Employee feedback is input shared in a workplace regarding achievements, behaviors, development, and culture. This feedback serves to align employees' performance with the company's objectives, build trust, and increase job satisfaction.
Feedback is the breakfast of champions, so they say. Understanding what’s working and what's not can take you from clueless to competent. This is especially important as an employee. Employee feedback — which is the flow of insight from employees to leaders or the other way around — is a critical part of a positive and engaging culture.
And it's a two-way street: Feedback to and from employees can lead to a more transparent, supportive work culture and foster innovation.
This guide explores why employee feedback matters, how to share it effectively, and real examples of various types of feedback.
What is employee feedback?
Employee feedback is input shared in a workplace regarding achievements, behaviors, development, and culture. At its core, this feedback aligns employees' performance with the company's objectives, builds trust, and increases job satisfaction.
Such feedback can flow in two ways: upward and downward. Both are important to a well-functioning workplace and should be encouraged.
- Downward employee feedback flows from a manager to an employee. This may include feedback about employee performance, constructive suggestions, praise for a job well done, or coaching.
- Upward employee feedback flows from an employee to a manager, often including suggestions to improve the workplace, reports of issues, or insight into management styles.
Why is employee feedback important?
Employee feedback is so important to the workplace because it drives continuous improvement, enhances employee engagement, and increases business success. As it turns out, companies with a strong culture of feedback have higher retention, stronger collaboration between employees, and increased productivity.
A Gallup report found that 80% of workers who received meaningful feedback in the past week were fully engaged with their jobs. And when employees are engaged, they’re anywhere from 18% to 43% less likely to leave. Higher retention means less need for hiring and training and better retention of institutional knowledge, leading to better productivity.
That’s not the only benefit:
For leaders, employee feedback:
- Helps uncover strengths and weaknesses within their teams
- Fosters trust among employees
- Allows for coaching and development of workers
For employees, feedback:
- Offers clarity on career growth, role expectations, and performance
- Increases motivation to do well
- Addresses performance issues before they escalate
How to give feedback to employees
When sharing feedback, it's important to guarantee the recipient feels respected and valued and that you offer beneficial feedback. Ideally, feedback won’t be a surprise. If you can make it a regular part of daily work — and remain open to employees offering you feedback, too — you’ll cultivate a culture of feedback and improvement.
Here are a few suggestions about how to give good feedback:
- Check in first. Get to know the employee’s perspective prior to sharing yours. Asking check-in questions can help.
- Be empathetic. Receiving feedback, especially when it’s constructive, can be tricky. Show empathy and stay solutions-oriented rather than critical.
- Share specifics. Feedback is most useful when you can show the real-life impact. Use specific examples and share actionable steps to improve.
- Time it right. Give feedback promptly and make sure the employee is in the right place (both mentally and physically — private is best) to hear it.
- Ask for feedback. Encourage upward feedback, including feedback on your feedback (such as the delivery, method, and frequency).
| Feedback Issue | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Too vague | “Your report wasn’t very good.” | “Your report needs clearer summaries, specific data points, and an organized format.” |
| Overly negative | “No one likes working on projects with you.” | “Team members have expressed concern about your communication style, particularly that you tend to interrupt.” |
| Sugarcoated | “You’re doing a great job, and I know you’re busy, but it would be great to try to meet deadlines a bit more consistently.” | “I’ve noticed a few missed deadlines. Let’s discuss what’s causing this and how to improve consistency going forward.” |
| Delayed | “Last month, your project didn’t meet my expectations.” | “The project you shared yesterday was missing some key details. Let’s go over what to change.” |
15 employee feedback examples
For effective feedback, be sure your insights are clear, constructive, and actionable. We've collected several real-world examples that cover both positive and constructive scenarios. Each example includes a breakdown of what occurred, the impact, the desired outcome, and the next steps.
1. Positive feedback example
Positive feedback is used to recognize employees’ achievements and reinforce the behavior and performance you want to see. Positive employee feedback phrases should go beyond simply “good job” or “great work.” Instead, share specifics about what went well, why it matters, and how the employee can capitalize on it for further success.
