Is giving constructive feedback to your employees hard for you?
What is it that makes it so difficult?
Are you afraid it will change your relationship? Or maybe you haven’t yet learned how to give feedback and you’re worried about how it might go?
Regardless of the reason, giving constructive feedback to employees is truly a gift.
Without feedback, employees make assumptions that everything is going great, OR they have no idea how they’re doing because you’ve never told them – it’s an injustice to them.
Think about it – your favorite teachers, professors, mentors, and leaders, are those that took personal interest in you. They cared enough to share constructive feedback so that you could improve.
Isn’t that what you want for your employees too?
In this episode, let’s explore how to give this type of valuable feedback and why it earns you respect as a woman leader in IT.
Feedback is a Gift to Your IT Employees
An employee stopped by one day for what I thought was going to be a casual chat. Instead, he asked for a raise.
I’ll admit – it took me by surprise and I was caught off guard as to what to say. I listened to his request and told him I would have to get back with him after I did some further research.
I was a new manager in the position and thought it would be best to contact his former manager for more details. He said this had been a habitual pattern of the employee and that I could expect a visit about every 6 months. He didn’t provide much more detail so I needed to find out more.
I met with his team lead who had been working in the organization much longer than I. Together, we reviewed the requirements of his position and it became evident that he was not meeting all of them.
His team lead said he had good rapport with his customers but the function he performed was a lower level technical position. He had been challenged multiple times to increase his skillset and was only doing minimal effort.
I’ll bet you’ve managed employees like this too.
I had the information I needed to meet with the employee – the requirements for his position, his work performance history, and the specific areas of his job he was not fulfilling.
The employee was visibly nervous when he came into my office. I tried to reassure him that we were just going to have a discussion about the requirements of his position so that we could figure out a path forward.
When I said those words, he unfolded his arms and took a deep breath.
I stated that I had done some research and wanted to discuss what I learned. We walked through each requirement in detail and I made it clear that a raise beyond normal merit wouldn’t be possible without him fulfilling all the requirements of the job.
He laughed and said, “I figured that since you were the new manager, you would be more likely to give me a raise”.
I wrapped up the conversation by expressing my gratitude for his work. I offered training and mentoring to help him achieve the requirements for his position. I also let him know I would do everything I could within my control to promote him once he achieved that level.
The discussion went well and I could tell he sincerely appreciated it.
Over the next two years, the employee did fulfill more of the responsibilities of his job. I wanted to reward him for his efforts and contacted HR to ask about options. They informed me about out of cycle merit funds that were available for cases like this where an employee was at the bottom of the pay range.
I was fortunate to receive the funds requested and they appeared in the employee’s paycheck in a few months. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted, but it was enough to make a difference. That was the last discussion we had about a raise because I had set clear expectations and the employee knew what was required.
5 Points for Giving Feedback to IT Employees:
- Be Specific: Clearly highlight what the employee does well and where they can improve.
- Offer Constructive Feedback: Suggest training or mentoring opportunities to aid their success.
- Define Success: Help employees understand what success looks like in their role.
- Provide Ongoing Feedback: Make feedback a continuous process, not just an annual event.
- Clarify Expectations: Ensure employees know what’s expected, and encourage questions for clarity.
Constructive feedback transforms good employees into great ones and great ones into star performers! It’s a crucial leadership skill.
To become a highly respected woman leader in IT requires open and honest discussion with your employees. They will absolutely appreciate the time and effort you invest in them.
Stay empowered and lead assertively!