Why and How to Give Constructive Feedback During Performance Reviews

Why offer Constructive Feedback?

Constructive feedback is a key component of talent management; it is a core drive of employee engagement and retention.

Performance reviews, whether formal or informal, provide a strategic opportunity to reinforce expectations, recognize achievements, and align on development. When HR enables managers to deliver constructive feedback effectively, performance reviews can drive growth rather than being an annoying administrative exercise.

Not familiar with models like SBI or KISS? We’ll explore how HR teams can foster constructive feedback and turn performance reviews into high-impact conversations.

Constructive Feedback Requires Preparation

Before any performance review, managers must review key data: previous objectives, achievements, peer feedback, and performance gaps. Careful preparation will help managers provide more targeted feedback and encourage open discussion.

Organizations equipped with HR software dedicated to performance reviews have a distinct advantage. HR and managers can easily access previous evaluations, as well as the goals set during the previous cycles. When this workload has to be done manually, the task is time-consuming and prone to error.

To structure evaluations, provide managers with customizable performance review templates and a set of open-ended prompts such as:

“What accomplishment from this quarter are you proud of?”

“Which roadblocks have hindered your performance?”

“Where would you like to develop next?”

Asking open-ended questions encourages employees to share their thoughts about their working conditions, experiences, and long-term aspirations.

Good initial preparation is crucial for establishing a climate of trust. This approach also demonstrates to employees that you are invested in their development.

3 Approaches to Structuring Constructive Feedback

1. Embrace The SBI Model (Situation, Behavior, Impact)

To ensure feedback to be constructive, it needs to be clear, specific, and factual.

⚠️ Avoid generalities and ensure that your feedback can be supported by concrete examples.

To structure your regular feedback, use the SBI model:

Situation: Describe the situation accurately (date, context, stakeholders, etc.).

Behavior: Recall the employee's behavior (type of intervention, actions observed, etc.).

Impact: Identify the impact and outcomes it had.

Provide real examples to support your comments. For instance, instead of saying, “You are not proactive,” say:

“During project X, you did not take the initiative to solve problems, which slowed down the team's progress.”

Ensure your report is balanced by highlighting strengths as well as areas for improvement.

With the SBI model, feedback remains clear and specific, allowing employees to better understand expectations and areas where progress is needed.

2. Communicating with Empathy

Communicating with empathy encourages employees to be receptive to constructive feedback. It is important that employees feel heard and understood, rather than judged or criticized.

In practice, it is recommended to use positive, non-accusatory language. For example, use neutral starters like “I’ve noticed...” rather than accusatory phrasing like “You always...”

Furthermore, encourage employees to share their perspectives and thoughts on the feedback. They should feel free to ask questions and express any frustrations they may have.

Communicating with empathy strengthens the relationship between HR or managers and employees. It builds trust between parties and helps reinforce employee engagement.

3. Turn Constructive Feedback into Action with KISS + SMART

Feedback without follow-through is just commentary. Build upon constructive feedback by creating action plans that continue developing employees through new objectives, projects, opportunities, training, etc.

These strategies must be concrete, specific, and achievable.

For each area of improvement, SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely) objectives must be defined. In HR, it is up to you to ensure that the objectives make sense! It is also important to set clear deadlines for the actions to be taken.

Feel free to use the KISS (Keep, Improve, Stop, Start) matrix to roll out your action plan. There are four categories that will structure the actions:

Keep: things you want to keep doing

Improve: things you want improve

Stop: things you want to stop immediately

Start: things you want to start doing

To strengthen employee engagement, a good practice is to involve employees in defining the action plan. This approach is even more relevant when an employee's performance is unsatisfactory.

Offer Constructive Feedback Regularly

One-off performance reviews won’t shift behavior. Encourage managers to schedule recurring check-ins, whether monthly or quarterly, to track progress against established action plans.

Regularly scheduled meetings can also allow managers and employees to discuss any obstacles and make any necessary adjustments.

⚠️ A culture of feedback also means being prepared to readjust the plan in response to changing circumstances. New challenges may also arise, testing the employee's professional skills.

In human resources, there are two types of flexibility: qualitative and quantitative.

Quantitative flexibility: Provide resources such as in-house training or mentorship programs.

Qualitative flexibility: Encourage continuous learning, reskilling, and growth conversations.

Modern performance management must blend both. HR’s role is to enable managers to flex between them depending on employee needs.

Do Not Limit Constructive Feedback

Using constructive feedback during one-on-one meetings is a powerful way to promote employee development and improve workplace performance. By following the steps outlined above, HR professionals can create an environment conducive to growth and professional fulfillment.

Constructive feedback, when delivered with empathy and followed up with an action plan, strengthens the relationship between managers and their employees. As a result, HR promotes a culture of continuous improvement within the organization and fosters overall satisfaction among the talent pool.

Constructive Feedback vs 360-Degree Feedback

While constructive feedback and 360-degree feedback may appear to be similar, they serve very different goals.

Constructive feedback is a process in which an individual receives comments, advice, and suggestions from a single source. This is usually a supervisor, colleague, or mentor. The main objective is to identify the strengths and areas for improvement of the person being evaluated. The aim is to provide specific and targeted information to help the individual progress in their professional role.

360-degree feedback, on the other hand, is a more comprehensive process in which an individual receives feedback from multiple sources. These stakeholders may include supervisors, peers, subordinates, and even external partners. The goal of 360-degree feedback is to establish a panoramic view of the individual's skills, behaviors, and performance. This annual one-on-one review addresses a greater diversity of perspectives.

Feedback comes from multiple sources and perspectives, offering a multidirectional, or 360-degree, view. This type of feedback covers a broad range of skills, behaviors, and performance. Its goal is to help employees further develop their skills and experiences, often with a focus on career advancement.

Constructive feedback and 360-degree feedback are not interchangeable. The former focuses on specific aspects and offers detailed insight into how to improve current performance. The latter offers a broader perspective for long-term professional development.

Choosing the right type of feedback depends on one’s objectives. A judicious combination of the two can also be beneficial for comprehensive and balanced growth in the professional world. Ultimately, it is important to recognize that each form of feedback has its place and usefulness in professional development!