Remember that employees may have different preferences for receiving feedback, even if positive. Some employees may love a public celebration, while others prefer to hear feedback in private.
| Example scenario | The employee exceeded the quarterly sales goal by 50%. |
|---|---|
| Team impact | The employee achieved increased revenue and led colleagues by example. |
| Desired outcome | The employee feels encouraged toward continued high |
| Feedback example | "Great job exceeding your sales target! Your approach to customer engagement is fantastic and really inspiring for the team to see. Keep up the great work!" |
| Next steps | Consider asking the employee to mentor junior sales reps. |
Additional examples:
- "Your attention to detail in your last report was excellent — well done!"
- “The way you handled that difficult client today was impressive — keep it up!"
2. Negative employee feedback example
Negative employee feedback addresses mistakes or poor behavior. The goal is to alert the employee to the misstep and suggest constructive ways to mitigate the issues.
Due to the sensitive nature of this feedback, it’s best to share it privately, calmly, and as urgently as possible.
| Example scenario | An employee has regularly been missing deadlines. |
|---|---|
| Team impact | Team members are unable to complete their own work and hold up projects. |
| Desired outcome | The employee will begin meeting deadlines consistently. |
| Feedback example | “I’ve noticed your last three deliverables came in after the deadline. Let’s talk about what’s going on and how we can ensure everything is done on time.” |
| Next steps | Set clear expectations for the employee and determine a cadence of ongoing check-ins. |
Additional examples:
- “Your reports are often lacking specific data. Let’s work on improving the accuracy.”
- “When you are unprepared to present at the team meeting, the meetings often run long. Let’s work on preparing ahead of time.”
3. Constructive feedback example
Constructive feedback helps employees understand ways to improve without discouraging them with overtly negative feedback. While constructive feedback should lead to improved behavior or performance, you can phrase it in a way focused on further development rather than simply correcting behavior.
If you’re looking for help giving constructive feedback, examples are below.
| Example scenario | Your employee hasn’t been sharing project updates. |
|---|---|
| Team impact | The team is confused and less efficient. |
| Desired outcome | The team has improved transparency. |
| Feedback example | “Sharing regular updates helps the team stay aligned and on track. Let’s establish a weekly check-in to share updates.” |
| Next steps | Set up a weekly check-in meeting or report. |
Additional examples:
- “Your emails can be unclear. Consider structuring them differently for better clarity.”
- “You tend to interrupt others in meetings. Let’s work on active listening to ensure everyone has a chance to share.”
4. Feedforward example
Feedforward feedback focuses on future improvements instead of simply addressing past mistakes. It should be action-oriented and constructive and give guidance to help an employee improve their performance or skill set going forward. The employee should feel empowered and supported, not criticized.
| Example scenario | An employee has been meeting deadlines but submitting work at the last possible minute. |
|---|---|
| Team impact | The team is slower and less efficient. |
| Desired outcome | The team has improved time management and consistently achieves deadlines. |
| Feedback example | “Getting work done a bit earlier would give us all more time to review and make changes. Let’s explore ways to improve time management.” |
| Next steps | The employee tries new time management techniques, and the manager checks in more frequently. |
Additional examples:
- “Your client follow-ups could be more effective if you’re able to spend a bit more time with them, so let’s brainstorm some ideas to make that work.”
- “The document you submitted would be even more impactful if it was structured in a more organized way. Let’s go over some examples.”
5. Performance-focused feedback example
Performance-focused feedback focuses on an employee's contributions to the business and areas they can improve to achieve business objectives. This feedback should be data-driven and tied to specific, measurable results.
| Example scenario | A recruiting team member missed their hiring targets for the quarter. |
|---|---|
| Team impact | The company cannot achieve all of its objectives due to understaffing. |
| Desired outcome | The employee improves the achievement of their targets. |
| Feedback example | “Your hiring numbers were 20% lower than the target this quarter. Let’s assess what is and isn’t working and create an action plan to close the gap.” |
| Next steps | The manager and employee work together on an action plan and set weekly targets. |
Additional examples:
- “We’re unable to see the success of your marketing campaign due to a lack of tracking methods. Let’s implement a way to keep track.”
- “The content you created is a few pages too long, which may cause readers to leave the website. Let’s rewrite it to make it more concise.”
6. Behavior-focused employee feedback example
As it sounds, behavior-focused employee feedback focuses on the employee’s exhibited behaviors. These could be behaviors related to workplace conduct, communication, teamwork, or professionalism rather than specific job-related skills.
