Feedback isn't just a checkbox for high-performing companies – it's a must.
According to Harvard Business Review, 92% of employees agree that feedback is effective in improving performance. Yet, other statistics reveal that less than 30% of employees receive what they deem to be regular feedback at work.
A lack of upward feedback is also a problem. 20% of employees don’t share feedback with their employers, while 30.7% feel their feedback is not valuable enough to share.
So how can HR leaders turn the tide, and bridge this disconnect in their organizations?
In a recent episode of HR on the Frontline, I sat down with Michelle Strasburger, Fractional CHRO at HR Rebooted, to explore how organizations can shift feedback from something to be afraid of to something foundational.
Here are some of my key takeaways from our conversation, woven into a practical guide for building a culture of feedback that sticks.
A strong culture of feedback isn't just about giving employees more performance reviews. It's about creating a continuous loop of communication, improvement, and recognition.
“I think that feedback isn't a bad word,” said Michelle. “It doesn't have to be negative.”
“And I think if we start to look at it that way, it becomes easier to work with and easier to create a culture of feedback.”
Employees who receive regular, constructive feedback are three times more engaged than those who don’t. A culture of feedback at work empowers your employees to course-correct, grow, and contribute more effectively to your goals.
It can also help with retention. Organizations that provide regular employee feedback see 14.9% lower turnover rates. In a competitive job market, building a culture of feedback is also about improving employee retention, engagement, and development.
Many leaders (myself included!) talk about wanting to create a culture of feedback at work. But as Michelle pointed out, there's often a gap between intention and execution, particularly when it comes to employees giving feedback upwards to leaders.
"Leaders say they want feedback, but if it’s not practiced or perceived as welcomed, it doesn’t matter," she explains. "Employees won’t risk giving feedback if they don’t feel safe."
“I think that leaders have good intent in setting culture and saying, we want a culture of feedback,” she explains. “But then there is this disconnect after that. If it's not something that's practiced, if it's not something that is ongoing, if it's not something that's perceived as welcomed, you kind of step away from that.”
In fact, many executives assume their employees are more engaged than they actually are. Michelle referenced what she called the "engagement illusion," where leaders, being more informed and involved, project their own high engagement onto the rest of the organization.
“Leaders believe that their frontline employees are more engaged than they are because they themselves are engaged. And so sometimes I think we get comfortable as leaders saying, ‘we get it, we understand, things are fine’. And we don't always seek the feedback or engage in feedback conversations.”
That illusion creates a disconnect between what leadership believes is happening and what employees are actually experiencing on the front lines – and ultimately, missed opportunities for growth.
So, with all this in mind, what can leaders do to really make a culture of feedback a reality?
From my conversation with Michelle, three key action items stood out to me as imperative for any organization that’s serious about making feedback an integral part of their day-to-day operations.
The journey to creating a culture of feedback begins at the top. Leaders must model the behaviour they want to see.
Michellle recalled some words of wisdom from a leader she had early in her career. “We all have our 5% that needs improvement.”
“So, you know, what's that 5% that needs improvement and what's the worst that can happen?” she said. “When you get feedback, take the things you can use and use it, and the things you can't just crumple it up and throw it away.”
She also had advice for leaders on the best way to react to feedback from employees.
“When somebody gives you feedback, the best response is thank you. And that's it. And that's going to keep feedback coming. If you attack the person for giving you feedback or give excuses, they will never give feedback again.”
That simple act of gratitude keeps the door open for honest dialogue and reinforces psychological safety. Defensive reactions, on the other hand, shut the door. And that vulnerability from leadership sets the tone for openness across the organization.
To build a culture of feedback, you need to understand your starting point. Michelle recommends using engagement surveys that include questions like, "Do you feel comfortable giving feedback to your manager?"
This data helps HR and leadership teams understand whether feedback is part of the current culture or if it exists only in theory. It also creates benchmarks to track progress over time.
Beyond surveys, consider holding confidential interviews or focus groups to gather qualitative data. Anonymous feedback mechanisms can surface issues employees may hesitate to voice directly.
Giving and receiving feedback is a learned skill.
Michelle advises focusing feedback on the what, not the who. “If you say, ‘what happened and how do we make sure that this doesn't happen in the future?’, you're going to get much more engagement in the conversation around trying to fix it.”
She recommends using the SBI model: Situation, Behavior, and Impact. For example: "During yesterday’s meeting (Situation), you interrupted the speaker multiple times (Behavior), which made it hard for others to share their ideas (Impact)."
This approach keeps the feedback constructive and avoids making it personal.
Equally important is training people on how to receive feedback, which is where Michelle returns to her simple but powerful mantra: "Say thank you. That's it."
Avoid defensiveness. Take time to process. Ask questions later if needed. Feedback isn’t always perfect, but it’s a chance to learn.
Creating a culture of feedback isn’t about once-a-year performance reviews. It's about making feedback part of the everyday fabric of work.
For frontline teams, Strasburger recommends Agile practices like daily stand-up meetings.
“If we think about feedback as communication and constant communication, the best thing I've seen in the past is implementing more of an agile approach. Where we have daily standup meetings, maybe before a shift, and we're just communicating updates from other shifts or changes in the organization or things like that, incorporating feedback into that.
“Of course, if it's disciplinary, you don't want to do that in a standup meeting, but if it's just regular feedback like, ‘yesterday we did really great. We closed the day with this amount of sales or this much activity. Let's try to beat that today’.”
Other effective practices include weekly one-on-ones, project retrospectives, and real-time check-ins. Embedding feedback in daily rituals helps demystify it and reduces the stress associated with formal reviews.
Small group lunches with executives – like the 10-person CEO lunches she implemented in a previous role – can also foster feedback in a safe, engaging environment. These conversations promote transparency and humanize leadership. “The CEO and I sit down with employees, we would answer questions, and share the vision of the future. And it just created that safe space for people to be able to share thoughts and ideas.”
Recognition isn’t separate from feedback – it’s an essential part of it. In fact, recognizing positive behaviours reinforces what’s working and motivates repeat performance.
"Culture is shaped by the behaviours you tolerate and the behaviours you recognize," says Michelle. "If you want a culture of feedback, you have to recognize people for doing that.”
It also creates the space for constructive feedback. If all you do is point out flaws, employees start tuning you out. But if you’re also recognizing good work, it builds trust.
Incorporating recognition platforms like Guusto into your feedback strategy makes it easier to reward in real time. Use the same SBI model for recognition: highlight the situation, describe the behavior, and explain the positive impact.
Recognition also builds the emotional capital that makes tough conversations easier. When employees feel seen and valued, they’re more receptive to guidance and motivated to improve.
The most powerful message from this episode of HR on the Frontline is that feedback, when done right, is not something to fear. It’s something to celebrate.
"It can be celebratory," says Michelle. "It can be recognition. It can be an opportunity for improvement. But feedback is a gift."
Creating a culture of feedback takes intentional effort, consistent practice, and a shift in mindset. But the payoff – in performance, retention, and culture – is worth it.
So if you're wondering how to create a culture of feedback at work, start by leading with curiosity, communicating often, and recognizing great work along the way. The ripple effects will transform your organization.
Recognition is crucial to building a culture of feedback, but it can also fuel innovation, productivity, employee development, and more.
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