How to Get (Honest) Feedback from Your Direct Reports

When managing a team, you want to do everything you can to ensure that you’re being the most effective manager possible. And while you may have your own ideas about how to make that happen, the people who are in the best position to help you reach your full potential as a manager are the people you’re managing — your direct reports.

“Honest feedback from direct reports is critical in that those individuals are likely the ones close enough to the manager’s decisions and behaviors to truly make a difference going forward,” said Merideth J. Thompson, PhD, an executive coach and consultant.

The feedback you get from your direct reports can help refine your management style, guide your decision-making, and improve how you interact with your team members. It can not only make you a better manager but also help inspire a higher level of performance on your team. Below, we’ll discuss some of the obstacles to getting honest feedback from your direct reports — and how to overcome them to get the feedback you need to excel in your role and bring out the best in your team.

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7 Tips for Getting Honest Feedback From Employees

To create a work environment where employees feel comfortable sharing both positive and negative feedback, you, as a manager, must take the lead. Here are some employee feedback strategies you can use to break down barriers and encourage your team to speak up and share their thoughts with you.

1. Focus on building relationships.

One of the biggest roadblocks to getting honest feedback from your direct reports is a lack of trust. If you want more feedback from your team, a great place to start is by creating that foundation of trust by focusing on building stronger relationships with your direct reports.

“Trust and dialogue are two sides of the same coin,” explained Benjamin Jackson, workplace culture expert and founder of culture strategy firm Hear Me Out. “There is no trust without open dialogue and no open dialogue without trust.”

To build trust and set the stage for open dialogue, take the time to genuinely get to know your team members and let them get to know you. Authentic relationships can build trust and make your direct reports more likely to come to you with both positive and negative feedback. Start by carving some time out of your regular one-on-one meetings to get to know each other better, or take a more active mentorship role with your team to help foster your employees’ career growth. 

2. Explore different ways to gather feedback.

While some employees may feel at ease sharing their feedback with you directly, others might be more comfortable using more indirect methods. By offering various ways for employees to share their input, you can encourage everyone on your team to speak up. To this end, there are two key approaches to keep in mind: passive and active listening strategies. 

• Passive listening relies on employees to voluntarily share their thoughts through things like open-door policies and suggestion boxes. “In other words, it puts the responsibility on the employee to ensure that feedback reaches the leaders,” Jackson stated.
• Active listening, however, shifts the responsibility to leaders by encouraging them to proactively seek specific feedback from every employee, rather than passively waiting for individuals with serious concerns to come forward. This could be through targeted questions in one-on-ones, employee surveys, and more.

For both approaches to succeed, it's essential to create an environment that clearly shows employees you genuinely value their feedback and are committed to taking action based on their input. Only then can you create a cohesive listening strategy that makes all of your employees feel heard.

3. Allow for anonymous feedback.

No matter how strong your relationships with your direct reports are or how much trust exists between you, some team members will likely find the thought of delivering constructive criticism to your face tremendously anxiety-inducing.

Giving someone challenging, critical, or even constructive feedback in a face-to-face conversation can feel uncomfortable — particularly if that person is your supervisor. But as a manager, you still need to get that feedback from your direct reports, despite how stressful it may be for both parties. So if you suspect your team members aren’t comfortable delivering candid feedback face-to-face, “consider using an anonymous online survey to ask for feedback,” Thompson recommended.

Using an employee survey solution like Lattice Engagement allows your employees to deliver feedback anonymously. Using Lattice’s AI-powered insights features, you can quickly see the key takeaways you need to grow as a manager and lead your team more effectively. And the best part? Your direct reports can still share their honest opinions while avoiding the sometimes uncomfortable experience of delivering their feedback in person.

4. Create a schedule for consistent surveys.

If you plan to use employee feedback surveys, establish a consistent cadence to help you track changes in sentiment. While every company is unique, many companies combine an annual employee engagement survey with quarterly pulse surveys to give employees an ongoing opportunity to share their thoughts and feedback.

Of course, you can always run ad hoc surveys as needed — like following a big leadership change, team reorganization, or initiative launch. Some other feedback collection initiatives you might consider employing are onboarding surveys and stay interviews.

Whatever feedback collection methods you use, establishing a consistent schedule can help you stay attuned to your team, track sentiment changes over time, and inform your management strategies accordingly. 

5. Follow up.

When your direct reports deliver honest feedback, it can take a while for it to fully sink in. To ensure that you understand their feedback — and show them that you’re taking it to heart — you should follow up once you’ve had a chance to process it.

“When you do get honest feedback, consider circling back to the direct report a few days later to ask some clarifying questions after you’ve had time to consider their insights,” Thompson advised. “This will help them know you value their perspective and that it’s not just safe to share with you, but helpful to the organization and/or team.”

Frame your request in a way that doesn’t put the other person on the [defensive].

If you’re unclear about any part of your direct report’s feedback, following up a few days later allows you to get the clarity you need. Just make sure to ask your follow-up questions with kindness and curiosity rather than antagonism. “If you need clarification, frame your request in a way that doesn’t put the other person on the [defensive],” said Roberta Matuson, executive coach and president of talent consultancy Matuson Consulting.

For instance, imagine your direct report gave you the feedback that you sometimes micromanage them on projects, but you’re not sure where and how you’re micromanaging. In that case, Matuson recommended beginning your follow-up by requesting clarification. Ask, “Can you help me to better understand why you feel this way? Do you have a few examples that you wouldn’t mind sharing with me?” Jackson mentioned that you can even ask them to rate their feelings on a scale from 0-10, then ask how you could move it up a point. This gives you a clearer understanding of the issue's severity and potential solutions for improvement. 

Following up with your direct report shows them that you’re committed to understanding their feedback, and it can help you get clarity on anything you find confusing.