It’s imperative that behavior-focused feedback is specific and clear rather than relying solely on feelings or impressions.
| Example scenario | An employee frequently interrupts or speaks over others in meetings. |
|---|---|
| Team impact | The team feels unheard or afraid to speak up, which impacts collaboration. |
| Desired outcome | The employee becomes a better listener, empowering the rest of the team to share their ideas more freely. |
| Feedback example | “I’ve noticed you sometimes interrupt others during our weekly meeting. Let’s work on pausing and ensuring everyone has a chance to speak.” |
| Next steps | The employee practices active listening, and the manager provides reminders and encouragement as needed. |
Additional examples:
- “You've brought a negative mindset to our last few team discussions. Let’s work on ways to be solution-oriented rather than simply sharing complaints.”
- “The recipient of this email felt your answer was a bit blunt. Let’s work on softening your language.”
7. Upward feedback example for managers
Upward feedback flows to higher levels of leadership. For example, you, as a manager, could share feedback with your director or C-suite executive.
Often, this feedback relates to a leader's management style, the organizational culture, or the company's trajectory. Like other feedback, it may be positive, negative, or constructive in nature.
| Example scenario | You report to a director who is frequently unavailable for your scheduled one-on-one meetings. |
|---|---|
| Team impact | You're unable to share updates, receive feedback, and align on the team’s direction. |
| Desired outcome | Scheduled meetings take place as expected |
| Feedback example | “I've found it difficult to set direction for my team when I'm not able to talk with you regularly. How can we make sure we're able to meet every week?” |
| Next steps | Your leader makes themselves available for your weekly meetings. |
Additional examples:
- “When you share company updates in a brief email, the team often feels confused. Could you try to include more context?”
- “I really appreciated how you opened the floor for me to speak at the meeting. I'd welcome more opportunities like that."
8. Upward feedback example for employees
It's not easy for employees to share feedback with their managers, and it's even more nerve-wracking when feedback isn't actively solicited. Empower your team to share feedback by cultivating an open and transparent culture, and — it really is this simple — frequently asking for feedback.
Sharing an example of upward feedback with your team lets them know you want to make the feedback process easier for them and shows that you take it seriously.
| Example scenario | The employee doesn't feel they've received growth opportunities. |
|---|---|
| Team impact | They feel frustrated and as though they don't have a future at the company. |
| Desired outcome | The manager and employee will align on growth areas and ways for the employee to develop. |
| Feedback example | “I've felt stuck in my role and would like more support from you in terms of my development.” |
| Next steps | The manager and employee discuss goals and formulate a plan. |
Additional examples:
- “I would appreciate having a regular check-in meeting with you instead of meeting in an ad-hoc fashion. Can we get something on the calendar?”
- “I felt put on the spot when you called on me in that meeting. Next time, could you give me a heads up beforehand so I have time to prepare?”
9. Formal feedback example
Ideally, your organization has a process in place for the sharing of formal feedback. This is typically an annual or semi-annual performance review process or regular employee surveys.
In a less desirable situation, formal feedback may occur if an employee exhibits extensive conduct or performance issues that you need to document before taking final measures like termination.
| Example scenario | Employees receive annual performance reviews where managers give details about workers’ achievement of objectives for the year. |
|---|---|
| Team impact | The team can share feedback and speak their mind. |
| Desired outcome | Employees and managers are in alignment about the year's successes and challenges. |
| Feedback example | “In the past year, you've regularly exceeded your objectives, often performing at a higher level than your current role.” |
| Next steps | Reflection on the past year and development of forward-facing goals. |
Additional examples:
- “You successfully achieved all of your objectives; however, there is work needed on your communication style.”
- “In the past year, there was a noticeable change in your level of engagement. I'd like to understand what's been going on.”
10. Informal feedback example
On the other hand, you have informal feedback. There's no need to wait for an annual review or survey because informal feedback appears in regular one-on-one meetings, over messaging software like Slack, or even in a brief hallway chat.
| Example scenario | Your employee did well on a recent sales call. |
|---|---|
| Team impact | You'll possibly land a new customer. |
| Desired outcome | The employee will do more of the same good work and inspire others to do the same. |
| Feedback example | “Hey, great job on that sales call. Really good work — keep it up!” |
| Next steps | The employee understands the level of performance they should continue exhibiting. |
Additional examples:
- “Great email to the team! I appreciated the clarity of the updates.”
