HR Question: Strategies to Make Employees Comfortable Critiquing Leadership

Question: How can we help our employees feel more comfortable providing feedback about their managers?

Answer: Employees are often uncomfortable providing feedback about their managers because they fear workplace tension or retaliation, they aren’t sure what to say, or they don’t believe anything will change. The following practices can help address these concerns:

• Use a survey tool that will enable you to share results and feedback with managers anonymously. If you are unable to maintain anonymity by sharing the feedback directly with managers, have either the manager’s manager or someone outside of the department compile the feedback into themes to share.
• Explain to employees how their anonymity is maintained. Insight into how the survey functions will help them feel more secure.
• Ask questions that allow employees to give as much or as little information as they feel comfortable. Some employees may feel like writing paragraphs. Others may be inclined to provide a rating and nothing else.
• Give employees time during the workday to complete the survey.
• Hold managers accountable to changes they’ve committed to making.
• Work towards creating a culture where giving and receiving candid feedback is the norm. Managers can contribute to this culture by owning up to their mistakes, acknowledging where they have room to grow, and accepting critical input graciously.
• If retaliation occurs in response to sharing survey feedback, put an immediate stop to it.

This Q&A does not constitute legal advice and does not address state or local law.

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