20 Essential Employee Feedback Statistics [2023]: Employees Want More Than Just Performance Reviews

Research Summary: Feedback for employees is incredibly important to create a welcoming company culture that encourages them to do their best, learn, and get promoted. When delivered correctly, feedback beyond regular performance reviews can help employees be more productive and knowledgeable and better manage their subordinates or projects. Consider these statistics:

• 65% of employees desire more feedback.

• Companies that invest in regular employee feedback have 14.9% lower turnover rates than organizations where employees do not receive feedback.

• Four out of ten employees who receive little to no feedback are actively disengaged from their work.

• 69% of employees say they would work harder if they felt their efforts were being recognized through feedback.

• 43% of highly engaged employees receive feedback at least once a week.

• 98% of employees disengage from their work when they receive little or no feedback.

For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways:
Employee Engagement | Feedback Frequency | Demographics | Benefits of Employee Feedback

General Employee Feedback Statistics

Many managers are surprised to find just how valuable employee recognition, appreciation, and feedback is. Feedback creates a positive, constructive, and productive environment where everyone is encouraged to grow. Consider the impact employee feedback could have in your organization with these statistics:

• 66% of employees would leave their job if they didn’t feel appreciated.

  Among millennials, this number jumps to a shocking 76%. Feedback can be both constructive and supportive, and managers should seek to provide both positive and constructive feedback to their employees in order for them to feel appreciated.

• 75% of employees who receive feedback feel that the feedback is valuable.

  Despite 75% of respondents indicating they felt the feedback was valuable, the number of individuals actually receiving feedback is still too low. Feedback is actively desired and can have a great impact on the workplace.

• Only 1% of employees who received positive feedback reported being actively disengaged, compared to 40% of those who didn’t receive feedback.

  Additionally, 22% of employees who received negative feedback were disengaged. Although not ideal, the disengagement level is half of those who received no feedback.



• 68% of employees who receive accurate and consistent feedback feel fulfilled in their jobs.

  This job is elevated slightly for millennials, of which 72% find their job fulfilling if they receive accurate and consistent feedback.

Employee Feedback and Engagement Statistics

Providing employees with constructive feedback at their jobs is an excellent motivator and a way for them to understand how and where improvements are needed, as well as where their strengths lie. Feedback improves engagement, initiative, and drive as indicated by the following statistics:

• 85% of employees take more initiative when they receive feedback in the workplace.

  73% also indicated they believe they are better collaborators, while 48% indicated they care more about their work.



• Four out of ten employees who receive little to no feedback are actively disengaged from their work.

  Being actively disengaged typically means this individual is ready to leave their job or is searching for a new one. When you don’t give employees feedback, they become stagnant and don’t feel as if they belong.

• 89% of HR leaders agree that ongoing peer feedback and check-ins are key for successful outcomes.

  Employee recognition is incredibly important to develop productive employees. It’s important to note that value-based recognition is the most significant part of feedback for employees — they want to be reminded that their work has purpose and meaning.

• Employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6 times more likely to perform their best work.

  When employees feel heard, they feel empowered, which allows employees to deliver their best idea and performance for the company.

• 92% of respondents agreed that negative redirecting feedback, when delivered appropriately, is effective at improving performance.

  There’s nowhere to go if you don’t know where you need to improve, and as indicated by this statistic, most people agree. This is a great case for companies to begin a culture of constructive feedback early and often.

Employee Feedback Frequency Statistics

Now that we know how significant employee feedback is for overall performance from both an individual and a team, it’s important to understand how frequent feedback is appropriate. Many managers might be surprised at how often employees would accept feedback.

• 28% of employees receive meaningful feedback at least once a week.

  Another 28% receive feedback a few times a year and 19% receive feedback once a year or less.



• 60% of employees reported wanting feedback on a daily or weekly basis.

  Again, for the younger age group of those workers under 30, that number increases to 72%.

• 80% of employees want feedback at the moment rather than delivering aggregated feedback for an annual or bi-annual review.

  Workers are looking for a more collaborative process with regular and qualitative feedback.

• 77% of HR executives believe that annual performance reviews don’t accurately represent employee performance.

  Feedback and performance reviews are often considered one and the same, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Feedback should be given whenever it is necessary, not saved for a once-a-year review that is typically another task on a manager’s to-do list.

Employee Feedback Statistics by Demographics

• 28% of millennials want a quarterly review and 38% want one annually, while 58% of baby boomers prefer the standard annual review.

  It’s clear millennials don’t like performance reviews. Millennials are statistically more likely to fear annual reviews, be more stressed out by them, and be more likely to feel reviews are biased. Instead, they tend to be more open to a change in frequency in their reviews.



• Employee feedback varies for men and women, with a recent study indicating that general discrimination is prevalent in performance reviews.

  Women are significantly more likely to receive critical feedback than their male counterparts. Women were more likely to receive negative feedback based on perceived personality traits that are often translated as positive traits for men.

Employee Feedback Statistics by Benefits for Companies

• Highly engaged teams show 21% greater profitability.

  High engagement is directly related to consistent and constructive feedback given to employees.

• Managers who received feedback on their strengths had an 8.9% greater profitability than those who didn’t.

  Their turnover rates were also 14.9% lower than they were for employees who received no feedback from their managers. Additionally, teams with managers who received strengths feedback indicated a 12.5% greater productivity post-intervention than teams with managers who received no feedback.



