Secrets of Effective Performance-Feedback Interviews

Secrets Of Effective Performance-Feedback Interviews

The use of performance feedback, at least in terms of company policies on the subject, is widespread. Most companies require that appraisal results be discussed with employees. 116 As is well known, however, the existence of a policy is no guarantee that it will be implemented, or implemented effectively. Consider just two examples. First, we know that feedback is most effective when it is given immediately following the behavior in question. 117 How effective can feedback be if it is given only once a year during an appraisal interview?

Impact Of Performance Management On Productivity, Quality Of Work Life, And The Bottom Line 

Performance management is fundamentally a feedback process, and research indicates that feedback may result in increases in performance varying from 10 to 30 percent, although it is not uniformly effective. a Feedback is a fairly inexpensive way to improve productivity, but, to work effectively, feedback programs require sustained commitment. The challenge for managers, then, is to establish clear goals, and then to provide feedback regularly to all their employees.

aDeNisi and Sonesh, 2011, op. cit. See also Landy, F. J., Farr, J. L., and Jacobs, R. R. (1982). Utility concepts in performance measurement. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 30, pp. 15–40.

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From an employee’s perspective, lack of regular feedback about performance detracts from his or her quality of work life. Most people want to improve their performance on the job, to receive constructive suggestions regarding areas they need to work on, and to be commended for things that they do well. The cost of failure to provide such feedback may result in the loss of key professional employees, the continued poor performance of employees who are not meeting performance standards, and a loss of commitment by all employees. In sum, the myth that employees know how they are doing without adequate feedback from management can be an expensive fantasy. b

bHymowitz, C. (2007, Mar. 19). Managers lose talent when they neglect to coach their staffs. The Wall Street Journal, p. B1. See also Joinson, C. (1996, Aug.). Re-creating the indifferent employee. HR Magazine, pp. 77–80.

Second, we have known for decades that when managers use a problem-solving approach, subordinates express a stronger motivation to improve performance than when other approaches are used. 118 Yet evidence indicates that most organizations still use a “tell-and-sell” approach in which a manager completes an appraisal independently, shows it to the subordinate, justifies the rating, discusses what must be done to improve performance, and then asks for the subordinate’s reaction and sign-off on the appraisal. 119 Are the negative reactions of subordinates really that surprising?

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