6. Put the feedback into practice.

If you want to continue getting the feedback you need to be an effective manager, you have to show your direct reports that you’re not only taking their feedback well but also taking it seriously. That means acting on it.

“Don’t just go through the motions,” Thompson said. “Take their advice or insights and actually put those into practice.”

For example, if a direct report gives you feedback that your morning stand-up meetings are running too long, start setting a timer, and end the meeting as soon as the timer goes off. If you’ve gotten feedback that your management style is too harsh, make a conscious effort to be more friendly when dealing with that direct report (and your whole team), and continue to check in with your employee to ensure they feel you’re approachable as a manager.

“Make sure to communicate changes clearly and tie them to the feedback, so employees can see that speaking up actually leads to real change,” Jackson added. When your direct reports see that their feedback is being absorbed and implemented, it can inspire them to continue delivering honest feedback — which will make you and your team stronger.

7. Give and receive feedback. 

Feedback goes both ways. In order to build a team and company culture that values feedback, you should be giving and receiving feedback. Employees and managers alike must engage in two-way communication to support growth and development and build a culture of feedback. 

Even better, consider integrating 360-degree feedback into your performance management process, allowing employees to receive input from you and their peers. This approach gives employees a more well-rounded understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement, while also fostering a work environment where everyone feels empowered to give and accept feedback. When feedback is a regular part of your company culture, employees can more easily see its value and become increasingly open to both giving and receiving it.

Need advice on phrasing feedback? Check out our guide 55 Effective Performance Review Phrases to Use — and Which Ones to Avoid.

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Why It's Challenging to Get Feedback From Employees

Getting regular feedback from your direct reports is a must if you want to grow as a manager and build high-performing teams — but it can be difficult. Here’s a closer look at three main reasons employees are reluctant to share feedback and how you can overcome them.

Power Dynamics

One of the primary reasons employees are reluctant to share feedback, particularly negative feedback, is the fear of retaliation. As a manager, you affect your direct reports’ daily experiences, project assignments, career progression, compensation, and even their work schedules at your company. This power dynamic can create significant apprehension; an employee may worry that you could make their work life more challenging if they share something that doesn’t align with your perspective.

“Fear of retaliation is the number one reason why direct reports may be hesitant to give their managers honest feedback,” said Matuson. “This generally occurs when the employee and the manager have not established a trusting relationship.”

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Lack of Trust

Most people aren't inclined to open up to a stranger on the street, and the same applies to giving feedback at work. Individuals typically need a strong relationship with the person receiving their feedback to express their true feelings. This trust is essential for fostering open and honest communication.

“For direct reports to be honest in their feedback to a manager, the report needs a deep sense of trust in that manager — and [has to trust] that the manager will not react poorly or retaliate based on the feedback,” Thompson said.

The same may be true for new hires, too. If you ask a new employee how their onboarding program is going, “most new hires are not going to want to say, ‘Well boss, I actually feel like I need some more support’ because they don’t want to offend them or be seen as a new hire who needs help,” said Jackson. “We’re constantly worried about losing face, or putting others in situations where they will lose face.”

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Feedback Apathy and Fatigue

The way many organizations approach collecting feedback is performative. They collect it but don’t actually acknowledge it or act on it. Over time, this causes employees to lose confidence in their company and stop sharing their thoughts altogether. 

“What I see over and over is that employees feel like no one's really listening. What’s the point of speaking up if the powers that be have already decided what they’re going to do?” Jackson asked. “Ultimately, most people in the workplace feel that when leaders ask for feedback, they’re not really looking for the truth.”

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How to Respond to Negative Feedback

While receiving constructive criticism can be challenging, this type of feedback is often the most valuable for fostering personal and professional growth. If you find yourself on the receiving end of negative feedback, here are four steps you can take to receive the message with grace and composure.

1. Just listen.

Often, people’s initial reaction to negative feedback is to become defensive — which can actually be one of the worst responses. This reaction may shut down your direct report and discourage them from sharing candid feedback in the future. Instead, focus on fully listening to their perspective and waiting until they’ve finished speaking to have an open dialogue.

2. Ask questions.

Next, you might want to ask a few follow-up questions to get more context around their feedback. While it might be tempting, avoid trying to brainstorm solutions before you’ve fully understood the problem. 

Be polite and ask open-ended questions that encourage employees to elaborate on their thoughts. You could also ask how they’ve seen similar situations handled in the past. Including your employee in this process not only empowers them but also fosters collaboration, showing that you value their insights and are committed to making targeted improvements together.

3. Thank them.

Before concluding the conversation, take a moment to thank your direct report for their feedback. Speaking up can be a nerve-racking experience for many, so acknowledging their courage and expressing gratitude serves as positive reinforcement. This appreciation can encourage them to share similar insights with you in the future.

4. Take action quickly.

Lastly, implement their feedback promptly by integrating it into your daily practices. This demonstrates your dedication to continuous improvement. By making noticeable changes, you can reinforce the idea that your coworkers’ feedback is important to you, fostering a culture where everyone feels empowered to contribute and drive positive change.

Using Lattice to Gather Honest Employee Feedback

One of the most effective ways to demonstrate to your employees that you value their feedback is by providing ongoing opportunities for them to share it, like via employee surveys.

With Lattice Engagement, organizations can collect feedback on core areas of the employee experience, use real-time AI-powered insights to identify areas of opportunity, and create targeted programs to improve employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention. With engagement, pulse, onboarding, and eNPS surveys, Lattice can help companies and managers uncover their strengths and weaknesses with quantitative and qualitative data. 

Ready to gather the insights you need from your employees and put their feedback into practice? Request a Lattice demo today and see how our people platform can help you become a better boss and leader.