Why Your Top Performers Quit: Insights for HR Leaders

Ever wondered why your top performers are quitting? The issue might lie in the feedback they’re receiving. Recent research from Textio sheds light on this critical problem. Here’s what every HR leader and people manager should know.

High Performers Get the Worst Feedback

Surprisingly, the very people who drive the most productivity are often the ones receiving the lowest quality feedback. According to Textio's 2024 report, high performers get 1.5 times more feedback than others, but it's often vague, exaggerated, and full of fixed-mindset language.

The Impact on Women and Minorities

The situation is even more concerning for high-performing women and people of color. These groups tend to receive feedback that includes stereotypes and clichés. High-performing women, for instance, get 38% more problematic feedback compared to their peers, which can be incredibly demotivating and isolating.

Examples of Feedback

1. Personality-Based Feedback:

- Example: "You're always so helpful and friendly, making everyone feel welcome in the team."

- Problem: While this is positive, it focuses on personality traits rather than specific achievements. It doesn't provide actionable insights or recognize the actual work done.

2. Good Quality Feedback:

- Example: "Your detailed analysis of the Q2 sales report was excellent. Your insights helped us identify key areas for improvement and contributed directly to our 10% increase in sales."

- Benefit: This feedback is specific, measurable, and tied directly to the employee's work. It acknowledges the effort and impact of the high performer’s contributions.

Why This Matters

• Productivity: High performers contribute up to 400% more productivity than the average employee. Losing them can seriously impact your company’s success.
• Engagement and Growth: Constructive feedback is essential for growth. When high performers don’t get actionable feedback, they miss out on development opportunities, leading to disengagement.
• Retention: When people receive low-quality feedback — even when it’s positive — they’re 63% more likely to quit within the next 12 months.
• Diversity and Inclusion: Biased feedback disproportionately affects women and minorities, hindering your diversity and inclusion efforts.

What You Can Do About It

1. Train Your Managers: Invest in training that helps managers provide specific, actionable feedback. Avoid vague praise or criticism.

- Idea: Offer a skill-building workshop on strengths-based performance feedback. Use role-playing to practice turning vague comments into actionable insights.

2. Monitor Feedback Quality: Regularly review the feedback given to high performers to ensure it’s constructive and free from bias.

- Idea: Implement feedback review systems to evaluate peer reviews for quality and bias.

3. Cultivate a Growth Mindset: Create a culture that values continuous improvement. Support your high performers with the insights they need to amplify their impact.

- Idea: Equip managers with a step-by-step framework to pinpoint people's strengths and contributions in one-on-one meetings. At Indeed, we used StandOut? check-ins.

Addressing these feedback issues can help you retain your top talent and create a more inclusive and productive work environment. For a deeper dive, check out Textio's 2024 Language Bias in Performance Feedback report.

Source: Textio’s 2024 Language Bias in Performance Feedback

?? I am Linda Scotti, EIA, CPQC and I help tech leaders stop firefighting and start leading.

?? I write about Empowering Leadership.

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