Learning what feedback is and using the different types of feedback that exist correctly is crucial for the personal and professional development of employees. It’s also essential for companies to ask for feedback effectively, in this way it will be easier to gain greater visibility into any issues that exist within the organization and the needs or concerns of their workers.
Remember that you can apply the SBI Feedback model to give effective feedback no matter what type of feedback it is.
9 Types of feedback in the company
Within the 9 types of feedback that exist, there are categorizations that help us identify which feedback we should use in each particular case.
- Types of feedback according to the type evaluation: positive feedback, negative feedback and constructive feedback.
- Types of feedback according to their form: implicit feedback, explicit feedback, 360 feedback and continuous feedback.
- Types of feedback according to the content: general feedback and specific feedback.
We can combine all types of feedback, whether they belong to different categories or to the same one. This way, we could give positive, implicit, and specific feedback. Or constructive, 360-degree, and ongoing feedback, for example. By doing so, we can compose our feedback in such a way that we achieve the intended message and objective behind it.
3 Types of feedback according to the type of evaluation
Depending on the type of evaluation we want to carry out, we will come across three types of feedback:
- Positive feedback: is a type of feedback that focuses on employees’ strengths, skills and achievements. Giving positive feedback is the best way to recognize values such as effort, good attitude or great leadership.
Anything that allows employees to understand that they are doing a good job should be recognized with positive feedback messages.
- Negative feedback: the objective of negative feedback is to highlight what an employee has not done correctly and provide improvement recommendations. Of all the types of feedback, negative feedback is the most difficult to receive but essential to promote employee growth.
- Constructive feedback: it is used to help someone improve their performance. Constructive feedback points out potential areas of improvement, provides solutions, and tools to progress. It is a type of feedback that tends not to be well-received as it can be advice that employees have not asked for.
4 Types of feedback according to their form
Considering the manner in which it is given, we find four types of feedback:
- Implicit feedback: it refers to messages that are conveyed indirectly, for example, through gestures or tone of voice. This type of feedback is not explicitly verbalized. Thus, it is essential to understand how it works so as not to send the wrong messages to employees.
It is usually used when we want to offer feedback in a subtle way, to avoid it turning into a direct confrontation.
- Explicit feedback: with explicit feedback, we communicate the message in a completely direct way. Regardless of whether it can be positive, negative, or constructive, it helps to provide specific information about an employee’s performance.
- Feedback 360: it is a more comprehensive and complex type of feedback. In order to be considered 360-degree feedback, it requires the participation of coworkers, managers, and even clients. This type of feedback is used to evaluate an employee’s performance from different perspectives.
Its objective is to offer valuable information to the employee on how to improve in their work. It is used in situations where a comprehensive evaluation is necessary, such as in performance reviews.
- Continuous feedback: the main value of this type of feedback is that it is offered frequently, instead of at specific moments. It is used to closely monitor an employee’s performance, as well as in regular meetings such as one-on-one meetings.
2 Types of feedback according to their content
When we talk about the content of feedback, we must pay attention to the two types that exist in this case:
- General feedback: it is a type of feedback that focuses on general aspects of an employee, offering an overall view of the issue at hand. This type of feedback does not focus on details or other relevant aspects that could come into play in the matter being addressed.
- Specific feedback: offers more specific information. It is used in situations where a very specific behavior needs to be corrected, such as punctuality. It helps to identify problems and solve them more effectively with specific feedback messages, which is why it is used more frequently.
9 Employee feedback examples
As previously mentioned, there are 9 types of feedback. Take a look at the following examples of feedback to better understand what each one refers to.
Employee feedback examples according to the type of evaluation
Example of positive feedback
Example: “I just wanted to highlight the effort you’ve put into this project. You’ve always gone above and beyond when it comes to organizing your work and helping your colleagues. You demonstrate great leadership skills and without a doubt, this will take you far in your professional life”.
Why it is good feedback: With the message “just wanted to highlight the effort you put into this project,” it begins by emphasizing the employee’s effort. In this way, it shows that you recognize their work and how valuable it is to the company. At the same time, it reinforces a good practice by mentioning that “you show good leadership skills.”
