What are some tips for giving an employee a negative but constructive review? - Comparably | Comparably

What are some tips for giving an employee a negative but constructive review?

Leadership

Thanks! Your answer has been posted anonymously.

Your answer will be posted publicly. Please don't submit any personal information.

44 Answers

  • 0
    Helpful

    Be clear, be direct. Don't try to understate mistakes or problems. People deserve honesty and clarity. When you're honest with each other, you can find solutions. Sometimes that solution is them finding a new job, sometimes its making adjustments as a manager, and anything in between.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Say we are looking for ways to improve the process, don't put the poor performance solely on them.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Learn from your downfalls.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Be kind, be encouraging, be inspiring!

  • 0
    Helpful

    Have your facts. Don’t generalize. Give examples, dates and times.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Sandwich it. Compliment, what to work on, compliment.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Have empathy, be kind but firm.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Doing better

  • 0
    Helpful

    Name a couple of things to “improve” on and then end with their positive attributes. Too much negativity from an employer has the opposite effect on productivity.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Voicing what is expected of the team to accomplish a common goal.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Give him specific examples of the behavior at question.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Get right to the point and don't try to make it a pity party

  • 0
    Helpful

    Tackling the problem together as a team

  • 0
    Helpful

    It shouldn't be the first conversation. Rather, the employee's development should be an ongoing conversation.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Stop sucking. Do better.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Its all in the way you word it. Some people are only negative & give bad energy instead of trying to be constructive.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Just make sure after everything, you boost their ego up and not make them feel demotivated and useless

  • 0
    Helpful

    Always be kind and dont speak out of frustration. Give a comment then say but this you dont seem to be as strong at so we need to focus on that and offer to answer any questions and help them in any way that you can

  • 0
    Helpful

    Be specific; if the instructions and expectations are clear, a positive outcome is far more likely.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Be honest, explain yhe lack. You are getting paid for that

  • 0
    Helpful

    Always tell them the good things first. Don't use the word "but" as your connector; e.g. "You have really learned to tackle xxx AND I can see that you will make even faster improvement if you also do yyy." Then tell them how it will benefit them - make them more efficient, help them to see the bigger picture, show they have the chops to be promoted - or whatever is appropriate for the situation.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Don't tell them what they did wrong, unless it's incredibly bad. Instead, let them know how you would have handled it and why it is a better way of handling it. Being too direct can negatively affect the relationship which is crucial to having a high performing team.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Don't make it all negative, show some positive aspects of their work. Don't make them feel like you are brow beating them

  • 0
    Helpful

    Always staying positive

  • 0
    Helpful

    Point out strengths and areas for improvement

  • 0
    Helpful

    Combine it with some positive feedback. Be understanding that it sucks to hear and you are doing it to help things improve. Mostly make the employee feel that you want him/her to do better and be a better member of the team.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Make sure you are factual & have examples of their inappropriate words or behavior, not just hearsay or third/fourth hand account. Talk to & ask questions of the employee so you know facts & make sure you are not attacking them for the behavior you allow, defend & make excuses for in other employees. Knowing that they are being treated equally with others & have the same rules, are not singled out and attacked for some other reason.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Provide the positive remarks first followed by suggestions for areas that are weak. Ask the employee what can you do to help them be successful.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Include constructive suggestions for improvement.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Focus on the facts and offer solution for path of sucess

  • 0
    Helpful

    Give examples of opportunity where one could have displayed a different tangent .

  • 0
    Helpful

    Explain what you would like them to be doing better, provide some next steps to help them get there, and ask for their feedback on how THEY think they can improve. Also make it clear you are in their corner and fully supportive of their improvement.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Remove the emotion and sense of blame. Stop saying what you don’t want and point out specifics regarding what you do want. Use the sandwich technique so people don’t shut down completely and are able to hear you... Say something good or complimentary - then instruct how to accomplish a goal/task - then say something encouraging or complimentary again... Sandwich. People are not THAT complicated.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Give them confidence I know (have seen you) do better etc Offer to help with any obsstacles

  • 0
    Helpful

    Always start off with a positive trait that they do then tell what they can do better .

  • 0
    Helpful

    Don’t wait and use the review to communicate difficult feedback for the first time.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Explain to them opportunity to improve and how it would help their value to the company and themselves

  • 0
    Helpful

    Include what items they are doing right and recommend professional development that should improve the areas where they are deficient. Also, ask them what they think they can do to fix the problems.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Negativity provides awkward moments. Instead, provide constructive feedback on what other things they can try to be successful.

  • 0
    Helpful

    Starts with something positive and then present the negative review as a chance to get better at this or that

  • 0
    Helpful

    share positives as well!

  • 0
    Helpful

    List ways they can improve instead of listing poor performance. Remember , they are a reflection of your leadership ability

  • 0
    Helpful

    after hearing out the employee, a manager has to communicate a possible plan for improvement

  • 0
    Helpful

    Reconsider staying in the current work place. A bad review speaks about the quality of the work, the employee in a specific window of time and frequently fails to highlight or frame a person holistically. As such, you are likely either a bad fit or your boss has failed to help you improve LONG BEFORE said review.