Someone who advises offers insights and provides feedback on career development plans and progress a

Leading employers know how important it is to place employees’ professional development at the heart of company policy. Why? Their workers expect it. Talented professionals want to work for a company that will help them to build skills and knowledge and further their careers.

Managers shouldn’t minimize the importance of supporting their employees’ career advancement. If they do, they risk undermining morale and productivity by leaving talented workers feeling like they aren’t valued. And in the longer term, the company could face the loss of these dispirited employees to competitors.

So, with a new year upon us, show your workers that they have both company and manager support in their desire to grow professionally by applying the following strategies to promote the development of employees:

1. Take a personal interest in employee career goals

If you’re managing a remote team, you know how important it is to communicate frequently with your workers. That interaction should include meeting regularly with team members one-on-one so you can stay attuned to their career aspirations and expectations. This kind of manager support can help your staff feel valued — and lead to greater productivity and loyalty.

Help your employees outline a potential career path within the organization, so they can better visualize their future at the company. Identify specific milestones for achievement and the supporting resources employees will likely need to tap along their journey. Clear, direct and consistent communication from the boss about career advancement steps can help workers feel more engaged.

2. Promote training and development of employees

Job training and continuing education help to fuel employee career growth. So, you’ll want to encourage team members to pursue relevant business courses and workshops that will further their career advancement. Virtual learning opportunities are a must for many teams right now, and fortunately, there are many affordable options available. (Even if budgets are leaner at the moment, keep in mind that an investment in employee career development can deliver a strong ROI for your business.)

In addition to nurturing individual needs and growing specific skills, help your employees keep up with what’s happening in the wider industry. One cost-effective method that’s easy to arrange is to host lunch-and-learn sessions by video, featuring either external or internal guest speakers. Also, give your employees the time and flexibility to engage in industry events. Consider asking those workers to share what they learn at these events with their colleagues.

3. Encourage mentoring and job shadowing

Establishing a formal mentoring program might be one of the smartest moves a company can make at any time — for itself as well as for its workers’ personal and professional growth. Mentoring can also be an effective tool for onboarding remote staff.

Though often seen as a transfer of knowledge from tenured team members to less-seasoned employees, mentoring in the workplace is a two-way street. While senior staff members can offer hard-earned insights and professional guidance to less-experienced colleagues, they also can benefit from the fresh perspectives and technological know-how of up-and-coming employees.

4. Rotate employee roles

The human brain thrives on variety, and job rotation is a smart way to shake up your workers’ daily routine. Consider allowing employees to work in different but related departments or positions. (A job rotation program can help to facilitate this.) These opportunities will help your team members gain new skills, more appreciation for their colleagues’ duties and a better understanding of the business.

Job rotation can also be an effective way to increase cross-departmental collaboration and build rapport in a remote team. And the organization will benefit from having a more well-rounded workforce.

5. Support work-life balance

Hard work is a prerequisite for career advancement, but that doesn’t necessarily mean committing to an endless series of lengthy workdays. Encourage your employees to work smart, maximize their efficiency, and leave time and energy for their interests outside of work. This advice is especially important for remote team members who may find it difficult at times to keep work and life separate.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many professionals to rethink their priorities. Research by our company found that 40% of workers see themselves emphasizing their personal life over their job moving forward. That suggests employers will be under even more pressure in the future to help their employees achieve a desirable work-life balance.

Taking a proactive approach to your team’s well-being can also prevent stress from rising and leading to burnout. By adopting flexible policies that enhance work-life balance, you can buoy employee morale. You’ll help your workers find the time to do their jobs, attend to personal demands, and even engage in professional development activities that can aid their career advancement.

6. Paint the big picture

Reminding employees of their unique contributions to the company’s mission adds meaning to their role. It can also increase their motivation to expand their responsibilities and advance in the organization.

Don’t assume they already know how their work adds value, however. Offer regular insights into how their day-to-day actions make a difference to the organization. In your regular updates to team members, be sure to highlight the firm’s progress toward key objectives. And acknowledge individual employees for specific achievements that are helping to drive the company toward those goals.

7. Create a succession planning program

Succession planning can demonstrate to high-potential employees that you not only want to invest in their professional development but also see them evolving into future leaders for the business. That is a powerful message. So, don’t push this important process to the back burner. Create a succession plan for every key position in your organization. It can help motivate employees to learn the skills and knowledge needed for career advancement.

Your employees will be better positioned to achieve their career goals if they know they have manager support. And even if your team is working remotely right now, it’s still possible to make professional development of employees and career advancement high priorities for the business. Emphasizing employee career growth can create significant and lasting benefits for your workers. It can also help position your company to be even more competitive.

Career development
4 Ways Feedback Improves Performance in The Workplace

By Indeed Editorial Team

Updated February 11, 2021 | Published December 12, 2019

Updated February 11, 2021

Published December 12, 2019

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

Team feedback is crucial in business to identify company goals and manage progress. To be effective, feedback should be intentional, constructive and engaging. By understanding the importance of team feedback and learning the most effective techniques, you can improve the feedback process within your team. In this article, we discuss the importance of giving feedback and tips to improve your feedback process.

What is feedback?

Feedback is the process of evaluating, discussing and organizing an employee’s performance. It is an action used to offer constructive information to a team member. The process of giving feedback creates an open working relationship among the team leader and member, allowing each to understand their progress toward a pre-set goal.

