Why Feedback Forms Often Don’t Work Well in the F&B Sector

There are tons of articles on Google pages talking about the benefits of using employee feedback forms. But do employee feedback forms really make a difference? 

We understand that employee surveys, like feedback forms, aim to let employees express themselves and gain insights into their daily work atmosphere. Salesforce research revealed that employees who feel their voice is heard at work are nearly five-times (4.6X) more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work.

Sadly, feedback forms don’t always provide the answers that the questioners, in this case managers and F&B business owners, want. They offer a convenient way to collect input, but their effectiveness hinges on how they are implemented within an organization. While they provide a snapshot of employee satisfaction, they may not capture all the complexities of the workplace.

When feedback forms are well designed and integrated into a culture of continuous improvement, they can be very effective in improving workplace conditions, employee engagement, and overall organizational success. However, it is still difficult to implement the feedback form properly.

Most Common Reasons that Make Feedback Forms Ineffective

According to Forbes, there are at least 3 most common reasons that make feedback forms ineffective. Is the feedback form you give to your employees also ineffective because of these reasons?

1. Asking The Wrong or Biased Questions

Feedback form questions can be considered biased if they guide people to a specific answer or if they are hard to understand. Biased questions create issues because they don’t give accurate feedback and make it hard to know how employees truly feel. So, it’s important to make sure your feedback questions are clear and fair to get valuable insights into your staff’ experiences.

With that said, here are some manners when creating a list of questions for a feedback form.

Dos:

1. Start with Clear Objectives: Begin by defining your survey’s purpose and what you want to learn from it. This clarity will help create unbiased questions.
2. Use Neutral Language: Use language that doesn’t push respondents towards a particular answer. Test questions with diverse groups for clarity.
3. Pilot Testing: Test your survey with a small group to identify and improve unclear or biased questions.

Don’ts:

1. Avoid Leading Questions: Steer clear of questions that guide respondents to a specific answer.
2. No Double-Barreled Questions:
3. Don’t combine multiple issues in one question, as it can confuse respondents.Beware of Assumptions: Don’t assume experiences or opinions. Use open-ended questions to capture diverse responses when needed.

2. Don’t Have A Measurable Action Plan

To make your survey effective, it’s essential to share the results with your team and ask for their ideas or solutions. Afterward, take action based on those suggestions. Have discussions about how to fix the issues, set deadlines for solutions, and decide on the measures for success. This action plan not only helps solve current problems but it also prevents issues from getting worse.

So, how can we plan in a measurable way? Here are the dos and don’ts for reference.

Dos:

1. Set Clear Goals: Clearly define what we want to achieve.
2. Use Measurable Metrics: Choose numbers or data to track progress.
3. Create Deadlines: Set dates for each step in your plan.

Don’ts:

1. Avoid Vagueness: Don’t make unclear goals.
2. Don’t Skip Numbers: Use data, not just words.
3. Check Progress: Don’t forget to review how you are doing.

3. No Follow-Up

When employees share their thoughts with you, it’s important to take action based on what they say. If you don’t follow up and make changes, employees may lose trust in you and the company. It’s not just about listening, it’s about showing that you care by doing something with the feedback. Otherwise, they might not even know if you read their feedback or if it mattered.

Here are some tips to follow if you want to follow-up effectively.

Dos:

1. Plan Follow-Up: Make a clear plan to follow up on feedback.
2. Acknowledge Input: Let employees know their feedback is important.
3. Share Progress: Update employees on changes based on their feedback.

Don’ts:

1. Don’t Ignore Feedback: Avoid disregarding feedback or treating it as insignificant.
2. Avoid Delay: Don’t delay or put off follow-up actions because timely responses are crucial to maintaining trust.
3. Don’t Assume Understanding: Never assume that employees understand what’s happening after they provide feedback. Keep them informed.

“Help, My Staff Opts for Quietness Instead of Openness!”

In the F&B workplace, some staff aren’t always big talkers when it comes to sharing what’s on their minds about the job. They’ve got this fear that speaking up about something not-so-great might lead to not-so-great stuff happening to them, like missing out on promotions or even getting shown the door. 

It can make them keep their thoughts to themselves, and that’s not always good for the working environment. In the end, it is difficult for restaurant owners or managers to detect the negative possibilities that occur to their employees, such as burn-out, anxiety, health issues, and even employee turnover.

Additionally, it’s no secret that working in the F&B industry comes with its own set of challenges that can put additional strain on the employee’s mind. And, based on StaffAny’s research about Staff Happiness in the F&B Industry, Singaporean workers have the lowest Happiness Index among their neighboring counterparts in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia.

But, there are ways to change that! One tip is to create a friendly and open environment where employees feel safe to speak their minds without fear of negative consequences. Encouraging regular check-ins and feedback sessions can help build trust. Plus, showing that you actually listen to what they say and take action when needed goes a long way. 

When you make it clear that feedback is valued and can lead to positive changes, employees are more likely to open up. So, remember, a little openness and trust can go a long way in making your workplace better for everyone.

What Should You Do if You Can’t Obtain the Correct Feedback from the Employees?

Obtaining honest feedback from employees can be a challenge when your business lacks a dedicated person to make sure their voices are heard and turned into actions. However, two approaches can help you collect sincere input from your team.

Anonymize Feedback

Anonymizing feedback is essential for obtaining accurate and honest input from employees. It reduces the fear of repercussions, allowing employees to share their genuine thoughts without worry. 

Anonymity also promotes transparency by encouraging the revelation of sensitive or controversial issues. It minimizes bias, as every response is treated equally, and enhances trust in the constructive use of feedback. This approach often leads to higher participation rates as employees feel comfortable sharing their thoughts openly, ultimately providing more accurate and valuable insights for improving the workplace.

Automate Feedback

For business owners juggling a lot of operational work, it can be tough to find time to check on their employees. Especially in the fast-paced F&B industry, this can be a challenge. In such a situation, automation offers a way to reap significant benefits for your business.

StaffAny now has an automation technology called EngageAny as a solution to the problem of collecting feedback from employees and improving employee engagement by understanding how satisfied your employees are while working. 

Employees can give general feedback on how they feel at work easily through apps on their devices. They can also include any comments to further explain how they feel about their shift each day. This feedback can be viewed in the Employee Happiness Score Report. 

And most importantly, you will get all the employee feedback because this automation has Compulsory and Anonymous Feedback features so they can feel comfortable and secure in voicing their opinions.

All You Need to Know About Employee Happiness Score on EngageAny

A good happiness score can vary depending on the context and the specific measurement tool or survey being used. However, in a 5-point rating system, a good happiness score is typically considered to be 4 or above. This means that if employees rate their happiness or satisfaction with their workplace on a scale of 1 to 5, a score of 4 or 5 is generally seen as positive and indicates high levels of happiness and satisfaction.

The Happiness Score on EngageAny calculates the general happiness of your staff every month. The data is collected through the Happiness Feedback form that your employees submit after clocking out or via the Engage module on mobile. 

Here is the breakdown of the formula used in the happiness score automation on EngageAny to get a scale of 1 to 5:

Happiness Score = [(3 x number of Good) + (2 x number of Decent) + (1 x number of Bad)] / Number of staff that sent feedback

Are You Ready With New Ways to Improve Your Workplace Experience and Obtain the Right Feedback?

Prepare yourself to unlock the potential of EngageAny, a unique offering exclusively brought to you by StaffAny! Are you ready to seamlessly integrate the power of EngageAny into your business? Don’t hesitate any further!

Learn more about EngageAny here.