaranteed. Employee feedback hashes out a lot of the problems before they even have a chance to begin. It helps create a more stimulating and positive environment for people to work in. And the more positive the environment, the more open people are willing to be. 

No. 2 – Encourages Growth & Engagement: There is certainly a place for employee recognition and appreciation. But these things, without feedback, tend to grow stale after a while. People would prefer to hear what they are doing well, as well as what needs improvement. 

Harvard Business Review states that 72% of employees feel corrective feedback from managers actually helps their overall performance. This is a two way street, however. As a leader, you need to be as open to receiving feedback as you are to giving it. More growth and engagement can happen this way because there’s a desire from both parties to improve and connect. 

No. 3 – Motivates Across the Board: When feedback exists between you and your employees, it signals to them that you are paying attention. By asking for employee input, you increase their feelings of value and importance. People are more inclined to work hard if they feel they’re actively contributing vs just being a cog in the wheel. 

Motivation can also come in the form of managers utilizing components of Emotional Intelligence, as Forbes notes. When employees feel they are being listened to, they feel more valued. And this creates a more motivating environment for people to be honest which, as we’re about to see, is beneficial for more than just the employees.  

No. 4 – Improves Leadership: Leadership cannot go unquestioned. If it does, there is something wrong with company communication. By being open to suggestions, especially those coming from a place of honesty, leaders are encouraged to grow in their roles. 

Continued learning throughout a career is vital. The more experience a leader gains, and the more employee feedback they are open to receiving, the better their leadership becomes. This is true for companies large and small.

Now…How to Get It Valuable Feedback 

Check out these four easy-to-implement steps: 

No. 1 – Be Specific: It’s all well and good to want feedback, but if you aren’t specific about the kind of feedback you want, there isn’t much room for it. If you’re looking for employee input on a program you’ve initiated, a new system you’ve launched, or an aspect of your leadership, you need to be in the habit of asking specifically for those things. The more specific your feedback requests are, the more detailed the responses will be. 

No. 2 – Don’t Judge: This is another important part of receiving feedback. If your employees know you are not going to judge how they’re feeling, they are more likely to be open and honest. The more of this feedback you can encourage, the better, because your employees will feel safe sharing their opinions.

No. 3 – Be Encouraging: Speaking of encouragement, employee feedback is not going to occur without you seeking it out. In order to make the most of the feedback loop, your employees need to be encouraged to provide it. It’s not going to happen just by itself.  Utilize things like surveys, one-on-one interviews, and even suggestion boxes. The more employees are encouraged to give feedback, the more likely you are to get it. 

No. 4 – Listen: There is no point offering feedback if you are not going to listen. You need to be active and engaged by asking questions and making the employee feel validated in their feedback. Listening also comes in the form of implementing employee suggestions when it makes sense to. This could be something as simple as donuts on Friday or something as major as implementing new accounting software to make filing easier. 

Either way, the more you listen to the feedback you’re being given (and actually show that you’re listening) the more you help create an environment where employee input comes out naturally.

Feedback is an essential part of life here at Masiello Employment Services. Our work is based on strong relationships, so we’re in constant communication with candidates, talented professionals we’ve placed in jobs, and the local companies we help to grow. 

We’re here and excited to listen to anyone motivated to find their next fit. If that sounds like you, give us a call at 603-358-1000 or visit our offices in downtown Keene, NH.