• Businesses that gave feedback to their employees had turnover rates that were 14.9% lower than those of businesses that did not provide feedback.

  These individuals received more feedback as well, with those who received strengths feedback showing a 12.5% greater productivity rate than those who did not receive feedback.

Employee Feedback Statistics FAQ

1. How many employees want more feedback?

   65% of employees want more feedback. Feedback is a critical part of learning and growing and ultimately being a successful and productive employee.

   In fact, feedback is so powerful that it even beats out “higher compensation” as something employees desire more from their boss. Overall, 48% of employees desire higher compensation and more honest communication, meaning that feedback is more important to 35% more employees.

2. Do employees value feedback?

   Yes, employees value feedback. In fact, 75% of employees believe that feedback is valuable. This is because feedback can be used to gauge how well they’re working, and how they can improve productivity, performance, skills, etc. Plus, feedback also fostered a more open and communicative workplace.

3. How often should employees get feedback?

   Simple feedback should be given at least once a week, depending on the employment situation and relationship. This includes things like compliments and minor criticisms.

   However, more complex feedback in the form of surveys and formal reviews should occur at least once every 3-6 months. This window of time leaves ample opportunity for growth and change among employees, without waiting too long to provide crucial feedback.

4. Do employee performance reviews work?

   No, employee performance reviews do not work, by and large. Only 14% of employees strongly agree performance reviews inspire them to improve. Performance reviews are a difficult way to both provide and receive feedback, as so much time has built up in between that it may not resonate with the employee when given.

5. How often do employees receive feedback?

   28% of employees receive meaningful feedback at least once a week, 28% receive feedback a few times a year, and 19% receive feedback once a year or less. It’s also worth noting that 43% of highly engaged employees receive feedback at least once a week, making this the optimal frequency to give feedback for your typical employee.

6. Why do managers dislike performance evaluations?

   Managers dislike performance evaluations mainly for their lack of accuracy. More specifically, they dislike performance evaluations because they are often based on criteria that doesn’t speak directly or accurately to an employee’s job performance and contributions to the team. Additionally, being forced to rate employee qualities numerically encourages a sort of formalized ranking system of “best” and “worst” employees that’s bad for overall morale.

   A grading system also implicitly infantilizes workers and creates an extra level of unnecessary power dynamics within a team. That’s why many company cultures are shifting toward more regular, informal systems of feedback — because almost everyone prefers it and it almost always works better.

7. Can a performance appraisal be an unfair evaluation?

   Yes, a performance appraisal can be an unfair evaluation. Often, employees are judged more by cultural fit and likability rather than their utility, performance, and contributions.

   In fact, unfair performance appraisals are sometimes used as a way of forcing out an undesirable element in a company without being blamed for discrimination. With enough “bad” reviews, a company can protect itself from claims of retaliatory or discriminatory termination by creating a paper trail of “performance issues.”

Conclusion

It’s important to remember employee feedback is considered any information exchanged by employees regarding their performance, skills, or abilities. This can be done both formally or informally, and it’s important to include both in your management style. Both supervisors and peers should feel comfortable providing feedback to one another.

When done the right way, employee feedback can create a stronger, more harmonious workplace. It will often open up lines of communication that may have otherwise stayed closed until performance reviews.

Overall, employee feedback improves employee and team morale and encourages employees to continue to do their job well or give feedback on where to improve. This is a win-win situation for both the employees and the company.

References

1. Forbes. “66% of Employees Would Quit if They Feel Unappreciated.” Accessed June 29, 2022.

2. LinkedIn. “5 Employee Feedback Stats That You Need to See.” Accessed June 29, 2022.

3. HR Daily. “How Employee Feedback Impacts Engagement.” Accessed June 29, 2022.

4. Clutch. “Over 30% of Millennials Unhappy with Their Job and Plan to Quit Within Six Months.” Accessed June 29, 2022.

5. Culture Partners. “Improving Employee Satisfaction Through Positive Accountability.” Accessed on June 29, 2022.

6. OfficeVibe. “Statistics on the Importance of Employee Feedback.” Accessed June 29, 2022.

7. WorkHuman. “SHRM/Globoforce Survey Reveals Human-Centered Approaches in the Workplace Help Organizations Better Recruit and Retain Employees.” Accessed June 29, 2022.

8. Forbes. “10 Timely Statistics About The Connection Between Employee Engagement And Wellness.” Accessed June 29, 2022.

9. Adobe. “Performance Review Peril: Adobe Study Shows Office Workers Waste Time and Tears.” Accessed June 29, 2022.

10. TinyPulse. “The Fascinating Difference in Performance Reviews Between Generations.” Accessed June 29, 2022.

11. Fortune. “The abrasiveness trap: High-achieving men and women are described differently in reviews.” Accessed June 29, 2022.

12. Gallup. “The Secret of Higher Performance.” Accessed June 29, 2022.

13. Weekdone. “Why Your Employees Need and Want More Feedback.” Accessed June 29, 2022.

Author

Caitlin Mazur

Caitlin Mazur is a freelance writer at Zippia. Caitlin is passionate about helping Zippia’s readers land the jobs of their dreams by offering content that discusses job-seeking advice based on experience and extensive research. Caitlin holds a degree in English from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.