Boost performance reviews with peer feedback

Modern performance reviews are anchored in continuous feedback and, given the emphasis on collaboration in today’s business environment, it makes sense that a big slice of the feedback should be provided by peers.

Evaluation of employees solely by direct managers is a thing of the past. Today’s emphasis on brainstorming and problem solving in teams means co-workers often have a better knowledge of each other’s work than their managers do. This makes peer-to-peer feedback a relevant and effective tool for evaluating performance. It also makes it instrumental in capturing how employees add value to each other’s work.

This contemporary and more holistic take on performance management is being driven by the demands of the digital workplace, which is also supporting the transformation with digital tools.

TeamsPlus provides digital tools for sharing feedback which is then stored for reliable referencing in a later review cycle. Feedback becomes a valuable commodity for the review process and both employers and employees become invested in the feedback loop.

Peer feedback should be sourced from people who have knowledge of an employee’s work. They may be colleagues who are collaborating on the same projects and are well placed to recognise each other’s contributions, or they may be mentors.

For feedback to be high quality, it must only be given by peers who have first-hand knowledge of their colleagues’ work; it should not be based on hearsay. To maintain the integrity of the feedback system, input must be performance related and not targeted at personal issues unrelated to work.

Peer feedback is private and can be distinguished from appreciations which are visible to everyone in the company. For more, see Appreciation in the workplace: Why kudos matters.

For peer feedback to be effective for performance reviews, businesses need to create a culture that encourages open and honest conversation so that team members are comfortable providing input.

The following guidelines will help to build a healthy and high-quality feedback culture:

• Employees should only give feedback to colleagues whose work they know well
• Comments must be drawn from their own rather than other people’s experience
• Feedback must be work-related
• Specific examples give comments a relatable context
• Kudos should be given for achievements as well as suggestions for improvements
• Feedback should be constructive rather than confrontational to encourage a supportive environment where ideas flow freely
• People should be encouraged to see feedback as a tool for problem-solving and driving continuous improvement.

Read more about Next-gen performance reviews here.