Example of negative feedback
Example: “The report you sent yesterday doesn’t meet the standards we expected. If you need, we can work together to make sure the next one is more comprehensive and accurate”.
Why it is good feedback: it highlights a problem to work on, “the report you sent yesterday does not meet the standards we expected”. Additionally, it offers a solution without attacking the employee, “we can work together to ensure that the next one is more complete and accurate”.
It focuses on a specific behavior, the report, and not on the person, which avoids making value judgments about the employee’s ability.
Example of constructive feedback
Example: “Even though your work is excellent, sometimes you seem to be unhappy with the team and the company. Your negative comments make us all feel uncomfortable. I would like our relationship to improve. Working as a team is essential, and your negative attitude affects us. Please tell me if something is bothering you and let’s try to solve the problem together”.
Why it is good feedback: it starts by highlighting the person’s good work, which is key to creating a positive atmosphere. Then, it addresses the specific problem, “your negative comments make us all feel uncomfortable”. To complement the feedback, it proposes a collaborative solution, “tell me if something bothers you and let’s try to solve the problem together”.
Employee feedback examples according to their form
Example of implicit feedback
Example: The case of a manager who seeks to recognize an employee’s work by giving their approval with a smile, a nod, and a thumbs up gesture.
Why it’s good feedback: it is a subtle way of acknowledging an employee’s good work without seeming like they are favoring that person over others.
Example of explicit feedback
Example: “I would like to acknowledge your excellent work on this project. Your analytical skills and ability to work as a team have been crucial to its success. Thank you for your dedication and for going above and beyond what was expected of you”.
Why it ‘s good feedback: it is presented in a clear and straightforward manner. It focuses on specific aspects of the employee, “your analytical skills and ability to work in a team”, and provides details about their value, “have been decisive for its success” Finally, it shows appreciation for the effort, which is very effective in enhancing employee engagement.
360 feedback example
Example: a member of the sales team receives feedback from three different sources. Colleagues highlight their collaboration and assistance in the sales processes. Their manager emphasizes their high ability to meet set goals. Customers highlight their ability to understand their needs and offer appropriate solutions.
Why it ‘s good feedback: by receiving feedback from three different sources, the employee obtains a complete view of how their work impacts the parties involved. Each one offers their own point of view, which allows the employee to have a more accurate perception of their performance.
Example of continuous feedback
Example: a manager who meets weekly with their employees to discuss their performance, satisfaction and progress, among other aspects. They also provide specific feedback on the employees’ work during that week and offer improvement suggestions to review in the next iteration.
Why it ‘s good feedback: a regular interaction, in this case weekly, allows employees to receive continuous and organized feedback. This helps employees understand what aspects of their work are working well and which need improvement in the short term.
In addition, the manager provides improvement suggestions to be reviewed in the next meeting, so employees know how they can improve in the future. This provides a sense of support and commitment from their manager.
Employee feedback examples according to their content
Example of general feedback
Example: “I’m satisfied with your work in the team. I think you’ve shown great collaboration skills and a strong commitment to completing tasks. However, I believe that you could improve your initiative and project leadership skills. You could take a more active role in some of the following challenges”.
Why it ‘s good feedback: it provides an overview of the performance without going into detail. This could be useful for the employee to get an idea that helps them understand if they are working well in general terms.
Example of specific feedback
Example: “Recently I have noticed that you have been late for several meetings. I understand that unforeseen circumstances may arise that affect your punctuality, but I need to be confident that we can work together effectively. To do this, you need to be on time for meetings. I would like you to identify what is affecting your punctuality and work to resolve it. For example, you can try to plan your tasks better”.
Why it ‘s good feedback: focuses on a specific situation, unpunctuality, “I have noticed that you have been late for several meetings lately”. It provides detailed information to understand the problem behind this conduct, “I need to be confident that we can work together effectively”. An idea is also offered as a possible solution to the problem, “you can try planning your tasks better”.
Promote a feedback culture
As we have seen, feedback is an essential tool within any organization to promote growth and development. We must not forget that feedback allows for continuous improvement of both employees and the company itself.
It is important to further develop a culture in which the types of feedback discussed in this article are present. It is important to create an environment where feedback is valued for what it is; an ideal tool to drive employee and company success. Nailted’s feedback guide can help you achieve this.
