For some workers, receiving feedback can be painful or awkward — but not for a majority of Gen Z. In fact, 73% of the youngest generation in the workforce say they will resign if they don't get regular feedback from their managers, a survey from StaffCircle found.
Regular feedback can be particularly important for those who entered the workforce during the pandemic and are still adjusting to in-person work etiquette. It's also crucial to shaping your career, Monster career expert Vicki Salemi tells CNBC Make It.
"You can really jumpstart your career progression by getting this feedback," says Salemi. "If you have this feedback and you're really diving into it, taking ownership of it and tapping into resources … you're fully engaged and part of your career growth."
While your manager should ideally be the one to set up these meetings, being proactive in seeking feedback on your work can benefit you in more ways than one. Coordinating the frequency of these meetings yourself can be helpful for both you and your boss, who likely has a lot on their plate.
"At the end of the day, the employee needs to take ownership of their career — don't expect your boss to do it for you," Salemi says.
How to approach feedback meetings
Asking for frequent feedback now can avoid any awkward year-end conversations around salary or promotions, and allow you to change your behavior in real time, Salemi says.
"You may be continuing behavior that you're not even aware is problematic, or that can be easily tweaked," she adds.
As you seek feedback from your boss, keep these three tips in mind before, during and after to help you get the most out of conversations with your manager.
1. Determine how you'd like to receive feedback
Only 15% of employees surveyed by StaffCircle say they have weekly check-ins with their manager to discuss performance. A much larger portion of workers — 76% — have feedback meetings once a month or less.
Salemi recommends setting your expectations when it comes to when and how you receive feedback from your boss. Would you like to meet weekly, monthly or quarterly? Do you prefer to receive feedback in real time?
Consistency is also key when it comes to holding feedback meetings.
"It shouldn't just be a one-time annual event," Salemi says. "If you're a worker who's looking for this feedback and not getting it, tell your boss upfront that it would be helpful."
2. What to have prepared going into feedback meetings
Before you actually sit down with your boss, brainstorm specific feedback you'd like to hear. You could ask for feedback on a particular project or presentation, or on how your skill set is developing.
While hearing negative feedback can deal a blow to your ego, it can be more helpful than hearing a blanket statement like "you're doing a great job" without any follow up.
"You want to hear about things that maybe didn't go well and then opportunities for improvement," says Salemi. "Let's get in the weeds: What went well, and why did it go well? How can I continue that? What skills do I need to continue honing?"
3. Don't take anything personally
When it comes to feedback from your boss, it's important to remember one thing: "Nothing is personal."
While many often take critiques on their work to heart, Salemi encourages workers to focus on the positive impacts of receiving tough feedback and use it to further your career.
"It's a great way to connect with people and it really shows your vulnerability," says Salemi. "That can help you grow, that can also show your boss that you're taking full ownership of your career and any mistakes you made."
What if your boss isn't receptive?
Technically, your manager should be the one coordinating feedback meetings, but Salemi says it isn't necessarily a red flag if they aren't — it likely just means they're busy.
"Many managers will give you feedback in real time, so they may not even be thinking you need to have monthly meetings," she says.
Plus, every worker is different when it comes to how and when they like to receive feedback. If your company has mandatory reviews annually, your boss may not think they need to schedule additional meetings.
"What you may want monthly, your colleague may actually want weekly, and the other colleague may want quarterly," she says. "So it's what you think that you need most."
But when does a boss's resistance to feedback meetings become a red flag?
"It's more of a red flag if you schedule [a feedback meeting] and your boss continues to not show up," she says. "Or they don't have full attention during the meeting and they're multitasking."
If your boss seems too busy for regular feedback meetings, Salemi recommends offering to email questions ahead of time and saying you'll keep the meeting short. And while your manager's feedback is crucial, you could also seek assessments from other people in the office.
"Maybe you have a mentor in another department, or your same department, or peers in your department," she says. "You could say, 'I'm really working toward my career, how did you think I presented? What do you think I should work on?'"
Gen Z loves career growth
Remember, you don't have to wait for a feedback meeting to check in with your boss. "It's not a one and done conversation," Salemi says.
"Maybe your boss suggested you do this online training, for example, and you take it … and you immediately learn new things and you start implementing it, feel free to let your boss know," she says.
As Gen Z enters the workforce, they're making it clear that they value career growth opportunities like feedback meetings, perhaps even more than their older counterparts. Only 52% of non-Gen Z employees say they would leave an organization if they don't receive regular feedback.
"Gen Z is telling us basically that this is what they want and what they need to flourish, to stay working at their employer, because if they don't get that they will likely find it at another employer," says Salemi.
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