We recently collaborated with Engage Media on a brilliant new episode of Engage Talks, exploring the power of feedback and transparent communication in the workplace. This talk was led by host Cathy Brown, who was joined by our Group Product Manager at OneAdvanced, Hamzah Hafesji, and our guests Saskia Larsen (Group Director of People and Development at Activate Learning), and Fiona Campbell-Downes (Head of HR Operations & OD at AG Barr).
Together, they took a deep dive into how the workplace has changed in recent years, how employees’ expectations have evolved, and what organisations are doing to adapt. Specifically, they discussed how we should be delivering feedback, building trust, supporting managers, and empowering our people. This blog summarises all of the highlights that you may have missed.
What makes top performers stand out?
According to Hamzah and the research that we conducted during our annual Business Trends Survey, the thing that sets top performers apart is the action taken from regular meaningful conversations they have with their managers. This includes the frequency of regular personal and professional development conversations they have which help to drive their growth as an employee. These top performers are often open to receiving constructive feedback, proactive in setting clear goals, and plan their personal development accordingly. Underlining the significance of this, Hamzah revealed that people who decide to leave organisations are twice as likely to not have had these open conversations or received purposeful feedback during their time there.
Both Fiona and Saskia agreed with Hamzah’s statement, with Saskia highlighting that it is not just about scheduling one-to-one conversations, but rather about ensuring these are meaningful conversations. If you are not having these discussions, Fiona suggests actively seeking them out, noting that you do not need to wait for them to be scheduled by upper-level management, and they do not need to be formal.
Tailoring feedback to the individual
In today’s day and age, it is hugely important to recognise that every individual is unique and that what works for one might not work for another. Our host, Cathy, used a personal example to magnify this, revealing that she was recently diagnosed with ADHD. Since this diagnosis she has reflected on the way she prefers to receive feedback or set goals, and the impact that this has had on her own development.
When explaining how our Performance & Talent technology at OneAdvanced can assist many, including neurodiverse employees, Hamzah told us:
“We want to ensure that [our product] is as accessible as possible”, particularly to those individuals that need additional support, such as those who are neurodiverse, “If I speak from my own lens, I’m incredibly dyslexic so sitting down and writing feedback to someone can be quite hard […], Employees will tell us: ‘I know what I want to say, but I don’t quite know how to articulate myself’. What we are fortunate with, particularly in the current climate with the acceleration of technology and AI, is that we’ve implemented the ability for AI to assist employees. So, it’s [Performance & Talent] employee-owned and assisted by AI.”
Hamzah also spoke about the new generation that is entering the workforce, Gen Z, and how we should consider that they may communicate differently. For example there are some trends that suggest they may favour digital tools like voice messaging. In turn, people management tools should have features that support all preferred methods of communication.
Taking this topic further, Fiona said that managers should make use of the various ways they can give feedback by asking their people whether they prefer face-to-face conversations, email communication, voice messaging, or simply an informal chat. Saskia also noted that people managers must pay attention to the way their feedback lands and adapt accordingly, considering that everyone responds differently.
Viewing feedback as a gift
While we all know that receiving feedback allows us to grow and develop, people rarely welcome it with open arms.
Constructive feedback is often feared, especially when it is given in a formal setting and only once a year in the form of the ‘dreaded annual appraisal’. For this reason, our speakers stressed that organisations must build and develop a culture where giving and receiving feedback is normalised. It is only when an organisation does not support a culture of this sort that it becomes a challenge.
Saskia shared her view: “Feedback is a gift. The easiest type of feedback to give is positive and people feel natural about doing that. […] Constructive feedback I think is the real cornerstone behind performance development”. Saskia firmly believes that when delivered effectively, feedback allows an individual to understand what they need to do as part of their own growth journey, “I think it is really unkind to not give people constructive feedback only for them to find out a couple of months down the line that actually, they weren’t hitting the objectives that they are meant to”.
With this, the conversation quickly turned to the way businesses have shifted from having annual reviews to favouring more regular and less formal conversations. Hamzah commented on this, noting that annual appraisals are on their own are often considered to be limiting, this is because you have to wait an entire year to find out how you perform against the goals you’d set. A combination of an annual appraisal and regular 1-1’s seems to be the most effective approach.
All speakers agreed that having regular conversations deconstructs the notion that feedback is something to be feared. In encouraging a two-way dialogue and having natural, fluid discussions, leaders can create a feedback culture that enables everyone to thrive.
Interested in learning more? Watch the full Engage Talks episode here on-demand.