Feedback fuels growth, but most employees aren’t getting enough of it.
In this quick Culture Snapshot episode, Beth takes a few minutes to explore what data from ENGAGE 2025: The Company Culture Report reveals about the frequency and quality of workplace feedback.
She also offers actionable advice to help leaders make feedback a consistent, impactful habit.
THE FEEDBACK DISCONNECT
There’s often a major gap between perception and reality when it comes to giving feedback. Leaders may feel like they’re regularly sharing input, but employees often don’t see or feel it that way.
According to ENGAGE 2025: The Company Culture Report, only 34% of employees say they receive meaningful feedback at least once a week (the cadence that research shows is ideal). Even more concerning, 20% receive feedback just once or twice a year, and nearly 7% say they don’t receive any feedback at all.
And it’s not just frontline employees who feel this way. Half of lower-level managers report being dissatisfied with the feedback they’re receiving.
When feedback is infrequent or inconsistent, the impact is significant: confusion, disengagement, and missed opportunities for both employees and leaders. Without regular input, employees are left guessing, stalling out, or even disengaging quietly while still showing up for work.
POSITIVE FEEDBACK POWER PERFORMANCE
Beth shared a valuable insight supported by both research and experience: employees need a 5:1 ratio of positive to constructive feedback over time.
Now, this shouldn't be taken as a green light to sugarcoat or avoid tough conversations. Instead treat the 5:1 ratio as an opportunity to create a feedback culture where encouragement, clarity, and recognition outpace criticism.
People grow through consistency, clarity, and encouragement. When someone knows what they did well and why it worked, they’re more likely to repeat and build on that success.
A SIMPLE FRAMEWORK THAT WORKS
To help make feedback a habit, Beth recommends the SBI feedback model: Situation, Behavior, Impact.
Here’s what that sounds like in practice:
“In this morning’s client meeting, I noticed you handled that tricky question with calm and confidence, and it really helped keep the conversation productive.”
This kind of feedback takes just 30 seconds but leaves a lasting impression. It names the moment (situation), pinpoints the action (behavior), and explains why it mattered (impact).
Leaders can start making feedback a rhythm in their week by setting calendar reminders, holding five-minute check-ins, or simply looking for real-time opportunities to highlight wins and coach through challenges.
DON'T WAIT. JUST START
Beth’s closing message is a powerful one: Feedback doesn’t have to be formal. It just has to be intentional.
Whether you’re leading a large team or a small one, integrating regular, thoughtful feedback into your routine is one of the most impactful things you can do to boost engagement, build confidence, and create clarity.
When feedback is frequent, it fuels performance. When it’s rare, it becomes a risk.
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