Employee Feedback

DOs and DON’Ts of Providing Effective Employee Feedback

Employee feedback is essential to foster employee engagement. At The Ritz-Carlton, we always say that feedback is a gift. This is especially true when providing employee feedback. Sharing this important information on an ongoing basis will mitigate surprises when it comes time for the annual review process.

• DO be clear and direct when giving feedback. Commenting on an employee’s work performance is not always easy. However, if you sugarcoat your comments too much the employee may not hear your main point.
• DON’T be offensive or rude. Never insult or belittle an employee as you’re giving feedback, or you’ll risk demoralizing your employee. Take a positive approach by treating shortcomings as opportunities for training and improvement.
• DO give your employee a chance to talk. Your employee might have valuable insight into an existing problem. Also, your employee may be grateful for the opportunity to discuss possible solutions.
• DON’T give negative feedback in public. It is better to praise in public and share constructive criticism in private. Hearing feedback is often embarrassing and challenging for employees. They will feel less vulnerable if their peers aren’t witnessing the conversation.
• DO focus on facts. Sharing your feelings can be perceived as subjective and unfair, but if you focus on the issues, then it becomes less personal and more about the situation. For example, instead of saying, “I feel you’re not working as hard as you could,” you could say, “You didn’t meet your quota/deadline.”
• DON’T give feedback when you’re angry or frustrated. When you’re upset, you may say things you’ll regret later. Wait until you are calm and levelheaded to have a professional conversation.

Explore our Onsite Programs & Experiences to learn how we foster a culture that leads to sustained employee engagement, year over year.

• employee engagement
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• feedback
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• leadership