It’s difficult to give less-than-positive feedback in any circumstance. You want to encourage employees to improve performance, not leave them feeling demoralized or insulted. It’s even more challenging in these stressful times when your constructive criticism may just be one of many negatives an employee is trying to process.
When your team works remotely, things become even more complicated. The connections that make it easier to give feedback may not be as strong as they were before a shift to a remote environment.
In this guide, we’ll explore why it can be so tough to give constructive feedback to a remote workforce.
Why Is it So Challenging to Give Constructive Feedback to Remote Workers?
No matter where or how you provide feedback, remember that negativity bias is a real threat. This refers to your tendency to remember and feel negative remarks more intensely than positive ones.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t give feedback, but keep in mind that negative feedback will hit harder. Remote workers don’t get the benefits of the nuance of in-person communication. There’s no body language to improve communication.
Additionally, all feedback is given in the same environment. In the office, there’s a clear difference between being pulled into an office with a closed door to hear about a serious mistake you’ve made and having your boss casually mention a small detail you missed. Remote workers don’t experience those small, but significant differences.
Fortunately, there are steps managers can take to give constructive feedback to employees while also maintaining a positive remote work culture.
Start by Gaining Clarification
The least productive kind of criticism lacks empathy and presumes the worst. Don’t jump right into corrective remarks. Instead, ask open-ended questions to learn how the employee experienced the situation.
Consider a question like, “How do you feel about the monthly sales report?” You might learn that:
- There is a training or resources issue
- The employee is aware of and working on improving the problem
- Unique circumstances contributed to the underwhelming performance
Once you know where they are coming from, you can approach them with your reasons for being concerned. The difference is that you’ll be armed with a complete view of the situation.
You may also learn that your team member is entirely unaware that something is wrong. In any case, this gives you a jumping-off point to provide some helpful feedback while ensuring the employee feels heard.
Make It Clear You Want Positive Outcomes for the Employee
Emphasize that you want your employee to experience positive results and better outcomes. Next, clarify that your role is to help them achieve that. For example, if they aren’t meeting their sales quotas, you might say something like this:
“I’d like to give you some tips to improve your closing percentages. You would qualify for the highest commission schedule if you increase your numbers by about 20%. I think you are capable of meeting or exceeding that goal with just a few changes in the way you are qualifying your prospects.”
The constructive feedback here focuses on a specific area of improvement. It details that the manager is available to help. Most importantly, it outlines a benefit that the employee will gain by improving their performance.
Maintain Regular Communication
Communication can dwindle when remote work becomes the norm. When that happens, it’s even more difficult to give out negative feedback and have it taken in the spirit you intend. Your team members may feel as though they only hear from you when you have a complaint or criticism.
Don’t wait until something goes wrong. Instead, keep your remote teams engaged by scheduling regular meetings with them. Ideally, this will include team get-togethers and one-on-one sessions.
Whenever possible, keep these focused on positive things. Go over milestone accomplishments, clarify goals, and offer meaningful accolades for successes.
Don’t Overwhelm or Frustrate Them
Broad criticism is rarely helpful. Recipients often feel discouraged, but see no clear path to making positive change. If they are faced with multiple points of criticism, they may simply shut down.
So what should you do when you have multiple issues to address or one very complicated area of performance concerns?
Simply accept that you won’t help any employee improve by dumping several concerns on them at once. Instead, create a plan of action that allows you to meet with them over time to break things into manageable chunks.
Give Actionable Advice
It isn’t enough for your employee to recognize that something needs to be improved. They need to know what to do and have the resources to execute whatever plan of improvement you put in front of them.
If you can’t provide them with specific steps to take to meet your performance standards, then you need to put on the brakes. Ensure that you are clear about what the problem is and what you want your employee to do differently.
Offer Resources
Is there anything you can offer your team members to help them boost their performance? Remote workers face some unique barriers to success, but steering them towards helpful resources can make a big difference.
Think broadly about this. If your employee is struggling with understanding or execution, they might benefit from working with a mentor. Someone struggling with technology might need to be reminded that the company will help them with the costs of a home internet upgrade or give them access to software training.
A worker who is overwhelmed might perform better if they are empowered to delegate some of their duties to a junior staff member.
With the right support and clear communication, the challenge of giving constructive feedback to remote workers can be successfully managed. Empathy, a listening ear, and a measured approach go a long way towards creating a healthy dialogue with any team member.
