Providing employee feedback is a task nearly every manager has to take on, giving them an opportunity to help their team improve. However, many company leaders struggle in this area, either providing not enough information or not being particularly constructive.
Luckily, there are things you can do to ensure that your feedback is both thorough and effective. Whether you partner with the candidate profiling experts at Vector Technical Inc. or manage your processes internally, here is a guide that can help you deliver more comprehensive feedback.
Outline the Situation
When you prepare to speak with the employee, you want to make sure certain points are always covered. It’s dangerous to assume that the worker knows why they are receiving feedback on their performance, so it’s best to outline the entire situation up front.
For example, make sure to discuss precisely what the problem is first. Then, go over any existing performance expectations that relate to the situation. Finally, reiterate the potential penalties for not meeting those standards.
By going over these points, you limit the likelihood of any confusions. The employee will know exactly why the conversation is taking place, ensuring they have the proper amount of context before you proceed.
Coach Instead of Complain
When some managers provide feedback, they concentrate on discussing the negatives of the situation but don’t provide details that can help the employee make corrections. Merely complaining isn’t going to yield positive results, as it doesn’t typically provide the worker with any guidance.
Instead of focusing on the negatives, make coaching the employee a priority. Go over the facts and then work with the team member to craft a plan for the future together. The idea is to set them up for success by creating a new approach that will prevent the issue in the future, embracing open dialog instead of just making demands. This increases the odds that they will fully understand and support how things need to be moving forward, as they were part of the discussion.
You also want to clearly identify any new expectations that are associated with the plan. This could include a pace at which you need to see improvement or any other point that allows the employee to show you that they are actively striving to remedy the issue.
Additionally, make sure to include a follow-up schedule. This will allow you to monitor their progress, providing additional guidance as necessary at regular intervals.
End with a Summary
After you finish creating a possible solution and setting a schedule, make sure to summarize the entire conversation. Briefly touch on the situation and review the plan of action, including any follow-up appointments and new performance expectations.
Then, ask the employee if they have any questions or need something clarified. If not, then you can end the feedback meeting and proceed with the plan. If so, then continue the conversation until everyone is on the same page.
Finally, make sure to document the discussion for later reference. That way, should things not improve, you have the information available as a reference should disciplinary action be necessary.
By following the tips above, you can give more effective feedback to your staff. If you are looking for more information that can make delivering comprehensive feedback easier than ever before, the professionals at Vector Technical Inc. can help. Contact us to learn more about our candidate profiling services and see how our expertise can benefit you.
