The Shift Towards Continuous Feedback In Surveys

The Feedback Loop Revolution: Why Annual Reviews Are Dead Alex sat across from his manager, stunned. "I'm not meeting expectations? But... this is the first I'm hearing of it." His manager shifted uncomfortably. "Well, there was that project last February where the client presentation wasn't up to par. And in April, your report lacked the depth we needed." "That was ten months ago," Alex said quietly. "Why am I just hearing this now?" This scene plays out in offices worldwide every day. The annual performance review continues to be the primary feedback mechanism in many organizations. It's a system that fails everyone involved. For employees like Alex, it means navigating in the dark for months, only to be blindsided by feedback too late to act upon. For managers, it means the impossible task of remembering a year's worth of performance details and delivering them in a way that somehow feels fair and comprehensive. Contrast this with Emma's experience at a company using Maxwell's continuous feedback approach. After presenting to a client, Emma received a notification: "Great job addressing the client's technical concerns today. Your preparation showed. One suggestion: Consider preparing more visual examples for non-technical stakeholders next time." The feedback was specific, timely, and actionable. Emma immediately incorporated the suggestion into her next presentation. No waiting. No guessing. Just growth. "The difference is night and day," Emma explains. "Before, feedback felt like a judgment on my worth. Now, it's just part of our daily workflow—a tool that helps me improve in real-time." This is the feedback loop revolution. It's not just about frequency; it's about fundamentally changing how we think about performance and growth. Maxwell's approach transforms feedback from an event into a continuous conversation. The platform enables immediate, context-specific feedback that arrives when it's most relevant; two-way dialogue that empowers employees to seek input when they need it; recognition that celebrates wins in the moment, not months later; and early intervention for performance challenges before they become patterns. Organizations using continuous feedback report 34% higher employee engagement, 26% lower voluntary turnover, and 22% faster skill development compared to those relying on annual reviews. For managers, the shift from annual reviewer to ongoing coach is equally transformative. Instead of dreading a single high-stakes conversation, they build coaching into their regular interactions, strengthening relationships and improving outcomes. The companies thriving today understand that growth happens in moments, not meetings. They're creating cultures where feedback flows naturally, where employees feel supported rather than judged, and where improvement is continuous rather than annual. Ready to leave annual reviews behind? Experience the future of feedback with Maxwell: https://lnkd.in/gR_YnqyU

I've always strived to understand how engaged my teams are in their mission, and what’s getting in their way that I or my leadership team can help remove. At previous companies, we used quarterly or semi-annual surveys. While they did surface issues, the format had limitations: Forced: Long surveys that are often forced, with managers pushing for participation metrics. Untimely: A quarter is too long; feedback suffers from recency bias. One-way: Comments can’t spark conversation, so team-specific issues often go unaddressed. At Cohesity, thanks to the leadership of Rebecca Adams, we use Workday PeakOn for continuous employee engagement, and it’s made a meaningful difference: No pressure: Brief, biweekly surveys with optional participation. 30–40% of the team usually responds because they want to. Timely: Focus areas evolve over time, so we’re focused on what matters now. Two-way dialog: Anonymous conversations let managers respond to comments without revealing employee identity. I’ve learned a great deal through these exchanges, and it’s gratifying when team members choose to continue the conversation openly as trust develops. Our engagement scores aren’t perfect, and as in any real business, not all issues can be solved quickly. However, I’m grateful for the steady pulse and the visibility on issues as they emerge. I highly recommend a continuous listening approach to any leader serious about building a better culture. #EmployeeExperience #Leadership #PeopleFirst #ContinuousEngagement #WorkdayPeakon

Annual surveys are dead and ABN AMRO realized it the hard way —by watching engagement data arrive months too late, after the damage was already done. ABN AMRO replaced their once-a-year surveys with a 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥.  Every month, they ask a representative group of employees one core question: Would you recommend this place to work? Plus—open-ended feedback on what’s working and what’s not. Over 𝟏,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 are analyzed using NLP models like TF-IDF, Word2Vec, and SVM. That means 150+ themes clustered and tracked—𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. And the impact: 1. Spot issues before they spiral 2. Build trust through transparency 3. Align HR insights with quarterly leadership decisions They didn’t just collect data. They turned feedback into fuel—for culture, strategy, and trust. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞. Fast, actionable, employee-led. Not a dashboard no one opens, 10 months too late. When employees feel heard and see change—HR becomes a driver of transformation, not just measurement. #PeopleAnalytics #EmployeeEngagement #HRTech #Leadership #ContinuousListening #FutureOfWork

Teams with continuous feedback programs show 23% higher profitability and 18% greater productivity than those relying on outdated annual performance reviews. AI ALPI research has uncovered a critical shift in top-performing HR departments. While 76% of organizations still rely on annual reviews, market leaders are leveraging technology-enabled continuous feedback loops that drive real business outcomes. → Weekly micro-feedback sessions are replacing quarterly or annual reviews, creating psychological safety and real-time course correction ↳ This approach reduces employee anxiety and creates 3x more actionable insights than traditional methods → AI-powered tools now enable performance tracking without the administrative burden ↳ HR leaders implementing these systems report 42% reduction in management time spent on performance administration → Human-centered leadership training has become a critical enabler ↳ Organizations investing in empathy-driven feedback skills see 37% higher retention rates among high performers Companies that implemented continuous feedback systems initially saw a temporary 15% drop in satisfaction as managers adjusted to more frequent, meaningful conversations. By month three, both engagement and productivity metrics surpassed previous levels by significant margins. 🔥 Want more breakdowns like this? Follow along for insights on: → Getting started with AI in HR teams → Scaling AI adoption across HR functions → Building AI competency in HR departments → Taking HR AI platforms to enterprise market → Developing HR AI products that solve real problems #ContinuousFeedback #HRTech #FutureOfWork #LeadershipDevelopment #PerformanceManagement