Today’s employees want reliable, continuous feedback that they can depend on to help them improve their performance. Rather than one annual review, they want frequent updates on their progress throughout the year (and even throughout the day or week). Real-time feedback gives them a strong understanding of what they’re doing well and how they need to improve.
To give high-quality feedback, you can leverage reports on employee performance which allow you to observe patterns and evaluate results of particular projects. Directly observing your employees at work and listening to personal input from colleagues should also guide the feedback you give. (A 360-degree survey can assist in gathering this input, and we offer a tool that facilitates this process.) By taking these steps, you’ll give the most accurate and detailed feedback possible. You might also consider using a tool that lets you deliver instant feedback electronically, allowing you to conveniently reach your employees in real time. These types of programs will help maximize the effectiveness of the feedback you give.
Read on to learn the three key benefits of delivering real-time feedback so you can start leveraging them today.
Improving comprehension
When you’re sharing real-time feedback, you can be sure that employees fully understand its context. If you give feedback on a project they just completed, they’ll have a rich knowledge of what occurred throughout that project, which allows them to better understand and benefit from the feedback.
If you wait six months before giving feedback, employees will have lost much of the detail about its process. Longer-term memory also tends to be less accurate than we might like to believe. An employee might remember the big picture—that a project proved successful—but not retain a full overview of his contributions and the strategies that benefited the endeavor.
Managers are subject to the same memory issues. They’re prone to forget about key project details as time goes on, which diminishes the quality of feedback they can provide. To prevent that from occurring, managers can keep an employee performance log while also sharing real-time feedback. By doing so, they’ll ensure the most accurate delivery of the information their people need in order to improve.
Forging stronger relationships
By consistently sharing input with your employees in a supportive way, you also strengthen your relationships with them. They see you as a coach who provides valuable ongoing advice. Today, the younger generations—Millennials and Gen Zers—expect ongoing feedback that helps them modify their performance in real-time.
In fact, 60% of Gen Zers want their manager to check in with them several times throughout the week, while 40% prefer one or more check-ins per day. They know that consistent feedback is the best way to improve, and ultimately, to level up in their careers. By helping them achieve that goal, you’ll become a trusted mentor.
Additionally, real-time feedback demonstrates that you have the finger on the pulse of your team, meaning you witness the effort they consistently deliver and the growth that they experience. In short, you understand what they do on a daily basis, which emphasizes that you value their contributions.
When employees also learn to voice feedback about one another’s progress, the whole team grows stronger. Emphasizing the value of real-time feedback encourages each team member to speak up in a supportive way when need be, enhancing the whole team’s performance. As they learn to rely on one another for advice and feedback, they’ll have a stronger appreciation for each other.
Improving results
Finally, real-time feedback can positively influence the results of projects. Giving real-time feedback helps employees to change their performance when needed, allowing them to succeed where they might be struggling. Thus, every project serves as a learning experience rather than a test—leading to stronger outcomes. Strive to highlight the small successes that people might otherwise miss, as well as the mistakes that might go noticed. If employees’ performance reports reveal ongoing issues that need improvement, be sure to praise them whenever they make any step toward improvement. Give feedback in real time to make sure they are aware of their progress. They’ll benefit from having more direction throughout each endeavor, and as a manager, you’ll shine in turn!
You can work to instill a culture of delivering constructive real-time feedback in your organization with the help of online tools like Primalogik. By sharing clear performance results, these tools will help you understand where your employees are excelling and where they need more direction.
Consistent feedback will greatly boost the morale of your whole team and organization. As you work to provide real-time input on their progress, you’ll have a workplace filled with more cohesive teams that know they’re getting accurate, dependable feedback on their performance all year long.
