The 3 Feedbacks That (Can) Matter to Employee Engagement

 

Feedback does not come in just one flavor.

You probably already serve at least one to your employees. There are more to choose. All of them can assist your employee engagement efforts.

This posting will quickly, simply define and describe the three types...with just a hint of how they can improve your business's employee engagement.

Performance Feedback (aka Appraisal).
This is the type feedback almost universally used. It's the manager's judgment of the employee's performance, including praise for what's exceeded expectations and criticism of what has not. Also almost universal is the two-point implementation of Performance Feedback, those being two points in time. In most instances the employee receives the feedback form early in the year, writes the objectives against which her performance will be measured, and returns it to her manager. Then near (or even after!) the end of the year, the employee receives the feedback form, this time with evaluative feedback from the manager.

This feedback supports decisions regarding an employee's compensation, advancement, probation, coaching.

Employee Feedback (aka Employee Satisfaction Survey, Employee Opinion Survey).
This type feedback has appeared increasingly since the downsizing/re-engineering craze in the late '80s, early '90s. Depending upon the type and degree of information desired, this tool can focus on a number of areas. The feedback from the employee may touch upon management, leadership, work conditions, product, customer relations, rewards and recognition, benefits, and more.

This feedback supports incremental changes policy and process, public relations, recruiting and retention, compensation and benefits plans.

360^o Feedback.
This feedback involves confidential, anonymous feedback from people surrounding an employee. These "feedbackers" may include manager, peers, reporting employees. In many instances the full circle (360 degrees) of this feedback has been lost, and it has become singularly employees' feedback to their managers of their managers' performance. Usually, this feedback focuses on behaviors and competencies and behavioral skills (listening, presentation, organization) rather than job-specific performance.

360^o feedback provides focus on specific areas for personal/professional development.

In different ways, each of these feedback tools can enhance employee engagement. I'll provide more detail tomorrow showing that feedback impacts engagement thanks to

1. Generating attention to and focus on specific behaviors, performances, and desired improvements.
2. Demonstrating value of the employee and his observations, opinions, and performance.
3. Prompting improvement by employees (including managers and leaders) in specific areas.

Come back tomorrow for Why Feedback Matters to Employee Engagement.

Photo source: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/252/448920796_908556f410_m.jpg

Comments

[Derek Irvine]

I’ve blogged repeatedly about the need to establish a baseline of engagement levels and then measure success against that baseline repeatedly over time. Many companies already have employee satisfaction surveys in place. One of the best is the Gallup Q12 survey, a simple 12 question survey to measure employee engagement, six of which can also help evaluate the success of your strategic recognition tool.

I write more on the 12 questions including specific comments on how some of the questions should be used to gauge recognition program success as well on my blog at: http://globoforce.blogspot.com/2008/10/measuring-engagement-simple-tools-work.html

[Tim Wright]

Derek -

Gallup has the inside track at being among the best employee engagement evaluation tools, as it was one of the first. Kudos to Gallup.

I run into to many clients motivated to "raise our Gallup scores." About half of them want their employees to be (more) engaged. About half of them just want higher scores.

Reminds me of my h.s. chemistry experience. I wanted to ace the exam; I didn't care how much chemistry knowledge I would (n)ever use.

The Gallup tool is a good starting point. But it should be that: a starting point from which the management team devises and implements a consistent and continuous engagement plan.

Thanks, Derek.

Tim

[Farhan Thawar]

I really like the 3 types of feedback, but you don't talk about how specifically to give the feedback for each type. For example, I've found giving specific performance feedback every 2 weeks in the form of "stop/start/continue" forces me (the manager) to do the hardwork of determining what's working, what's not and what should change. It's specific and it's actionable.

Oh.. and when it comes time to performance reviews, no one is surprised.

[Tim Wright]

Farhan,
I did fail to give specifics. Thank you for helping me decide my series of postings for the first week in 2009. Look for several how-to tips for each of the 3 feedback types summarized in this posting.

Concerning the manager's (your) having to determine what what's working and what's not on an every-two-week basis...I have a couple of responses:
1. Require employees to provide you, in advance of the meeting, their personal itemization of start/stop/continue in re their own performance.
2. Doesn't mean it's not the manager's (your) responsibility to observe, verify, and measure the performance (it is!). However, it may streamline for you, and it will engage (!) the employee.
3. Unless the nature of the work is highly critical, detailed feedback meetings every two weeks may be a too often.

Again, Farhan, thank you. And be looking for the first week in January postings.

Tim