Adopting a Feedback Culture: How to Motivate Employees to Share Their Feedback?

Employee feedback is like "the breakfast of champions." It means that good feedback can make the difference between being great and being average. Employees don't know how to improve if they don't get and receive good feedback. Giving and getting feedback at work isn't as easy as it looks. Giving feedback can be hard because people have fragile egos, don't communicate well, and don't give it at the right time. These problems can make it hard to give and get feedback that helps people grow. So, to solve the problems, you have to understand what keeps your employees from sharing feedback.

What Stops Employees From Giving Feedback?

• They don’t have time.

An employee's job is to make sure the right things get done on time and on budget. How will that happen if they have a huge workload and can't find time to give or receive feedback? So you have to make sure that feedback culture is in the DNA of your company and that every employee knows that from the beginning. So they won't see this process as an extra workload, but instead it will be a very important part of their job.

• They don’t know how and why.

Smart leaders understand that a healthy corporate culture and positive workplace relationships are built on open, honest internal communication from all employees. The higher up you go, the more likely it is that many of the day-to-day activities will escape your notice, and the only way to find out what's going on is to question your employees. As a result, you must emphasise the importance of a feedback culture in your organisation. Your employees may be inexperienced, or the company may not be hiring frequently enough for the importance of a feedback culture to be recognised. Many employees have never been trained on how to give constructive feedback.

Yes, training is beneficial, and there is a lack of belief that providing feedback is effective, and it is this lack of belief that drives the lack of incentive to learn the "how to."

• They are afraid to share the voice.

We all have a voice in our thoughts that may run out of control at times, whether we like to admit it or not, and this is one of those occasions. Employees may be afraid of how their bosses will react, especially if they are angry or stressed out. This stress causes them to be afraid of the answer they will get. However, feedback is always essential for continuous learning and development.

• They’re not sure about the action taking.

Employees frequently resist giving criticism for two reasons: fear and a lack of understanding. They may be afraid of jeopardising their current relationship with the company or of how the supervisors would react. People may also not know how to give feedback because they haven't been properly trained.

Committed employees who know the value of providing practical feedback to their team leaders – who are hindered when the person receiving it behaves out, shuts down, or fails to keep promises. These employees are capable of providing feedback, but will their ideas be translated into action? As a result, always let your employees know that you've heard and appreciate their concerns.Also, let them know your purpose for taking action. Employees shouldn’t be scared or hesitant about sharing their feedback.

How to Encourage Feedback and Break the Resistance?

• Start from the top.

When it comes to concerns with clients and coworkers, all employees should be assured that their managers have an open-door policy. If managers improve their feedback-receiving skills, employees become more open and less cautious about having difficult dialogues. As a result, you must start at the top and teach your management team how to give and receive constructive feedback. Make sure you adopt a strong feedback culture in your company, starting from the top.

• Communicate the importance of the feedback frequently.

One crucial aspect of fostering a feedback culture at work is having colleagues who are willing to give honest feedback. Employees must feel comfortable and confident that providing feedback will not result in negative consequences. Building trusting relationships and expressing the importance of feedback on a regular basis are the first steps. Your employees will be in many trenches that you may not see or experience, regardless of the size of your company. Their perspectives are crucial. If feedback and suggestions are encouraged as part of the company culture, employees will feel more engaged and a part of the company's evolution and growth.

• Transmit feedback culture through focus groups and company events.

Employee focus groups and corporate events are excellent ways to obtain input from employees. Setting up focus groups and company events can enhance employee motivation and engagement in and of itself. You may 'engage' employees by demonstrating that you value their input and take the time to listen to their thoughts and feelings. What does 'engagement' mean if it isn't involving people and allowing them to take part in interactions? This is the perfect time to establish a feedback culture and guarantee that input is valued throughout the organisation.

• Reward feedback.

Being open and forthcoming is frequently quite difficult for an employee. Create a culture where employees who provide more feedback are rewarded with small prizes. It relaxes people and gives a safe place for you all to ask questions, think about things, and share your views. Openness and participation are encouraged at all levels of the organization, and the whole group benefits from the knowledge and experience that everyone brings to the table.

• Show actions and changes.

You must show that feedback doesn’t only stay as words. Let people know when you make a choice or modification based on their input. Focus on the why rather than just articulating the decision or change. "What were we thinking when we did this?" "Because of your ideas."

It's a gift to receive feedback. You might not get another one if you don't use it and appreciate it properly. When you have a feedback culture, you respond to and act on feedback. Employees must recognise that providing feedback is worthwhile. Don't overlook the importance of following up on what you've done in response to feedback.

Power Your Team With Technology

Finally, make sure your team has access to feedback tools like Sorwe. Employees can capture notes from feedback sessions, conduct two-way feedback dialogues, ask for 360° feedback, give praise via recognition, and collect feedback via surveys with the help of a technology partner like Sorwe. This eliminates the administrative burden of feedback, allowing everyone to concentrate on improvement.