What Are the Key Elements of Effective Employee Feedback?

Clarity

• When providing employee feedback, make your suggestions plain and clear. Use language that is easy to understand. Explain the problems you have observed, and your opinion on what might be the cause of those problems.

Specification

• It can be frustrating for employees if you rattle off a list of things you need them to improve. Employees can feel overwhelmed, which can impair their ability to listen and respond to their supervisor's needs. During feedback sessions, focus on one or two issues you need your employee to work on. If there are several issues that need discussing, tackle the most pressing problems first and schedule future meetings to talk about the rest.

Objectivity

• When discussing the issues you have with your employee, don't make it personal. Make sure he understands that your problem is with his performance, not with his personality. Focus the conversation on the behavior, not the person.

Collaboration

• Collaborate on the solutions to the performance issues being discussed. Ask the employee why he feels he is encountering difficulty and what adjustments need to be made either personally, professionally or both to rectify the situation. Make sure the feedback session isn't simply dictating to the employee what needs to be done, but a conversation that flows both ways. Make sure you and the employee decide what actions you can both take to improve the overall outcome.

Positivity

• Regardless of how many issues you have with your employee's performance, include some positive feedback in the session. Begin with positive feedback, fill the middle of the session with problem identification and problem solving, and end the session on a high note. Making the employee feel valued will motivate him to try harder. If you fill the session with negativity, the employee might wonder what is the point of trying at all.

Documentation

• Document the key points of the feedback session. Record the issues discussed, as well as the solutions agreed upon to implement the necessary changes. Revisit the documentation in subsequent meetings to evaluate whether or not progress has been made.