- “Thanks for stepping in at the meeting. Everyone really enjoyed your perspective.”
11. Real-time employee feedback example
It's important to share feedback as promptly as possible. This keeps specific details fresh in your mind and allows the employee to make any necessary changes right away. It's not always possible to give feedback at the moment, but when you can, you should.
| Example scenario | Your employee shares confidential information on a public-facing call. |
|---|---|
| Team impact | Private details got out to someone outside the organization. |
| Desired outcome | The employee will be aware of what is and is not possible to share. |
| Feedback example | “That info you just shared with the prospect is confidential. Please don't share details about our upcoming funding round with anyone outside the company.” |
| Next steps | The employee will keep confidential information close to the vest. |
Additional examples:
- “Really great job fielding those tough questions from the CEO. You clearly know your stuff!”
- “Please be on time for client meetings. They've been waiting for 10 minutes.”
12. Peer feedback example for managers
Sharing feedback with your employees is important, but don’t forget to share peer feedback, too. A rising tide lifts all boats, so as your fellow managers improve, so will the team as a whole.
Like other feedback, peer feedback can be constructive or positive. When sharing constructive feedback, it’s best to focus on the impact to your team or your work, rather than stepping on your peers’ toes by sharing feedback that would be better from their managers.
| Example scenario | A fellow manager stepped in to help your team while you were unavailable. |
|---|---|
| Team impact | The team stayed on track, and you didn’t have to overextend yourself. |
| Desired outcome | The coworker feels appreciated and recognized for being a team player. |
| Feedback example | "I really appreciate you jumping in to help my team when I was out — thank you!" |
| Next steps | Encourage further teamwork and find ways to provide mutual support. |
Additional examples:
- “Thanks for your help with that project; I learned a lot from you!”
- “In the meeting today, I noticed you didn’t leave a lot of time for updates from my team. Next time, can we make sure that is included?”
13. Peer feedback example for employees
Your employees should also feel empowered to share feedback with each other. This helps to foster a culture of collaboration while enabling each team member to continually learn and grow.
Help your team feel comfortable sharing feedback with each other by providing them with examples. Below are a few to get you started.
| Example scenario | One employee trained another on a new software system. |
|---|---|
| Team impact | The team got up to speed faster than they would have otherwise. |
| Desired outcome | The team will continue to help each other learn new things. |
| Feedback example | “Thanks so much for your help with the new system. I feel a lot more confident now.” |
| Next steps | Continue to foster a culture of teamwork and support. |
Additional examples:
- “Thanks for covering my shift while I was sick. I appreciate your flexibility and willingness to help out.”
- “I noticed I was not part of your last client meeting; can you please remember to invite me next time?”
14. Team feedback example
Provide feedback to your entire team sparingly. Make sure it’s truly feedback the entire team needs; if you give feedback to a whole team when you really just want one person to hear it, the message may be lost if you communicate it to the whole team.
Team feedback is best when you need to share major updates or correct mass team behavior, such as the entire team running late to meetings or missing deadlines. Or, of course, when you want to share positive feedback about the team exceeding goals or collaborating well.
| Example scenario | The team meetings frequently run over time because several members show up late. |
|---|---|
| Team impact | Meetings are less productive, and when they run long, the team is late for their next meeting. |
| Desired outcome | Meetings begin and end on time. |
| Feedback example | “These meetings have been running long due to folks showing up late. Let’s aim to keep these meetings on time. Please be sure to show up on time going forward.” |
| Next steps | Remind the team of meetings ahead of time or acknowledge improved timeliness. |
Additional examples:
- “Congrats on exceeding the quarterly goal! I’m so impressed by the way you worked together to get the job done.”
- “It’s a bit hard to focus on this presentation with everyone chattering in the background; could everyone please keep commentary to a minimum until the meeting is done?”
15. Anonymous feedback example
In general, leaders shouldn’t use anonymity to provide feedback to their teams. Instead, anonymous feedback is best for employees sharing upward feedback to leadership, such as in an employee survey. Sometimes, workers may feel more comfortable sharing feedback without their names attached, which lets them be more honest and transparent.
