Negative performance reviews are necessary but are also a demanding manager responsibility. Zippia revealed in a 2023 report that 98% of employees disengage when receiving little or no feedback. A negative performance review can make an employee feel like the worst person on the team, leaving them frustrated, discouraged, and uncertain about their future at the company.
It is your opportunity to help them hear the negative feedback and use it to grow. The delivery of your review may determine how they perceive their future on the team. You are the determining factor in how they respond to negative performance reviews.
If you’ve given negative feedback, you know that there are things you can do to make it a positive event and set your employees up for future success.
1. Schedule Time to Deliver the Feedback
What tends to happen when delivering a negative performance review is feeling emotional, even if they hide it well. They may feel defensive, angry, or even undervalued. Take the time to discuss details within the time constraints for the performance review so that the person getting the news can process it. The employee may feel that they aren’t ready to talk about or without being defensive, so if they ask to talk more about it at another time, take it as a sign they want to do better and are hearing what you are saying.
2. Answer the Questions
Your delivery and detail of the feedback may make your employees feel you don’t care about them and are just ticking off a list of items. They may even sit across from you worrying about being fired from their job, even if it’s not something you’ve mentioned. Once you’ve completed delivering the feedback, ask if they have any questions and take time to answer their questions honestly. Avoid drawing comparisons to their peers. If they don’t have any questions, propose that they take a day or two to review the feedback independently. Leave the door open for further discussion or questions.
Be sure to give the following with your feedback:
- Examples of where you feel the person fell short
- What do you need them to do to improve in the areas you mentioned
- When you can get with them to update your assessment of their progress
3. Avoid Taking Responses Personally
It’s hard not to take negative feedback personally, so when you give negative feedback, ensure you emphasize that it’s about performance expectations and not their worth as a person. Even the most successful professionals have received critical reviews at some point. Encourage them not to internalize the negativity but consider it a chance to refine their skills and work habits.
4. Identify Patterns You See
Review their past performance feedback to determine if negative aspects are similar to prior performance reviews. Do they have times when they turn in projects late, don’t respond promptly, or have issues working with others on the team? By identifying patterns of negative performance issues, they will be able to understand what you are saying, recognize that they did not take action on previous feedback, and make further corrections.
5. Guide Them with Resources
Guiding your employees with helpful organizational resources will show them that you want them to attain performance success. By doing this, you may avoid having to levy a Performance Improvement Plan on them, giving them another thing to stress out about. There are methods of doing this, such as:
- Ensure they are aware of where they can access online course material within their organization to help update their skills.
- If your organization has a mentorship program, encourage them to check it out and
- Regularly check in with your employees, providing informal feedback so the employee has some idea of where they stand.
Helping to create a well-defined plan will show your commitment to their career growth.
6. Deliver with a Positive Attitude
How you deliver a negative review will either encourage your employees to do better or may drive them to leave. Show them that you believe they can come back from this review and that you will work with them to help them, but don’t set the expectation that you are going to hold their hand daily. You still have other tasks to manage and others on your team who may also need your guidance.
7. Offer Additional Support
Ask your employees if they want to say anything once you deliver the performance. You may find out that they have stressors that they haven’t shared with you that are affecting their time or attention. The answers won’t correct the items in the negative feedback. Still, the responses may indicate that the employee needs support that you can help them attain, which may vastly improve employee performance.
Every professional will experience a negative word in their careers, and managers can provide insight, guidance, and resources to help them make the necessary course corrections.