Feedback is a means of improvement. It helps individuals shape their actions to better meet the needs of an employer or team leader. Feedback is just one of the required tasks of a supervisor or manager and is meant to encourage their team to meet goals and follow company guidelines.

Here are some common elements of effective feedback:

Timeliness: The most effective feedback is timely. Offer feedback when the team member can take action to improve, either immediately or shortly after the event in question.
Communicative: Communicative feedback creates a collaborative environment. In comparison to written feedback, communicative feedback allows team members to ask questions or gain more clarity.
Constructive: Effective feedback is constructive, offering positive solutions. Only offer feedback on actions or tasks that can be improved.
Specific: Specificity in feedback is important so that team members understand their areas of strength and weakness. This allows them to improve specific skills.
Detailed: Providing details with feedback can help team members develop a clearer understanding of the areas in which they can improve. Offer specific details about events and tasks.

Related: SMART Goals: Definition and Examples

How feedback improves performance

Feedback is a crucial part of improving a team’s performance. Feedback can achieve the following purposes in a team setting:

Provides direction

Feedback provides direction by identifying performance indicators and allowing team members to understand their progress toward a goal.

Motivates members

A motivated team is often a productive one. Feedback can encourage team members to complete goals and objectives. Feedback can also help you better understand the strengths and weaknesses of your team, allowing you to build on them and further motivate team members.

Improves individual performance

Team feedback can also improve the performance of each team member. When each team member understands their role on the team and the tasks they are expected to complete, the team can complete more goals.

Encourages engagement

Effective feedback is two-sided. When team members have the chance to provide feedback, they are more likely to be engaged. Engaged team members will often have better performance.

Types of team feedback

The type of feedback that you choose when working with your team will vary depending on the goal of the feedback. Here are a few of the most popular types of feedback in a business setting:

360-degree feedback
Constructive criticism
Coaching
Evaluation

1. 360-degree feedback

360-degree feedback allows all team members and leaders to be involved in the feedback process. This form of feedback is confidential and comes from the entire work team, not just management or team leaders. Feedback might include coworkers, direct reports and managers. A rating scale method is used and covers pre-designed questions. Individuals are then allowed to leave written comments. The person being rated will also fill out the same form, rating themselves.

360-degree feedback offers the following advantages:

Offers insight into specific skills that team members can work to improve
Gives team members a better understanding of feedback from the entire team
Allows team members to build on current strengths
Encourages team members to better understand their role and team expectations

Related: The Importance of Positive Feedback and How to Deliver It to Others

2. Constructive criticism

Constructive criticism is a type of feedback that includes both positive and negative statements. Team members who receive constant negative feedback may eventually feel like they are not capable. By offering feedback that highlights both the positive and the negative, you can motivate and encourage at the same time.

Constructive feedback offers the following advantages:

Gives team members a new perspective on both achievements and areas of improvement
Creates a trusting relationship between you and the team member
Gives team members specific and measurable areas in which they can improve
Identifies actual solutions to problems

Related: Best Practices for Giving Constructive Feedback

3. Coaching

Another common feedback method is the coaching feedback model. In this model, you first encourage your team members to offer themselves feedback. From there, you and the team member consider the self-rated feedback as you offer your input, acting in the role of a coach.

Coaching feedback offers the following advantages:

Encourages team members to develop feedback skills
Helps you understand each team member’s concerns
Creates a collaborative relationship

4. Evaluation

An evaluation type of feedback requests both you and your team members use a scoring tool to rate performance. The scores are then compared and discussed together. This feedback method is useful in a work setting in which performance can be numerically evaluated.

Evaluation feedback offers the following advantages:

Creates an environment in which you can openly discuss performance
Encourages team members to consider performance based on a measurable number
Gives a measurable method of improvement

Related: Ways to Conduct Employee Performance Appraisals

How to provide effective feedback

Feedback is an important leadership quality, regardless of your leadership style. Try these steps to strengthen your existing feedback skills and develop your leadership skills:

Understand your goal for giving feedback.
Put the feedback in writing first.
Create a schedule.
Accept feedback.

1. Understand your goal for giving feedback

Consider your purpose for providing feedback. It might be to improve the strengths and correct the weaknesses of your team members or to encourage your team to move quickly toward a common goal. Understanding your goals for giving feedback can assist you when determining the best approach to take.

Related: Setting Goals to Improve Your Career

2. Put the feedback in writing first

By putting your intended feedback in writing first, it can help you ensure that you are being specific, honest and timely. Feedback should be intentional, and writing it down first encourages you to understand your intention. It also allows you to evaluate your feedback for clarity, ensure that it is constructive and have a clear plan for your conversation.

3. Create a schedule

Regular feedback is important. Busy days or frequent work tasks can make it challenging to maintain routine feedback. Creating a schedule of weekly or monthly reviews can help you to keep up with this important task while ensuring your team members know when to expect feedback. A schedule also allows you to be timely by giving feedback as soon as possible after an important event.

4. Accept feedback

Learning to welcome feedback can help you improve your skills not only for giving effective feedback but also as a team leader. You can create a more trusting relationship with your team members when you are open to their feedback. Try implementing another schedule or plan for accepting feedback from your team members, such as the 360-degree method.