The issue of feedback is one that supervisors in just about every industry struggle with, but it's one of the most important aspects of leadership in your company. There is fear among many managers and supervisors that giving poor feedback will reduce staff engagement and company morale, but the truth is that constant feedback — both negative and positive — can actually have the opposite effect. Learn how real-time feedback can boost productivity, engagement and company morale, and examine the tools you can use to keep the lines of communication constant.
The Problem of Employee Engagement
Many studies have shown that employee engagement is one of the most significant problems faced by companies today. In fact, a 2017 Gallup State of the American Workplace Report showed that over $600 billion in productivity is lost through a whopping 70% rate of disengagement by employees. That's nothing short of devastating.
Poor engagement translates directly to poor productivity, and feedback can be a major tool to help keep your staff on track and engaged. Let's look at why and how this works.
Current Feedback Produces Immediate Results
If you wait until your employees' annual review to provide feedback, you're being counterproductive. Your staff will wonder why they are getting a litany of criticism — or praise — all at the same time when it may be related to things that happened months ago, and which they may not even remember.
Feedback is the most effective when it's directly connected to a recent real-life event. When you address things immediately, they can be corrected immediately instead of cascading into a series of increasing errors. Likewise, recognizing good performance right away keeps morale high, whereas offering a brief boost at an annual review may fade away due to a lack of communication.
Keep Training Current
Constant and regular feedback also serves as an opportunity to keep training current. We live in a world where skills get outdated at light speed, and keeping the lines of communication open with your staff allows you to spot when career development is called for. It allows you to provide opportunities to your staff that they might not otherwise see, and that will be exciting to them.
Improve Your Overall Culture
Company culture is important, and regular feedback and communication between all levels needs to flow in all directions. This will increase the sense of trust and the emotional bonds between your staff, and will overall improve the health of your company culture. The more engagement, the more connection between workers and company.
Real-Time Feedback Tools
Real-time software feedback tools can provide analytics you can use to improve your operations. You'll be able to generate reports on employee engagement, integrate with everything from sales applications to project management and invoicing, and create survey data that crosses various applications, improving the efficiency of your entire company.
These are just a few of the ways that real-time feedback can boost productivity and engagement, and improve your company operations. For more about how HR software can help your company, check out our site and contact us for a review of your needs today!
Sources:
https://www.questionpro.com/blog/real-time-feedback-tools-boost-employee-engagement-productivity
https://westchestermagazine.com/life-style/business/real-time-performance-feedback-why-it-works/