Latest news with #workplaceFeedback
Independent Singapore
22-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Woman claims company pressured staff into faking feedback for anonymous survey
SINGAPORE: A woman has raised concerns about whether some workplaces in Singapore are indirectly pressuring employees to give only positive feedback, even during so-called 'anonymous' surveys. On Wednesday (May 21), she shared her experience on the r/askSingapore forum. According to her post, staff were asked to participate in an organisation-wide feedback survey, which was promoted as being anonymous. Initially, she thought it was a genuine effort by management to hear employees' voices. However, several weeks after the survey was completed, the head of her unit told the team that their department's director had been singled out for receiving the most negative feedback across the organisation. Following that, staff were instructed to redo the survey. This time, although management still claimed it was anonymous, the woman said the atmosphere had already shifted—many felt like their responses were being tracked. Then came another surprise: they were told to complete the survey a third time, but now with their full names written clearly on the form. 'We had to redo it yet again, but with our names clearly written. The excuse, if I remember it correctly, was that if anyone was unhappy about it, then they should talk it out.' Understandably, the woman shared that no one felt comfortable being honest anymore. She admitted that she, along with her colleagues, ended up giving overly positive responses just to avoid being singled out or seen as a troublemaker. Curious if this was normal in other companies, she asked the community, 'Does your workplace indirectly force you to feedback nice things?' 'If you give bad news, you will be fired.' Surprisingly, many Singaporean Redditors jumped into the conversation to share that they had gone through similar experiences at their own workplaces. While their companies often emphasised the importance of honest and constructive feedback, several users felt there was always a subtle pressure to only say positive things, especially when it came to reviewing higher-ups. See also A bootstrapped startup's guide to hiring a digital marketing pro One Redditor commented, 'All corporate feedback is the same, whether it is in SG or overseas. It's only for show. If you disagree with the ExCO leadership and direction, please look for another company that is more aligned with your values. It's wayang just to say they are a progressive and transparent company. PS, they also know who the troublemakers are, who constantly question their direction. Good luck, slaves.' Another shared a more extreme example: 'We were locked in a room and forced to admit who gave the director a below-average review. Everyone knows these anonymous feedback forms are IQ tests.' A third simply said, 'If you give bad news, you will be fired.' A fourth added, 'The rice bowl is only iron when you polish your boss's one till it's shiny and rustproof.' In other news, a desk-bound employee took to social media to share her confusion and frustration after facing backlash from upper management for taking leave on a Friday and travelling over the weekend, despite not being officially scheduled to work. See also M17 Entertainment raises US$25M for R&D and more In her detailed post on a local forum, the employee explained that she holds a standard 9-to-5 weekday job that does not involve shift work or regular weekend duties. However, due to the nature of the role, the team often works a few hours during the final weekend of each month to meet deadlines. Read more: Employee gets 'heat from the higher management' for travelling on her weekend day off Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
Forbes
13-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Rethinking Work Performance Culture: Why Annual Reviews Fail Gen Z
Gen Z at work The challenges of developing a fair and consistent review process have been well documented, and Gen Z, the first truly digital-native generation to enter the workforce, is having none of it. Having grown up with instant feedback through likes, comments, and immediate digital responses, Gen Z approaches workplace feedback with dramatically different expectations than previous generations. Unlike Baby Boomers who often see performance reviews as formal evaluation tools, or Gen X who value autonomy in feedback, Gen Z craves frequent, personalized guidance focused on growth rather than judgment. Failing to account for these dramatic differences in expectations can negatively impact company culture, increase employee burnout, and stifle engagement. But forward-thinking leaders are finding new ways to meet the challenge. Here's how. Annual, backward-looking, manager-driven evaluations are poorly suited for today's knowledge economy, where roles evolve rapidly and innovation requires constant adaptation. For Gen Z specifically, waiting months for feedback feels alien and disengaging. A generation accustomed to immediate responses on digital platforms finds traditional annual reviews particularly frustrating and inauthentic. Recognizing this reality, we saw a shift away from annual review processes about a decade ago. Interestingly, the pendulum now appears to be swinging in the other direction, with companies like Microsoft, which famously abandoned its "stack ranking" system in 2013, reinstating forced competition. Whether others follow suit remains to be seen. But contrary to being coddled, Gen Z wants to take charge of their own development. Research from Gartner highlights a telling statistic about Gen Z's self-sufficiency mindset: 38% of Gen Z would abandon resolving an issue if they couldn't do it themselves through self-service, compared to only 11% of Baby Boomers. This preference for independent problem-solving extends to how they approach feedback—they want accessible tools and resources for self-development, not just manager judgment. Additionally, Gen Z employees tend to be more vocal than previous generations about perceived unfairness and particularly alert to systematic biases, which can plague performance review processes, and far more likely to disengage from systems they think are unfair. To create a performance management process that actively engages Gen Z while strengthening organizational culture, companies must embrace real-time feedback mechanisms and immediate, relevant guidance. Consider these five essential elements: Replace annual reviews with weekly or even daily digital touchpoints. Gen Z expects the same immediacy in workplace feedback that they experience on social platforms. Design brief check-ins using messaging apps or collaboration tools they're already comfortable with. Train managers to use concise, specific language and to provide instant recognition through digital channels when Gen Z employees achieve goals or demonstrate growth. Implement pulse surveys that feel more like Instagram polls than formal evaluations to gather their insights regularly. Gen Z places significant value on peer opinions and community input. Develop processes that gather feedback horizontally rather than just vertically from management. Create collaborative evaluation processes where Gen Z team members can solicit and receive input from colleagues across departments. Encourage them to build their personal "feedback network," empowering them to seek growth insights from multiple sources rather than relying solely on managers. Gen Z sees professional development as an extension of personal growth. Structure conversations around skill-building that connect to both career aspirations and personal values. Help Gen Z employees identify development opportunities aligned with social impact causes they care about. Create customizable learning pathways that allow for personalization rather than standardized development plans. Regularly connect their daily work to broader purpose and meaning, which Deloitte research confirms is central to Gen Z's workplace satisfaction. Implement technologies that allow Gen Z to track their progress rather than waiting for manager evaluations. Select platforms that gamify skill development with visible achievement markers. Provide AI-powered assessment tools that offer immediate, objective feedback on their work. Enable self-comparison features that let them benchmark their growth against anonymized peer data. Prioritize mobile accessibility for all performance tools, as Gen Z expects workplace technologies to function like the apps they use in their personal lives. While separating development from compensation decisions remains important, Gen Z demands unprecedented transparency in how reward systems work. Document and communicate the specific metrics and benchmarks that influence compensation decisions. Provide data visualizations that illustrate the relationship between performance and rewards across the organization. Engage Gen Z in reshaping compensation structures to better reflect their values around fairness, purpose, and work-life balance. Importantly, recognize that these employees are highly transparent when communicating with one another on issues of compensation. The foundation for effective performance management with Gen Z is psychological safety that honors their commitment to authenticity and transparency. Unlike previous generations who might compartmentalize critical feedback as "just business," Gen Z approaches work as an integrated part of their identity. By replacing traditional annual reviews with continuous, purpose-connected feedback systems, companies can create cultures where Gen Z employees feel valued, challenged, and authentically seen.
