How to Make Employee Feedback Actually Useful

Feedback is one of the most powerful tools employers can utilize, as when wielded correctly, it can truly drive change in an organization.

However, too often organizations will launch a big survey, collect responses, and then leave these results to gather digital dust. But that real opportunity for change lies in turning that feedback into meaningful, rapid action.

First, employers should begin by designing their feedback system around specific business questions rather than generic checkboxes. What aspects of the working day feel overloaded? Where do people lack clarity? Which manager behaviors correlate with retention?

Creating targeted pulse surveys, such as after a major project has wrapped up or during a role transition, will offer actionable insight far faster than an annual-only check-in.

And the data supports this notion: 65% of employees say they would be more engaged if they received more frequent feedback, and in organizations that collect frequent feedback, performance improvement is 4.5 times higher. This just goes to show that employee feedback is much more than an afterthought, but rather a key operational tool for engagement and performance.

So, you’ve collected your feedback…now what?

Once you have collected feedback, make the response visible and local. Make a point to ahare summaries at team level, involve managers and teams in developing one or two focus-areas, then review the progress in six weeks. All of this helps to foster trust, as employees will be able to see how they voice led to visible change. Communicating what you heard, what you will do, and what changed reinforces the culture of hearing-and-acting.

That transparency acts as the building blocks for trust and engagement to grow from, and by making the effort to close that feedback look, employers are mitigating the risk of falling engagement and potential rising cynicism.

And make sure to measure what matters.

Feedback should focus on the drivers of performance and stability, such as the clarity of a role, the quality of manager support, and the availability of resources, rather than ‘vanity metrics’.

When employers link clearly feedback questions to business outcomes, they increase clarity on what activity actually makes a difference and can convert this into something that can be acted upon.

By doing feedback well, you don’t just increase employee happiness, but you also reduce turnover risk, strengthen performance, and support growth, too. If you would like to discuss how we can help to ensure that the feedback you are gathering is actionable and effective, please get in touch with us today!