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In our modern workplaces, cultivating a culture of professional growth is essential for employee well-being and company success. At the core of this culture lies feedback, a powerful practice that enhances individual and collective performance. But what is feedback in a professional setting? How can it positively influence relationships and organizational growth? Let’s explore together the importance of feedback in the work environment.

Definition of feedback

In French, the term “feedback” translates to “rétroaction” or “retour en arrière”, representing a reflection on a past experience, product, or event.

Feedback in business involves sharing feedback on an individual’s actions, whether positive or negative, with the aim of improving performance.

It should be constructive and improvement-focused, concentrating on specific facts and offering suggestions for improvement if necessary.

This practice takes various forms such as verbal feedback, written evaluations, individual meetings, or surveys.

The main role of feedback in business is to support employees in their professional development by providing feedback on their actions, thus optimizing both individual and collective performance within the company.

The three types of feedback in business

We distinguish three types of feedback in business:

• Positive feedback: It is used to congratulate and motivate. This type of feedback is filled with positive notes to highlight skills and reinforce employees’ positive beliefs. It is essential for boosting their self-esteem and strengthening their confidence, which promotes the development of their initiative.
• Frame-setting feedback: Less pleasant than positive feedback, frame-setting feedback is necessary when an employee adopts a behavior or direction that doesn’t seem suitable for the situation. Frame-setting isn’t about reprimanding or criticizing but about accompanying and guiding the employee in the right direction, providing advice and suggestions for improvement.
• Developmental feedback: This type of feedback is used to reveal potential and help employees progress and grow. It resembles coaching, aiming to accompany the employee in reaching a higher level, improving, and gaining skills. To be effective, this type of feedback requires being more detailed and specific than other types of feedback.

Downward feedback and upward feedback

Two other types of feedback are commonly used in business:

• Downward feedback (from HR and managers to employees): This tool aims to provide the employee with key information to progress and demonstrates recognition of their work. By highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of their output, it allows the employee to improve their skills, enhance their performance, and feel more invested in the company.
• Upward feedback (from employees to HR and managers): By seeking input from their employees, HR and managers can assess the quality of their processes and identify any gaps between desired outcomes and reality. By giving employees a voice and acting on their feedback, it is possible to increase their engagement and foster a more collaborative and motivating work environment.

The benefits of a feedback culture

In a constantly evolving professional environment, cultivating a feedback culture offers numerous benefits for companies.

1. First and foremost, feedback improves performance by identifying gaps in projects and refining internal processes. Whether it’s adjusting a new strategy or evaluating the effectiveness of onboarding, the feedback gathered provides valuable insights to optimize operations and ensure the success of initiatives.

2. Encouraging feedback also increases the sense of recognition among employees. By giving them the opportunity to express themselves and valuing their contributions, it demonstrates the importance they hold for the company, thereby strengthening their engagement and motivation.

3. Finally, feedback plays a crucial role in the professional development of employees. By providing constructive feedback on their performance, it helps them to progress and develop new skills. Moreover, a widespread feedback culture fosters the flourishing of qualities such as analytical thinking, critical sense, and effective communication, thereby strengthening the collective strength of the team.

How to foster feedback in the workplace?

Fostering a culture of positive feedback within the company requires the implementation of structured and compassionate best practices.

Creating an open and safe environment is an essential pillar. Employees must feel free to express themselves without fear of hierarchical retaliation. Without this trust, constructive feedback cannot fully thrive.

Encouraging initiative and participation is also crucial. It is crucial to value and regularly solicit contributions from everyone. By diversifying feedback formats, whether in small group meetings, larger committees, or individually, everyone can express themselves according to their preferences and feel heard.

Moreover, investing in training and awareness of constructive feedback strengthens this culture of positive exchange. Employees must learn to give their feedback in a non-violent manner, thereby promoting open and respectful dialogue. Similarly, knowing how to receive feedback constructively is a valuable skill that promotes personal and professional development.

Feedback assistance tools

There are various feedback assistance tools, but they are not always all very effective.

For example, feedback management platforms can be complex to use and lead to information overload for managers. Survey and data collection applications, on the other hand, may experience a low response rate and lack context in the responses. Lastly, messaging and internal communication applications can result in excessive informal communication and compromise the confidentiality of information.

Balencio helps you collect feedback from your collaborators… but not only that!

Unlike traditional feedback management platforms, which can sometimes be complex to use and lead to information overload, Balencio offers an integrated and intuitive solution.

Indeed, Balencio goes far beyond being just a simple survey platform or feedback collection tool. Although this aspect is essential, Balencio’s strength lies in its ability to facilitate HR data analysis and support strategic decision-making. Thanks to advanced data processing and analysis features, Balencio enables companies to transform employee feedback into actionable plans.

By providing valuable insights into organizational climate and employee performance, Balencio helps companies optimize their HR strategies and foster a more productive and fulfilling work environment.

With Balencio, feedback becomes a powerful lever to boost employee engagement, strengthen corporate culture, and drive organizational growth. Book your demo now to get a preview of our platform!