However, even when anonymous, feedback should remain professional and constructive. Here are a few examples you can share with your team.
| Example scenario | Employees feel unclear and confused about promotion criteria. |
|---|---|
| Team impact | The team feels frustrated and disengaged. |
| Desired outcome | Employees receive more direction around career progression and are more engaged in their work. |
| Feedback example | “It would be helpful to receive clearer guidelines about what it takes to advance within the company.” |
| Next steps | Leaders provide a comprehensive and transparent promotion framework. |
Additional examples:
- “I would appreciate more mentorship from my manager.”
- “I would love to have more opportunities to work remotely.”
How to improve feedback culture
A strong feedback culture requires intention and effort; you’ve got to make feedback a regular and expected part of the workplace, empower your teams to speak up, and meaningfully offer feedback to your employees. The payoff is huge: Employees will be more engaged, performance will improve, and you’ll have a strong culture of trust when employees feel it’s a safe space to share feedback.
Here are some best practices to help improve your organization's feedback culture:
- Solicit feedback directly. Ask your employees to share their insights and make it clear you take their opinions seriously.
- Provide various feedback mechanisms. Offer employees different ways to hear and share feedback, including formal ones like performance reviews and surveys and informal opportunities like chats over Slack or other messenger tools.
- Share updates on past feedback. Follow up on past employee feedback and share what actions you’ve taken to address it. This lets employees know you take their feedback seriously.
- Give consistent feedback, both positive and constructive. The more you share feedback, the more it becomes a natural and expected part of conversations.
- Share data-driven results. If you can, show how past feedback led to specific organizational improvements.
- Leverage employee feedback software. Feedback tools let you streamline feedback delivery, collection, analysis, and follow-up, making it easy to receive feedback and implement changes.
| Common Challenge | Solution |
|---|---|
| Employees feel hesitant to share feedback to leaders. | Offer employees the chance to share feedback anonymously and continue to provide updates to show you’ve taken and implemented their feedback. |
| Employees receive constructive feedback poorly or defensively. | Foster a growth mindset in the organization by sharing feedback on forward-looking development and growth. |
| Employees rarely share upward feedback. | Ensure you’ve created dedicated opportunities for employees to share feedback, including surveys, meetings, open-door policies, and more. |
| Employees don’t feel their feedback has an impact. | Provide regular updates showing how the organization has changed due to employee feedback. |
| Managers provide feedback that is inconsistent or confusing. | Facilitate training regarding effective delivery of feedback and implement feedback guidelines. |
Methods to share and collect employee feedback
As noted above, it’s crucial to give your employees many ways to share their feedback (and for you to have options for sharing feedback with employees). The more feedback opportunities, the more likely you are to receive feedback — and the more likely employees will feel their feedback is truly sought after and valued. There are plenty of methods for both giving and asking for feedback.
To share feedback with your employees, consider:
- Regular one-on-one meetings. These serve as a regular chance to let your employees know how they’re doing and where they can improve.
- Team meetings. If you need to share broad feedback with the whole team, consider doing so in a team meeting.
- Email or messenger. For feedback that must be presented in writing for documentation purposes, consider drafting an email or message in addition to verbal announcements.
- Performance reviews. While nothing in a performance review should be surprising — meaning the employee should have already heard this feedback — this is a good opportunity to reiterate the most important information.
If you want to collect feedback from your employees, try:
- Hosting Q&A or feedback sessions. This type of meeting will encourage employees to ask direct questions or share feedback with leadership.
- Facilitating town halls, all-hands meetings, or Ask Me Anything (AMA) meetings. These company- or department-wide meetings can foster discussion and allow for a two-way dialogue.
- Anonymous employee feedback. To seek honest feedback, allow workers to share their thoughts anonymously, either via a survey, anonymous question drop boxes, or virtual employee feedback forms.
- Employee feedback surveys. These can be anonymous or with a name attached, but either way, they’re an excellent way to ask employee feedback questions in a structured way.
- Live polls. Use polls for quick, real-time feedback, such as during an event or meeting.
Improve employee feedback with Mentimeter
Sharing and requesting employee feedback will bring better clarity, more trust, and higher performance to your organization. But as simple as that sounds, truly optimizing your feedback loop can be tricky. It takes more than simply asking open-ended questions.
To maximize feedback, look for tools that can help you create and track employee surveys and polls, run live Q&A sessions, and give plenty of opportunities for employees to share their feedback. Mentimeter does all this and more, and you can sign up to try it out today.
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