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Sep 05, 2024
Constructive feedback is the secret sauce to a thriving team. Bias in feedback can be an absolute threat to your thriving team. And that impact doesn’t just affect individual employees; it can ripple through the whole team, impacting morale, trust, and performance. In our recent report, we explore how these subtle biases can cause more damage than you might think. Feedback bias disproportionately affects certain groups, notably women and minorities, by focusing on vague, personality-driven comments rather than actionable, performance-focused guidance. This kind of feedback isn’t just unhelpful—it’s downright damaging.
Feedback bias can cause
- Employee Turnover: The data is clear—feedback bias is a big reason why employees leave. If people feel they’re judged unfairly or based on who they are rather than what they do, they’re not sticking around.
- Impact on Diversity and Inclusion: Bias can derail your diversity efforts faster than you can say “unconscious bias.” If your feedback reinforces stereotypes, you’re not just hurting individuals—you’re undermining your whole team culture.
- Trust Issues: If your feedback feels biased or inconsistent, trust erodes faster than ice cream on a hot day. And when trust goes out the window, so does open communication.
- Stunted Growth: Employees who get biased feedback often feel overlooked and undervalued. They may start to believe they’re not capable of more, which is demotivating.
- Divide and Conquer (In a negative way): Bias can create a rift in your team, with some feeling like they’re in the inner circle while others are left out in the cold.
But don’t fret, there are ways to improve feedback and team dynamics such as:
- Conduct Regular Feedback Audits: Review past feedback to identify patterns of bias. Are some employees getting more vague or personality-based feedback? Adjust accordingly.
- Encourage Self-Reflection: Ask your team members to share their own performance evaluations. It’s a great way to start a dialogue and align perspectives.
- Foster a Feedback-Positive Culture: Make feedback a regular, two-way street. Encourage your team to give you feedback, too—it shows you’re all in this together.
These are just a few. 📖 We cover more of them in our Bye Bye Bias blog post if you feel like reading more
One of the biggest takeaways to remember is that feedback is a powerful tool. And as cliche as it sounds (thanks, Spider-Man), with great power comes great responsibility.
As a manager, you have the power to shape your team’s future. Use feedback wisely to build trust, encourage growth, and foster a positive, inclusive environment. Curious to learn more about how feedback bias can affect your team dynamics and performance?
Read our full report here for more insights and actionable tips. If you need help, Textio Lift’s free trial gives you an easy, free way to make sure that the feedback you’re providing is effective and motivating.
For more insights on how to eliminate bias from your feedback practices, check out our full report here. Let’s commit to creating a workplace where everyone has the opportunity to succeed—starting with fair feedback.
